Highlights
- A month of advocacy and letters of support!
- Scholarship and fellowship opportunities for students
- Local advocacy is happening now to defend Bird Island!
- SAMOCAN webinar in July
CASM in the Community
June has been a productive month for climate advocacy! Members have contributed to several local climate action efforts by writing letters of support to decision-makers.
CASM signed on to a letter with many other local and national environmental organizations to support the passage of SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act. This bill allows California residents in apartments, condos, and single-family residences to use small balcony solar systems in their homes, which can mitigate the high cost of electricity bills. SB 868 ensures that balcony solar devices meet strict safety standards, protecting both residents and landlords while the devices are in use. Many Californians are in regions with bountiful sunlight, ideal places to benefit from balcony solar, and we are happy to show our support for increased access to renewable energy.
And here’s what coalition building looks like!
Coalition of organizations that signed the Plug and Play Solar Act letter of support.
CASM members authored a letter to Senator Padilla in support of the City of Santa Monica’s funding request for the 2033 Virginia Avenue project. Funding for this project would enable the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, the new owners of the apartment complex, to make repairs and renovate the complex into all-electric, zero net energy buildings. This project creates affordable, sustainable housing in our city and keeps the current residents of the building in their homes, which is why we gladly show support to bring the project to fruition.
CASM members authored two letters of support for improvements to local transportation corridors:
We sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Washington in support of the City of Santa Monica’s application to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program to implement Phase 2 of the Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Plan (LiNC). The LiNC plan improves the public right of way on Lincoln Boulevard through both physical streetscape and policy-level improvements to the corridor.
We also sent a letter to the California Transportation Commission in support of the City’s application for Cycle 8 Active Transportation Program funding for the Santa Monica Boulevard Safety and Connectivity Improvements Project. This project would bring a number of local benefits, including enhanced pedestrian crossings, improved mobility for bicyclists and access to transit, protection for children walking and rolling to school, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and increased “foot traffic” downtown to help local businesses thrive.
We hope that our letters of enthusiastic support for local infrastructure improvements make Lincoln Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd safer for all!
Upcoming CASM Activities
Our July SAMOCAN webinar will be on sustainable mobility in Santa Monica. The City of Santa Monica has an ambitious Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP) that includes an overarching goal to “achieve an 80% reduction (below 1990 levels) in community carbon emissions by 2030.” Sustainable mobility is one of three sectors that is included in the climate action part of the CAAP to reach that goal. Vehicle emissions are Santa Monica’s largest source of emissions. This webinar will feature speakers from the Big Blue Bus team as well as the City’s Department of Transportation to discuss zero emissions transportation projects in Santa Monica. Please stay tuned for a specific date and time!
Action Alerts
Scholarship Opportunities
There are many scholarship and fellowship opportunities accepting applications right now for the upcoming school year! If you are a current high school or college student, you may be eligible. Deadlines are approaching, so be sure to visit links below for full application and deadline details for each program.
California Climate Action Corps Fellowship — Deadline: July 31, 2026
Paid 11-month fellowship (starts Sept 2026), $35,250 stipend + $10K education award. Age 18+. Arguably the best opportunity in the state right now. → Applications opened May 1 and are accepted until July 31, 2026.
Visit the application link here and find more details here.
Ventana Surfboards Ocean Conservation Scholarship — Deadline: July 15, 2026
$3,000 for California-based students who have completed at least one year of college with a major related to ocean conservation. Essay: 400–600 words on why you care about protecting the ocean.
Visit the application link here.
Apprentice Ecologist Initiative Scholarship — Deadline: August 31, 2026
Open to high school juniors (Class of 2027) and seniors (Class of 2026). Lead or join an environmental stewardship project, write a 750–1,500 word essay, submit photos. Three scholarships totaling $1,750.
Visit the application link here and find more details here.
City of Santa Monica REACH Program
The Office of Sustainability & the Environment’s new Renter’s Energy and Cooling/Heating (REACH) program addresses climate challenges for Santa Monica renters by offering free portable heat pump HVAC units, air purifiers, and portable power stations to income-qualified renters in Santa Monica. The program has plenty of funding still available after distributing the first group of appliances, so please apply for these appliances if you qualify and spread the word to neighbors! Flyers in English and Spanish are attached below. To learn more about the REACH program, visit this link.
Climate News
Data center regulation in California:
Data centers have been a hot topic amongst CASM conversations as of late, due to their huge energy impact and the many bills percolating through California legislative pipelines. At a time when the world needs to urgently transition to renewable energy, adding huge new power consumers to the grid stands to hinder climate progress. Regulations are needed to mitigate community impacts of the data centers, but proposed requirements to merely disclose resource consumption don’t go far enough. The LA Times recently published a story about Governor Newsom’s views on data centers, the various proposed pieces of legislation, and the tension between local residents and big tech about siting data centers in California communities. California’s laws have the potential to create a national model for data center regulation, in absence of federal regulation. As a state, we have the power to impose regulations that make data centers responsible for the impacts that they have to people and planet. The question is, will we?
Local advocacy for Bird Island:
Bird Island is a precious piece of open space at the confluence of Ballona Creek and Centinela Creek, right at the edge of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve—the only state ecological reserve in all of Los Angeles County. Recently, a misguided and illegal development proposal threatens to destroy the habitat and open space of Bird Island. The group Defend Ballona Wetlands has been actively advocating to protect Bird Island, including preparing for a hearing at the West LA Area Planning Commission to speak out against the development projects. Please see the July 1 event link below to support the hearing and visit this link for more details.
Upcoming in the Community
July 1: Show Up to Speak Up for the Birds! with Defend Ballona Wetlands
July 5: Surfrider x Faherty Beach Cleanup at Tower 28
July 8: Rewilding Santa Monica: Dune Restoration Update
July 11: Compost Giveaway at City Yards
July 11: Plastic Free July – Santa Monica Beach Cleanup
July 12: Restoring California, a Double Screening & Panel
July 13: Santa Monica Conservancy: Shotgun House Tour
July 15: Downtown Farmer’s Market Anniversary Event
July 18: Waste Sorting 101 with Kayla
July 18: Introduction to Seed Saving
July 19: Beach Cleanup at Santa Monica State Beach
July 23: State of the City 2026