Join Surfrider and help protect our ocean, waves and beaches for all people

ADVOCACY 

PLASTIC BAGS & SEAWALLS 

Fellow Surfrider Champions,

We have two calls to action this week for coastal activists, both involving familiar threats to our beaches - plastics & seawalls.

First, let's talk plastic bags. We're happy to report that Senate Bill 1053 (SB 1053), which will ban ALL plastic bags at grocery store checkouts, passed the state legislature with broad support. It now sits on the Governor's desk, awaiting either his signature (yes!) or his veto (no!).

If you agree with getting rid of plastic checkout bags, please sign our Action Alert in support of SB 1053 - it's been updated to send your letter directly to the Governor's office. Click the image below to let the Governor know you support less plastic in our environment! 

Now, let's move ashore to confront those ugly seawalls that steal beaches from the public. This Wednesday, September 11, the California Coastal Commission meeting will explore a new policy directive for neighborhood-scale adaptation to rising sea levels. This concept is already spurring proposals for neighborhood-scale SEAWALLS, however, and we're calling on coastal advocates to express strong concerns at Wednesday's Coastal Commission meeting.

We're all for coastal adaptation, but only when it actually preserves our beaches for the millions of people who love them. Members of the public will be able to provide comment via ZOOM from 2:30-3:30pm on Wednesday - to do so, you'll need to submit a request by tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5pm. For instructions on how to sign up plus suggested talking points, please read the linked blog post below from our Senior CA Policy Coordinator, Mandy Sackett. 

Thank you for considering one or both of these opportunities to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches from plastic pollution and coastal armoring. Voices from the public make all the difference! 

In Gratitude,

Mitch Silverstein

San Diego County Policy Manager