The Long Beach Group continues to work with local governments in strengthening sustainable cities and avoiding urban sprawl and its impact on natural areas. We have endorsed federal grants to Signal Hill and pledge to continue to do so. We help with cleanups and planting and meet with community groups. We are petitioning local voters to learn their wishes about open space and the quality of life on the best hilltop in 20 miles. We encourage local taxpayers, voters, and property owners to let their elected officials know their wishes about the future of this open space.

Two local conservation issues that are near and dear to our hearts are the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and the Los Cerritos Wetlands.  Check out these sites dedicated the the preservation of these treasures and see why we care.

The Long Beach Group Conservation Committee meets with the Executive Committee on the last Wednesday of each month. The meetings start at 7:00 PM. Join us to find what's happening in local, regional and national conservation issues. Contact our conservation chair (see Tidelines or the Schedule of Activities) for meeting place or more information.

January 2011 Meeting Links

Our January monthly meeting focused on Energy Impromvement for your home and some new funding opportunities to help fund home energy improvements. We had representatives from Los Angeles County's newly formed Office of Sustainability discuss AB 811 and give us an idea of where the county is in implementing it and how we might be able to leverage it.

Los Angeles County's Energy Efficiency & Environmental Information website...
http://green.lacounty.gov/

In addition, we had Norma and Alan Williamson talk about the zero energy makeover they've done to their house, which has been featured in Solar Today. Check out these links to see what they did...
http://www.ases.org/index.php?view=article&catid=12%3Alatest-features&id=82%3ASolarToday&option=com_content&Itemid=23
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/solar/house.html

E-Waste

From Gabrielle Weeks...

Your County's CleanLA program requires that it's vendors process the e-waste in the US.  Most others don't that are run by cities or the Salvation Army.  It's not just about creating environmental jobs in the US, we need the accountability.

Check out this link to a 60 Minutes episode.  It shows that the US dumps our toxic crap on China and that recycling isn't happening there. We have satellite photos and personal statements about the very different system of alleged resource recovery in China, and that much of it is just ballast sent back on empty ships. China takes our stuff intended for recycling so we'll keep buying crap that the makers know is not going to be recycled. But the American public feels that it might be recycled if we put it in the purple bin or drive it to a collection site.

I hope the future of products will be things designed for realistic recycling.