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| Sustainable Santa Monica Newsletter | December 2011 |
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| Greetings! | Thank you for receiving this Newsletter-- Keeping you informed of everything Sustainable in Santa Monica, from community events, news, and resources, to business and educational opportunities!
The purpose of this Newsletter is to provide Santa Monica residents, businesses and organizations with the information and resources needed to help meet the goals of the Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan in eight target areas: Resource Conservation, Environmental and Public Health, Transportation, Economic Development, Open Space & Land Use, Housing, Community Education & Civic Participation, and Human Dignity.
You are sure to find inspiration this month as December offers some amazing ways to participate in our sustainable community!! Let us all resolve to be a greener, healthier and more engaged community in Santa Monica this and every day as you take advantage of the many programs, policies and opportunities the City of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability and the Environment has to offer! |
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Water Savings Tip |
You've turned back your stove clock for daylight savings but what about your sprinkler clock?
It's winter, your plants need less water, and you can take advantage of the cooler temperatures and wetter season by turning down or even turning off your sprinkler timer.
Click here to find out how much and how often to water your plants. |
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'Tis the Season for Giving! | |
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Top 10 Tips to GREEN your Holidays!! | |
1) Give experience based, homemade and/or re-gifted presents. Reduce packaging and wrapping
waste!
2) Eat organic and local foods for the holidays. Support the Santa Monica Farmers Markets!
3) Shop local. Click here for the Santa Monica Buy Local Shopping Guide and support your local
economy!
4) Don't wrap gifts and if you are wrapping, recycle those old newspapers.
5) Rent a Living Christmas tree!
6) Recycle your tree into mulch.
7) Purchase carbon offsets for your travel.
8) Recycle old xmas lights for newer, more energy efficient LEDs.
9) When purchasing gifts, vote with your dollar, and support greener, more earth-consious gifts.
10) Give the gift of donation to a charity, non-profit organization or foundation in a friend or family
member's name. |
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Park Your Tree!
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FREE Rain Barrels for Santa Monica Residents!
Don't miss your chance to capture the rain before it's gone! |  |
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Santa Monica Holiday Pub Crawl & Fundraiser for the Westside Food Bank | 
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Green Business Networking Holiday Party | |
WHAT: On the second Tuesday of every month, you're invited to the only pure networking event for owners and decision-makers of LA's green businesses. Delicious organic snacks, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. This month's meeting is GBN's second annual collaborative holiday party! Like last year, it is open to friends, spouses and significant others, and we are co-hosting along with Sustainable Business Council, Green Drinks, Sustainable Works, and others to be announced.
WHEN: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 6pm-9pm
WHERE: G2 Gallery 1503 Abbot Kinney Bl., Venice Map
COST: Space permitting, the door charge on the day of the GBN Holiday Party is $15. You may secure your spots at a discounted contribution of $10 when you pre-pay online no later than December, 10th
WHAT ELSE: For further event information, please contacts us at greenbusinessnetworking@gmail.com.
AND: Did you know GBN events are also recycling collection points? Bring your old batteries, cell phones, clean, dry and empty plastic shopping bags, dry cleaning bags and newspaper wrappers, and we will properly dispose of them for you! |
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Bike Center Santa Monica
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Bike and Park's mission is to inspire people to ride bicycles for the benefit of one's health, spirit, and planet. We realize this by partnering with progressive communities to create spaces and programs that encourage people to ride.
Come and visit us at our main location on 2nd street and Colorado ( Map), where the following services are available:
Or visit us at our satellite location on 4th street and Broadway ( Map) where following services are available:
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Green Living Workshops | |
Sign up for a Green Living Workshop to learn about environmental problems and sustainable solutions which can have a positive impact on your life and the health of the planet!
What You'll Learn
The Green Living Workshop covers the following topics, one per week:
Water | Energy | Waste | Chemicals | Transportation | Shopping & Food
Workshop meets for six sessions at the same location and time.
Learn about the problems related to each of the above topics on a global, national and local scale, then with the help of the WorksBook take action on ten related solutions.
Click here to reserve your spot in a Green Living Workshop today!
Contact Gina Garcia with any questions
Sustainable Works supports the City of Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan
Sustainable Works is a project of Community Partners
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Santa Monica Green Business Certification Program | |
The Green Business Certification Program is a voluntary program that encourages businesses to implement proactive actions that are good for their bottom line and the environment. The Santa Monica Green Business Certification Program is a collaboration between the City of Santa Monica, Sustainable Works, the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Santa Monica College Small Business Development Center, to recognize businesses that meet the City of the Santa Monica's resource efficiency standards in the areas of Waste Reduction, Energy and Water Efficiency, Pollution Prevention, Sustainable Procurement, and Transportation Management. For details of the required and optional measures businesses must achieve, visit www.smgbc.org.
Featured Green Business for the Month of November:
LEAF Lifestyle
LEAF Lifestyle offers personal training and lifestyle transformation services. Through a holistic approach to health and wellness, we empower our clients to take control of their quality of life. All LEAF programs are centered on the principle of lifelong learning. LEAF's fitness space uses natural ventilation instead of mechanical air conditioning. Cross breezes are facilitated by open doors and windows. Aside from their kitchen and restroom, the rest of the facility uses natural sunlight. One of their greatest successes is achieving an 82% reduction in their energy bill after performing simple energy retrofits. By frosting their front windows ($50 cost), replacing 10 incandescent flood lights with LED floodlights ($250), and insulating their outdoor sauna to increase heat retention ($100), they cut their energy bill from $250 to $45 per month - totaling a savings of over $2460 annually! With upfront retrofit costs of these measures totaling $400, they achieved payback in just 2 months. LEAF Lifestyle is a member of Buy Local Santa Monica and support their local economy by purchasing locally from other members. With the use of non-toxic chemicals and natural ventilation, they have excellent indoor air quality.
Leaf Lifestyle Inc. 1617 Broadway, Suite C Santa Monica, CA 90404, Map
310.707.1772 Contact: info@leaflifestyle.com
For more information on the Green Business Certification Program and a full list of certified businesses visit www.smgbc.org.
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Can We Talk?- Community Conversation with City Manager Rod Gould | 
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Los Angeles Bioneers |
Los Angeles Bioneers
A Revolution From the Heart
WHAT: Please join us for two exciting, off-schedule gatherings of Los Angeles Bioneers, people dedicated to re-imagining the future of our planet. Bioneers are biological pioneers who are working with nature to heal nature and ourselves. The first gathering is a meeting with Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, famed oceanographer and turtle expert, and the second is a screening of Josh and Rebecca Tickell's must-see documentary The Big Fix.
WHEN: Wednesday December 7, and Friday December 16, 2011. The evenings both start at 7pm.
WHERE: G2 Gallery at 1503 Abbot Kinney Bl. in Venice, Map
WHAT ELSE: There is both street parking and parking behind the building. Please enter on the Milwood Ave. side of the gallery, next to the garage. Car pool if you can! Or ride a bike! Please try to arrive as close to 7 as possible so we can meet and mingle then get the program underway by 7:30. |
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An Exchange For Durable Reusable Bags In the Community | 
As of September 1, 2011, new restrictions on the distribution of single-use plastic and paper carryout shopping bags in Santa Monica are in effect. To provide a service for the community and to meet the increased demand for reusable bags, Santa Monica is proud to inaugurate the Share A Bag Program.
The idea is simple:
If you have extra reusable bags, leave them at one of the 20 Share A Bag Program locations. These include all four Santa Monica Farmers Markets, participating local resale merchants (secondhand stores, vintage stores, resale boutiques, thrift shops, charity shops and consignment shops), Santa Monica Place, plus Sustainable Works, the Downtown Ambassador's Desk, the Chamber of Commerce, and City Hall. If you need a bag, you can pick one up free of charge at any of the same locations.
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Green Garden Academy |
 December's Class: Green Garden Academy Graduation WHAT: Green Thumbs Up Award Ceremony: Receive your diploma and a "Commitment to Sustainability Award".
WHEN: Saturday December 10 2011, 10:30am-1:30pm WHERE: Auditorium at the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Map WHAT ELSE: Click here to register |
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SLOLA
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WHAT: What's in YOUR Cabbage Patch? Brassicas -- not tubas or trumpets! Cabbages, kale, mustard, broccoli are all part of the same plant family and they're ready to provide the seeds you need for next year's harvest. Learn how from Master Gardener Lucinda Zimmermann.
WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011, at 2:30pm-4pm
WHERE: The Learning Garden, on Walgrove, just south of Venice Blvd, on the grounds of Venice High School, Map. Park outside, enter the first gate immediately SOUTH of Venice on Walgrove.
WHAT ELSE: A $10 lifetime membership lets you borrow seeds FREE, grow them out, enjoy the bounty, then return a like quantity of seeds at season's end. Join here and email us with any questions.
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New Program at Santa Monica College-- Recycling & Resource Management | 
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Green Rebates
|  Sustainable Landscape Grant - up to $5,000 - currently accepting applications for 50 more projects.
Rain Harvest Rebate - up to $2,000 - currently accepting applications for downspout redirects, rain barrels, and cisterns.
Parkway Cash for Grass Rebate - up to $2,000 per parkway
Front Yard Cash for Grass Rebate - up to $2,000
Greywater Rebate - up to $250 for qualified parts
Drip Irrigation Rebate - up to $1,000 for qualified parts |
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Energy Upgrade California | 
Solar Santa Monica is now an information hub for the Energy Upgrade California program. EUC is offering up to $8,000 for Santa Monica homeowners who make qualified energy efficiency upgrades through a Participating Contractor. Want to know what a typical experience through the EUC program is like? Watch testimonial videos and read through example home assessments at solarsantamonica.com/energyupgrade/
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| The Household Hazardous Waste Home Collection Pilot Program Launched |
WHAT: The City of Santa Monica launched the HouseholdHazardousWaste Home CollectionPilot
Program, a pick-up service where the "Haz Mat" technician comes
to you. The goal is to expand levels of service for residents while reducing costs. The service will be provided on a free and unlimited basis to homeowners and renters alike.
The new service is provided in a few easy steps:
- Reserve collection service: call 1 (800) 449-7587, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; or email atyourdoor@wm.com
- Receive collection kit in the mail (includes detailed instructions with collection day reminder);
- Prepare collection kit at your doorstep or at a predetermined location on collection day;
- Leave prepared materials and we'll do the rest.
WHERE: At your house!
WHAT ELSE: Beginning September 17, 2011, the Household Hazardous Waste Center will be available for drop-off service on SATURDAYS ONLY (9 AM - 2 PM). For additional information please visit sustainablesm.org/hhw or call (310) 458-2213. This service is provided by the Office of Sustainability and the Environment and WM Curbside Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management.
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Garden Sharing - A Winning Partnership
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 With the popularity of community gardens continually on the rise in Santa Monica, the waiting list continues to grow and outpace available plots. With no new community garden site planned in the City in the near future, staff has been looking for other opportunities to get gardeners growing and one such opportunity is the Garden Sharing Registry. The concept is simple: gardeners looking for room to grow opt-in to the registry; property owners in need of help to make the most of their available land choose a gardener from the list. Together they establish the terms of their partnership from length of time, frequency of gardening, plants to grow, and cost sharing. As an innovative way to meet community demand, this program is a win-win for the City because it encourages social interaction between the community members, addresses recreational needs, and meets sustainability goals.
To date, nine partnerships have been formed. Interested gardeners and property owners can contact the Community Recreation Division at (310) 458-8573, or go online for more information.
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Holiday Business @ Sunset Mixer
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Save the Date - Santa Monica State of the City 2012 | |
The State of the City is held every January and will be hosted in 2012 by SGI-USA at the World Culture Center in Santa Monica. Next year's State of the City will be on January 26, 2012, from 7:30am-10am.
The Office of Sustainability and the Environment will host this year's breakfast reception and program that addresses concerns regarding the impact of the current global and state economic situation at a local level.
In 2011, City Manager Rod Gould and members of the Santa Monica Alliance discussed the future of our city and how future projects will transform the landscape of Santa Monica.
For prices and to purchase tickets Register Here. |
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Save the Date - Santa Monica Festival 2012
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Don't miss the 21st annual Santa Monica Festival
on Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm at Clover Park.
Experience an eclectic mix of live music and dance, DIY art workshops with recycled and repurposed materials, guilt-free shopping featuring earth-friendly artistic wares and local services offered by a variety of City, environmental and local non-profit organizations. The Festival is a celebration with a purpose, highlighting the dynamic connection between the City's communities, businesses, art, culture and the environment while offering ideas and options for a greener, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.
Mark your calendar and see you at the Festival!
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Thank you for your commitment to a Sustainable Santa Monica!
Sincerely,
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Samantha Sommer
Sustainable Santa Monica
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