Fall highlights from SEI, including the November Speaker Series on zero waste and environmental equity, recent seminars, upcoming faculty workshops, key climate news, and community events across LACCD.
Fall Speaker Series
Join SEI for our Fall Speaker Series with Elizabeth Balkan November 20 at noon
Zero Waste, Who’s Garbage is It?
This seminar explores the intersection of environmental equity, consumer culture, and producer responsibility within our waste and consumption systems. It will examine how the growing crisis of disposable packaging disproportionately impacts marginalized communities and unpack the various interventions being considered to address the three-part assault—impacts to biodiversity, human health, and the environment—plastic and waste in general are having on us.
Ms. Elizabeth Balkan, an independent consultant with extensive expertise on zero waste policy and implementation. She most recently concluded an EPR implementation project for the state of California.
This workshop is free, eligible for faculty FLEX credit, and open to all members of the LACCD community, faculty, students, and staff. Zoom link
For Faculty interested in discussing how to integrate subjects covered in this seminar into their curriculum – join us for a Community of Practice to follow from 1:05pm-2:00pm
October Seminar Summary
Extreme Heat & Human Health, How to Protect Ourselves
Last month SEI hosted Dr. Marc Futernick — Emergency physician and expert on the health impacts of extreme heat – with over 100 participants attending, Dr. Futurnick was very well received. The seminar recording will be posted on our website soon (when we reveal it) and will be available on our canvas site this week. Dr. Futernick discussed the real risks of extreme heat for both the individual as well as our communities. equity issues created by heat. He discussed symptoms and strategies for individuals as well as solutions and actions that communities can take to address the dangers. The image below references data showing a 1% decrease in learning for every 1° increase in over heating, viewed through high school PSAT scores
Introduction to Climatizing Curriculum Zoom Workshop
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025
2:00 – 3:15pm
State Chancellor’s Climate Fellows Sponsor Workshop
State Curriculum Climate Fellow Holly Bailey-Hofmann, English faculty at West Los Angeles College, and Roman de Jesus, Earth Science faculty at Fullerton College, will share examples from California community college instructors across diverse disciplines as they guide attendees in an activity to catalyze climatizing an aspect of their own curriculum.
Be inspired by faculty innovation and leave invigorated with possibilities!
Educator’s Symposium
In October, SEI in partnership with the Climate Center and Climate Fellow Holly Baily-Hoffman hosted the Educator’s Symposium.
LACCD faculty presented creative ways to approach environmental equity. Faculty from across disciplines who were working with the Environmental Equity Education Demonstration Project showcased their work. Attendees left with practical tools, resources, and inspiration for integrating sustainability into any course.
Resources
Looking for ways to integrate sustainability, environmental equity or climate literacy into your curriculum? Follow this link to a compilation of resources Environmental Equity Education Resources
News Briefs
U.S. Not at COP30 in Brazil!
For the first time in 30 years, the US did not send any delegates to the COP30. Governor Newsom is attending-in lieu of any official US representative, believing that as the 4th largest economy California can provide some leadership in developing partnerships.
“I’m here because I don’t want the United States of America to be a footnote at this conference, and I want you to know that we recognise our responsibility, and we recognise our opportunity”
Governor Newsom
In the first week of COP30 in addition to appearing on panels, events, Newsom hammered out partnerships with:
- Chile on cooperating to reduce methane emissions,
- Colombia to advance forest conservation, methane reduction, climate resilience, clean energy
- and coordination on protecting the Amazon
- Nigeria: MOU on urban transportation, green ports, low carbon fuels climate adaption, methane reduction and abatement and air quality with a focus on sustainable growth
- Brazil: Wildfire prevention, forest monitoring carbon pricing programs clean transportation conservation of 30 by 30
A First for Indigenous Leaders
For COP30 the Brazilian government committed to new levels of Indigenous participation, with close to 2,500 Indigenous people in attendance.
This is the first time Indigenous leadership has had level of access to the Blue Zone – the restricted area for official negotiations.
Still only 360 individuals were approved for participation in global climate negotiations. InfoAmazonia revealed.
More Renewables Between Now and 2030 Than In Past 40 Years
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a 2025 World Energy Outlook, showing that more renewables will be built between now and 2030 than in the last 40 years combined. Oil and coal are expected to peak by 2030.
China’s Emissions Flatten Out
A report by Carbon Brief reveals that China’s CO2 emissions have now been flat or falling for 18 months, with the country hitting its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule.
- Power-sector CO2 emissions were flat in the third quarter, even as electricity demand growth accelerated to 6.1%, from 3.7% in the first half of the year.
- This result is attributed to electricity generation from solar growing by 46% and wind by 11% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025.
California Data Centers May Create More Strain Than We Thought
Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, with production help from Next 10, report that from 2019 to 2023, the costs related to health issues caused by California’s data centers emissions tripled while electricity use, water consumption, and carbon emissions increased at least 90%. As compared to 2019, this study predicts that by 2028 health costs could rise by 496%, electricity use by 356%, water consumption by 358%, and carbon emissions by 348%.
Community Calendar
Saturday, Nov 22, 2025; 8:30 AM-1:30PM Sierra Club Trail Work in the Santa Monica Mountains, More event information at https://smmtf.org/trail-crew/. All events calendar at https://tinyurl.com/3m292w2u
Friday, December 5, 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm at the Leo Carrillo tidepools, join Heal the Bay and the California Academy of Sciences for a community-powered Explore incredible tidepools and support coastal science at our Tidepool Bioblitz!
Witness the magnificent King Tides and participate in community science! Register here. All events calendar at https://healthebay.org/events/
Sunday December 14, 2025, 8:00am – 12:00pm Audubon Society Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area Bird Walk at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area 4100 South La Cienega Boulevard Los Angeles, CA, 90056 United States(map), led by Ann and Eric Brooks. All events calendar at https://tinyurl.com/mrjn4rz7
Saturday December 20th, 2025 1:00-3pm Nature Nexus Cityscape to Campfire Strollat Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook Please register HERE. All events calendar at https://tinyurl.com/mrjn4r
Ongoing
Natural History Museum list of events and workshops. See resources on their website. https://nhmlac.org/research-collections
Become a California Certified Naturalist or a Climate Stewart with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Link here for more information
Become a California Climate Action Corp Fellow – for more information link here
Drop off your compost at a farmer’s market near you! L.A. Compost hosts collection points in most areas. Link here to find a schedule that meets your needs.
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