Does the Santa Monica Airport Matter to You?

You've heard about the protests and have read about it in the newspapers - what's the uproar? Here is your chance to ask questions and get information first hand. Learn how our Mar Vista neighbors near the airport are affected and why it impacts all of us. Learn what has changed - and why the impact may not be what these homeowners signed up for.


Drop by the MVCC Green Booth on Sunday January 9th and meet Marty Rubin, the Co-Founder of Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution. Find our what stand our representatives in government and the EPA have taken. Learn enough to take your own position on this issue and find out what you can do to help.

Working Towards a Citywide Ban on Plastic Bags

On November 14th, we reached out to the community to support a request that Los Angeles City ban the give away of single use plastic bags and you turned out to support us! Tuesday night, the MVCC Board approved the motion and today they sent the letter below to Mayor Villaraigosa and the Councilmembers of the LA City Council. Thank you for making this happen!

December 17, 2010



The Mar Vista Community Council, at its December 14th regular Board of Directors meeting, approved the attached and following letter in support of a City-wide ban on plastic bags. We appreciate your consideration in this matter.


Dear Mayor Villaraigosa and City Councilmembers:


Acknowledging the November 16, 2010, passage of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor’s ban on plastic bags and the Environmental Impact Report which legally supports it, and, in lockstep with the Clean Seas Coalition (7th Generation Advisors, Heal the Bay, Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, et al), we want to convey the Mar Vista Community Council’s support for a citywide ban on plastic bags.


Recognizing the importance of being good stewards of nearby Ballona Creek, the Ballona Wetlands, Santa Monica Bay and the oceans beyond, the Mar Vista Community Council has long supported efforts to clean up and improve waterways that affect our Southern California communities and our beaches which are so vital to our tourism industry.


According to the Los Angeles Times, Californians use more than 120,000 tons of the bags each year and, despite efforts to increase it, only 5% are actually recycled. Taxpayers therefore end up paying close to $25 million a year to rid streets, beaches, parks and waterways of the bags. A ban will help save city and state monies in troubled economic times and conserve important natural resources which could be put to a more beneficial use. A city-wide ban on plastic bags, identical to the County ban, would take us a giant step in the right direction.


The Mar Vista Community Council looks forward to your swift action on this matter.




Thank You,






Albert Olson


Chair


Mar Vista Community Council


Board of Directors

There's Still Time to Make the Holidays Green!

Join Rhonda DeFelice and Michelle Carroll for tips and examples on how to make this a greener holiday season! Stop by the MVCC Green Booth on Sunday December 19th.

Click here to hear their radio show on green holiday tips!


Rhonda DeFelice, aka the Good Green Witch, hosts a radio show on New Dissident Radio and writes a blog about those things out there that make us not so green.
Climate change. Plastic soup in the oceans. Polar bears without homes... overpopulation... clear-cutting... bottled water... not enough water, too much oil, clean coal??? What's going on?
Let's face it: we don't need to save the planet. It'll still be here. Let's talk about saving US, and making sure we have a nice place to live. That's where Rhonda comes in!

Michelle GreenQueen Carroll is Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing at The Ultimate Green Store where shopping green is hardly a sacrifice. Quite to the contrary, you will find beautiful, cool, hip, colorful, fun, effective, beautifully smelling, quality products that stand on their own.

Come Play and Learn in the Los Angeles Audubon Society’s Interactive Eco Classroom!

Come play and learn inside the Los Angeles Audubon Society’s interactive eco classroom at the MVCC Green Booth on Sunday December 12^th.  The theme will be “Getting to Know Your Watershed” and there will be plenty of fun for all ages!

Like Arts & Crafts? Stop by our kid-friendly papermaking station and learn how you can turn a pesty invasive plant into beautiful stationary!

Planning your next outdoor family outing? Come get information on upcoming bird walks and other recreational opportunities!

Wondering how you can help protect endangered and threatened species in your neighborhood? Check out our showcase featuring recently completed research projects and find out how you can take part in our most exciting community conservation projects nearby!

Want to get involved? Come learn about volunteer opportunities in our programs, from community-based science monitoring and native habitat restoration to environmental education!