Marking the return of the annual contest in 2024, the Palisadian-Post is now seeking Travel Tales for publication in an upcoming edition.
Readers are encouraged to share their tales—whether they traveled near or far—in up to 600 words, plus one to four high-res images, for consideration by Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m. for a chance to be featured in print and to win a prize.
Submissions may be sent to mypost@palipost.com, which is also where questions can be directed.
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The Pacific Palisades Recreation Center Park Advisory Board met on the evening of January 18, covering a number of topics and updates, including a volleyball dedication ceremony, proposed off-leash dog park, ongoing safety concerns and an estimate for forthcoming remodeled restrooms.
Before the meeting was officially called to order, the PAB and Palisades Recreation Center leaders hosted a dedication ceremony “to thank the Toppel family for their generous donation to make volleyball possible.” Senior Facility Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi presented a plaque to Haldis Toppel, a longtime member of Pacific Palisades Community Council and Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association, and the Toppel family.
Haldis’ late husband, Kurt, led both boards before he died in February 2018. He helped raise and protect funds to assure the construction of a new gym in Palisades Recreation Center. Their son, Curt, grew up in Marquez Knolls and attended St. Matthew’s before attending Loyola High School and playing volleyball at Stanford. During the dedication, Curt spoke of his gratitude for the park and his time spent there while growing up.
The 2024 spring season at Palisades Recreation Center will include girls minor (born in 2013-14) and girls major (born in 2011-12) volleyball leagues. Evaluations are March 12 and 14, with minors at 6:30 p.m. and majors at 7:30 p.m.
During the PAB meeting, members of the Pacific Palisades Dog Park Working Group—Leslie Campbell, Lynn Miller Hylen and Carol Ross—announced that $1.5 million in Measure A funds would be requested by the city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks to be designated to create a proposed dog park, which, when complete, would be located near the base of Temescal Canyon Road on Rec and Parks land.
“After eight long years of nipping at the ankles of LA Rec and Parks and City Council,” Campbell said, “we have finally reached a milestone.”
The proposed project, which has been in the works for nearly four decades, has plans to include small and large dog areas, totaling 33,255 square feet. The project scope, according to a board report, is to “create a new off-leash dog park, including new fencing, path of travel (concrete path, entry plaza), synthetic surfacing, landscaping (trees, irrigation, mulch), security lighting, [and] site amenities (shade structure, hydration station, benches, trash receptacles, dog agility equipment).”
Measure A funds, derived from an annual special tax on properties, are administered by the County of LA Regional Park and Open Space District Annual Allocation Program after being requested by the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners.
“RAP expects to receive grant awards by late spring 2024,” according to the report.
The members of the dog park group thanked Councilmember Traci Park for her aid in making the request happen—as the proposed dog park was one of her campaign promises.
“For decades, residents of the Palisades have been fighting for a dog park,” Park wrote on Instagram following the January 18 Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners meeting where the funding request was unanimously approved. “I’m so excited to announce that today, we are one step closer. Today, the RAP Commission approved our request for funding to move this project forward.”
Throughout the PAB meeting, ongoing safety concerns at the park were also discussed, including incidents of vandalism and fireworks reported to be set off by teenagers. Dowlatshahi and Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin confirmed incidents were most often occurring in the evenings between 10:30 p.m. and midnight, but some were occurring earlier in the day.
Dowlatshahi and PAB Board Member Maryam Zar said that a goal for 2024, in the park and community beyond, is to have cameras installed, to help deter incidents of this nature. Palisades Recreation Center also hired a park monitor, whose presence, Dowlatshahi said, has already been helpful in eliminating the incidents.
Espin explained that during some of the incidents, the teenagers are riding on e-bikes and a type of motorcycle that is typically used for off-roading in the desert, which requires a special license they don’t always have. In some instances, the kids are running away from LAPD officers.
LAPD has been able to identify some of the juveniles—including giving out some citations—but he recommended neighbors and schools have conversations with kids to let them know the concerns related to the behavior. LAPD has been allotted some overtime for extra patrolling, but Espin said “it’s hard to mitigate on our end because we can’t be out here 24/7.”
One of the final items discussed during the PAB meeting was forthcoming plans to remodel restroom facilities to be updated and ADA compliant near the playground in the small gym at Palisades Recreation Center, a project that CD 11 Pacific Palisades Field Deputy Michael Amster reported to be estimated to be $550,000 to complete.
The board discussed the projected cost for the restrooms, as well as an updated playground, which are two items the board has been advocating for dating back years. The board requested that Amster provide a detailed look at why the restroom, which would be paid for with Quimby funds, would cost that much, as well as if there are other options to move forward, including an alternate contractor.
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
During an initial hearing on Wednesday evening, January 10, the Pacific Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Design Review Board unanimously voted to continue an item regarding plans for the forthcoming Pacific Palisades location of Equinox, pending requests to change a portion of the design of two outdoor walls.
Equinox, a “luxury fitness club,” confirmed to the Palisadian-Post in September 2023 it was slated to open at 17383 Sunset Boulevard in summer 2024, in a space previously occupied by Bay Club, which closed in May 2021.
“What we’re proposing today is Equinox basically taking over the old Bay Club,” Brad Rosenheim, who spoke during the meeting on behalf of Equinox, explained, “same space and doing some minor facade changes … the square footage … is really pretty much a net-zero gain or loss.”
The area of work for the project includes approximately 24,700 square feet of space. The project includes “tenant improvement/interior remodel of existing health club/gym” on three floors of Building C and the third floor of Building B, according to a planning package.
“The proposed project includes the installation of new storefronts, solid walls and landscaping,” according to Los Angeles City Planning Department. “The proposed project also includes the demolition of 248 square feet of floor area at Building B (third floor) and addition of 192 square feet of floor area at Building B (third floor) and 43 square feet of floor area at Building C (second floor), resulting in a 24,718-square-foot health club/gym.”
As proposed, the locker room would be on the ground floor, the main entrance on the second floor, and the majority of the workout and exercise space on the third floor. A “small area” on the third floor of Building B that was previously enclosed is proposed to be an outdoor space for exercise, with things like mounted pull-up bars and rubberized floor tile.
The applicant proposed to install an “opaque film” on the ground floor of Building C at the locker room—“otherwise, the building finishes are remaining,” according to project architect Lulu Saleh, who also spoke at the meeting. Planters were proposed to be added to the exterior balconies, which “will be finished to match the existing building facade” and feature drought-tolerant native plants.
“No deviations” from the Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhood Specific Plan are requested and “no change of use was proposed.” Equinox signage is slated to only be installed “in previously approved places,” Saleh said.
After a presentation from project representatives, the members of the board posed a series of questions regarding the design, primarily focused on the proposed look of two outdoor facades.
DRB Board Member Tammy McKerrow-Poulos cited concern over a “patchwork” look of the two different types of film (translucent and opaque) that Equinox proposed to have, as well as a “blank white wall” that is “very visible” from Sunset Boulevard, including the Juicy Ladies space: “Without any treatment on it, it’s not going to look very good.”
Saleh explained that the opaque film would only be installed on the ground floor where the locker rooms are, covering almost the “entire floor,” with the “exception of one area,” which will be translucent: “So in terms of the patchwork, it’ll be sort of a whole ribbon, so there shouldn’t be that patchwork effect you’re concerned about.”
The “solid wall,” Saleh continued, is related to the “programmatic elements inside”—a cycling studio—but that planters and other “visual interests” would be added near the wall.
The DRB board members and Equinox project representatives discussed the elements of the wall and glass, ending with the members of the board saying they would want to see a redesign of the wall and opaque window before approving the project.
They voted unanimously to continue the hearing until the applicant could return with an updated design, with “a visual activation element at the ground level and to revert the proposed wall on the third floor to the existing glass panels,” Planning Assistant Brenden Lau confirmed.
The item may be heard again as soon as February 14, pending when the redesign can be submitted and agendized.
Founded by Marquez Knolls Resident Laura Gowing, Busy Benny Offers a Sustainable Snack Box and More, Which Will Support Marquez Charter Elementary School in February
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
It was after a 16-hour flight to Australia in 2022 to visit her husband’s family when Marquez Knolls resident Laura Gowing was inspired to launch Busy Benny.
Laura and her husband, Edward, made the journey with their two kids: Ella (then 2 years old) and Benny (then 5).
“My son was fine, he watched 18 movies and did great,” Gowing said. “But [Ella] didn’t want to watch an iPad or TV or anything. She just had no interest, no attention for that. And so the whole flight, I was like, ‘What am I going to do?’ This is not a 20-minute flight, how am I going to keep her busy on this flight to Australia?”
The answer: copious amounts of snacks.
“I had these two gallon Ziploc bags of snacks—one for each kid—and I’m just feeding her snacks,” Gowing explained. “And I could see she’s like, ‘What else you got?’ It was a game to her. It wasn’t like she was hungry, but it kept her occupied for a huge chunk of the flight.”
At the end of the flight, the lights came on and the flight attendants started serving breakfast. Gowing said she looked down and saw plastic wrappers from the snacks all over the airplane floor.
“I was just mortified,” Gowing said. “I was like, ‘This is disgusting. There has to be a better way. I don’t want to be this person.’”
Hoping to find something more practical than what she used on the Australia flight, Gowing started searching and found various types of “snackle boxes,” but did not locate a “safer, more durable, longer-lasting option.” She said she was “shocked that nothing like this existed on the market,” so she decided to launch her own product.
“I didn’t find anything, and I was talking to my husband, I’m like, ‘Look, I think I want to create this and see if I can find somebody to manufacture it and test it out,’” Gowing said.
Gowing has a background in buying and consumer retail: She was working in brand relations for a software company when safer-at-home orders went into place for the COVID-19 pandemic, which “got too hectic” when trying to work from home with two kids, so she had taken a break at the time.
“A career motto has always been ‘surprise and delight the consumer,’” Gowing wrote on her website, “so it was only fitting that this product would do just that.”
Though inspired by Ella’s snacking, the brand, which officially launched in June 2023, was named after Benny, who Gowing said is known as the “busiest boy around” in her family.
The line now includes the original Stainless Steel Snack Box (which includes six individual snack containers and a rectangle lunchbox, designed for on-the-go use), Stainless Steel Divided Plates and Bowls (for at-home dining), and a Stainless Steel Slim Water Bottle (for all ages).
There are Replacement Snack Containers, Replacement Snack Lids and a Stainless Steel Spork available as well. An Add-on Activity Set can be purchased, which includes dry erase markers and reusable cling stickers to be used directly on the snack box for added entertainment.
The products are all designed to be reusable and dishwasher safe (top and bottom rack for the stainless steel portion, which was another element that was important to Gowing). The snack boxes are reconfigurable based on what needs to be packed inside and are leakproof.
“While bento boxes are great, the spill one, spill all functionality is not ideal for a busy toddler,” the website read. “The separate snack containers allow each snack to stay on their own. And better yet, no leaks or accidental touching of foods. The design also ensures that even if a lid is not properly put back on, the double seal from the exterior box prevents spillage in your precious handbag, backpack or carry-on.”
The individual containers also provide toddlers and kids with entertainment, as they can open and close their mystery snack containers and find out what’s hidden inside.
“It fits the snacks nicely but it also has that element of surprise and delight,” Gowing explained, “like you can play with them. It’s playful, it’s curious.”
She shared that Busy Benny plans on expanding in 2024 and that she is currently working on developing bigger options for kids who are a little bit older.
Gowing has partnered with Marquez Charter Elementary School, where Benny is in first grade, for the month of February, committing to donate a portion of sales to support Friends of Marquez—a nonprofit organization run by parents that aims to fund supplemental educational programs that enrich the curriculum offered to students, including class size reduction, instructional aides, an edible garden and media lounge.
After growing up in the Palisades, living at the top of Bienveneda, Gowing returned eight years ago after living in New York.
“There’s no other neighborhood in Los Angeles that has the sense of community, that small town feel in a big city,” Gowing said of living in the Palisades. “We’re close to the beach, we have an amazing, cute little downtown … It’s just such a nice sense of community.”
Busy Benny products are available via busybenny.com, as well as Marquez Avenue children’s boutique The Gray Dragon.
Late at night, January 8.
My wife Catherine and I love the condominium building we live in. It’s right near town; we’re with 16 other “keys.”
A gentleman who lives a few doors down passed away a week ago.
He was just an absolutely great guy, Rick Angres. He wife Kate couldn’t possibly be any dearer.
They were married for 27 years, and they’ve been in our building for 13 years.
Rick was on the board in our building and just a wonderful friend to many who lived here over the years.
Rick stopped by our place many times to bring by his signature “Persian mulberry” exotic fruits he’d get at Sunday’s farmers market. And he always let me how much he enjoyed walking by and hearing my piano music in the early morning.
Things like that.
A few days ago, I tucked a note under the 16 doors in our building with an idea. I invited them to meet by our fountain in the courtyard at 6:30 that night. I wrote that we’d knock on Kate’s door and give her our good thoughts.
Dumb me, when I scheduled it, I forgot it was a huge football night. Everybody had a million things to do. I get it.
There was every reason in the world for people not to come that night.
I was freezing in the courtyard with my wife a few minutes before 6:30—along with Tina Canales, a spectacular mom in the building who was in on the idea.
I brought a box of small “batteried” candles ($8 on Amazon) that we could all hold at Kate’s door.
It was already pitch dark, and it was absolutely freezing cold. The coldest night of the year.
Catherine and Tina were talking as we waited, and I drifted away, catching up on the day’s news on my phone.
A charmer was “South Carolina Dad Sprinkles Meth in Salad Bar.”
Isn’t that just lovely.
Other heart-warming stories of celebrities, politicians and countries laced with sour, selfish news were my evening hors d’oeuvres.
Stuck the phone in my pocket.
Reality set in. No one was coming. It’s a condominium building. Folks have their own lives.
We figured it was OK. We’d knock on Kate’s door anyway.
Then we heard something.
A smiling neighbor walked into the courtyard with some flowers.
Another lovely couple waltzed down the staircase with some candies.
And then another, and another, and another. One brought Kate’s favorite champagne. Another with homemade soup Rick and Kate loved. All kinds of things.
Suddenly, our courtyard was filled—with our condominium family.
————–
We handed out and lit the battery candles—and walked over to Kate’s doorway.
Kate opened that door and saw all of us with those candles in that damp air.
She called to her dear daughter—who was staying with her during these challenging days.
I can’t possibly tell you what it meant to both of them.
They invited us in, and we all circled Kate and her daughter in their living room—holding our candles.
Kate’s eyes said absolutely everything.
We let her know what her husband meant to us—and that we would be there for her.
And we saw on Kate’s daughter’s face the depth of those words.
There was a quiet in the room.
And the room started to glow, not with the light of those candles—but with a feeling that was so strong, and so powerful, and so unexpected.
We all looked at each other.
We all felt it.
In that moment, we found something everyone in that room was looking for. We found something we missed. We found something we all really, really needed.
A little humanity.
We all hugged Kate and her daughter, and Kate asked if she could keep the candles.
Those simple little candles.
Candles that lit the room.
Jimmy Dunne is a modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com or jimmydunne.substack.com.
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
It’s January and it has been remarkably cold lately, so we need a very compelling reason to leave the house—especially after the sun goes down.
So here is not one, but three good reasons, right here at Pierson Playhouse on Temescal Canyon Road:
Laughter is (sometimes) the best medicine: short-term benefits are that it can relieve stress and soothe tension, according to Mayo Clinic, and long-term, it can relieve pain, improve the immune system, and lessen depression and anxiety.
It’s a short drive—or walk, depending on your location and commitment to warm clothes—with no traffic.
Seeing a show supports community theater, and, in the case of Theatre Palisades, that is a theater with more than 60 years of history in town.
The theater’s latest show, James Sherman’s “Beau Jest,” which kicked off its six-week run on Friday, January 12, is nothing short of hilarious, leaving the audience laughing out loud from start to finish.
“Sarah Goldman is worried that her Jewish parents will not be accepting of her WASP boyfriend, so she hires an actor to pose as a Jewish doctor she’s dating,” according to a synopsis provided by Theatre Palisades. “However, he turns out not to be Jewish either, but is so convincing in a role that he could just win over her parents … and quite possibly Sarah as well.”
The play, directed by Jonathan Fahn and produced by Martha Hunter, is led by Jasmine Haver in the role of Sarah Goldman and Jeff Coppage as Robert “Bob” Schroeder/the fictional Dr. David Steinberg.
Haver is a Theatre Palisades powerhouse: She previously led the production of “Bell, Book and Candle” as the main witch Gillian Holroyd—a debut role that earned her the theater’s Lead Actress Award in 2023. A vastly different role than her previous, Haver is not shy to reveal a wide range of emotions through her characters, which makes for a compelling performance.
This is the second time Coppage and Haver have shared the stage in lead roles: Their chemistry is palpable. They play well off of each other throughout the show, including a couple of times where they looked at each other in fits of giggles—sharing a moment in a budding relationship that felt raw and real.
The two were joined by Laura Goldstein, who played the role of Sarah’s mother Miriam in “Beau Jest”—a different dynamic than when she played Coppage and Haver’s aunt in “Bell, Book and Candle.” Goldstein, along with her husband Abe, a role taken on by Lou Saliba, also have an immense amount of chemistry. The family is rounded out by Sarah’s brother Joel, played by James Jobs.
When seeing the actors converge on stage, the audience feels as though they are transported to a real family’s home—they all bounce off of each other and talk over one another in a way that only people closest to each other can, and will, do.
Sarah’s original boyfriend, Chris, is played by Thomas McDonough—you don’t know whether you should root for or against him, but either way, he nails his role of the annoyed, but doting, boyfriend who doesn’t quite get what Sarah is going through.
In addition to much-needed comedic relief, the play also is heartwarming, and touches on topics that are current today. Without spoiling the ending, and what direction Sarah takes her life, the characters all grow and develop over the course of the show.
To catch a performance at Pierson Playhouse, the show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., as well as Sundays at 2 p.m., through February 18. General admission is $22, seniors and students are $20.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit theatrepalisades.org.
I’ve been happy to hear people encouraging others to participate in this year’s Homeless Count, a very informative experience and a great way to be involved in our community.
Thank you to the Pali-Post for taking the time to review shows at Pierson Playhouse! We have tons of great, local talent and they deserve all the flowers!!
I wonder how many inches of rain we will be getting in the coming months. It sure came pouring down over the weekend.
One of the things I like to read in the paper are the stories from different writers sharing about their travels. Maybe I need to make it out to the 2024 Knödelfest…
What a unique idea that Feeling Full LA has set up. Kudos to the high school kids who are looking for solutions to some of life’s biggest problems.
I am very interested to see who ends up making it to this year’s Super Bowl. It is looking like a decent matchup.
Got something to say? Call 310-454-1321 or email 2cents@palipost.com and get those kudos or concerns off your chest. Names will not be used.
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
After more than two decades, HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is ending: Palisadian Larry David is back for the 12th—and final—season, scheduled to premiere on Max on Sunday, February 4.
The comedy television series—created by David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself—first premiered on October 15, 2000. The plot follows David as a semi-retired television writer and producer, largely in Los Angeles and one season in New York. Previous seasons of the show have featured scenes filmed throughout the Palisades, including a home in The Huntington.
“The iconic Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning comedy series … offers a tongue-in-cheek depiction of the writer/producer/comedian’s fictionalized life,” according to Warner Bros. Discovery. “The comedy series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events. To keep the narrative spontaneous, the series is shot without a script, and cast members are given scene outlines and improvise lines as they go.”
The trailer for the show’s latest season was released on January 11. The season is also set to star Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, J.B. Smoove, Richard Lewis, fellow Palisadian Ted Danson, Vince Vaughn and Tracey Ullman.
Season 12 comes over two years after the season 11 finale—which is not the longest gap between seasons of the series. There was a six-year gap between seasons eight and nine, according to Collider.
In December 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced season 12 would mark the end of the series.
“As ‘Curb’ comes to an end, I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this ‘Larry David’ persona and become the person God intended me to be—the thoughtful, kind, caring, considerate human being I was until I got derailed by portraying this malignant character,” David shared in a statement. “And so ‘Larry David,’ I bid you farewell. Your misanthropy will not be missed. And for those of you who would like to get in touch with me, you can reach me at Doctors Without Borders.”
The final season will be comprised of 10 episodes, airing each Sundays at 10 p.m. until the series finale on April 7. Catch up on past seasons on Max.
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The 75th Emmy Awards took place January 15—which featured many nominees with ties to Pacific Palisades, as well as honored two late Palisadians.
Toward the end of the annual In Memoriam segment, which featured a performance of “See You Again” by Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty, the song transitioned to “I’ll Be There for You,” The Rembrandts’ theme song for the “Friends” series, honoring late Palisadian Matthew Perry, who died in October 2023.
Perry had been nominated for five Emmy Awards over the course of his career, most recently in 2021 for Outstanding Variety Special as executive producer of “Friends: The Reunion.” He was nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2002 for his role of Chandler Bing in “Friends.”
Late Palisadian Ray Liotta, who died in 2022, was nominated posthumously in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role of Big Jim Keene in “Black Bird.” The award went to Paul Walter Hauser for his role of Larry Hall in the same show.
“Thank you to the Academy for acknowledging my dad with a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ nomination,” Liotta’s daughter Karsen wrote after the show. “It was beautiful to attend The Emmys on his behalf. He would have been so incredibly proud for being honored for his powerful work in ‘Black Bird.’ … A big shout out to Paul Walter Hauser for your graciousness, as well as much gratitude to Greg Kinnear, Bradley Thomas, Alexa Fogel and everyone involved in the project.”
One former Palisadian was honored for her Super Bowl Halftime Show: “The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna” took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special, a category that also included “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter,” “Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl,” “The 65th Annual Grammy Awards” and “The Oscars.” Hamish Hamilton and Shawn Carter won the Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special award for the show as well.
Among the nominees, “Barry,” the creation of Marquez Knolls resident Bill Hader, which concluded its four-season run in May 2023, and “Only Murders in the Building”—starring longtime Palisadian and former Honorary Mayor Martin Short—were nominated in the Outstanding Comedy Series category, with the award going to “The Bear.”
Short and Hader were also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, which went to Jeremy Allen White for his role of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto in “The Bear.”
Hader won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his titular role of Barry Berkman in both 2018 and 2019. He was nominated again in 2022, but the award went to Jason Sudeikis for his role in “Ted Lasso.”
Hader was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the “wow” episode of “Barry,” a category that went to Christopher Storer for the “Review” episode of “The Bear.” Hader was also nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the same episode, which went to Storer for the “System” episode of “The Bear.”
An episode of “Saturday Night Live” that was co-hosted by Short and Steve Martin was nominated for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Special or Series—an award that went to “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” the final piece in John’s EGOT status.
“We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine,” John wrote on Instagram. “Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful.”
The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to our readers in each newspaper. This edition’s tip was written by Lisa Kaas Boyle, Esq., environmental attorney and Resilient Palisades Zero Waste Team member.
The statement “we are what we eat” has come to haunt us in an industrialized world where:
Animals are bred and processed in mechanized food factories that rely on hormones to stimulate growth and antibiotics to prevent infections in the dirty and crowded conditions;
Crops are grown with corporate patented seeds engineered to be resistant to the chemical herbicides sold along with the seeds, and the produce grown is doused in herbicides and pesticides that are retained by the food;
Processed food is packaged in plastic that contaminates the food with the petrochemicals that make the plastic; and
Our reliance on plastic for packaging, single-use products and clothing that sheds in the washer has created an abundance of microplastics and nanoplastics (even smaller and able to cross the blood-brain barrier) that have infiltrated our water cycle, soil and even the air we breathe.
It is impossible in the modern world to insulate ourselves completely, but we can reduce our exposure and fight for better control of chemicals, as seen in the European Union. If you care about your health and the safety of your food, here are some resources to inform your food choices.
“You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment” was released on New Year’s Day on Netflix, and presents veganism as a win for health, animals and the environment. “Feeding Tomorrow,” released on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and other streaming services on January 23, proposes developing a “just and regenerative” food system through multiple pathways, including agroforestry, urban farming and food education.
“Overload: America’s Toxic Love Story” presents a soon-to-be mother who wants a healthy pregnancy and child, seeking guidance from world-renowned physicians and environmental leaders, scientists, and politicians to uncover how we got to be so overloaded with chemicals and if there is anything we can do to take control of our exposure (The answer is yes, and the film shows how.). Watch on Apple TV and Google Play.
“The Story of Plastic” is a detailed look into the environmental damage and human rights abuses that occur throughout the lifecycle of plastic. What can companies, countries and people do to fix the issues? See on Prime Video.
And here are some nonprofits to follow and/or join for continuing education on these issues:
