City Council unanimously passes Sustainability Bill of Rights

Claire GoldbergStaff WriterThe Santa Monica City Council unanimously passed the Sustainability Bill of Rights (SBR) on Apr. 9 after the Samohi Solar Alliance (SSA) and Team Marine clubs backed the bill over the past year.The SBR will give rights to nature in Santa Monica, protecting it from corporations and contamination. It is a result of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission supreme court ruling of 2010 according to the bill's website.Team Marine members Katie Oran and Aubrey Dondick spoke at the City Council meeting on Mar. 12 to advocate for the SBR. Marine Biology teacher Benjamin Kay, who is the leader of the Team Marine club, also spoke at the meeting."I believe that it is important for our generation to understand what we can achieve if we speak out on the things we believe in," Oran said. "Speaking in front of City Council for the passage of the SBR was something that I knew I had to do for me and for the natural ecosystems that don’t have a voice."Santa Monica Council Member Kevin McKeown will present the bill at an annual statewide convention for the California Democratic Party, in hope that other cities will adopt a similar bill."With this new law in Santa Monica I hope we've given your generation at Samo a tool to finish the environmental work my generation began," McKeown said.Kay, who has been backing the bill along with Team Marine throughout the past year, spoke out at the meeting, touching on the issues of politicians ignoring scientific fact as well as living in such an environmentally friendly city."I'm proud to live in Santa Monica," Kay said. "We're one of the greenest cities and I want us to continue this progress. I have faith in the council in making the right decisions in doing that."cgoldberg@thesamohi.com