1. Not new news but still worthy of a charged *! Yowza !* California Coastal Commission DENIED the Pebble Beach Forest Development Plan... YES. HUGE victory for the trees, clean water, endangered species, and the very fundamentals that define conservation easements. One of Commissioner Sara Wan's comments: "In my 20 years of attending the Coastal Commission's meetings, this is the most egregious example of development trying to circumvent the Coastal Act. It amounts to wholesale destruction of the environment, and destroys the essence of the Monterey pine forest." THANK YOU to those who wrote the Commissioners.

2. Note on activism: It works.  Happened right here on the Peninsula on June 6 at the last PG city council meeting.  Thirty people stood in support of creating a PG Local (Farmers) Market.  As one notable observer put it, "They [councilmembers] were quite overwhelmed with the locals/citizens who stood in line before them because a couple of big opposers [on the Council] mentioned "if so many citizens want it, it might be a good thing."  Some of the council members said they were going to oppose it but changed their minds."


3. And so we come to the Capitola Styrofoam Ban you've received some emails about.  First, there's no other way to put it- STYROFOAM SUCKS.  You use it for 5 minutes, it lasts 500 years.  That's so wrong it's mindnumbing.  It's made with chemicals that leach into your hot coffee, you drink them, that can't be good.  It doesn't recycle- forget the chasing arrows on it, they're bogus.  It's light so it easily blows around and breaks apart into small pieces that float around in the oceans for HUNDREDS OF YEARS for the fish and animals to eat.  It's petroleum based, meaning chemicals in it or on it (absorbs POPs), bioaccumulate in the fatty tissue of marine animals, meaning we indirectly eat really bad stuff... and on and on...

Yes, it insulates well.  So what.  How hot do you need that coffee anyway?  It's been around for about 60 years- humankind survived before Styrofoam.

It's cheap.  Well it shouldn't be.  It should be expensive because it's made from non-renewable resources and nasty chemicals and it's fouling our beaches and oceans .

And so, please, take 2 minutes:  call Capitola Councilman Ron Graves and leave a message at City Hall asking him to vote in favor of the polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) ban on June 28 when it comes up for a final vote.

The number is 831-475-7300

You're not a Capitola resident, that's okay, tell him anyway, tell him how it'd be great if Capitola led the way and the rest of the Monterey Bay cities followed, that Capitola be the first; tell him that the trash that blows around knows no geographical boundaries and the whole Sanctuary needs a strong enviro committment; tell him whatever you want, but tell him.  Numbers matter, pressure matters, being watched from beyond one's own town matters.

Beyond that, who wants to go to Capitola city council meeting on June 28 and speak in person in support of the ban?  Let's carpool.  All interested write our volunteer coordinator mark.bowen.surfrider@gmail.com.