LA Climate Tech Cities: Jan 20 - 27
The spirit of volunteerism, net zero pledges, climate action- and more!
Hi friends,
January 20th will be an interesting day as we simultaneously celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, see Donald Trump inaugurated for a second time, and continue to witness and engage with LA wildfire response and recovery efforts. It may be a day of many emotions, which we hope you can channel into positive action.
Traditionally, MLK Day is seen as a day of service, celebrating the life of Dr. King and his legacy of advocating for civil rights and bringing hope and healing to our country, and working to bring that spirit into the present day to further uplift our communities. We hope that this Monday you can take one action of service for your community. Whether that looks like volunteering to help with wildfire recovery and response, working to restore natural areas in your community, or even helping a relative or neighbor with cooking or yard work. Every act of service and kindness creates a ripple effect and contributes to our shared humanity and hope for a better future.
We also hope that you can continue this spirit of volunteerism, service and community-building in the weeks and months to come. We need engaged citizens committed to climate action, social justice, and scaling the solutions that already exist. Remember, as Dr. King said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”. For this to be true, join us as we tackle climate head-on, together.
Here are our top event picks this week:
Join the Green Schools Speakers Bureau! On Wednesday, learn how to deliver engaging presentations to K-12 students across California at the 🏫 Green School: Train the trainers workshop.
On Thursday, attend 🌿 Rooted: A Biophilic Design Forum to discuss new technologies to design and build with nature to achieve biophilic, natural, and low/no embodied carbon.
Also on Thursday, venture out for a drink with friends at🍹 The Carbonauts Sustainability Sips.
As always, scroll down for the full list of upcoming events.
With gratitude,
Maëlys, Niqat, Raiven & The Climate Tech Cities Team
Reflections on Fire & 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 - Heal the Bay’s science and outreach team attended an emergency meeting at the Palisades Fire incident command center at Zuma Beach. Learn about their findings on ocean water quality and beach access in L.A. County.
🌳 Help Nature Heal - “What are the first steps for restoration in these burn scars, and how can we help? The short answer is, the best thing we can do for the time being is give nature space to heal.” Check out TreePeople’s helpful guide on land restoration and how nature takes the lead through secondary succession.
🛠️ Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources - Explore USGBC California’s curated resources to support community rebuilding, landscape restoration, and resilience efforts after wildfires.
LA Fires Resources
Looking for key resources to support recovery and stay informed? We’ve listed key websites, apps, and organizations in last week’s newsletter, including:
LA Volunteer Opportunities: Find ways to contribute your time and skills.
CA.Gov: Resources for Californians Impacted by Los Angeles Fires
Mutual Aid LA Network: Posting valuable resources and updates.
Watch Duty: An app to track fires and evacuations.
LAFD Foundation: Information on donations and evacuation updates.
211 LA’s Wildfire Response Information: Learn about local support and assistance programs.
Ways to help people who have been directly impacted (LA Times): Explore opportunities to assist individuals and families impacted by the fires.
Mutual Aid Resources: Access a detailed list of community-driven aid initiatives here. Note: refer to column B to see when the entry was last updated; entries are updated at varying frequencies by community members.
This Week’s Events
🏫 Green School: Train the trainers: Wed, Jan 22
📜 Beyond the Net Zero Pledges: Do they Still Matter?: Wed, Jan 22
🍹 The Carbonauts Sustainability Sips: Thu, Jan 23
🌿 Rooted: A Biophilic Design Forum: Thu, Jan 23
👣 A Beginner's Guide to Climate Action: Thu, Jan 23
🌾 Native Medicinal Plants: Sat, Jan 25
✂️ Landscape for Life: Sat, Jan 25
🌞 Eco Sundays: Reimagining LA: Sunday, Jan 26
Opportunities
Upcoming Deadlines
💡 AI x Climate Accelerator (Due Feb 3)
🤝 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
☕ Climate Café: Tue, Jan 28
💧 Talking Water: Thu, Jan 30
🍻 Climate Circuit Casual Meetup: Fri, Jan 31
️👀 ARC facility Tour: Sat, Feb 1
☀️ Heat Pumps: Lessons Learnt from the Field: Tue, Feb 4
🚙 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
🥾 Out in Climate Queer Ecology Walk - Regrowing from the LA Fires: Sun, Feb 9
🌱 Ray of Hope Accelerator Demo Day: Wed, Feb 12
⚡ Energy Innovation Conference: Fri, Feb 14
🚲 River Session: Mile 25: Sat, Feb 15
🏠 Electrify Your Life: Preparing Your Home for Energy Efficiency: Wed, Feb 19
☕ Climate Café: Tue, Feb 25
🧱 Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Engineered Wood: Wed, Feb 26
This Week’s Event in Details
🏫 Green School: Train the trainers
When: Wednesday, January 22nd from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Where: Online
Become a champion for sustainability education by joining our Green Schools Speakers Bureau! This interactive hybrid workshop will equip passionate volunteers from the USGBC-CA community with the knowledge and skills to deliver engaging presentations to K-12 students across California. Dive deep into our curriculum, covering topics like climate change, energy, transportation, waste, water, air quality, environmental justice, and sustainable careers. You'll learn proven techniques for captivating young minds, fostering inclusive learning environments, and harnessing the power of storytelling.
📜 Beyond the Net Zero Pledges: Do they Still Matter?
When: Wednesday, January 22nd from 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Where: UCLA School of Law
Many businesses, institutions, cities, and regions have pledged to reach net-zero emissions within a few decades. But accountability has always been a challenge and it’s one made more difficult by recent political backsliding around the globe. What’s the path forward for sticking to credible benchmarks? Is there a role for carbon offsets and voluntary carbon markets? We’ll hear from experts, including Catherine McKenna, CEO of Climate and Nature Solutions and chair of the United Nations high-level expert group on net zero emissions commitments of non-state entities. McKenna served as Canada’s minister of environment and climate change from 2015 to 2019 and minister of infrastructure and communities from 2019 to 2021.
🍹 The Carbonauts Sustainability Sips
When: Thursday, January 23rd from 6:00 PM - 9:00 0M
Where: The Waterfront Venice, 205 Ocean Front Walk, Los Angeles
Join us for delicious cocktails, a bite to eat, and conversations with other passionate sustainability advocates.
🌿 Rooted: A Biophilic Design Forum
When: Thursday, January 23rd from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: tlrs architecture, 832 Hermosa Avenue Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
As Climate Change continues to grip our environment and challenges our future, a time to seek natural building processes has never been more urgent. Building off the age-old construction techniques of our ancestors and seeking new technologies to design and build with nature to achieve Biophilic, Natural, and low/no Embodied Carbon buildings is the objective of this forum.
👣 A Beginner's Guide to Climate Action
When: Thursday, January 23rd from 12:00 PM
Where: Online
This webinar will introduce you to the basics of how we know that climate change is happening, what is causing it, what impacts it is having, and what we can do to limit future damage.
🌾 Native Medicinal Plants
When: Saturday, January 25th from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: Hahamongna Watershed Park, 4550 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91103
Join us as we sow Western Yarrow seeds and dive into Yarrow's wisdom. Learn about the ancient wisdom of using Yarrow as a medicinal plant to tend to both your inner and outer landscapes. Learn how to incorporate Yarrow into your daily life for holistic well-being as well as how to tend for it in a garden/pot. This in-person event will provide hands-on experience with Yarrow. We will drink yarrow tea, and talk medicinal uses as well as caring for the plant.
✂️ Landscape for Life
When: Saturday, January 25th from 9:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Where: Theodore Payne Foundation, 10459 Tuxford Street Los Angeles, CA 91352
Enhance your business and build a broader client base with California-native plant landscaping techniques at this in-person workshop! This unique program, brought to you by the Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) and the U.S. Green Building Council - California (USGBC-CA), offers a condensed, impactful learning experience designed for landscape professionals specializing in residential properties. You'll immerse yourself in the world of California native plants, mastering plant identification, irrigation, and maintenance. Engage in hands-on learning at TPF's renowned demonstration garden, gaining practical insights and techniques.
🌞 Eco Sundays: Reimagining LA
When: Thursday, January 20th from 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Where: near Highland Park
Sound of Earth is excited to invite you to the first Eco Sundays of 2025. We will be raising funds for organizations working to mitigate the effects of the fires in Altadena and Pasadena (more details on this soon).