February 16, Cassandra Kliewer spoke to SMMUSD District Office for an action plan to be implemented in all the schools of Santa Monica and Malibu school district. The action plan would consist of a committee in SMMUSD that focusses on sustainability. The committee would inform teachers about sustainability once a month and the teachers would then inform their students.
A short clip showing the installation part of the conversion process. This is just a preview to keep you updated on our progress in writing and editing the conversion manual and video. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/QSR4BR3AgeI
We made a video to show what happens every year on the first rain of the season (usually in October or November). We call this storm the “First Flush”. The First Flush pushes the massive amounts of pollutants that accumulates over the year in storm drains, into the Santa Monica Bay. Trash from all across Los Angeles County gathers and sits for months just waiting for the first big storm to push it out into sea and effect the safety of marine life and citizens. This video from October 2012 documents the different types of trash and “mystery foam” we have found during the First Flush.
Team Marine’s Bag Team competed in 2012’s Quikscience Challenge hosted by Quiksilver and USC. Bag Team worked for over a year to collect data on how a single-use plastic bag ban has been effective in Santa Monica. The project proves that a nationwide bag ban is possible and can make immense positive change in the environment. Check out our project summary!
Car Team’s Overview video has finally been completed! This video gives a short summary of what the past few weeks have been like for the team. We have been active in the community from teaching students at Lincoln and JAMS to expanding our knowledge of the electric car conversion process.
If the video isn’t working you can see it here:
Team Marine’s Car Team has been featured in the February 11-12 issue of the Santa Monica Daily Press. This is a great feat as it means that our work is being informed to the community. The Daily Press highlights the motivation that encouraged Team Marine in taking up the electric car conversion; the health effects of gas powered cars. However, the environmental impacts tailpipe pollution also acted as a catalyst. Ocean acidification, climate change, smog, and black carbon. These matters directly affect global ecosystems and become more pronounced with increasing population size and the need for transportation. The world’s living conditions and health are in rapid decline due to a reliance on fossil fuels. The electric car is one solution to these issues as it produces zero emissions. While it is not a perfect remedy, since the electricity used to power the car has some power plant emissions, EVs greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions due to the higher efficiency of power plants. The paper also mentions the team’s urgent need for batteries, the most important component of the car, in order to complete the project. The purpose behind selecting lithium ion batteries to power the car is due to their large energy density and convenient size – meaning they can pack a lot of punch in a small space.
Written by Angelina Hwang
Santa Monica has continuously been a leader in environmental sustainability. The Santa Monica City Sustainability Plan was first adopted in 1994. Now, in 2012, the council is taking under consideration the Sustainability Bill of Rights Resolution. The passing of the SBR ordinance means the rights of people will be protected and people will have access to clean air, land, and water. On January 24th, Team Marine went to the Santa Monica City Hall to support the Sustainability Bill of Rights. Prior to the City Council Meeting, the supporters gathered on the steps of City Hall for a rally. Team Marine signed the SBR Student Support Poster, showing that the youth care about the environment and the future of Santa Monica. As a unified group, we entered the council chambers and our members spoke in front of the council explaining that people are entitled to constitutional rights, not corporations. We made our opinions heard about our vision of a future where renewable energy sources are used to generate energy, clean water is affordable and accessible, and wastes are disposed of in a way that does not harm the environment. This event was an important movement in mitigating environmental crises such as climate change, pollution, and ocean acidification, bringing us one step closer to our goal of a sustainable future.
