Team Marine

In order for Team Marine members to be able to accurately teach others about the devastating problems of today such as ocean acidification, plastic pollution, and climate change, we must first be experts on what we are talking about. We pride ourselves on our profound knowledge of these topics, but we are always fascinated to learn more and increase our knowledge. A majority of Team Marine members are in Mr. Kay’s Marine Biology course, so when Paul Scott from Plug in America came on December 10^th, we were graced with the presence of an expert on the topic of electric vehicles and the oil companies’ corrupt manipulation of today’s society. Scott is a founding member of Plug in America and an EV driver of 11 years! A longtime advocate for renewable energy, and an environmental activist, he is a great promoter of driving electric. He informed us on the many effects that oil has had on our national security, economy, health, and most importantly our environment. Knowing all of this, it begs the question: are we really paying the true cost of oil? The answer is no. Although most Americans believe that gas is already too expensive they haven’t even taken into account how it’s basically handed to them! If you think about the tens of thousands of people that have died because of air pollution (due mostly to living near busy intersections and freeways), the $50 billion that leaves the US each year to pay for foreign oil and its transportation, and the thousands that have died in the Iraq war that was fought mostly because of oil, then gas prices would be through the roof! Scott informed us on several appalling situations where these corporations have not taken responsibility for their actions. For example, in Ecuador, the people are suing Texaco for damages from oil drilling, (and have been for 20 years now) but it seems to be going nowhere since its countersue after countersue.

So how can we stop the flow of our money from going towards oil companies? Don’t give them another cent. Paul Scott has been powering his EV from solar power for 11 years now and encourages us all to make the decision to refuse oil. He dispelled several myths about EV’s and although many people may think that electric cars are extremely dangerous because of recent EV fires, the media hasn’t even  brought to attention the more than 12,000 fires due to oil consuming vehicles. Furthermore, not only would you be driving in one of the safest cars, but you would also be eliminating 90% of your carbon footprint just by owning an electric vehicle. The lesson to be learned here was best said by Scott, “When you die, is the world a better place because you existed? If yes, then you have succeeded as a human being.”

We would also like to congratulate Scott and the Nissan of Downtown Los Angeles for winning the 2013 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award. Check it out HERE.

Also check out the Plug in America site HERE.

Earlier in the year, we communicated with the school district to implement recycling bins in classrooms of teachers at Santa Monica High School. Our patience and perseverance resulted in success! For the Thanksgiving holiday we distributed thirty recycling bins. We cultivated a clear sign displaying items to recycle and items to trash for better waste management in our school community. Our signs help clear up the difference between recyclables and trash. Students who aren’t aware of the correct way to recycle can result in damaged bins and delayed recycling. We would like to thank Ms. Virginia Hyatt and Crown Disposal for providing these bins and helping us make Santa Monica High School a more eco-friendly campus by giving the teachers their requested bins. Now, students at Santa Monica High School can gain a better understanding of the importance of recycling and the correct way to approach it.

On Saturday, November 9th, Team Marine went to the Santa Monica Pier for a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) event. There we showcased our recently converted 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle to people attending the event. Community outreach is pivotal in getting our cause and mission spread. Furthermore, being at such a tourist attraction maximized outreach to a global scale; we educated a lot of curious people about the effects of combustion engines on the environment. Our team coach, Mr. Kay, parked his Nissan Leaf next to Volts Wattson to showcase alternate methods of going electric in an affordable way. Converting gas to electric can be expensive; we did the conversion to demonstrate that high school students were capable of overcoming technological and economic hurdles, but also to highlight an important solution to our friends in the community. We educated youth and college students as well as others. We were able to extend outreach to a plethora of people thanks to STEAM. Check out their website here.