Summer 2011

Santa Monica Sustainability Highlighted in Three Short Videos

The California Sustainability Alliance, a market transformation program managed by Navigant, and the City of Santa Monica have released three new videos showcasing the City's sustainability efforts. The City of Santa Monica Leadership in Sustainability Videos feature unique government practices in solar energy, farmers markets, and urban forestry. The videos were created to highlight some of the leadership qualities that led the City of Santa Monica to win the Grand Prize of the 2009 California Sustainability Alliance Awards.      

"We are thrilled to be featured in this creative video series from the Alliance. At the City we work hard across many departments and community partnerships to pull off what we do - it's nice to be able to see the fruits of these efforts so ably presented in the videos. They came out great." said Dean Kubani, director of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability and the Environment. "We are proud of our association with the Alliance and hope that efforts like these help introduce similar initiatives in other communities."

While the nuances of sustainability efforts are often complex, the videos are presented in simple terms, and are designed to appeal to a wide audience by featuring compelling stories about local residents who are making sustainable choices in Santa Monica. Using a distinctive brand of film-making combining animation with live footage, the videos provide examples that will inspire viewers to make smart sustainable choices in their everyday lives.
The City of Santa Monica Leadership in Sustainability Videos include the following:

Net Zero Energy showcases Solar Santa Monica, a city agency serving as a "one-stop shop" for energy efficiency and solar energy information for local residents, businesses and municipal buildings since 2006. The agency provides free technical support to residents and businesses, which has resulted in more than 300 installations generating over 2.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity, moving Santa Monica toward its goal of becoming a net zero energy city.

The Value of Trees spotlights the City of Santa Monica's urban forestry management and explains how their trees are worth $138 million in replacement value alone. When environmental benefits are also considered, the Santa Monica urban forest is worth $300 million. These benefits include valuable energy savings through shading, air filtration, reduction of stormwater runoff, carbon sequestration, and more. 

A Tale of Two Carrots features the City of Santa Monica's Farmers Markets support of sustainable agriculture and local economic development through the voices of local residents, restaurateurs and school children. Eighty-five percent of residents and more than 80 local restaurants patronize the City's four weekly farmers markets that keep dollars in the local economy and offers residents an opportunity to obtain produce that uses less fuel for transport than produce from the grocery store.

To view all of The City of Santa Monica Leadership in Sustainability Videos, go to: http://sustainca.org/showcase/santa_monica/features/video 

For more information about the California Sustainability Alliance, go to www.sustainca.org.