Take Action! Support AB1998 and ban plastic bags in CA!

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 CA senator. Click on this link: http://shar.es/mjKBi to email them.

2. The most effective way to register your support is by calling your State Senator's local office to simply say "My name is _____ and I live in _____ . Please ask Seantor _____ to support AB 1998 to ban most plastic bags in California."

The call only takes 15-20 seconds but is very effective. Here is a list of local State Senators and their office phone numbers to call:

District 38: Mark Wyland (760) 931-2455. North San Diego County - stretches along Interstate 5 from the horse track of Del Mar to the Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton. Additional San Diego County cities include Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Hidden Meadows, Bonsall and Vista.

District 39: Christine Kehoe (619) 645-3133. Senate District 39 stretches east-west from Spring Valley to the Pacific Ocean, and north-south from Del Mar to Downtown San Diego. It encompasses 847,000 residents from Del Mar and Lemon Grove, and parts of San Diego, Casa de Oro-Mo, La Mesa, and Spring Valley.

District 40: Denise Moreno Ducheny. (619) 409-7690. Southern SD County from Imperial Beach east towards Chula Vista. Extreme Southern/ Southeast part of SD County and all of Imperial County.

District 36: Dennis Hollingsworth. (619) 596-3136. Most of East County. (District 37 is in Riverside County).

Click Here for a map if you are not sure.

3. Request letters from local businesses, clubs, or local electeds to their CA senators to support AB1998.

4. Forward this email to your friends, clubs, businesses, or local electeds—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.

Videos of RAP Guest Speakers!

AB1998 still needs your support. Please email, call, and write your CA senator!

Arwen and Jeremy from Gamut Productions created some great video clips of the speakers from the RAP sponsored May Chapter Meeting.

Check 'em out!

Part 1 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz3oOUir0AM
Part 2 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKkRyz-tcUw
Part 3 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufxb76cTOS8
Part 4 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PO078YHMew

1rst Annual RAP Day

Wednesday, June 30th was the First Annual RAP Day at Patagonia in Cardiff and OB Peoples Market in Ocean Beach. Thanks so much for all the people that showed up to celebrate. More photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157624275056955/

We gave away 1000 reusable bags and raised awareness for AB1998-the CA bag ban. If you would like to help with the campaign, contact your senator and ask him or her to vote for AB1998.

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!