LA Climate Tech Cities: Feb 3 - 10
Nature-Based Solutions Forum, Climate Mobility at NHM, Heat Pumps, Healing Hikes - and more!
Hi friends,
Shifting winds: what’s ahead for climate action? Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, author of New York Times bestseller What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, recently affirmed that the “act locally” part of Think globally, act locally is now more important than ever. We couldn’t agree more. That’s why we’re excited to bring you another edition of the Los Angeles Climate Tech Cities. Together, we can make a real impact right here in LA.
Here are our top event picks this week:
While the first-ever U.S. National Nature Assessment has been recently canceled and its webpages removed (as a part of the executive order "Unleash American Energy"), we encourage you to be curious about nature-based solutions and to attend the 🌸 National Practice Forum on Nature-Based Solutions on Tuesday and Wednesday, either in-person in Irvine or virtually.
Climate + Natural History Museum of LA County + vinyl deep listening + food and beverages? Yes, that’s right! On Thursday, with: 🚙 How can our world rethink climate mobility?
This weekend, join a 🚶🏻♀️ healing nature hike with Terra.do on Saturday, or the 🥾 climate queer ecology walk - regrowing from the LA fires on Sunday.
We’d also like to highlight a San Diego event that is so relevant to our times: 👨👦 the Displacement and Reparation: Climate, Labor and Migration Justice Symposium, on Friday. For more San Diego event, check out the San Diego Climate Tech Cities newsletter.
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
☀️ Heat Pumps: Lessons Learnt from the Field: Tue, Feb 4
🌸 National Practice Forum on Nature-Based Solutions: Feb 4 -5
🍷 Climatini Winter 2025: Wed, Feb 5
🚙 How Can Our World Rethink Climate Mobility: Thu, Feb 6
🌟 CASM Youth Climate Club Kick-Off: Fri, Feb 7
👨👦 Displacement and Reparation: Climate, Labor and Migration Justice Symposium: Fri, Feb 7
🏖️ Project Save Our Surf Beach Clean Up: Sat, Feb 8
🌳 Never Stop Planting – Social Forest Community Celebration: Sat, Feb 8
🌊 AltaSea Open House: Arevon Energy: Sat, Feb 8
💼 LASAN Engineer Day 2025: Sat, Feb 8
🚶🏻♀️ Los Angeles Healing Nature Hike: Sat, Feb 8
🥾 Out in Climate Queer Ecology Walk - Regrowing from the LA Fires: Sun, Feb 9
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings.
Event Spotlight: Announcing the 2025 Energy & Innovation Conference!
Come join the 10th annual Energy & Innovation Conference, hosted by UCLA Anderson's Energy and Cleantech Association. As cities worldwide face mounting climate challenges, this conference will explore the latest innovations shaping a more resilient future. Check out the agenda and speakers here
🌍 This year’s theme: Sustainable Cities will focus on pressing topics like climate resilience, mobility, the built environment, and cutting-edge climate tech innovations. Expect insights on:
The Role of LA28 in Shaping the Future of Los Angeles as a Sustainable and Resilient City,
Building Sustainable Cities: Integrating Green Construction, Smart Technologies, and Sustainable Design,
Urban Circularity: Strategies for Waste Reduction, Water Efficiency and Agricultural Innovation,
Tech-Enhanced Sustainability: AI, Virtual Technology, and Smart Cities of the Future,
Speakers include: David Hochschild, Chair of the California Energy Commission, Shana Bonstin ; Deputy Director, Department of City Planning, City of Los Angeles, Becky Dale ; Vice President of Sustainability, LA28 and Heather Repenning, Executive Officer for Sustainability Policy, LA Metro, to name a few.
🕗 Save the date: Friday, February 14, 2025 | 8:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
📍Location: UCLA Anderson School of Management
🔗 Register now to join the conversation and connect with top minds in sustainability!
LA Fires: Resources & Building Resilience
From water quality to landscape restoration, here are resources and insights to help rebuild and foster resilience in the wake of fire.
🌊 How Fires Impact Ocean Water Quality (by Heal the Bay)
🌳 Help Nature Heal (by TreePeople)
🛠️ Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources (by USGBC-Ca)
Looking for key resources to support recovery and stay informed? We’ve listed key websites, apps, and organizations in January 20th’s newsletter.
Climate Change Resources
Hours before the administration change, Urban Ocean Lab released an archive of 100+ Federal resources on climate change. For more details, check their Resource Hub!
Opportunities
Upcoming Deadlines
🤝 Climatebase Fellowship (Due Feb 14)
🚀 Caltech's Rocket Fund (Due March 3)
📝 InnovateMass (Due March 17)
🌬️ Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator (Due March 21)
👉 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
🌱 Ray of Hope Accelerator Demo Day: Wed, Feb 12
🍊 Orange County Green Building Mixer: Thu, Feb 13
⚡ Energy Innovation Conference: Fri, Feb 14
🪴 Climate Gardening 101: Sat, Feb 15
🚲 River Session: Mile 25: Sat, Feb 15
🏠 Electrify Your Life: Preparing Your Home for Energy Efficiency: Wed, Feb 19
💰 How tax credit transfers are reshaping energy finance: Wed, Feb 19
🌊 California Ports and Offshore Wind Symposium: Fri, Feb 21
🏡 Home Composting & Urban Gardening Workshops: Sat, Feb 22
👚 Wear & Repair: Adapt Your Style, Master Mending Basics: Sat, Feb 22
☕ Climate Café: Tue, Feb 25
🙋🏽♀️ Founder Curious Women: Fall in Love with a Climate Problem: Tue, Feb 25
🧱 Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Engineered Wood: Wed, Feb 26
🔧 Repair Cafe: Sat, Mar 1
This Week’s Event in Details
☀️ Heat Pumps: Lessons Learnt from the Field
When: Tuesday, February 4th from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Quiet Cannon, 901 Via San Clemente Montebello, CA 90640
Organized by the ASHRAE Southern California Chapter, the event will explore the practical insights and experiences gained from implementing HVAC heat pumps in various electrification projects, highlighting common challenges and mistakes encountered during the transition from traditional fossil fuel-based systems to electric heat pumps. This presentation is designed for HVAC Professionals Engineers, Contractors and Manufacturers involved in HVAC systems. By sharing best practices and lessons learned, we aim to support the transition to cleaner, more efficient HVAC solutions and contribute to the broader goal of sustainable energy use.
🌸 National Practice Forum on Nature-Based Solutions
When: Tuesday, February 4th from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Wedensday, February 5th
Where: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine CA 92617
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), the Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN), and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) Center for Coastal Climate Resilience are convening a national forum focused on the practice of nature-based solutions. The forum will bring together national leaders and practitioners to discuss innovations in the application of nature-based solutions (NBS) for hazard mitigation and climate adaptation. Discussions will focus on overcoming challenges in scaling NBS and finding collaborative, equitable solutions. The forum follows the 2024 N-EWN National Policy Forum conducted in collaboration with the National Academies in Washington DC.
🍷 Climatini Winter 2025
When: Wednesday, February 5th from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: Karl Strauss Brewing Company, 600 Wilshire Boulevard #Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90017
319Climate, The Climate Registry, and Climate Resolve look forward to seeing you at their winter Climatini, a casual mixer and networking event for SoCal-based professionals working to accelerate an equitable, resilient climate transition. Now more than ever it’s important to get together as a community for change. Join them for drinks (no-host bar), networking, and a good time.
🚙 How Can Our World Rethink Climate Mobility
When: Thursday, February 6th from 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: NHM Commons Wing, 900 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90007
Join Zócalo Public Square and Carnegie California for a night at the National History Museum, including a panel conversation at the new NHM Commons Theater with artist Tanya Aguiñiga, paleobotanist and curator Regan Dunn, climate mobility scholar Liliana Gamboa, and New Nomad Institute co-founder Badruun Gardi. They’ll discuss what it would take to build a more interconnected, resilient, and nomadic world on the international, community, and individual levels.
🌟 CASM Youth Climate Club Kick-Off
When: Friday, February 7th from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Where: 237 Hill Street Santa Monica, CA 90405
Calling youth nature lovers and climate enthusiasts! If you're between the ages of 15-21, Climate Action Santa Monica welcomes you to join a community of youth climate leaders! Imagine a world where we are not only reducing emissions, but changing the way we relate to the world around us -- a world where local action is an everyday part of life, and a natural result of our working together. This new Climate Corp Club will put this vision into action, share ideas, create collective projects, and watch our actions ripple out into our community.
👨👦 Displacement and Reparation: Climate, Labor and Migration Justice Symposium
When: Friday, February 7th from 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Where: Geisel Library AND The LOFT, 9701 Hopkins Drive San Diego, CA 92093
Organized by Nature, Space and Politics, the Human Rights and Migration Program, Muir College, the Democracy Lab, UC San Diego Library and The Loft. The interdisciplinary event explores themes of climate change, human and more-than-human displacements, and calls for reparation across the Americas and Pacific Islands. Through presentations, discussions and workshops, we will engage with the cascading concerns of human and ecological fragility and agency in this interconnected region with scholars, activists, artists, journalists, librarians, and scientists. See website for additional details on agenda and key note speakers.
🏖️ Project Save Our Surf Beach Clean Up
When: Saturday, February 8th from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: Santa Monica Beach Tower 26, 2559 Ocean Front Walk Santa Monica, CA 90405
Come join Project Save Our Surf for a fun afternoon of music and refreshments cleaning the beach. Buckets and gloves will also be provided for the cleanup. Connect with others in Los Angeles working to support our environment.
🌳 Never Stop Planting – Social Forest Community Celebration
When: Saturday, February 8th from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: Elysian Reservoir, Grand View Point
Join The Board for an outdoor celebration as we kick off the first day of planting for The Broad’s reforestation project, Social Forest: Oaks of Tovaangar, at Elysian Park. Enjoy a day filled with nature-based workshops and engaging activities designed and led by Indigenous Tongva (Gabrielino) artists and educators, and local environmental groups. Attendees will experience Tongva (Gabrielino) concepts and language, with opportunities to learn about native plants and acorn processing, play games, participate in nature walks, and plant native oak trees. Shuttles between The Broad and the Elysian Park planting site will be available for the February 8 celebration, and planting and boulder placement will be completed by March 2025.
🌊 AltaSea Open House: Arevon Energy
When: Saturday, February 8th from 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Where: AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, Berth 60, Door 35, 2451 Signal Street Los Angeles, CA 90731
Join AltaSea for an open house with Arevon is one of America’s leading independent power producers committed to supplying solar energy and energy storage solutions that is not only good for the planet but also affordable, safe, and socially responsible.
💼 LASAN Engineer Day 2025
When: Saturday, February 8th from 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Where: Los Angeles Environmental Learning Center at Hyperion (ELC), 12000 Vista Del Mar Gate C Los Angeles, CA 90293
LASAN is inviting environmental, chemical, mechanical, and civil engineering students to learn about future career opportunities at LA Sanitation & Environment. Hear from recent hires and program managers, learn about our hiring process, and gain an understanding of our vast network of exciting projects across the City of Los Angeles. This is a free in-person event.
🚶🏻♀️ Los Angeles Healing Nature Hike
When: Saturday, February 8th from 1:00 PM
Where: Register for details
Join Terra.do for a community healing hike as we come together to reconnect with nature and each other in the aftermath of the LA fires. This supportive outdoor experience offers a chance to reflect, recharge, and build resilience through shared stories and serene landscapes.
🥾 Out in Climate Queer Ecology Walk - Regrowing from the LA Fires
When: Sunday, February 9th from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Where: Griffith Park, 2700 N Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027
Organized by Out in Climate. The event challenges western cultural botanical expectations, including how we can reimagine our relationship with nature in the wake of the LA Fires.