Support AB1998 to ban plastic bags in California!

We are very close to having a bag ban passed in California. This would be HUGE for CA and the USA. Please help by:

1. Contact your senator. Click on this link:
http://shar.es/mjKBi
to email your senator.

2. Take a minute to call your senator as well. I just called mine and it took less than 60 seconds(Sen. Mark Wyland 916-651-4038)

3. Forward this email to your friends—we need support on this. The governor is ready to sign—let’s put pressure on the senate to pass this bill!

If AB1998 passes, many marine mammals will be saved…not to mention money for cleaning litter and saving petroleum. The drama of cities wanting to pass bag ordinances, but fearing being sued will be over! For more info on AB1998, click here.

RAP Sponsored Cottonwood Creek Environmental Film Series July 1rst

CCEFS(Cottonwood Creek Environmental Film Series ) is Thursday, 8pm in Encinitas at the Smog Test Station on Coast Hwy 101. This is the 3rd year that RAP has sponsored a night of DEMA's(Downtown Encinitas Mainstreet Association) event with creative film shorts with environmental themes.

Come by to enjoy new short films by Surfrider SD volunteers, Surfrider’s animated movie the ‘Cycle Of Insanity’, shorts and PSAs by Marty Benson, and Encinitas local surf film maker Cyrus Sutton’s ‘Riding Waves’ film about local legends surfing local waves.

This event is free and outdoors. Please dress for the weather and bring your own chair in case all the chairs are filled.

Rise Above Plastics Day

First Annual Rise Above Plastics Day celebration in Cardiff and Ocean Beach on Wednesday 6/30. The two special events will be from 4-6pm at Patagonia in Cardiff (2185 San Elijo Ave.) and the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market (4765 Voltaire St. – please do not use the Co Op parking lot for this event).

At each location, Surfrider volunteers will be giving out reusable canvas shopping bags and rallying support for the RAP campaign. To volunteer simply show up and look for us on the Patagonia patio or OB People's Community Room. All volunteers get an organic cotton t-shirt and a pair of San Diego Fair tickets!

YOU can help us wave signs, hand out bags, possibly suit up as the bag monster or just swing by to pick up a high-quality recycled cotton beach/grocery bag at no charge!

High Tech High's contribution to environmental awareness

High Tech High science teacher and Surfrider core volunteer member on the RAP committee, Chris Olivas, has made great strides with his 10th grade students concerning environmental awareness and activism. His class participated in a beach clean- up in Ocean Beach, and used the debris they collected to make displays and conduct an awareness event about environmental issues, including marine debris. Among the many items collected was a door they found on the beach that they used as part of their display. Participants were asked to sign a letter of support for the California plastic bag ban proposition, AB1998.

Students also displayed the surf products that they designed to be free of petroleum ingredients and packaging. They sold their homemade organic surf wax, lip balm, and sunscreen, as well as raffle tickets. All the proceeds from this fundraiser were given to Surf Aid International and the Surfrider Foundation.

RAP and Surfrider SD are so proud of our local community's activists and Sufrider members for conducting such a great event! We are lucky to have volunteers like this. Special thanks to Chris Olivas!

June RAP Meeting

June 8 marked the monthly RAP meeting for San Diego Surfrider members. This meeting was held at the house of Surfrider core volunteer and RAP coordinator, Jon Severino. The agenda entailed making and painting signs for RAP day set for June 30, 2010. Volunteers participated in this sign- making party while discussing current RAP goals and events and enjoying snacks and beverages. Signs were made using paint and markers, and each represented a Rise Above Plastics theme, like eliminating single- use plastics and Styrofoam. RAP volunteers present at this meeting included Steve, Chris, Phil, Dawn, Marissa, Simone, and Judith. Thanks, Rappers!

If people missed out, they will be able to paint their own RAP sign at the June SD Chapter meeting on June 16th at Forum Hall in UTC. Hope to see you there!

Signs of the Tide

On the evening of June 3, The Signs of the Tide forum on Marine Debris was held at the Encinitas Library Community Room. This forum focused on "understanding San Diego's water" and included talks from local politicians, scientists, and activists. Among these included City of Encinitas Councilmember, Teresa Smith, Scripps Institute of Oceanography scientist, Miriam Goldstein, City of Santa Monica Environmental Analyst, Josephine Miller, and Regional Water Quality Control Board Assistant Executive Officer, Jimmy Smith. Each speaker provided valuable, informative data and explanations of San Diego's water quality and issues, making Signs of the Tide a great event that the Surfrider Foundation and RAP were very proud to have sponsored.

Josephine Miller from the City of Santa Monica was particularly inspirational in her talk about marine conservation efforts in Santa Monica. The City of Santa Monica has successfully banned all Styrofoam from every food service vendor in the city, including even places like Jamba Juice and Taco Bell! Miller and the City of Santa Monica have demonstrated beautifully the power that community residents hold in a consumerist society. Santa Monica is an inspiration and example for all coastal California communities! Please check out their website to learn more about their efforts at: http://www.smgov.net/departments/ose/

Scripps Scientist, Miriam Goldstein, of the SEAPLEX expedition of Scripps also had a particularly interesting talk, with many great photos and explanations from their journey to the North Pacific Gyre. Along the trip, Goldstein and fellow Scripps scientists randomly sampled the ocean along their entire journey. In every sample taken, plastic was among the constituents. For more on her trip and about Scripps research, please visit their website at:

http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/.

Special thanks to RAP volunteers, Jon Severino and Steve Kwik for manning the table at the forum!

Multicultural Festival at Jefferson Elementary

On Saturday, May 15, 2010, RAP had a table at the Multicultural Festival at Jefferson Elementary School in Carlsbad. This was the same school that had 56 elementary school classes made a life size gray whale out of trash they found on the beach. There were thousands of people at the festival and RAP gave away 75 reusable grocery bags at the table where the children decorated them. Tina Angeles, Dawn Guendert, and Teresa Espaniola volunteered to staff the table and they all helped organize the materials. Thanks, Rappers! This was a great event!

RAP Presentation at High Tech Middle School

RAP gave a presentation at High Tech Middle School in San Marcos this month. Volunteer Lisa Marun gave presentations about the importance of eliminating single- use plastics for our lands and oceans to two classes of 6th graders. Great job!

Solana Beach Middle School hosts screening of "Tapped" on Earth Day

RAP volunteers Steve Kwik and Jon Severino, as well as San Diego Coastkeeper Marine Debris Coordinator and RAP member, Alicia Glassco, represented Surfrider at Solana Beach Middle School on Earth Day 2010. San Diego Coastkeeper screened the movie, "Tapped", and RAP held a table at the school. Great job, Rappers!

Aveda Fundraiser at Lemongrass Salon

RAP participated in a fundraiser held by Aveda Salons on April 11, 2010. RAP supports Aveda in their environmental awareness and conservation efforts within their industry. Aveda's cap recycling program is particularly in accordance with RAP efforts, and our San Diego campaign volunteers were happy to participate in this event at the Lemongrass Salon. Carolyn Wiczynski, Steve Kwik, and Jon Severino were among some of the volunteers that represented RAP and Surfrider.