Archive for the ‘National News’ Category

Action Alert: Protect Ocean Wildlife from Cooling Water Intakes

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Dear Friends,
As you know, Surfrider Foundation, CA Coastkeeper Alliance, Sierra Club and a coalition of many environmental organizations have been working for years to compel coastal power plants to modernize their cooling systems and minimize the unnecessary killing of marine life.

This effort is to enforce a part of the Clean Water Act, passed by Congress in the early 1970s, and avoided by the electrical generating industry for decades. Since US EPA has been unable or unwilling to stand up and do their job for the past three decades, California is taking steps to stop the destruction of marine life and finally make the industry comply with this law — AND IT IS WELL PAST TIME!!

You can help today by taking a few minutes to do 3 things:

1. Reply to the public poll in the OC Register http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/23/to-save-sea-life-power-plants-face-tough-new-rules/18929/

2. Send a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board requesting the strongest protection for California’s precious marine life http://www.surfrider.org/action.asp

3. Forward this message to your friends that share your dedication to protecting our coast and ocean.

Thanks for your help — and thank you for your dedication to restoring our coast and ocean for this and future generations.

Last Chance to Speak Up on South Coast Marine Protected Areas

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Attend Commission Hearing on Dec 9 in LA 

The ‘end of the line’ for South Coast Marine Protected Areas has arrived!  Dec 9th marks the final meeting in a ‘yearlong process’, and we need you to attend.  Recently, the Blue Ribbon Task Force unanimously voted to forward a final map to the Fish and Game Commission. The map, called the Integrated Preferred Alternative (IPA), is a hybrid map representing diverse Stakeholder views.  

The MLPA, as a law, was designed and written to ensure diverse views were incorporated into the final map. Surfrider fully supports the IPA because we believe it contains a balance of conservation and fishing interests—and perspectives from all ocean users. The Commission will base its decision on public support—and that’s why they need to hear from you on Dec 9th!   

Please attend the hearing and express that you are concerned about preserving ocean resources and that you support a ‘balanced’ proposal that provides strong protection while incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives.  

To see the IPA go here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/pdfs/southcoast_ipa_maps.pdf   

If you would like help with talking points for the Dec 9th meeting, please contact Stefanie at:  Ssekich@surfrider.org   To stay updated about Surfrider MLPA efforts and to send an action alert to the Commission here: http://mlpasurfrider.blogspot.com/  

Dec 9th Meeting Information:

Radisson Hotel – LAX ?ABC Ballroom ?
6225 W. Century Blvd. ?
Los Angeles, CA
**please note, the agenda has note been released, but we are assuming public comment will be in the early afternoon.  Please visit our blog regularly for the times** 

Please take the time to fill out this action alert that will be sent to the Commission. http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=428 Thanks and hope to see you at the Dec 9th hearing!

Don’t let them get away with it…

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Poseidon Resources, a profit-hungry corporation with a record of failure is looking for authorization to issue half a billion dollars in tax exempt bonds to build a privately-owned desalination plant in Carlsbad. With its track record of harmful and wasteful projects, it’s disgraceful for this company to ask us for tax exempt bonds.

Say NO to these subsidies today!

On Wednesday, Poseidon Resources’ application to issue over a half a billion dollars in tax exempt bonds for their wasteful and environmentally harmful desalination plant in Carlsbad will be heard by a committee made up of Governor Schwarzenegger, Treasurer Lockyer and Controller Chiang. Take action to stop this massive subsidy!

We know there are better solutions to balancing our freshwater demand and supply. In fact, the best solutions will improve our coastal and marine environment – not kill marine life, waste energy and exacerbate the rate of climate change.

Ocean desalination should be a “last resort” after all lower cost and more environmentally beneficial alternatives are implemented.
Government financial assistance should NOT go towards projects that undermine the State’s environmental policies and goals.

Take Action TODAY by telling the voting members of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) — Governor Schwarzenegger, Treasurer Lockyer, and Controller Chiang — not to allow Poseidon Resources to issue $530 million in tax-exempt bonds for their private desalination plant in Carlsbad. CLICK HERE TO SEND A LETTER

MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) meeting

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center
701 West Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90831

Public comment regarding the maps starts at 1:30pm and will go to approximately 4:30pm. Arrive before 1pm to fill out our speaker slip.

More about the MLPA and Surfrider. We spent the past year working with our diverse membership (i.e. fishermen, recreationalists, environmentalists, etc) to find ways to balance our members’ commitment to restoring and protecting the ocean, with our support of sustainable and accessible fishing opportunities. We also held community forums to discuss the proposed maps with Surfrider supporters.

Learn more at Surfrider’s MLPA blog: http://mlpasurfrider.blogspot.com/

We hope you can make it on Oct 21 to support the map recommendations Surfrider is purposing!

Surfrider’s 25th Gala Event on October 9th

Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Surfrider 25th Anniversary Gala Invite

Surfrider 25th Anniversary Gala Invite

Surfrider Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Gala website – http://www.surfrider.org/25th/
Art for the Oceans III – Art Auction info – http://www.surfrider.org/25th/auction.php
Purchase Tickets – http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2542394

Surfrider 25th Anniversary Gala

Surfrider 25th Anniversary Gala