What is a Sustainable Crew?
A Sustainable Crew consists of ten - fifteen individuals who meet once a week for nine weeks to learn about concepts of sustainability. Crews last for an hour and a half and meet at the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies on the Santa Monica College Campus.
During the crew meetings our participants will learn how to incorporate sustainable practices into their everyday lifestyles, improve their quality of life, and save money while saving resources.
Sustainable Crews teach students how to implement simple conservation methods with the help of a trained Crew Leader and the Sustainable WorksBook. Our WorksBook is a comprehensive and up to date resource guide that provides valuable information and recommendations for the following topic areas: waste production, water, chemical, and energy consumption, transportation emissions and consumer habits. Each chapter increases one's understanding of the local, regional, and global environmental impact of their daily choices.
Each week a trained Crew Leader facilitates the hour and a half meeting. Crew Leaders review participants' lifestyle assessment, educate on the topic, demonstrate a variety of simple activities, and recommend specific changes that reduce participants' environmental impact. Our peer-to-peer learning environment makes Sustainable Crews fun and trains tomorrow's environmental leaders.
Each meeting engages students in hands-on, interactive and educational experiences.
Our program helps students:
- divert solid waste through recycling
- become water efficient
- eliminate toxic chemicals
- minimize transportation impacts
- reduce energy use
- and consumer choices
How can a Sustainable Crew change your life?
- help you save money through resource-use efficiency
- connect your actions with the world around you
- develop relationships with fellow students
- increase your interpersonal and public speaking skills
- teach you how to implement eco-friendly activities in your daily routine
- give you the community service experience that colleges and employers value
Why join a Sustainable Crew?
- Join because natural resources are valuable
- Join because you can make a difference
- Join because you will learn what you can do on a daily basis
- Join because Sustainable Crews are FUN
What are the program requirements?
- Attend all meetings, make up options are available
- Complete the Lifestyle Survey
- Participate in an approved Community Service activity
- Pay the $25 materials fee, financial assistance available
If you are a Santa Monica College student participant, or for more information visit our student website
WASTE REDUCTION
We don't usually think about our trash and where it goes, how it gets where it's going or what it does once it's there. In addition to landfills, waste generation has a dramatic affect on our coastal watersheds and the beaches onto which they drain.
If you ever walk along the beach after a rain, you will see the devastation created by our daily practices. Our coastline is littered with everything from water bottles and cigarette butts.
Taking a few minutes each day to reduce the amount of trash you generate , as well as proper disposal of what you use, can help create a cleaner and safer community.
Did you know?
- Americans use an estimated 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, of which only a small portion gets recycled.
- If only 15% of U.S. college students used mugs instead of disposable cups every day, we would eliminate more than a billion cups a year.
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Trash at Ballona Creek, |
WATER EFFICIENCY
Can you imagine a world without fresh, clean water to drink and play in? Supplies of clean fresh water are declining worldwide due to pressures from population growth, unsustainable land-use practices, and increasing diversion of water for use in agriculture. The growth of cities pushes the demand for water above the available supplies and contributes to contamination of water from urban runoff , toxic chemicals and bacteria.
This pollution creates unsafe creeks and beaches for us to swim in, as well as harmful conditions for local wildlife. Many of our natural creeks have been concreted over, so the water is unable to percolate water and naturally cleanse out pollutants.
Did you know?
Storm water/urban runoff is considered the #1 source of pollution to Santa Monica Bay.
The Santa Monica Bay Watershed is made up of many smaller watershed.
TOXIC CHEMICALS ELIMINATION
From the food we eat to the cosmetics and house cleaners we use - you can make smart choices to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals you are exposed to on a daily basis.
Did you know?
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only a fraction of the more than 75,000 registered chemicals have gone through complete testing for human health concerns
TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS
You can enjoy an improved quality of life when you reduce the amount of time you spend in your car. If you have to commute, consider moving closer to where you work, carpool or take advantage of the public transportation system.
Another wonderful mode of transportation is walking and biking. You not only get to where you are going, you also get exercise.
Did you know?
Every car commuter who switches to biking and transit can save an average of 400 gallons of gas a year.
Transportation impacts contribute to air pollution, which increases regional asthma rates and global climate change.
ENERGY REDUCTION
Much of the world's current energy production is unsustainable. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal or oil to produce electricity depletes non-renewable resources and releases pollutants that contribute to smog, acid rain and global climate change .
Producing energy through the burning of fossil fuels creates air pollution that affects the quality of the air that you breathe everyday. Using that energy to run your car creates additional pollution that eventually settles to the ground and can run into our creeks, streams and the ocean.
Did you know?
The average California household's annual electricity use results in the same amount of air pollution as driving a car from LA to NY.
Incandescent light bulbs use 75% more energy than compact fluorescent bulbs? Their design hasn't changed since Thomas Edison invented them in 1879.
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Solar Panels at 502 Colorado, Santa Monica - Sustainable Housing Project photo: M. Hall, 2005 |
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CONSUMER CHOICES
From the super market to the shopping mall, making informed choices can make a big difference in your lif--and in your community. Your purchasing power can support sustainability on many levels from fair labor standards to creating a demand for recycled materials. We can help you vote with your dollar!
Did you know?
Non-sustainable patterns of consumption and production form a central reason for environmental problems at all levels - from the local to the global level.
On average, American food travels about 1,200 miles from the farm to the consumer?
The Top Ten
Learn about the top ten things you can do to be more sustainable:
Sustainable Works strives to implement the recommendations we provide to others. As a commitment to sustainability, our website is hosted from a solar powered site.
Special thanks to the City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division for their technical assistance, gracious support and continuous inspiration.