climateactionsantamonica SAMOCAN, Uncategorized

Nuclear Power Isn’t Green Enough… And America Can’t Deal with the Waste!

Watch The Recording

 

CASM December SAMOCAN Webinar

How much do you know about high-level radioactive waste policy in the United States? In the face of a global increase in demand for electricity, many nations are looking to nuclear power as a low-carbon, round-the-clock power source to bolster electricity grids. However, only one permanent high-level nuclear waste repository has been established worldwide.

This webinar discusses the current status and history of radioactive waste legislation in the United States, explaining the struggle to establish a national nuclear waste repository over the last few decades. Then, explores the first permanent geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel, which has been established in Finland. Finally, we make some rough calculations to compare the buildout of nuclear power and nuclear waste facilities with renewable energy sources and battery storage facilities. How do these two advanced energy technologies compare to addressing the global demand for more electricity while also supporting people, planet, and future generations?

Mackenzie Devilbiss is a PhD physicist and environmental consultant. Through her background in particle physics, she has taken many radiation safety training courses and even used radioactive sources in experiments. Her environmental work recently brought federal radioactive waste policy to her attention, this webinar serves to start an informed discussion about the topic.

climateactionsantamonica SAMOCAN, Uncategorized

Understanding and Adapting to Climate Change with Bill Selby

Watch The Recording

 

In June, CASM hosted Understanding and Adapting to Climate Change with Bill Selby, an inspiring Zoom talk, in which the professor emeritus shared what future effects of climate change could actually look like. As he said in one of our conversations, “put on your seat belt, we’re in for a ride!”

What will future effects of climate change actually look like? Everyone seems to have different views about climate change nowadays. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there. Which of the current changes are part of natural cycles and which are caused by humans? Will some places get colder, while others get much hotter? Put on your seat belt, we’re on for a ride! Let’s use some critical thinking to explore these greatest scientific experiments and learn how they are changing our landscapes and impacting everyone.

The good news is there are still plenty of opportunities for us to join together and make positive waves. From native plants to habitat restoration, and from greening urban heat islands, to living more efficiently, let’s explore the many ways Californians are reacting and adapting to climate change, severe weather events, and other environmental stresses. Join professor emeritus, naturalist, and author William Selby, with his most recent publication, The California Sky Watcher as we search for some silver linings during these uncertain times. You can follow his stories at www.rediscoveringthegoldenstate.com.

 

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February Newsletter

Climate Action Santa Monica  has been kicking off the year with a focus on collaboration! In communication with other local community and environmental organizations, we hope to meet mutual needs and reach people at a deeper level through collaboration. Here’s what we’ve got for you this month:

February 6th: CASM Climate Corps Club meeting at Samosa House

Our monthly climate club meetup for teens.

February 7th: Join CASM at Reed Park Community Garden & Miles Playhouse Open House Event

CASM and the Climate Corps Club will be supporting the event and sharing climate action resources. We’re back with our first monthly Picnic on the Planet of 2026! Meet us at 1pm at the new Reed Park garden, following Playhouse tours and class. BYO brunch, enjoy snacks and good vibes.

  
 
  

We’re sharing some key resources for climate action based on the Santa Monica CAAP and 5-Year Progress Report, which came out last summer. 

Our largest sources of emissions are energy (33%) and transportation (60%).

Here’s 6 easy ways you can help right now:

 

A woman signs the Climate Corps Club’s “What makes you want to walk” poster at the Downtown Santa Monica Farmers Market

  1. Walk your commutes under a mile. Nearly one third of residential trips in Santa Monica are under 1 mile, but two thirds of vehicle trips are driven alone. That’s a significant portion of trips that could be easily walked by those who are physically able, reducing our total emissions. Plus you get exercise, mental clarity, and nature. It’s a win win! 

  2. Thrift an electric appliance and cook electric with ease. Upgrading your gas appliances is a great solution for those who are able, but that option isn’t available to everyone. For $5-20, you can have your very own air fryer, crock pot, hot plate, or toaster that reduces emissions and makes cooking easier. Again, a win win! 

  3. Get a free portable heat pump AC/heater unit through Santa Monica’s REACH program (available to Income-qualified renters).

  4. Students, get a free TAP card to ride BBB & Metro. Available to SMMUSD and LAUSD students through their school, taking transit to school is one way to reduce vehicle emissions in your daily routine that has a big impact over time. If transit isn’t a good fit, try walking, biking, or carpooling with a friend. You’ll help reduce emissions and traffic congestion while getting outside for a better start to your day. 

  5. Use MODE – Mobility on Demand Everyday is a door to door rideshare mobility service for residents over 65 or with disabilities $1.50 or less/ride. Hours have expanded Sunday service and weekday service until 6pm.

  6. Attend a community event. We need each other! And community and climate just go together. Attend a CASM picnic, a beach clean up, a dunes restoration, or a community garden event and connect with your local community and nature, while working towards a big picture goal of a sustainable planet.


For more info and ways you can take action to help Santa Monica get to zero emissions, see our Climate Action Resources, and join us on the 7th!

The Plastic Pollution Coalition shares some beautiful perspectives in this guide –

Climate Anxiety: How to Remain Hopeful & Resilient in Difficult Times

Get Your Project Funded Through the HRC Community Wellbeing Program

YSA is developing new strategies to ensure that all young people are included in community service regardless of their background. You can support by taking the YSA survey. 

Sign Petition! Governments to Declare Climate Emergency and Act Now!

 

Upcoming in the Community:

February 7th: Santa Monica Dune Restoration Event

February 13th: Santa Monica Dunes Galentine’s/Valentine’s Day Evening Event

February 14th: ROOTED IN LOVE – Companion Planting & Lending Library Dedication 

9:00 – 11:00 AM, Main Street Community Garden, 2318 Main Street, Santa Monica, 90405 

February 15th: Wheel You Be Mine? Valentine Kidical Mass Bike Ride

9:00 AM – NOON, Meet atIshihara Park 2909 Exposition Blvd. (between the picnic tables and the playground)

Join City staff and Santa Monica Spoke for a fun, family friendly bike ride for kids of all ages through the Bergamot Area First/Last Mile Improvements Project. We’ll kick things off at 9:00 AM with a brief bike-handling refresher and safety tips, plus bagels, juice, and coffee, then roll out for a guided ride highlighting new street design features, treatments, and how to use them confidently. The ride starts and ends at Ishihara Park and will be approximately 2 miles total.

February 21st: Ishihara Park Learning Garden Citrus Orchard Care and Maintenance Workshop

February 28th: CHILDRENS’ (and adult) BOOK SWAP 

9 – 11 AM, Marine Park Community Garden, 1406 Marine Street, Santa Monica, 90405 

Every Sunday: Bahala hosts a weekly gardening club with coffee & doughnuts


See you at Reed Park on the 7th for more info sharing and community time 🥰

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Fire Resources for Those Impacted

Dear Community,

CASM extends its deepest sympathies to the many people whose lives are upended by the tragic fires.  As community members, we are experiencing this event in all its dimensions with you.  Several of us have met recently to share our experiences, to offer each other solace, and to begin thinking about how we respond. Below are some resources and support. 

Resources From the City 

Additional Resources

  • If you do need to evacuate, please remember to shut off your gas before you leave to prevent increased fire or explosion risk. Here are instructions for shutting off gas
  •  This new resource from Cal Fire provides a visual for understanding of home hardening strategies that may be relevant for you or friends and family living in higher fire-risk areas
  • Watch Duty For real-time wildfire mapping. (Also offer a mobile app)
  • Windy For detailed weather forecasting. (Also offer a mobile app)
  • Some in CASM have found masks like this helpful to address bad air quality, especially because of the ability to replace filters

We hope you and your loved ones remain safe. We know the impacts of the fires are significant and may be felt for some time, and we intend to respond accordingly. We are in this together. 

Sincerely,

The Climate Action Santa Monica Team

climateactionsantamonica SAMOCAN, Uncategorized

RECORDING: CASM’s September SAMOCAN with CJC Mario Melgarejo and Mia Levenson

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WxaDSbuWbIGhAbKqvZnQ483OY5Ph-2LE/view

For CASM’s September SAMOCAN we will be hosting two of CASM’s Climate Jobs Corps (CJC) Mario Melgarejo and Mia Levenson present their projects structured around their interests in sustainability. Mario will report on our recent initiative to promote non-car commutes at Samohi. This effort involved engaging with students during the “Get Your Stuff” days, leveraging Climate Corps, student input, and CASM resources to emphasize sustainable transportation as a priority for the school year. Mia will be presenting her research on Mass Timber. She has been working with the Office of Sustainability and the Environment over the past few months to conduct this research. A general overview of mass timber building as well as the market in Santa Monica, with an emphasis on emissions reduction in the building sector, will be discussed.

……..

Mia attended SAMOHI and recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Sustainability Studies. She has interned at Natural Bridges State Beach where she has worked with youth on environmental education and restoration projects. She has also studied abroad in Costa Rica examining the relationship between the people and the natural ecosystem. Now, she is studying for the LEED Green Associates. Mia joined Climate Action Santa Monica in April as a Climate Outreach Fellow. During her time she has worked on green building research, electrification projects, and community engagement events. As a Santa Monica native, she is excited to be back working on climate issues in the community.

Mario Melgarejo joined CASM in early 2023, as a member of CASM’s Climate Jobs Corps, a division of the State of California’s Youth Jobs Corp program. Since then, he has worked on a variety of outreach projects in electrification and transportation, been present at various community events, and assisted in the running of a summer youth program. Mario graduated from UC Davis in 2020 with a degree in Sustainable Environmental Design, and participated in a study abroad program on housing and urbanism in Barcelona in 2019. Inspired by his educational and personal experiences, Mario now seeks to dedicate his professional career to addressing social and environmental problems in California, particularly in the area of transportation and urban design.

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The Rise of Mass Timber

By Mia Levenson

Over the past few months I have been researching Mass Timber as a sustainable building solution in coordination with The Office of Sustainability and the Environment at the City of Santa Monica. The building and construction sector accounts for roughly 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the switch to materials such as mass timber important to consider when working towards the reduction of local emissions. Mass timber is a large, solid, engineered wood product that can be used as an alternative to steel and concrete buildings. which has many environmental, safety, health, and convenience benefits. With the utilization of mass timber, there is a 43% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional building as there is a lower embodied carbon in both the product and construction stage. 

Mass timber has been prominent throughout Europe and Canada for the past 15 years as a less carbon intensive building model. Recently, California has recognized mass timber as a building strategy in the approved California Building Code. There are various finished and ongoing mass timber projects already in the Los Angeles Area (Chinatown, Los Angeles pictured above), demonstrating that mass timber is a possible solution. With the rise in awareness of mass timber buildings, Santa Monica will be able to implement mass timber buildings as a way of climate mitigation.

climateactionsantamonica SAMOCAN, Uncategorized

RECORDING: Enjoy a Discussion with Denny Zane from Move LA!

Denny Zane created Move LA in 2007 to bring together business, labor and environmental leaders and community organizations with the goal of raising significant new funding for LA County’s transit system. Denny presents and discusses how we in Southern California can create a coalition and a regional voter initiative for a measure that if approved by a simple majority of voters will raise a boatload of money to invest in strategies to end air pollution, dramatically reduce climate pollution and enhance zero-emission regional transit mobility. 

Denny Zane is the Founder and Executive Director of Move LA, a housing and transit activist, and a former mayor of Santa Monica. He will investigate a “Grand Boulevards” strategy to promote transit-oriented, mixed-use multifamily housing along currently underutilized boulevards designated as Bus Rapid Transit corridors. He believes that a transit investment can create an affordable housing solution.

climateactionsantamonica SAMOCAN

Transformation is inevitable, what is CASM’s Role? with Rob Lempert

Enjoy a Discussion with one of CASM’s Advisor’s Robert Lempert!

The recent IPCC Sixth Assessment Report makes clear that climate change has advanced so far that some type of economic and societal transformation has become inevitable. No single entity can dictate such changes, rather they will emerge from competition and cooperation among many actors in governments, private sector, and civil society across many scales.  Dr. Lempert offers some reflections on some of the opportunities and dilemmas this might pose for a group such as CASM.

climateactionsantamonica Uncategorized

NextGen Climate Summit Engages Local Youth

NextGen Climate Summit Engages Local Youth

By Mia Levenson

On Sunday, April 28 CASM Climate Job Corps members attended the 2024 NextGen Climate Summit at New Roads School. This event was hosted for the youth in Santa Monica and beyond by Sustainable Works and the City of Santa Monica. 

The room was filled with inspired young individuals eager to listen and share their opinions and outlook on climate solutions. Climate speakers and local Santa Monica climate-oriented organizations were there to support and share their knowledge with the group. Youth Climate Strike Los Angeles organizer, Sim Bilal, shared his story of getting involved in climate activism and the importance of continuing to fight for what you believe in. “I enjoyed hearing people speak about what made them want to get involved in environmental and climate issues. Every person had a distinct story, but they all shared a common concern for their loved ones, their communities, and future generations” shares CJC member Mario Melgarejo. Hearing the stories of experienced climate leaders sparked new ideas and curiosity within the group. 

Along with listening and gaining information, there was an opportunity for breakout group discussions led by Sustainability Expert Walker Wells. This was a conversation between the youth to envision and come up with ideas that work towards a sustainable Santa Monica. There, the voices of SAMOHI, New Roads, Santa Monica College, and UCLA students were heard. Solutions including, but not limited to, a switch to renewable energy, more green spaces, and better transit options were shared and discussed amongst the room. This was a time for the youth in Santa Monica to be brought into the discussion of climate and encouraged to use their voices. Being such a well-rounded event made it informative and enjoyable for all participants involved. 

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Bicycle Month Events

Celebrate bike month by attending one of the following events

Hop on your bike and join us as we pedal into National Bike Month! May 2024 is gearing up to be an exciting time with many events catering to all transportation enthusiasts. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just looking to cruise around town, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. From family-friendly rides to education workshops, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved and show your support for active transportation. So grab your bike, gather your friends and family, and let’s make May a month to remember!

Bike Skills 101
Saturday, May 4th, 2024 –  11:00 AM to NOON
SMC Sustainability Center
During this in-classroom workshop participants will review ABC Quick Check, Rules of the Road, and upcoming projects in the City of Santa Monica. This session will be led by League of American Bicyclist’s League Certified Instructor Jayro Queme.

A bike is not needed to attend. There will be no on-bike components to the workshop.

RSVP Here

Bike It Walk It Bus It Week
Monday, May 6th thru Friday, May 10th 
Each year schools work to encourage as many students as possible to bike, walk, skate, scoot, or ride the bus to school. Teachers participate by counting the number of kids who participate in a districtwide competition to see who can get the most. Launched in 2010, Bike It! Walk It! is now a parent-led initiative. Participation will vary by school.

Big Blue Bus is celebrating this week by giving K-12 students who attend school in Santa Monica free rides. Eligible students may 1) Use Your GoPass TAP Card or 2) Show Your Valid School ID to the Operator.

Click Here for More BBB Information

MANGo Milestone Community Ride
Saturday, May 11th 10AM to 12PM
17th/SMC Station (accessible via E Line)
Enjoy a free five-mile social bike ride with Metro Bike Share, Santa Monica Spoke, and the City of Santa Monica! This ride is the perfect way to learn more about the Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway (MANGo). This ride is “no-drop,” meaning we will maintain a comfortable and inclusive pace for all participants.

RSVP Here

Bike Anywhere Day
Thursday, May 16th
A variety of bike-centered events are sprouted up throughout the City of Santa Monica on May 16th, including the annual pit stop in front of City Hall from 8AM to 10AM. To celebrate, cyclists who bring their bicycle, folding bicycle or helmet can ride on any Big Blue Bus for FREE. Click the button below to view a map of what’s happening in the community.

Bike Activity Map

Kidical Mass Bike Ride
Sunday, May 19th 9:00AM to 12:00PM
Clover Park
Co-hosted by Santa Monica Spoke, the Kidical Mass bike ride + Mental Health & Wellness Fair is back at Clover Park! Remember to wear GREEN for Mental Health Awareness! This group ride will help all participants develop skills and comfort for bike riding in the city. Riders can stop by BBQ #1 area (near the trailers) of Clover Park between 11:00AM and 3:00PM to learn more about the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project at this community engagement kick-off.

Volunteers needed for Kidical Mass! Email volunteer@SMSpoke.org to help that day.

RSVP Here

Adult Learn to Ride Classes w/ Sustainable Streets
Sundays: May 5th, May 12th, and May 19th
Santa Monica Beach Bike Campus
This practical hands-on learn to ride class for adults age 18 and up will get you rolling in no time. Our certified bicycle instructors create a fun low-stress environment to help you learn the basics of balancing and pedaling before moving on to more advanced skills. If you already know how to balance and pedal our instructors will teach valuable skills such as turning, steering with one hand, scanning, signaling and tips for choosing a bike to fit your riding intentions.

Enroll Here

Bicycle Maintenance Classes w/ SMC
Spring 2024 (April 29th thru June 10th)
Santa Monica College offers free, noncredit classes to jumpstart your career and develop new skills! Classes are in-person on SMC’s main campus. Register by filling out the SMC Noncredit Registration Form and email to NoncreditRegistration@smc.edu. Find details here or call 310 434-3399.
More information can be found in this newsletter.

 From family-friendly rides to educational workshops, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved and show your support for active transportation. So grab your bike, gather your friends and family, and let’s make May a month to remember!