Sustainability Bill of Rights

Santa Monica could be on the verge of adopting a Sustainability Bill of Rights ordinance that would declare that all residents, natural communities and ecosystems within city limits have a right to a healthful environment.

Authored by a city advisory task force, the proposed ordinance is focused on self-sufficiency and sustainability, and aims to provide individual residents and the city an easier avenue to pursue protective environmental issues in court. The ordinance goes to the Santa Monica City Council on Dec. 6 for discussion.

Similarly, the town of State College, Pa.—hoping to protect its local natural resources from natural-gas corporations that have adopted the controversial “fracking” method of oil extraction—will vote on a Community Environmental Bill of Rights and Natural Gas Drilling Ban in November.