Even if the City of Santa Monica, California, just self-reported Cs on its environmental report card, civic leaders deserve an A for transparency.

According to a recent report in the Santa Monica Daily Press:

Santa Monicans have taken a tiny step backward when it comes to reducing their impact on the environment, according to the third annual Sustainable City Report Card, which was released by City Hall Thursday.

Overall, Santa Monicans received an A for effort, but in the areas of resource conservation, and environmental and public health, grades dropped slightly from a C-plus to a C and a B-minus to a C, respectively.

The poor marks were attributed to a drop in the amount of refuse that gets diverted from landfills, an increase in water usage and an inability to reduce the number of beach closures due to urban runoff and sewage spills.

An increase in construction activity and a robust economy were blamed for the setbacks.

Dean Kubani, who is in charge of implementing the Sustainable City Plan, a comprehensive strategy adopted 12 years ago, said:

It is going to take some time to get straight A’s, but these are still grades that you should be proud to take home and show mom.

If we don’t track it, then change doesn’t happen. The bad grades we receive helps us focus our attention on a problem and come up with solutions, while the high grades draw attention to solutions that are working and allow us to pat ourselves on the back.

Santa Monica's commitment to a Sustainable City Plan, along with its transparent reporting, should serve as a model for communities of all sizes — including small mountain towns like Jackson.

Carbon Neutral Journal's kudos are brought to you by Grand Targhee Resort.

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