A dedicated environmentalist, Sen. Ben Allen spoke on climate, recycling, Diablo Canyon and the homeless to a group of Topangans and Progressive Democrats. Dorothy Reik, President, Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains (PDSMM), hosted an Earth Day event at the Topanga Library on April 22 and urged everyone to take-action on the environment. “We need solar, wind and geothermal power,� Reik said. “It will work if we do it right. We need to put solar on top of reservoirs and roofs and install microgrids to connect neighborhoods.� The guest of honor for the event was State Sen. Ben Allen, who listened, took notes and fielded environmental and social justice questions. Allen was first elected to the State Senate in 2014 and has authored crucial legislation in the aeas of environmental protection, climate change, green transit, education funding, government transparency, electoral reform, economic development and access to housing. Coming off his recent win for the state’s redrawn 24th Senate District for the California State Legislature, which includes Topanga, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Calabasas, Sen. Benjamin J. “Ben� Allen (D-Santa Monica) is the author of a new law imposing first-in-the-nation restrictions on single-use plastics and packaging. “I think we are proud of what we are doing with the major climate package passed last year,� Sen Allen said. “The big plastics bill passed and I am really happy that it will put California at the front of the world by creating this whole system.� Signed by Gov. Newsom on June 30, 2022, Allen’s SB 54 sets a statewide mandate of reducing the waste generated by single-use disposable packaging and food service ware by 65 percent by 2032 through source reduction, recycling, and composting. “The producers have all the control,� Allen said. “We didn’t need so many plastics; we were happy 25 years ago; they pushed this product on us and of course the producers are largely run by the oil industry…we need to expand that to EV batteries and all sorts of household products. For plastics, it’s only the numbers 1, 2 and 5 that are recyclable and they are going to have to stop using the recyclable symbol if the product is not reusable. The 5s, by the way, there is barely a market for that and it doesn’t end up with a good end-user product. Aluminum is highly recyclable; it’s much better to use aluminum.� Myla Reason, who serves on SoCal ADA’s Endorsement Committee and Environment Committee, is a longtime activist and community organizer fighting for peace, health care, food safety, environmental, racial, and social justice. She implored Sen. Allen to look into the issue of the Diablo Canyon nuclear site. “We have reactors sitting on a nest of major earthquake faults,� Reson said. “California is required to take the energy from Diablo before renewables…before offshore wind turbines. Nuclear is not clean, it is carbon intensive and what about the radioactive waste…? Diablo stands as an impediment to the development of off-shore wind turbines and solar energy.� Susie Shannon, Executive Board member of the California Democratic Party, brought up the homeless issue and urged the senator to support the Assembly Bill that will fast-track adaptive reuse and rehabbing units for low-income housing. “To build new housing is $500,000 to $700,000 per unit,� Shannon said. “You could literally buy someone a Condo in the Valley and give them spending money for what it costs to build affordable housing. It costs about $100,000 per unit to rehab older buildings and bring them online, so there is a bill to fast-track this.� Tam Taylor of the SAGES asked about fire vulnerability among the senior citizens in Topanga. “There are several issues that are really critical to Topanga, and we rely on our State Representatives,� she said. “One of them is fire and the issue of Telecoms providing us with reliable cell phone service...and, affordable fire insurance. As we move forward, are we going to be able to have those issues represented?� Allen enthusiastically agreed with Taylor’s concerns. “We will work together, of course,� he said. “I am the author of this fire resiliency bond; Telecom issues are very real. There are people who want to have access to Telecoms, to folks who are concerned about radiation with the towers. Insurance is a big one.� PDSMM member David Troy brought up the issue of the NOAA emergency alert radios and urged everyone to get one free from County Fire. (For more information contact megan.currier@fire.lacounty.gov.) Nonie Shore of the Topanga Community Center brought up the issue of cell phone service in the Canyon. “Now it’s all internet based,� she said. “Verizon, when they brought in FIOS, ripped out all the copper wiring, so now we don’t have our landlines in an emergency.� Susan Nissman, former Senior Field Deputy for Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, urged Sen. Allen to send a representative to the Topanga Emergency Management Task (TEMTF) meetings to stay apprised of what is happening in the Canyon. “The Task Force started in 2002,� Nissman said. “It is a coalition of every single agency—Fire, Sheriff, CHP, Caltrans, Topanga Town Council and TCEP.� Celebrating Earth Day! To get the celebration started, Progressive Democrats of America’s (PDA) Executive Director Alan Minsky spoke briefly about “opposing the proliferation of nuclear energy.� Dave Reeves rallied the group with his song “Save the Planet,� with the lyrics “We’ve got to do something before it’s too late.� Russell Greene, a senior strategic adviser on climate at Progressive Democrats of America insisted that “the climate emergency is here, now,� and asked for a moment to reflect on the Chumash land upon which the library sits. He read two of his poems, “Epitaph,� and “Chasing the Future,� and sang an original song, “I’ll Meet You at the End of the World.� Greene said that when Bernie Sanders lost to Biden in 2020, that was the end of hope moving forward, because Sanders was “the most reasonable candidate for climate mobilization,� and “was the pathway who used California to demonstrate what was possible.� Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains In a recent interview, The Canyon Chronicle asked Sen. Allen how he would govern within the new district. “I grew up in the district just over the mountains, and my dad and I went hiking there. Literally every day we would explore new trails and canyons,� Allen said. “It’s in my blood and in my bones.� He added that he would be working with Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to obtain additional parcels of land to “keep the Santa Monica Mountains out of developers’ hands,� and emphasized that the Santa Monica Mountains should be saved from over-development, especially because of the risk of wildfire. “We should not incentivise new construction in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones,� he said. “The Santa Monica Mountains is very special, an incredible asset for our region. We owe it to future generations to preserve the land.� To contact Sen. Allen’s office: District Office, 2512 Artesia Blvd., #320, Redondo Beach, CA 90278-3279. Phone: (310) 318-6994. Email: Senator.Allen@Senate.CA.gov or online at sd24.senate.ca.gov Save The Date! On September 9, PDSMM’s summer fundraiser will feature Steven Donziger, the environmental attorney who won a billion-dollar judgment against Chevron for fouling the waters in Ecuador that killed members of the indigenous tribe whose lives and livelihood depended on those waters. He was persecuted by the U.S. government and Chevron but has emerged as a hero of the environmental movement. Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains is a chartered club of the Los Angeles Democratic Party. We strive to cultivate progressive ideals within our community by supporting reformist elected officials. We believe that awareness of current events and involvement with local officials aids in our commonly shared goal of Waging Peace. We uphold a revered reputation by jumping on pressing issues and advocating for moral justice. There is no compromise when it comes to the environment and equality among all. To donate or become a member: pdsmm.org or contact Dorothy Reik at dorothyreik@pdsmm.org.