Only some readers of California Local will remember what Santa Cruz looked like in 1970. Back then, before the ’89 quake, Bookshop Santa Cruz sat on the west side of the Pacific Garden Mall. And behind that, a group of activists set up a recycling center behind the bookstore. For two decades, Ecology Action continued to operate recycling centers, teaching Santa Cruzans and multiple generations of UCSC students the importance of reducing waste—until the group finally achieved a big goal: a countywide curbside recycling program.
| View in Browser |
By Sharan Street
Published Sep 19, 2022
9-19-22: Talking Trash
Taking Action
That was just the beginning. Fifty-two years later, Ecology Action still lives up to its name, promoting sustainable transportation and energy-efficient construction. California Local reporter Kimberly Hickok spent some time with these dedicated environmentalists to learn more about their vision for a greener future.
Speaking of action aimed at making our future a little better, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently took a step that would undeniably please the original members of Ecology Action who were critical of fossil-fueled modes of transportation. On Aug. 25, CARB approved a regulation titled Advanced Clean Cars II, making California the first state to prepare to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars altogether. California Local’s Jonathan Vankin explores the regulation, which is designed to phase gas-powered cars out of existence in the state over time.
Ecology Action’s Plan for a Greener Future
For half a century, this group has reduced waste, reimagined local transportation and redesigned buildings. It’s all part of Ecology Action’s quest for sustainability.
California Bans Sales of Gasoline Cars by 2035: Here’s What it Means
California will ban sales of gasoline vehicles starting in 2035, phasing in electric cars each year until 100 percent of new car sales will be EVs under the new requirements. Here's what it means for you.
|
Santa Cruz County's Homepage |
| Direct your browser to https://santacruz.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Santa Cruz County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community! | |
Give Democracy a Chance
In his most recently blog post, California Local co-founder Eric Johnson muses on a speech given by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the International Day of Democracy (Sept. 15). “Civic space is shrinking,” Guterres said. “Distrust and disinformation are growing and polarization is undermining democratic institutions.” At California Local, we look to preserve that civic space, both through the articles we post and also through promoting the work of publications that are part of the California Local Media Alliance.
International Day of Democracy
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres defends "the cornerstone of democratic societies—free, independent, and pluralistic media.”
Dig It!
The newest member of the alliance is Sacramento Digs Gardening, the first blog to publish directly on the California Local platform. Longtime journalists and master gardeners Debbie Arrington and Kathy Morrison Hellesen have moved more than a thousand articles and recipes to their new home on our site, which can be found at SacDigsGardening.CaliforniaLocal.com.
Though some of the posts are specific to the Sacramento area, many provide tips that will help amateur growers elsewhere in the state, including here in Santa Cruz. Gardening stories are searchable by keywords, and there’s a recipe index that will have foodies drooling in no time.
Welcome to Sacramento Digs Gardening
We’ve made our proprietary content management platform available for fellow publishers.
Get to Know a Group
|
Santa Cruz Baroque Festival |
The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival has been active since 1974, presenting early music as it sounded in its own era. Members strive for artistic excellence while transmitting the joy of Baroque music to future generations.
|
Recent Local News |
→ View All |
• Santa Cruz RV Safe Parking Program Launches
Pamela Bright was among the first participants in a recreational vehicle safe parking program sponsored by the city of Santa Cruz and located in the parking lot outside the National Guard Armory in DeLaveaga Park. Nonprofit service provider The Free Guide is managing the program.
(09/19/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report• Judi Oyama Raising Funds to Compete in World Skate Games
Local resident Judi Oyama has qualified for the U.S. Skateboard Slalom team to compete at the World Skate Games in Argentina. Her event will be Oct. 27-30. Oyama hopes to raise the funds to attend via tax-deductible donations to La Costa Racing, a 501c nonprofit.
(09/18/2022) → Read the full Times Publishing Group report• Santa Cruz Superior Court Judge Resigns Over Long Workdays
Family law judge John Gallagher, recently re-elected to a six-year term, has resigned. In a Sept. 7 email to colleagues, Gallagher provided some insight into his departure: “endless 10-11 hours days” brought him to the point where “it is time to move forward to my next adventure while I still can.”
(09/18/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report• Like Many Havens in the County, Pleasure Point Braces for Change
The independent, surf-centered neighborhood of Pleasure Point sits in the crosshairs of future change, mirroring much of the housing-related controversies now happening in downtown Santa Cruz, along the city’s corridors, in Soquel, and soon, more widely across the entire county.
(09/18/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report• Despite New Campus Housing to Come, Students Are Struggling Now
A quick scroll through UCSC Facebook housing groups, Reddit threads, and Instagram posts reveals countless students desperate for somewhere to live for the school year, without a solid lead on where to find a place.
(09/17/2022) → Read the full City on a Hill Press report• Community Welcomes New Second Harvest Food Bank CEO
More than 60 people gathered Sept. 15 in Watsonville to meet Erica Padilla-Chavez, the new CEO for Second Harvest Food Bank. Padilla-Chavez, who grew up in the region, has said that her family at times depended on the very food bank that she is now leading.
(09/15/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report• Larger Picture Revealed for Santa Cruz County Homelessness
As the city of Santa Cruz continues to disperse its largest homeless encampment, a countywide analysis released Sept. 16 details the social epidemic’s larger picture.
(09/15/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report• Onewheel Manufacturer Caught in Class-Action Suit
The Santa Cruz-based creator of the motorized Onewheel board is facing a new federal class-action lawsuit related to what three plaintiffs refer to as the equipment’s alleged dangerous sudden stop and “nose-dive” defect.
(09/14/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report