Two Eco-Organizations I want to highlight

PineMark is a personal Green Certification Program.

I took their suggested 8 minute online survey that gives you an overview of all the areas of your life that you can apply sustainable principles, and therefor cut down on your carbon emissions.

I learned a lot too. Like:

"DVR and Tv combined consume more energy per year than your refrigerator, and Americans produce enough trash to equal the weight of the Empire State Building EVERYDAY."

It was a good reminder that in every area of your life, small conservation efforts add up to concrete differences that have a cumulative effect. Nice work to the guys that started PineMark. Below is some further description from one of the co-founders Joe Magee:

"The PineMark certification displays your eco-friendly life. We send you an official seal (sticker and soft seal for online), a PineMark grocery tote, and you access all the exclusive discounts in our marketplace

When you apply for the certification please use the "dailyocean" code for $10 off for the readers of The Daily Ocean"

It is 39$ per household and 29$ for an individual.

A great way to build a community and you get perks for your efforts and certification

from a number of environmentally conscience vendors.

F.Y.I. - "BU" stands for MaliBU and the iconic Surfrider Beach.

November 5th marks a big day for the Surfrider Foundation. I found out at our West Los Angeles/Malibu chapter meeting this week, that Surfrider has been trying to get the city of Malibu to clean up the water at Surfrider Beach for 15 years!!

"What causes the pollution? We know that commercial and residential septic tanks in the Malibu Civic Center area are a significant source of pollutants into Lower Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and ultimately Surfrider Beach. As a result these areas are all included on the US EPA’s list as impaired for recreation. Impaired. For recreation. At Malibu.": WLAM/Surfrider Chapter website

Next week in downtown LA: (go to WLAM/Surfrider website for more details) there is a public meeting with the The LA Regional Water Quality Board. An arm of the EPA.

So you know, (and maybe I can say it since I am one small project and not a major nonprofit, the people presenting at Tues. meeting were gracious enough not to mention who lives in the Serra Retreat Center, but I'm not).

The Serra Retreat is one of the major polluters to the beach. It is about a mile of secluded celebrity estates near across from Surfrider Beach. Their septic systems routinely fail and their dookey flows into the water there, where not only surfers go, but families, tourists, kids. Gross.

Serra Retreat Residents include: James Cameron and Mel Gibson.

You think they have enough cash to upgrade their septic systems? Ridiculous. And for 15 years now. So please join us with your support. The WLAM website (link above) has an online petition you can sign too. Or come to the meeting!

GET INVOLVED

The LA Regional Water Quality Board is the ‘buck stops here’ agency *mandated* to protect resources (like Surfrider). Around three thousand people turn out to the Trestles hearings and it worked! Our physical presence is needed to make sure that the Board knows that the public care about, appreciate, and value this important area.

1. ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING
   Thursday, November 5th / 9am / Metropolitan Water Board / 700 N Alameda Street (Google Map)