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Save Water, Energy, Money and the Environment

Volume 8, Number 3

March / April 2012

IN THIS ISSUE...
Calling Volunteers!
$200 Upgrade Coupon
The Gas Company
SCE Case Studies
LA Metro
HHW in Hawthorne
West Basin MWD
Two Workshops in Torrance
Useful News - Check Your Number
California AB341
Recycling the Leftovers
April 2012 Events & Workshops

CALLING VOLUNTEERS!
There has never been a better time to help out and be recognized.
 

Email Martha, call her at 310.371.7222, x 209 or complete our volunteer application and submit it by email or fax.
 

You can make a huge difference!
 


 Visit Our Cities

Carson
El Segundo
Gardena
Hawthorne
Hermosa Beach
Inglewood
Lawndale
Lomita
Manhattan Beach
Palos Verdes Estates
Rancho Palos Verdes
Redondo Beach
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills Estates
Torrance

SCE Customers in
San Pedro & Harbor City


County Unincorporated Areas in South Bay

 

2012 REBATE FORMS 

  

The Gas Company
(on-line!)

 

Southern California Edison

 

West Basin Municipal Water District
 

 

 

 

 

En Espa�ol
The Gas Company
Southern California Edison Sanitation Districts of LA County
Metro
 
County of Los Angeles 

 

 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

 

 

www.sbesc.com 

  
  
To read the South Bay Cities Council of Governments' latest edition of its newsletter,
South Bay Watch,
click here

 

Where Does Your City Rank in the 

SCE Energy Leader Partnership Program

 

  

Platinum Tier 
20% Energy Reduction
Stay Tuned

  

 

Gold Tier
10% Energy Reduction 
City of Hawthorne
City of Lomita 
 
 
Silver Tier
5% Energy Reduction 
City of El Segundo
City of Hermosa Beach
City of Inglewood
City of Manhattan Beach
City of Carson
 
 
 
Valued Level:
City of Gardena
City of Lawndale
City of Palos Verdes Estates
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
City of Redondo Beach
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of Torrance
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Message From the Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Programs

 

 

Reuse and recycling seems to be the theme "running through" this issue of our newsletter.  Since Earth Day is right around the corner, it is very appropriate that we give thought to the affect each one of us has on the physical, social and economic environments in which we live. They are all intertwined in ways that we may not be able to fully comprehend but certainly know exist.

 

One perfect example is the beauty that a local artist has brought to our new SBESC work environment.  Ron Libbrecht is lending a collection of his paintings from the APC Fine Arts Gallery in Torrance to showcase artistic recycling techniques.  His work in this series explores a variety of media including the use of powder waste toner from a digital printer and litho ink waste from offset printing presses. Ron's paintings of Barcelona are both watercolors done en plein air (in the open air) in Barcelona, as well as ideas remembered from his trip using the powdered toner mixed with acrylic medium and chalk pastels.  The Ocean idea paintings were made with the waste litho ink and oil paint on canvas.  The process of ink drying is different than paint, as it oxidizes on the surface and shrinks, it causes ripples on the surface. Painting and drawing the environment and light are hallmarks of Ron's recent work.

 

I encourage you to cherish the gifts among us and enhance your understanding of the hidden beauty in recycling and reusing the simple things we take for granted in our everyday lives. I hope these thoughts "planted seeds" of interest in the articles that follow and in action steps to celebrate our precious earth.


Catherine Showalter

 

 

Energy Upgrade LogoEnergy Upgrade California
Get $200 Coupon at Local Events

 

Discover how to save money, increase energy and water efficiency and earn up to $8,000 in rebates from Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County.  Speak with local experts and listen to participating contractors on a panel at a Q & A session. 
 
Learn what the program offers, the benefits of completing an energy upgrade, and how to earn incentives along the way.  Be sure to tell Spanish speaking friends and neighbors about the workshop on Thursday, April 26 in Carson - conducted entirely in Spanish.

 

Special offer at events only:  $200 coupon towards a home energy upgrade.

 

Flyer

Register Now for an Energy Upgrade Workshop

 

 

 

The Gas CompanyThe Gas Company

The Gas Company Recycles
It's Company Policy

 

The Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) annually recycles millions of pounds of scrap metal, meters, cardboard, plastic and paper. Thousands of gas meters are rebuilt and redeployed back into service. Thousands of trees have been saved from the chopping block by using recycled paper to print customers' billing statements, envelopes and brochures.


Whenever possible, SoCalGas redeploys laptops and desktop computers within the company. Computers that are not redeployed are sold to electronics recyclers, which keeps them from going to landfills. The Company has also greatly reduced the number of printers, copiers and fax machines.

More on the Gas Company

 

Southern California EdisonSCE
Helps Business

Case Studies Offer Lessons in Energy
Management / Bill Reduction

 

Energy costs affect the bottom line for every business.  Managing those costs can deliver a real competitive advantage. SCE offers
on-line case studies of businesses, by type, that describe ways to save energy, money and the environment by:
  • applying cash incentives for new equipment
  • lowering bills and cutting usage through smart conservation practices
  • designing savings on new and retrofit construction
  • attending free classes that focus on getting more back from every dollar spent on electricity

 

Click here to read the case studies and learn how energy management can make a bottom-line difference. 
 
L.A. Metro
Easy Steps to VanpoolJoin a Metro Vanpool

 

Select the Metro partner leasing agency of your choice to set-up and start your vanpool agreement. The choices are Enterprise Rideshare (vanpool.com) or VPSI, Inc. (rideone.com)

 

Complete and sign a Metro Vanpool Program Participation Application and return the completed application to your vanpool agent.

 

Metro will send a start up kit to the approved Metro Vanpool Program Volunteer participant.

 

It's that easy. Just call SBESC at (310) 371-7222 and ask for Grace (x 206) or Martha (x 209) to get a vanpool started.

Sanitation Districts of LA County

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County

Household Hazardous Waste Roundup in Hawthorne

 

On Saturday, April 28, from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County will hold a Household Hazardous Waste / E-Waste Round Up event at the Betty Ainsworth Sports Arena in Hawthorne. Click here for a map to the event and a list of what to bring and what to leave home.

West Basin Municipal Water DWest Basinistrict
"Cash for Kitchens" Program Continues in 2012
 
Restaurants and commercial kitchens are saving water and energy every day!
 

The South Bay Environmental Services Center partners with the West Basin Municipal Water District and The Gas Company to offer the Cash for Kitchens program. This program is available to the commercial kitchens of South Bay restaurants, public agencies and non-profit organizations.

 

Cash for Kitchens provides FREE expert on-site assessment, rebate information, water saving devices, gas equipment cleaning and calibration from a Gas Company Customer Service Technician, and more; helping the South Bay to save water, energy, money, and the environment.

 

The SBESC is scheduling appointments now. If you have a commercial kitchen or restaurant, or if know of anyone with a commercial kitchen or restaurant, contact Martha Segovia at 310.371.7222 x209, or [email protected].

 

Click here for a Cash for Kitchens flyer, and call today to schedule your appointment!

City of Torrance 
City of Torrance
Ocean Friendly Garden Workshops

"Hands-On" - Saturday, April 14, 2012

"Basics"      - Saturday, June 2, 2012

 

No prerequisites.  Take one or both, the order doesn't matter.  A small sample of what is covered:  Learn how to develop an aesthetically pleasing and water conserving Ocean Friendly Garden using native and other drought tolerant plants, water efficient irrigation systems and devices.   Learn how to perform a site evaluation, turf (grass) removal, mulching, soil remediation, rainfall capture, plant selection and upkeep.   It may get messy on April 14 so be sure to wear some old clothes!
 
Check Your Number

Useful News: Check
Your Number

 

With today's new automotive technologies, many owners can now maintain top performance with longer space between oil changes instead of defaulting to the old standard of 3,000 miles. So it makes economic and environmental sense to "check your number" and be sure not to change the car's oil too soon, creating unnecessary waste of money and resources. Check the owners' manual, or simply click on www.CheckYourNumber.org to easily find out, for free, the recommended time to change the oil on most vehicles made from 2000-2012.
 

California Assembly Bill 341
New Law, Better Life
 

 

Every year Americans throw away enough paper cups, plastic cups, forks and spoons to circle the equator 300 times. In 2010 Americans generated approximately 250 million tons of trash, 85 million tons of which was recycled and composted. This is equivalent to only a 34.1 % recycling rate. The average American recycled and composted 1.51 pounds of every 4.43 pounds of daily individual waste generation. California has 37.2 million people producing more than 30.4 million tons per year. The commercial sector generates nearly three fourths of the solid waste in California.  Much of this waste is readily recyclable, but unfortunately the majority of it ends up in landfills.

More on AB Bill 341

Companies Pick Up Used Packaging, and Recycling Costs

  

From the New York Times, online - March 23, 2012

"Brushing your teeth with a yogurt container? Wiping your mouth with a coffee cup?

You might be doing both, as a result of a new trend in recycling, courtesy of the manufacturers who make the original products. A growing number of large food and beverage companies in the United States are assuming the costs of recycling their packaging after consumers are finished with it, a responsibility long imposed on packaged goods companies in Europe and more recently in parts of Asia, Latin America and Canada.
 
More on taking responsibility for the leftovers

April 2012 Events & Workshops
 
South Bay Environmental Services Center
Earth Day Celebration
Thursday, April 12, 2012
10:30am - 12:30pm
20285 S. Western Ave., Suite 100, Torrance  90501
 
City of Torrance
Ocean Friendly Garden Workshop
Saturday, April 14, 2012
9:00am - 12:00pm
West High School
20401 Victor St., Torrance 90503
Register for April 14 OFG Workshop 
 
West Basin Municipal Water District - Division I
High Efficiency Toilet Exchange
Saturday, April 14, 2012
10:00am - 1:00pm
Must pre-qualify
Call (866) 861-0784 to be qualified and learn the location
 
Whole House Energy Upgrades for Remodeling
In Collaboration with South Bay Adult School
Monday, April 16, 2012
7:00 - 9:00pm
Mira Costa High School
701 S. Peck Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA  90266
 
South Bay Cities Green Task Force
Thursday, April 19, 2012
2:00 - 4:00pm
South Bay Environmental Services Center
20285 S. Western Ave., Suite 100, Torrance  90501
 
SEA Lab's Annual Earth Day Celebration
Water and Energy Savings Event (West Basin)
Saturday, April 21, 2012
10:00am - 2:00pm
1021 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach 90277
 
West Basin Municipal Water District - Division III
High Efficiency Toilet Exchange
Saturday, April 21, 2012
10:00am - 1:00pm
Must pre-qualify
Call (866) 861-0784 to be qualified and learn the location
 
Earth Day at Promenade on the Peninsula
Saturday, April 21, 2012
12:00pm - 4:00pm
550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates 90274
 
Earth Day 2012: An Inglewood Community-Wide Celebration
Saturday, Aril 21, 2012
10:00am - 12:00pm
City of Inglewood City Hall
One Manchester Blvd, Inglewood 90301
 
Lunada Bay HOA / City of Palos Verdes Estates
Earth Day 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
11:00am - 4:00pm
Lunada Bay Park
Palos Verdes Drive West & Via Carrillo, Palos Verdes Estates 90274
 
Energy Upgrade California / Water Reliability 2020 Workshop
CONDUCTED COMPLETELY IN SPANISH
Thursday, April 26, 2012
6:30 - 8:30pm
Carson Community Center, Room 111
801 E. Carson St., Carson  90745
 
VOICE Earth Day Celebration and Concert
Saturday, April 28, 2012
11:00am - 4:00pm
Polliwog Park
1601 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach  90266