Major grocery stores are getting into organics, big time. Vons got its "O" line of organic products a while back, and now Albertsons is getting Wild Harvest, an organic line of about 150 different products, to become 250 to 300 products over the long term.

For those who fear this Wild Harvest line will just be about junk food made with organic ingredients, rest assured that the line includes basic food staples too. Yes, you'll see organic oreo-type cookies at Albertson's now, but you'll also be able to get organic milk, eggs, meat, and fresh produce too.

The good news here is that organic food is becoming much easier to find -- as well as less expensive. Go into Albertsons now, and you'll be able to pick up items previously only seen in health food stores and Whole Foods -- at prices that are, according to SUPERVALU, about 15 percent lower than branded organic products.

The potential downside: Often, the push for bargain basement prices has meant a push for a weakening and cheapening of organic standards. As Samuel Fromartz already showed in his book Organic, Inc., big companies that get into organics sometimes don't embody the spirit of organic agriculture. Certainly, locavorians are unlikely to be psyched about stores selling inexpensive organic lettuce grown in China, especially if that undercuts the price competitiveness of the local, organic lettuce we can easily find at the farmers' market.

I still see the Wild Harvest line as good news, however, even if I'll continue to get my fruits and veggies at the Santa Monica farmers' market. Long term, my hope is that the debates surrounding local, organic, and sustainable food will gain increased public interest and scrutiny.

If you get the paper delivered, you should see Wild Harvest featured in your Sunday grocery circular. Wild Harvest, which was created by Albertsons' parent company SUPERVALU, will also show up at SUPERVALU's other stores, including Acme, bigg’s, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw’s/Star Market, Shop ‘n Save and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy.

(Alex Thompson writes about bicycling in LA)

The toughest question I'm asked as a bike activist is "how do I get a bike?" My usual response is to blanch, jump on my bike, ride home and bury myself in a bottle. Why? Well, it's a tough question to answer, because any decent answer is complicated and many people expect a simple answer. So here it is, part one of my answer to "how do I get a bike?". I'll explain what your goals should be for your first bike as an adult, guidelines for budget, sizing and type of bicycle. The next post will discuss options for where to buy, how to tune up a used bike, and briefly, locks, lights, and helmets.

How do you get the perfect bike for you? Wrong! That's the wrong question. When you're getting a first bike as an adult don't aim for perfection. Unless you're a former cyclist, there's simply no way you can know what you need, or what you'll like, before you've done a lot of riding. So when you get your first bike as an adult, with intentions of riding the gritty city, what you should seek is a starter bike. The perfect starter bike.

The perfect starter bike is a bike which functions, doesn't break down, and is inexpensive. Your expectation should be that if you enjoy cycling, and you might not, then you'll replace that first bike in 6 months to a year. With oil at $112 a barrel this cycling thing will pay for itself.

My first bike as an adult was a beater I bought from my roommate for $40, and I replaced it within four months. You should spend more than I did. That bike was so dysfunctional that I carried a hammer with me to fix it when certain parts got out of whack. The hammer was made in China, and the bike was made in 1970. Eventually all the cables snapped and it fell apart.

So $200 is the minimum budget I suggest (If you can't afford $200 then there are people who can help you), and I wouldn't suggest spending more than $500. That minimum breaks down as follows - $100 for the bike, $20 or so for repairs, and $80 for lights, a lock, and a helmet. You shouldn't get a bike without a helmet for safety and a lock for parking. I recommend lights for beginners because there's nothing more limiting than not being able to ride your bike legally and safely to the bar, club, church, or grocery store after dark.

"I'm richer than an oil baron, I'm gonna start with the best" you say. Don't. Even if you're a rich and famous movie star, I don't recommend splurging $12000 on a super bike with all the best components. Why? If you're just getting into riding there is no way you'll appreciate it.  High end bikes aren't built for durability and ease of use, they're built for speed on a closed course. Furthermore, unless the bike fits you, you won't like it, no matter how much it costs. Put that extra money toward buying your friends bikes so you can start a bike gang - you'll have more fun.

Fit is important because it governs how comfortable you'll feel on the bike. You're not going to get a perfect fit on your first bike. Instead, we want to shoot for getting a bike that fits you ok. That means getting a bike with the right sized frame. Here's a rule of thumb, known as the "Lemond System" for estimating frame size. Take your inseam measurement in centimeters and multiply by .67:

Inseam * .67 = Frame size for a road bike

Mountain bikes fit differently, so for a conventionally sized mountain bike the rule of thumb is:

(Inseam * .67) - 11cm = Frame size for a mountain bike

Road bike frame sizes are usually quoted in centimeters, but mountain bikes are often quoted in inches. To convert back and forth from inches to centimeters you can just note that 1 inch is 2.54 centimeters (1 centimeter is .394 inches), or you can use an online converter.

(LA Rida legend Fuzzbeast rides a bike that is too small for him, photo by digablesoul)

In the last decade bike manufacturers have migrated toward a new frame sizing system. Now some models of bicycle now come in sizes like clothes - XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL. In this case you'll probably just need to test drive the bike.

Choosing a versatile type of bike is important. The four kinds of bike a first time biker should consider are road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, and beach cruisers. For an inexperienced rider in LA I think a mountain bike or hybrid bike is the way to go.

Road bikes have skinny tires which don't handle rough pavement very well, so you'll find your handling skills challenged while you're simultaneously dealing with LA drivers. I started with a road bike, and my poor handling skills and natural clumsiness laid me out in middle of a lane on Venice Blvd in the rain in traffic. It was scary. Beach cruisers are heavy, slow, they don't have great brakes, and they only have a few gears, so they can be tough to ride in hilly terrain. However, they are pretty, fun and very relaxed. Mountain bikes and hybrid bikes (which are a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike) have wider tires, so they handle rough patches well. You ride in an upright position so they're very easy to handle, and they have good braking power and numerous gears.

You can spend a lot of time pondering what kind of bike you should get, but I think it's best to just pick a type and get started riding! If you do want to investigate further here are some resources:

Guide to types of bicycles

YouTube video summarizing types of bicycles

Next week I'll write about different options for getting a bike new or used, how to fix up a used bike without spending a lot, and guidelines for helmets, lights, and locks. If you're feeling super psyched to go out and get a bike now, then go for it! If you have a friend who is a cyclist, see if you can bribe them into helping you. Two weeks from today I'll write about the state of bike activism in LA, where it is and where it might be going.

>> A Bloggy Battle of the Buses. On April 17, the Big Blue Bus rapid 10 will be pitted against the Metro 439 by two bloggers who'll be taking said buses and twittering/flickering throughout the rides.

>> How do you connect a sprawling city like Los Angeles? Alexander Lew examines both the opportunities and challenges of creating a viable public transportation system in Los Angeles.

>> The Prius, de-yuppified. In Slate, Daniel Gross argues that the Prius is becoming a "blue-collar money-saver," due to rising gas prices.

>> "The farm bill is loaded with pork and environmentally disastrous provisions," argues Daniel Imhoff, author of "Food Fight: The Citizen's Guide to a Food and Farm Bill," in an L.A. Times op-ed today.

>> A Chino slaughterhouse is gonna get billed between $67 million to $117 million for the cost of the huge recall of its questionable beef. If the slaughterhouse can't pay up, taxpayers will have to foot the bill.

>> ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas will host  "Human Footprint, a new documentary on our lives of consumption, which airs April 13 at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel.

Regular Big Blue Bus riders: Now's the time to enroll in that intro to guitar class you've meant to take since you were a misunderstood adolescent. Why? Thanks to the dealio SMC's worked out with the BBB, students can ditch the car and take public transit -- FREE.

In fact, you may be able to enroll in said guitar class for just $2. Seriously. Read on:

SMC, unbeknownst to most, has a very active student group called Associated Students. This group's super eco-friendly and progressive -- and accordingly, got the BBB to test out a pilot program, letting SMC students ride line 6, the sunset ride, and the crosstown ride for free.

Apparently, that program was a flying (riding?) success. According to Linda Gamberg, Marketing & Public Information Coordinator for BBB, the pilot program "went over so well the students themselves initiated this [new] program," expanding the reach to include all of the BBB.

"The original plan was that they [the BBB] were going to offer the rapid 7 only," says John Kernick, Director of Financial Support of Associated Students, explaining that the BBB proposed simply increasing the services and times for that one line. "I'm a bus rider and I've been a bus rider for a long time, and at the cost that we were expected to pay for the rapid only -- It wasn't a good cost-benefit analysis."

So the SMC students pushed for more -- discussing the issue at Associated Students' March 31 meeting (PDF agenda here) -- and got it. The final dealio  -- a.k.a. "Any line, any time" -- splits up the additional cost of the free BBB rides between the existing Associated Students fee and the student ID fee. According to Kernick, $14 more was required of each student -- which was translated into a $5 ID card fee increase, and a $9 Associated Students fee increase.

This is how it adds up. SMC classes cost $26 per unit. In addition to that, there's the $14 health fee, the $8 ID card fee, and the $10 Associated Students fee. With the $14 extra increase for the BBB deal, all of that will cost $72 come fall.

A monthly EZ Pass costs $70. Yes, that EZ Pass gives you access to some other transit agencies' bus lines, but if you'd been getting the pass just to ride the BBB on a regular basis, this means you can now get both the pass AND a one-unit class at SMC for just $2 more.

The new deal between BBB and SMC kicks off with the fall semester, which starts this August.

A key thing to remember is that students do have to take advantage of the program to ensure its continuation. "If we don't see students take the bus, this isn't going to pay for anything," says Kaya Foster, an SMC student involved with the school's Eco Action Club.

"In the future I'd love to see a public transportation system that reaches all the public colleges," says Kernick. Do you share that dream? Take a class at SMC -- and take the BBB to said class -- and help make that dream a reality. And if you're a UCLA student, ask your student body reps why you still have to pay to take the BBB to Westwood, while your compatriots at SMC ride for free.

Photo by Siel

Get your hands dirty in preparation for Earth Day! Join thousands of Cali residents from all over the state to pretty up the parks in your own communities on Saturday, April 19.

The 11th annual California State Parks Foundation’s Earth Day 2008 Restoration & Cleanup event invites all to "help restore the beauty of California’s treasured state parks." Volunteers will plant trees and community gardens, repair fences and boardwalks, restore trails and wildlife habitats, and remove trash and debris.

A bizzaro aspect of this event is that Chevron's an associate sponsor. I hope the irony of an oil company known for polluting California's own land and waterways -- and fighting tooth and nail so as not to have to pay to clean it up -- trying to align itself with a cleanup event done for free by volunteers, isn't lost on anyone.

In any case -- Let not the involvement of Chevron sully your eco-experience. You might consider taking alternative transportation to the park, keeping your money away from the oil companies. Unfortunately, the Cali State Parks Foundation provides only driving directions.... Hmmm....

Two separate events are planned for L.A. County, so check out the details and pick between the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve or Malibu Creek State Park. Remember to sign up; space is limited!

Orange and San Bernadino counties have their own sites too. See you in the park --

>> Plant a tree by watching "Desperate Housewives" online? ABC's come out with a new widget promoting its shows that you can embed on your blog, your iGoogle page, or other webpage of yours. And between now and the end of April, ABC and the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree for every video watched.

>> Plant a Billion Trees. The Nature Conservancy's new project has the goal of raise reforesting 2.5 million acres of land in the Atlantic Forest. Each tree costs a buck. (via groovy green)

>> Did you know each state has its own arbor day? Today's Washington state's.

>> A "Hello I'm here" beep for hybrids? A bill that could force otherwise silent hybrids to audibly alert people they're nearby will be introduced in congress today. "While the organization is not aware of people being struck by cars they couldn't hear, [National Federation of the Blind] President Marc Maurer has said he fears it's only a matter of time."

>> How to take back the streets from cars. The NY Times suggests everything from the Woonerf to bicycle boulevards. (via kottke)

"You know, if you dyed your hair black, you'd look just like Al Gore." That, says Gore, is what one kind-looking older woman told him. Has enviro-activism's aged the Nobel prize-winner a bit? Perhaps -- but Gore's keeping busy, and is back with a sequel of sorts to "An Inconvenient Truth."

This new slideshow -- which Gore debuted at the TED conference -- shows the drastically shrunken north polar ice cap. Yet Gore remains an optimist -- and encourages you to be too:

Sometimes I hear people respond to the disturbing facts of the climate crisis by saying, "Oh this is so terrible -- What a burden we have." I would like to ask you to reframe that. How many generations in all of human history have had the opportunity to rise to a challenge that is worthy of our best efforts, that has a challenge that can pull from us more than we knew we could do?

Can you face the challenges posed by the climate crisis with "profound joy and gratitude"? That's what Gore encourages you to do -- even though he's quick to point out the many problems and obstacles facing us. The solution he proposes sounds simple: "Put a price on carbon." Politically, however, this has been difficult to do -- which is why he's encouraging Americans to get more engaged.

"In order to solve the climate crisis, we need to solve the democracy crisis," Gore says. "Be an active citizen. Change the lightbulbs, but change the laws."

Watch the video, be inspired, and take action.

Earth Day isn't until April 22, but Santa Monica will be celebrating it 10 days early with the annual Earth Day on the Promenade.

The popular outdoor festival will feature booths and exhibits all the way down Third Street Promenade. Visitors can get some green shopping done, enjoy live performances, and learn about the enviro-focused organizations and initiatives in the L.A. area.

When: Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: Third Street Promenade, between Broadway and Wilshire, Santa Monica
Cost: Free!

Assuming the weather's nice, the street'll likely be packed; the pictures are from last year's event. Lots more events are happening leading up to Earth Day; find out what's near you via this calendar.

And don't forget to enjoy a free Michael Franti concert on Earth Day itself by heading over -- on bike or bus! -- to the Wilshire Center Earth Day celebration.

Photos by Siel

>> Condoms: More eco-friendly than ever. Brazillians will be supporting local agriculture and rainforest preservation by practicing safe sex! Brazil's opened a new condom factory that will get its latex from small time rubber tappers who protect their trees and the larger rainforest. The condoms will be distributed free in Brazil as part of an anti-AIDS program. (via grist)

>> Seven organic beers, reviewed by Tom Philpott of Grist. "Why is beer so good? The question has perplexed humanity since the dawn of agricultural civilization 10,000 years ago."

>> The new Bond villain: A greenwasher. The upcoming Bond film "Quantum of Solace" will feature a guy pretending to be an eco-conscious businessman in order to control the water biz. (via green daily)

>> Los Angeles didn't get the Department of Energy's "2008 Solar America Cities" designation -- which means we lost out on "up to $200,000." Three Cali cities did make the list: Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa. (via Inhabitat)

>> Amazon's added a green product recommendation app called “Green 3," inviting users to recommend their three favorite eco-friendly products.

Photo of rubber tree by ste_in_brux via Flickr

I hear the economy's not doing so well, but this downer doesn't seem to have hit the green market very hard, considering all the big green businesses and initiatives making the news. Yes, there's money to be made in environmentalism -- and here's a roundup to some of the contests that can put some of that green in your pocket:

• One Good Chair design competition. Make beauty meet comfort, and get $4,500 to transform that brill idea into a prototype. Downside: You gotta plunk down $50 in faith of your design by May 16. Final designs must be submitted by June 9. (via Inhabitat)

• Go Organic! for Earth Day contest. Just send in photos and an explanation that illustrate why you badly need a grocery makeover. The grand prize winning family will get to go on a grocery store trip to fill up the kitchen with free organic groceries, and a day of cooking lessons with Chef Catelli in their kitchen.

• "What’s The Big Idea?"  contest. Got an idea to make the world a greener place? Put it on camera and you could win $10,000 from Sundance.

• Design a cool biking accessory or add-on, win $5,000. Design21's contest is looking for extras that'll make biking more enjoyable and get more people on bikes. Deadline's April 30. (via Inhabitat)

Best of luck with your entries.