"To pretend that the world is a garden is … a turning away from the woes that keep it from being one." —Rebecca Solnit.

In my first column for Eagle Rock Patch, I wrote that Eagle Rock was a very nice place—with potential to become even more of a unique and livable area if we can embrace an "environmentalism of change."

This past week I suggested 11 green consumer resolutions for making our economic footprint more sustainable. With the New Year here, today's column will consider 11 collective environmental resolutions for Eagle Rock in 2011. These are goals, policies or programs that could make the neighborhood greener and help residents live sustainably.

1. Narrower Colorado. Eagle Rock residents have begun to think about how Colorado Boulevard, especially where it is 6 lanes wide, could be improved by removing one lane in each direction and slowing traffic. This lane space could be used for wider sidewalks, an expanded green median or center path, bike lanes, or dedicated bike lanes. The result would be a more pleasant place for people to walk, bike and shop.

2. More bike lanes. The City of Los Angeles' new bicycle plan envisions additional bike lanes on Eagle Rock Boulevard, York Boulevard, Colorado Boulevard and Figueroa Avenue. However, these lanes might not be added for several years, pending funding, but Eagle Rock residents can advocate for accelerated implementation of the lanes.

3. Three megawatts of solar power. We have a sunny climate—let's put it to work and cut toxic and greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that otherwise provide our power in the process. I want to push for 11 megawatts of photovoltaic generating capacity to be installed or at least permitted in Eagle Rock in 2011, but 3 megawatts seems like a more feasible goal. Occidental College should install one megawatt. Other schools, institutions and businesses could add another megawatt. The final megawatt could come from approximately 300 property owners installing residential scale solar systems.

4. Water use reduced by 11 percent. The recent weather is a reminder that when we get rain in Los Angeles, too much of the water flows immediately into storm drains, the Los Angeles River and the Pacific Ocean. For most of the rest of the year, we rely on water imported from other regions. Eagle Rock residents and institutions can capture rain water, reuse gray water (the water that comes out of your sink, bathtub, shower, washer etc.) and cut usage through less water fixtures and native, drought resistant landscaping.

5. Expansion of city recycling program. The City of Los Angeles has the highest recycling rate of big cities in the United States. But this successful municipal program focuses on residential customers, with a pilot covering some multi-family apartment buildings. This leaves many apartment owners and businesses in Eagle Rock to contract with private trash haulers who often recycle less than the City, rely on individuals who pick through waste or throw recycling in the trash. Eagle Rock residents should encourage the City to expand its solid waste and recycling program to all multi-family residences, businesses and institutions.

6. Links to clean tech corridor. The City of Los Angeles has plans to establish a clean tech corridor along the banks of the Los Angeles River east of downtown. Because this zone is close to Eagle Rock, Occidental College and local schools should get involved in planning for and implementation of the corridor. This could also help create a pathway for Eagle Rock youth to gain employment as new technology companies—and green jobs—appear in the corridor.

7. Kill 710 freeway extension. The age of urban freeways is over. Smart cities are removing stretches of urban highways. My hope is that Eagle Rock residents can be part of a movement to persuade the MTA to abandon plans for a disruptive freeway tunnel beneath Glassell Park, Mt. Washington or South Pasadena that would mainly serve trucks transporting imported goods from the San Pedro Bay ports. The hundreds of millions of dollars budgeted just for the planning of the 710 "gap closure" project would be better spent making streets more walkable and bikable, improving transit and diverting imports from diesel trucks to next-generation rail.

8. Better connections for the Oxy campus to York and Eagle Rock. Occidental College shouldn't hide away from the community—either physically or in its operations. The College has a strengthened commitment to community engagement, and the streetscape around Occidental should reflect this mission. The College and area residents should look for ways to link the campus to York Boulevard and Eagle Rock Boulevard to help Oxy be better integrated into the fabric of Eagle Rock and Highland Park.

9. Parking fees at Occidental College. Speaking of Occidental, the campus should adopt parking fees for students, faculty and some or all staff. Most colleges and universities charge for campus parking. Free parking encourages students to bring cars to school and to drive, and therefore incentivizes pollution. To help students, faculty and staff transition to lifestyles that include more walking, biking, transit use and carpooling, the college should continue to expand green transportation options such as bike sharing, Zipcars, and better links to buses and trains.

10. More entertainment venues. A movie theater or live music space may not seem like a top environmental goal for Eagle Rock—but consider the fabric of the neighborhood. The greenest neighborhoods are those with a mix of residences, work places, retail, cultural venues, and open and recreational space, all within a scale that compact enough for residents to walk to meet most of their daily needs. In some ways, Eagle Rock is a bedroom community and a place with a full mix of retailers and employers. More opportunities to stay in Eagle Rock for entertainment would help tip it in the direction of a place where people want to spend time, rather than drive away from.

11. More residents. As an environmentalist, I don't like population growth, but I do like efforts to encourage people living in far-flung suburbs and exurbs to relocate to older, more centrally located neighborhoods. City living is greener than suburban, exurban or rural dwelling. Eagle Rock dwellers can do their part to lure more residents to the area by encouraging denser zoning and more green, multi-family housing in the neighborhood.

Follow me on twitter @markvalli for updates.