Team Marine’s Bow Seat Video 2018-19
Watch Team Marine’s 2019 Bow Seat Entry!
Upcoming Plastic Paradise Screening!
Come learn more about our plastic footprint at a FREE documentary screening of Plastic Paradise, hosted by Reef Check Foundation, an international ocean conservation group based in Los Angeles, and by Team Marine! Join us at Santa Monica High School in Barnum Hall Auditorium on Monday, October 27 at 6:30 PM!
Plastic Paradise is an independent documentary directed by Angela Sun recording the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that affects Midway Atoll, an island halfway between Asia and America. It reveals some of the effects of the immense consumption of plastic bags that our society indulges in on our oceans and even our health. To learn more about the movie visit their website (http://plasticparadisemovie.com/). If you are in town please feel free to drop by for the movie (it’s free after all) and the panel afterwards. We are very excited to host this at our very own SAMOHI so please tell everyone you know! The film has won twelve different awards and is quickly gaining popularity, so make sure to take advantage of this offer.
A special panel discussion will follow the screening with Angela Sun (the filmmaker), Captain Charles Moore (Algalita Marine Research and Education), Dr. Marcus Eriksen (5 Gyres Institute), Jan Freiwald (Reef Check Foundation), Graham Hamilton (Surfrider Foundation), and Kimberly Fuentes (Team Marine). Check out the trailer below:
Alt Car Expo
On Saturday September 20th , Team Marine attended the Alternative Car Exposition, located at the Santa Monica Civic Center, for the second time with Volts Wattson. A couple of our most dedicated members went on Friday and spent the whole day eco-educating members of our community. We got to showcase our improved car, and had a booth space right next to Volkswagen! Thanks to Tiffany Paige for featuring us in a video from our previous year at Alt Car. Alt Car was all about alternative and sustainable sources of energy. Many different car manufactures showcased their newest models, and some offered test drives. Additionally there were electric bikes and scooters that were available to test drive. We need to decrease our dependence on oil; carbon emissions come out of the tailpipes of gas powered cars and thin the ozone layer that protects us from harmful rays of the sun.
California Bag Ban Passed!
If you haven’t heard already, we have just had a HUGE environmental win on August 29th, 2014 with Senate Bill 270. After eight long hardworking years of Team Marine student involvement, both the California Senate and Assembly have passed a STATE plastic bag ban with a speedy signature from Gov. Jerry Brown expected to follow. We aided efforts with award winning scientific research; testified numerous times in city halls across the county; marched six times through city streets; created multiple PSA videos and documented six years of storm drain runoff (first flush); We also did eco-artwork; lobbied
Not to mention we leveraged every kind of multimedia including (but not limited to) TV, newspapers, magazines, blo
Special thanks to the entire Clean Seas Coalition, Leslie Tamminen, and all who contributed to this multi-year effort. Here’s to progress and youth making a difference!
Check out what Team Marine did to help make this possible below:
Keystone XL Pipeline Rally
On Monday, the 3rd of February, over 80 eco-minded persons protested against the construction of the XL keystone pipeline in a rally organized by the NRDC. We, Team Marine, made and brought signs to this protest, which was held at the intersection of Ocean Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd, so that passing pedestrians, bikers and drivers would notice it. This event’s aim was to raise awareness about the harmful effects of the pipeline. That project would make the USA dependant upon an extremely carbon-intensive energy; the more carbon, the more CO2 in the atmosphere and therefore more global warming. Furthermore, it would run through the multiple natural habitat and would therefore disturb both wild plants and animals. Lastly, there always is the high chance of a spill that would threaten of poisoning not only wildlife but also crops and water supplies. All in all, the rally went quite well and we hope that this noxious program will not be implemented. Thanks to Roy Persinko for taking pictures of us at the rally!
For more information check us out in the Santa Monica Mirror
Learn more about the movement against the Keystone pipeline here.
And here’s a video of us at the event courtesy of the NRDC:
Second Flush 2013
Though we have already blogged about the famous First Flush, this year’s Second Flush proved to be more devastating. On November 21st, there was continuous rain, which caused copious amounts of trash in the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain to rapidly distribute onto the Santa Monica beach. The Second Flush resulted in a plethora of plastics and trash (waste that the First Flush didn’t push) spewing out onto the beach. Team Marine and coach Benjamin Kay rushed to the beach at midnight to catch the footage of the disgusting scene. Mr. Kay’s video of the Second Flush was picked up by the NRDC, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica Daily Press, and various other media outlets. We’d especially like to thank Serena Ingre and Leila Monroe for their reports on the Second Flush. Check out the press received below.
Watch Mr. Kay’s video here:
Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifgka3iG5OQ
Press received:
First Flush 2013
On the 9th day of October, Santa Monica encountered the first flush of the year. This was surprising because the amount of rain indicated a gurgle rather than a flush. When we realized that it was the First Flush we sent a crew down to the beach to do an emergency clean up. When we arrived at the Pico-Kenter storm drain, we were disturbed by the debris of human pollutants. Coffee cups, plastic bottles, and tennis balls were only some of the objects in a stream of potentially toxic foam and slime that led straight for the ocean. We also noticed that the morning after there was a new trash collecting vehicle that was roaming the surface of the sand. This was really cool despite the fact that it was necessary. We are expecting to have a second flush that will carry the rest of the debris (considering the amount of rain was too little) to completely flush the storm drains of sand. Team Marine is currently on standby until the second flush occurs.
We would also like to acknowledge Matthew King and Meredith McCarthy from Heal the Bay for notifying us of this year’s flush.
Heal the Bay Blog on the First Flush: http://www.healthebay.
Also, check out this First Flush video below:
Team Marine on CNN Latino!
After unveiling our gas-to-electric car conversion project at Alt-Car Expo we were invited to go on CNN Latino on a news show called “Sin Limites con Elizabeth Espinosa”‘. We were able to get the word out about our car at a Television network that gets millions of views daily and that positive media outreach surely helped us expand our audience level to a more well-rounded one.On that 2nd day of October, team marine members: Patricio Guerrero, Kimberly Fuentes, and Jazmin Carvajal went and spoke about our car in the hopes of reaching out to the Latin community. Our goal at this event was to explain the benefits of driving electric (monetary, health wise, and environmental) and showing the audience that this is something that the youth is extremely passionate about. It was very exciting to see our members on television thanks to Alberto Henriquez (Producer/ Booker), Claudia Bautista (Spanish teacher at Santa Monica High School), and Elizabeth Espinosa . We are all so grateful to have been granted this amazing opportunity and it will hopefully be one of many more to come! Check out the interview below!
Direct Link: http://www.youtube.com/
Bag It Challenge Video
From the hallways at school to the halls of government, Team Marine is committed to research science and environmental advocacy. This short film documents some of our work and achievements this year, and we were inspired by the film Bag It to press forward and enter our work in the 2013 Bag It Competition. Enjoy!
