Palisades Cares will present the first Palisades Environmental Forum, ‘A Look at the Environment and What You Can Do to Help,’ on Tuesday, October 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Janes Hall at Palisades Presbyterian Church, corner of Sunset and El Medio. L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl will give introductory remarks. The panel, moderated by Palisades environmental activist Peter Kreitler, will include Assemblymember Fran Pavley; Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay; Ferris Kawar from Sustainable Works; and Neil Guglielmo, division manager, Solid Resources Citywide Recycling, L.A. City Bureau of Sanitation. Topics will include global warming, the state of Santa Monica Bay and local waterways, and concrete things we can do to help in our daily lives. Rev. Peter Kreitler, formerly on the parish staff at St. Matthew’s, is Minister for the Environment for the Episcopalian Diocese of Los Angeles. He is founder and co-host of EarthTalk, a Santa Monica cable television show known as America’s most informative environmental talk show. After less than six years as a politician in Sacramento, former school teacher Fran Pavley has gained worldwide prominence as a strong and creative advocate for the environment. On September 27, her second landmark global warming bill, AB 32 (Nunez-Pavley), was signed into law. The bill requires that the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and requires mandatory reporting of emissions from significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2002, Pavley authored the landmark global warming bill, AB 1493, which will require automobile manufacturers to reduce tailpipe emissions by 30 percent by 2016, beginning with the model year 2009. “My first bill has resulted in 11 other states following our lead with the same emission reductions required from cars and light trucks,” Pavley said. “My office is now receiving inquiries from other state legislatures on how we passed AB 32. I believe that next year we will see climate legislation all over the country that is similar to California’s.” Mark Gold, who holds a doctorate degree in environment from UCLA, has been the executive director of Heal the Bay since 1994. His nonprofit, environmental organization is dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. In particular, Gold has worked on research projects concerning urban runoff pollution, DDT and PCB contamination in fish, and the health risks of swimming at runoff-contaminated beaches. He created Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card and has authored or co-authored numerous California coastal protection, water quality and environmental education bills. Ferris Kawar has been developing a Sustainable Living Workshop in Santa Monica through Sustainable Works for the last three years, helping businesses and homeowners develop plans for living sustainably. He is also the Los Angeles editor of Greenopia, a guide for living green. At Tuesday’s event, Whole Foods Markets has generously donated green bags for the first 100 attendees, and Village Books will have environmentally-themed books for sale. “All community members are invited to attend this forum and learn more about the health of our environment and what we can do to safeguard it for our children and ourselves,” said Marie Steckmest, founder of Palisades Cares. “Let’s be active participants in saving our earth.” Her Web site is www.palisadescares.org. CAPTION: Rev. Peter Kreitler, Minister for the Environment for the Episcopalian Diocese of Los Angeles. CAPTION: Assemblymember Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), who attended the Palisades’ Fourth of July parade this summer, will be a featured speaker at an environmental forum on Tuesday, October 24.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
