Tag: featured

Highlights

• Santa Monica coastal development trailer bill exemption effort stopped!
• Upcoming Ocean Way Festival activities and Resiliency Picnic!
• Action alert: Renewable Energy Ordinance public comments
• Upcoming Young Leaders meetup with Mayor Caroline Torosis

CASM in the Community

In August, CASM members set up tables at a few community events, including SAMOHI Freshman ‘Get Your Stuff Day’ and the Santa Monica Forward Block Party.

CASM had a booth at SAMOHI Freshman ‘Get Your Stuff Day,’ alongside the SMMUSD Sustainability Manager, Go SAMO TMO, and Santa Monica Spoke. The groups teamed up to share key resources with students and families for using sustainable modes of transportation. Participants were grateful for the free TAP cards and route planning assistance, and had fun playing “transportation trivia,” for Too Good to Go pastries and other prizes. The booth was bustling all day!

At the SM Forward Block Party, several community groups gathered on Washington Ave between 14th and 15th Street to give residents an opportunity to experience what the neighborhood can look like when a street is designed around people rather than cars. CASM and SM Forward joined groups like SM Spoke, SaMo Safe Streets Alliance, and the Great Park Coalition to bring sustainable transportation-themed games and prizes to tables at the block party. At the CASM table, we brought back our transportation trivia game made in collaboration with the SaMo TMO team, and gave out stickers as prizes!

CASM members also authored a public comment in August about the recent threats of federal takeover of California’s Coastal Management Program, a state-operated program that has protected California’s coast for over 50 years. Last month, the federal government initiated a review of California’s Coastal Management Program under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Typically, federal reviews of these programs happen every 5-10 years. However, according to the Surfrider Foundation, “NOAA evaluated California’s program in 2024, completed a draft report in June 2025 that found successful implementation and enforcement of the program, and never released a final version.” Our state’s Coastal Management Program has a strong track record and typically concurs with federal projects, while protecting our coastal ecosystems along the way. CASM’s letter of public comment to NOAA pointed out just that… see an excerpt from the letter below.

“As Santa Monica residents and Climate Action Santa Monica members, we rely on the health of our coastline daily for our own health and wellbeing. We surf in the water; we walk, run, and bike on the beachside path; we take our children to play in the sand; our businesses thrive with the help of tourists. The California Coastal Management Program has protected our coast and community for decades. This is not a program standing in the way of “national priorities.” It’s a program operating exactly as the Coastal Zone Management Act was intended, as found in the 2024 federal review of the program.”

Upcoming CASM Activities 

September 26th – 27th: CASM Table at Ocean Way Festival

CASM will be attending the Ocean Way Festival on the Santa Monica Pier! Come visit the CASM table anytime between 11am – 4pm for information on City resources and programs focused on energy resilience!

October 11th: CASM + Climate Health Now Resiliency Picnic!

CASM is co-hosting a Resiliency Picnic with Climate Health Now on October 11th 4pm – 6pm at Hotchkiss Park. At this event, we will hold a community picnic and facilitated discussion about how we can build local resilience in response to increasing climate disasters. To learn more about this exciting upcoming event, visit this link. If you’d like, bring a dish to share that reminds you of resilience. Light refreshments will be provided.

Action Alerts

Comment on Renewable Energy Ordinance Restricting Energy Storage Projects

LA County has released a draft of the Renewable Energy Ordinance (REO) and the Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Report and is accepting public comments until September 17th. If adopted as written, the draft renewable ordinance could foreclose much, if not the majority, of the unincorporated County from clean energy development – it’s highly restrictive of energy storage projects, which are a key component of the just energy transition. Several groups are raising awareness on this issue, check out this petition page from Puente Hills Community Preservation Association and the one-pager from Greenlight America below for more information on the impacts of the REO and how to submit a comment.

Climate News

Santa Monica coastal development exemption effort was stopped! The language that was added to the state budget trailer bill that would have allowed a streamlined development effort on Ocean Avenue did not survive the approval process, thanks to input from residents and state representatives. SMDP covers the story here, describing how opposition to the bill culminated in a letter to Gov. Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, signed by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur and roughly a dozen other Assembly members.

The City of Santa Monica is celebrating Sustainable September 2026! The City’s Chief Sustainability Officer shared this post on making September a month for sustainability, and we at CASM are all for that! Check out the list of events that we have gathered below and the events listed in the City’s post to get involved in both individual and city-wide sustainability efforts that we can use this month and into the future to build healthier habits.

Is Long Beach ready for a floating nuclear power plant? According to this recent story from the LA Times, the Port of Long Beach announced a partnership with a nuclear small modular reactor startup, Bluecore Energy, to power the port using small modular reactors installed on floating barges. Even with the partnership announcement, it will likely be years before a small modular reactor may be installed at Long Beach.

Upcoming in the Community

September 5: Apple Season Kick-Off at the Pico Farmer’s Market

September 12: Dune Builders: The Art of A Living Shoreline

September 13: Power Up Palisades Fair – A Community Solar Workshop

September 16: Installing EV Chargers at Multifamily Properties Webinar

September 17: Coastal Connections 2026 – The Bay Foundation Fundraiser

September 19: Soil Eco-Remediation Workshop

September 19: Young Leaders Meet with Mayor Caroline Torosis and Brett Morrow

September 19: Compost Giveaway at City Yards

September 19: Jewelry Workshop: Upcycled Ring Metalsmithing

September 24: How to Install EV Chargers at Your Commercial Property Webinar

September 26: 19th Street Garden Event

September 28: Keeping Climate in the Conversation Lecture

Want to keep your action going? Climate Action Santa Monica (CASM) is looking for volunteers with a variety of talents and interests. Check out our volunteer page to see how you can get involved!

By Mackenzie Devilbiss

Some climate solutions are particularly potent because they are high impact and they can be implemented in the near future. Called ‘emergency brake’ solutions, these actions immediately curb emissions from highly damaging greenhouse gases such as methane. Emergency brake climate solutions include preventing ecosystem degradation, reducing methane emissions and leaks, and reducing food and energy waste. A few of these powerful climate solutions can be implemented at home, and one of them is already available to you as a resident of Santa Monica!

Green Bin Program and Food Waste

Two emergency brake climate solutions that go hand-in-hand are increasing the use of composting and reducing food loss and waste. When food waste and organic matter, like yard trimmings, are disposed of in a landfill, the organic waste decays and releases methane into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and has roughly 30 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. According to the US EPA, municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are the third-largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions in the US. The agency estimates that 24% of the MSW disposed of in landfills is food waste – and this food waste is responsible for a staggering 58% of methane emissions caused by unintentional leaks from landfills. The final product of composting is a nutrient rich product that can be used for soil amending. This beneficial soil additive produces less potent emissions as a byproduct and has the potential to store carbon in the soil long-term. 

In Santa Monica, the Green Bin program is available for all residents to separate organic waste from recyclables and landfill trash. The City of Santa Monica characterizes MSW into different categories and tracks how much of our MSW is food waste. In both 2023 and 2025, roughly 24% of Santa Monica’s MSW sent to landfill was food waste, matching the national average. The City also tracks how much waste is composted through the Green Bin program. Each resident in Santa Monica can support this powerful climate solution both by using the green bin in your home and by explaining the importance of the green bin program to your friends and neighbors. In addition, it is important to reduce the amount of food waste in your home by only buying what you need and planning meals in advance to prevent impulse food purchases. According to the US EPA: “One-third of all food in the United States goes uneaten. EPA estimates that in 2019, about 96 percent of households’ wasted food ended up in landfills, combustion facilities, or down the drain to the sewer system. The remainder was composted.” By maximizing use of the green bin program and reducing food waste in every home, we can each put on the emergency brakes to reduce climate-warming methane emissions.

Ballona Creek Wetlands

CASM has also taken action to preserve local natural landscapes by supporting closure of the operational oil and natural gas wells in Playa del Rey. The natural gas production and storage facilities in Playa del Rey have regularly reported large methane leaks, releasing methane directly into the air of the neighboring communities and the atmosphere. The area is classified as a ‘Level III methane hazard zone’, the highest methane hazard level recognized by the City of Los Angeles. CASM has taken a stance to support closure of the site.  At the very least, SoCal Gas should plug all leakages as soon as possible to prevent further uncontrolled methane emissions. Gas leaks in the area can be reported to South Coast AQMD by calling 1-800-CUT-SMOG, and advocacy groups like Protect Playa Now have organized petitions on closing the site in the past. Being informed about the Playa del Rey natural gas facility and advocating for reduction of methane leaks is another opportunity for local emergency brake climate action!

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.

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. 

Climate Action Santa Monica invites high school and college students to apply for the CASM Climate Corps 2024 program.

Since 2016, Climate Corps have engaged in local climate action for an informative, fun and empowering summer confronting the global climate emergency. Climate Corps is a program of Climate Action Santa Monica (CASM) to engage in climate action in our local community for an informative, fun and empowering summer experience.

A primary partner of the program is the City of Santa Monica, which has integrated sustainability goals and rights into its laws, regulations, and operations through the Santa Monica Climate Action & Adaptation Plan. This plan aims to profoundly reduce greenhouse gases by 2030, and aims for the City of Santa Monica to be carbon-neutral by 2050. CASM Climate Corps members help bring climate policy and action to life in our local community.

In collaboration with our partner, the City of Santa Monica, Climate Corps ages 15 to 21 learn about and have real-world experiences in: 

• causes and impacts of climate change
• local sustainability policies and programs
• communicating feedback to leaders.
• engaging with and educating the community on sustainability issues.
• building relationships with leaders from business, government, and community organizations to provide a youth perspective, ideas, hopes, and solutions.

If you have questions, email us at casmcommunity@gmail.com