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CASM in the Community Last month CASM shared simple things you can do to cut our biggest emissions, first here in our newsletter, then with community members at the Reed Park Garden and Miles Memorial Open House. We shared that a third of all trips in Santa Monica are under a mile. Just by walking a mile instead of driving a mile, you can help reduce the 60% of our emissions that come from vehicles. |
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Under the partial shade of a magnificent cypress, community members gather for CASM’s monthly Picnic on the Planet, which was part of the Reed Park Garden Opening in February.
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Upcoming CASM Activities March 6th: Climate Corps Club Special Event: City Sustainability Tour Calling all youth! Join us for a tour of LEED Certified Living Building, City Hall East, and presentation on city sustainability. We’ll tour the building, take a break with vegan sandwiches from B&T’s Deli, then take a dive into how the city of Santa Monica takes action towards sustainability in our community. Join us for this special collaborative event! March 7th: Dunes Restoration and Picnic with CASM and The Bay Foundation CASM is partnering with the Bay Foundation to assist in their dunes restoration project, followed by a picnic and climate conversations on the beach to follow. CASM brings the snacks. BYO picnic 🙂
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Action Alerts Tell your state reps: Stop the Solar Property Tax Without action from the Legislature, California homeowners could pay higher property taxes in 2027 if they add solar batteries, add solar panels, or install a new solar system.
Support Balcony Solar Legislation An exciting new-to-California solar strategy is being considered for legalization by the Legislature. CASM encourages you to contact your State Senator and Assembly Member to encourage them to support the law, known as SB 868, Portable Solar Generation Devices. The technology is commonly called Plug-In or Balcony Solar. Balcony solar systems can be up to 1.2 kW in capacity and are plugged into the 110v sockets we all know. The electricity generated directly offsets power being consumed by an apartment or house at the same time, such as refrigerators and computers. Balcony solar is revolutionary because it 1) is a do-it-yourself project, 2) is not connected to the local utility, and 3) does not require a permit. The systems need to meet the UL standards approved in January. Balcony solar systems currently cost about $2,000 from companies such as Craftstrom and Brightsaver. It is hoped that the cost will drop significantly with volume. Not surprisingly, Southern California Edison is lobbying to require that these systems connect with them, which would kill the technology. Systems similar to balcony solar are being installed across the globe in countries such as Pakistan and South Africa. Utah was the first US state to legalize them, and legalization bills are being considered in many other states. |
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Climate News One Year Later: Los Angeles Wildfires Reinforce Why We Must Rebuild with Less Plastic Southern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of comments The SCAQMD proposal that CASM and others supported last summer was defeated in part because of 20,000 AI-generated opposition emails. This proposal would have added a fee to gas water heaters and furnaces, while setting targets for sales of electric alternatives. From the NYT article: “The rules were expected to prevent the release of 6 tons of NOx each day, roughly the amount released by two natural gas power plants. The air district estimated nearly 2,500 premature deaths would be averted as well as more than 10,000 new cases of asthma.” Perhaps even more concerning is the use of AI in such campaigns, which produced thousands of emails of questionable authenticity. Let’s use this as an opportunity to remember the importance of face to face engagement with real people and coalition building with respected known partners. We know it’s not always easy, but can build together through community. |
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Upcoming in the Community: March 4th: Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster March 7th: East Pico Safety Project Celebration Event March 7th: Compost Giveaway at City Yards March 10th: Electrify Your Rebuild: Smart Home Solutions for the Palisades Zoom March 16th: Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment March 21st: PEACH OUT !! Fruit Tree Planting Demo & Bare Root Fruit Tree Distribution March 21st: Repair Café March 21st: UC Master Gardeners at Pico Farmers Market March 28th: The Bay Foundation & Santa Monica Yoga: Morning of Mindfulness and Dune Restoration March 28th: Celebrating the Arrival of Spring Earn a Sustainability Certificate online at SMC SMC is offering three non-credit certificates in sustainability to kickstart your career. These classes are offered online and completely free to all California residents. Programs include: Sustainability in Organics Aide, Sustainability Assistant, and Sustainability Services Technician. Enroll today for classes beginning April 20th. Take the California Ocean Access Survey Researchers at UCSB want to know how California residents connect to the ocean to help impact state and federal management towards a sustainable and accessible coastline. Survey participants will be entered into a raffle to win an ocean-related trip. |
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For official rules, email Garcia at gina@sustainableworks.org or see this video. |
March Newsletter
