LA Climate Tech Cities: Dec 2 - 9
Give to environmental nonprofits this Tuesday! Sustainable sips, transportation electrification, the private lives of shellfish, and more events!
Hi friends,
We hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving celebrating with family and friends, sharing good food and good company. Sharing gratitude is important throughout the year, but this week in particular we really wanted to share our gratitude for the LA Climate Tech Cities community, and for all those who are putting in the work to research, design, and implement climate solutions both in and outside of LA!
There are thousands of folks actively turning the tide on climate in our local communities, creating startups, working from within corporate giants, leading research at our universities, and leading by example in our local government agencies. What we’d really like to highlight this week, however, are those who are working in nonprofits!
Nonprofit employees are leaders in the space and often wear many hats, pushing against funding, staffing, and time constraints to continue to do good work in our communities. Whether a community-based grassroots organization or a more established NGO, nearly all nonprofits are reliant on individual donors to help them bring their mission to life. And there’s no better time to give than the present! As climate becomes a more pressing topic each day, it’s more important now than ever before to support these organizations that are leading the change. This Tuesday is #GivingTuesday, a day where you will likely get dozens of emails and see countless social media posts from nonprofits showcasing their impact and asking you for an end of year gift to support their mission. Our challenge to you is to give to at least one environmental nonprofit this week. Whether you can afford to give $5 or $500, your contributions help our community build up this movement and keep it going!
In the spirit of gratitude, we’re grateful for climate events staying strong in December! Here are our top event picks this week:
Meet new friends and chat over drinks at 🍸The Carbonauts Sustainability Sips this Wednesday.
This Thursday, join ⚡️ Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP) Summit to discuss the transition to electric transportation ahead of the LA ‘28 Olympics.
Dive into some shellfish shenanigans this Friday at 🦪 Prying Into the Private Lives of Mussels and Oysters.
As always, scroll down for the full list of upcoming events.
With gratitude,
Maëlys, Niqat, Raiven & The Climate Tech Cities Team
This Week’s Events
🏙 Cities in Action: Building Performance Standards for a Sustainable Future: Tue, Dec 3
📈 USC Viterbi Oceanside Chat - Design Strategy for Startup Founders: Wed, Dec 4
🍸 The Carbonauts Sustainability Sips: Wed, Dec 4
🗣️ Annual Low Carbon Open Mic: Thu, Dec 5
💡 Climate Fresk & Sustainable Digital Tech: Thu, Dec 5
⚡️ Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP) Summit: Thu, Dec 5
🏠 Climate & Housing Happy Hour: Thu, Dec 5
🦪 Prying Into the Private Lives of Mussels and Oysters: Fri, Dec 6
✍️ Nature Journaling: Drawing Pine Cones with Maryanne Pittman: Sat, Dec 7
🌳 Deep Dive into California Oaks: Sat, Dec 7
🚀 ECO ‘24 LA: Dec 9-10 (see highlight, below)
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings.
Event Highlight: 🚀 ECO ‘24 LA, Dec 9-10
Join the Larta Institute for their grand ecosystem gathering next Monday and Tuesday, Dec 9 and 10. By engaging with communities on the frontlines of today’s most urgent environmental and health challenges, the event ECO aims to identify and accelerate groundbreaking innovations that can make a real impact. Bringing together 150+ forward-thinking startups, investors, businesses, philanthropists, community organizations, and government agencies, ECO moves beyond traditional conversations to collective action.
This year’s theme will focus on driving innovation at the intersection of healthcare, climate-resilience, and adaptation in under-resourced communities. Showcases will be presented by Larta Institute’s 2024 Venture Fellows and Heal.LA cohort companies.
Activities will include portfolio showcases, interactive panel discussions, awards presentations, and vibrant networking receptions.
ECO empowers change-makers to shape a future where sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a tangible reality. Together, we can forge a path towards a healthier and more resilient world!
Community Shoutouts
Claim $25 to back solar projects on Renewables.org
Renewables.org is offering Climate Tech Cities subscribers $25 free to get started with their Global South solar investing nonprofit. When you back solar projects on Renewables.org, your funds help build the world’s highest carbon impact renewables across India and Africa. The best part is you get repaid to your Renewables.org account where you can choose to withdraw funds or redeploy them for even more impact.
Opportunities
Upcoming and Rolling Deadlines
🌇 LACI Incubation C10 (Due Dec 12)
💻 Techstars Accelerator Program (Rolling Applications)
👉 Would you like to feature a grant opportunity, fellowship application, or incubation program in the LA Climate Tech Cities newsletter? Reach out to us with the info.
Upcoming Events
🎶 Musical Premiere of Pyrus™, Wood from Food Waste: Tue, Dec 10
☕️ Climate Cafe: Tue, Dec 10
🏢 USGBC California’s 20th Annual Green Gala & California Green Building Awards: Wed, Dec 11
🚆 German American Mobility Dialogue in LA: Wed, Dec 11
📈USC Viterbi Oceanside Chat - Commercializing Deep Tech: Wed, Dec 11
🌐 LARC December 2024 Network Meeting: Thu, Dec 12
📜 Action and Impact: Shaping the Future of Climate and Science Policy: Thu, Dec 12
📽️ Cal State LA Community Impact Media Documentaries: Thu, Dec 12
🧬 eDNA Sampling Community Science Event: Sat, Dec 14
🌻 Weekend Workshops at Arlington Garden: Sat, Dec 14
🌿 Weather, Climate, and California Native Plants: Sat, Dec 14
🪻 California Lilac Mini-Workshop: Sun, Dec 15
🦃 Wings on the Move: Sun, Dec 15
🛶 FoLAR Habitat Restoration Day: Sat, Dec 21
🇺🇳 UNA-OC Monthly Meeting: Sat, Dec 21
This Week in Depth
🏙 Cities in Action: Building Performance Standards for a Sustainable Future
When: Tuesday, December 3rd from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Where: Online
City officials from New York, Boston, and Denver will present the development of their Building Performance Standards, including the genesis of these initiatives, their challenges, and the solutions they have implemented. They will discuss specific obstacles faced during the implementation process, such as stakeholder engagement, regulatory hurdles, and technical limitations. The session aims to foster an engaging dialogue among participants, with an emphasis on sharing best practices and lessons learned. We hope to inspire jurisdictions in California to push their own Building Performance Standards forward, promoting a collective commitment to enhancing building performance and reducing carbon footprints across the state.
📈USC Viterbi Oceanside Chat - Design Strategy for Startup Founders
When: Wednesday, December 4th from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Where: Online
Startup founders often underestimate the value of design and misunderstand the key contributions that designers bring to customer discovery, iterative prototyping, and the validation of product-market fit. Join this session to expand your understanding of the critical role that design plays for early-stage teams and discover how design can be integrated into your growth strategy—beyond aesthetics and brand identity—to accelerate your path to market.
🍸 The Carbonauts Sustainability Sips
When: Wednesday, December 4th from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Annenberg Community Beach House - 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Join us for delicious sustainable sips and conversations with other passionate sustainability advocates. Learn a few things while having a blast. Meet old friends, make new ones! Find valuable work/hires/partners/connections. Most importantly, det inspired! This event will focus on the intersection of heat and climate. We'll have some thought-provoking speeches from Shannon Parry (Chief Sustainability Officer of Santa Monica) and Marta Segura (Chief Heat & Climate Emergency Mobilization Officer of the City of Los Angeles).
🗣️ Annual Low Carbon Open Mic
When: Thursday, December 5th from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Buro Happold - 623 W 5th St, 68th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Join Carbon Leadership Forum-LA for our year-end celebration at Buro Happold's new office! Enjoy insights from our community, refreshments, and grand views! For our 3rd Annual Open Mic, 9 amazing people from our community will share a brief carbon reduction highlight, victory, or lesson learned from the past year. Guests are encouraged to ask the speakers questions after the Open Mic.
💡 Climate Fresk & Sustainable Digital Tech
When: Thursday, December 5th from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: 109 N Ave 56, Los Angeles, CA 90042
These hands-on, collaborative sessions dive into critical sustainability topics, from understanding the science behind climate change to exploring the environmental impacts of digital technologies. The workshop revolves around a collaborative card-based game. Guided by a trained facilitator, your team will work together to map out the connections between key sustainability elements. By drawing on your group’s collective intelligence, you'll gradually uncover the complexity and interdependence of the topics discussed. No prior knowledge is needed—our facilitators will guide you through each step. Together, you'll engage in a dynamic mix of learning, creativity, and fun!
⚡️ Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP) Summit
When: Thursday, December 5th from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
During the 2024 TEP Summit, regional leaders will discuss how to capitalize on the momentum from Paris and ensure the 2028 Games are a catalyst for equitable climate action for Los Angeles and beyond. Other topics include:
Why have LACI and the Transportation Electrification Partnership tied ambitious regional transportation electrification targets to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games?
How can we put forth a bold idea of how to get more electric buses manufactured in the US to lower costs and funding to bring them—along with charging, bike lanes, and shared mobility—to LA for the Games, and after distribute them to transit agencies nationally?
What can Greater LA do to show the world a model for zero emissions mobility and goods movement?
🏠 Climate & Housing Happy Hour:
When: Thursday, December 5th from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Highland Park Brewery, 1220 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
Urban Environmentalists LA is joining Abundant Housing LA as an affinity chapter! Urban Environmentalists says: “We are people working towards a future of cities and towns with abundant housing, work and play only a short bike or transit ride away; safe and independent mobility for all; lively and green public spaces; clean air and water; and affordability for all who wish to live there.”
🦪 Prying Into the Private Lives of Mussels and Oysters
When: Friday, December 6th from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium - 3720 Stephen M White Drive San Pedro, CA 90731
To many people, shellfish such as oysters and mussels seem like they’re just rocks with food inside. But before they arrive on a dinner table, those animals spend years stuck to rocks, piers, boats, and each other, where they make a living sucking up whatever happens to be floating by in the water. It's not a glamorous life by any measure, but mussels and oysters are doing their part to keep our bays and coasts lively and productive, while having to avoid all sorts of threats to their survival. Using cutting-edge technology (and some old-fashioned methods), we can gain a window into the lives of these shellfish, and learn about how they cope with changing temperatures, salinity, oxygen, and even human pollution. With modern internet-connected oysters, we can keep tabs on their behavior in local estuaries and bays and look for changes in behavior that might be associated with a variety of different stressors.
✍️ Nature Journaling: Drawing Pine Cones with Maryanne Pittman
When: Saturday, December 7th from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: Theodore Payne Foundation - 10459 Tuxford St Sun Valley, CA 91352
As the air cools and we embrace winter, it's the perfect time to draw inspiration from one of the season's iconic treasures—pinecones. Whether you're an experienced artist or a complete beginner, this focused nature journaling class at the Theodore Payne Foundation offers a peaceful opportunity to connect with nature and hone your drawing skills. We’ll begin with a brief introduction to the diversity of cones from California's native conifers, cypresses, and firs, exploring their shapes, textures, and unique structures. Afterward, we’ll explore sketching techniques through guided exercises that break down the intricate details of pinecones into approachable steps to capture their patterns and layers.
🌳 Deep Dive into California Oaks
When: Saturday, December 7th from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: California Botanic Garden -1500 N College Avenue, Claremont CA 91711
Oaks are ecologically some of the most important plants in California and are one of the most dazzlingly diverse groups of woody plants in the Northern Hemisphere. If you want to get to know these long-revered plants better, get started with this introductory to intermediate class. We’ll practice identifying California native oaks both in the classroom and by walking around the Garden. We’ll also talk about some of the ways these plants are biologically and ecologically amazing and the work that California Botanic Garden is doing to conserve them.