December 17, 2010 – Team Marine

December 17, 2010September 19, 2020

>Brown/Newsom Rally

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom held a political rally at UCLA’s Dickson Court on Friday October 25, 2010, which was attended by over 4,000 supporters. Team Marine member Aidan Nathanson was lucky enough to attend this event, after participating in a phone banking session. Team Marine is endorsing Jerry Brown for Governor and Gavin Newsom for Lt. Governor for their support of expanding green jobs and a green economy, as well as their opposition to Proposition 23. Team Marine will talk a little more about Prop. 23 and AB32 in a later post. Brown and Newsom were accompanied by former President Bill Clinton, who supported their green efforts and choice to “consistently choose the future over the present”.

December 17, 2010February 12, 2012

Team Marine’s Gas to Electric Beetle Conversion

Team Marine’s mechanics have been working on converting a gas-guzzling 1971 Candy Red Volkswagen Beetle into a zero-emission electric vehicle.

The Whole Gang with SAMOHI’s Lesson on Wheels

Our Team’s car committee has been created, and currently meets every Tuesday and Thursday in Santa Monica High School’s Auto Shop. A million thanks to our Auto Guru, Mr. Cox, for allowing us to work in his shop.

Here are some updates on the project:

The engine has been taken out and we have just recently detached the clutch from the engine, which we need for the electric motor to attach to the transmission.

We ordered the yoke and motor plate; these are the main components in attaching the engine to the transmission.

We took the dimensions of the engine and the back of the car (where the motor will go) and theorized where the batteries will fit.

We are still researching what type of battery will be best for the car and budget we are currently working under, but are already getting our hands dirty. We also need to pick a name for the Beetle; comment with suggestions!

December 17, 2010February 12, 2012

>ZERO Emissions Race


Ian and Morgan with Future Vehicles

Team Marine members were able to see zero emissions vehicles of the future on November 19th, 2010. The ZERO Emissions Race teams met in Santa Monica to show off their state-of-the-art electric creations. These plug-in electric vehicles will help us cure our addiction to oil! Paul Pearson of Gas 2 Electric Conversions talked with us about the operations of these cars, as well as the nature of the race. The three cars are not actually in a race, but actually on a world tour. They visit popular cities and educate the public on the benefits of switching to EV. Sounds good to us!

December 17, 2010February 12, 2012

>Help fund Sarah and Garen’s 5 Gyres Trip!

Fellow eco-beasts Sarah Bayles and Dr. Garen Baghdasarian will be joining 5 Gyres Institute on a trip to the South Pacific Gyre. The team will sail from the Chilean coast to Easter Island, and will research how plastic pollution in our oceans affect zooplankton populations. Sarah will blog about their entire trip to keep us all updated. The trip is expensive due to the complexity of research to be conducted, and we have committed to helping them fundraise!

Eco-Beasts: Sarah and Garen

You can help too. Just take five minutes to donate $5 or more. Every dollar counts! Find Sarah and Garen at The Daily Ocean

Donate directly by clicking here: Donate $5