Welcome to Sustainable Carmel

Sustainable Carmel (SC) was founded in February 2011. It is a grassroots group of diverse individuals who are bonded by their passion for protecting the environment. The original steering committee members were Ruth Smith, Monta Potter, Amanda LeVett, Richard Julian, Kristi Reimers, Susan Spiegel, Gabriele Mary Ann Schicketanz, Lee Larrew, Maggie Eaton, Ellen Gannon, Adrienne HermanSafwat Malek, Adam Jeselnick, Gretchen Siegrist-Ortega, Raymond Davi, Martha Morrill and Jonanthan Sapp.

These forward thinking people wished to raise the awareness of residents of the greater Carmel area to environmental issues in their region of the fragile marine ecosystems. Initially the group worked on the organization and outreach through tabling events with CSMC and other local action groups (LAGS). As the group found it’s voice, they reached out through community activities such as beach clean up, single use plastic bag ban, trash diversion and education at the Carmel by the Sea homecrafter’s fair for example and participating in the Carmel by the Sea birthday parade.

Over the years Sustainable Carmel has collaborated with a variety of local organizations and Businesses like: Friends of Carmel Forest, MEarth, Carmel Resident’s Association, Carmel Chamber of Commerce, Save Our Shores, Keep Fort Ord Wild, Carmel High School Environmental Club, Carmel River School, Pilgrim’s Way Bookstore and Eco Carmel.

Our vision is to inspire, create and guide sustainable thinking and conscious action.

Past Accomplishments

The many accomplishments of the group include:

  • applying for grant funds from Carmel by the Sea to support our projects which have direct environmental impact on the community, for instance purchasing cigarette butt receptacles that were installed in the downtown
  • supporting the ban on plastic bags and plastic straws in Carmel by the Sea and throughout the county
  • championing the passage of the first in Monterey County single use “take out supplies” ordinance by Carmel by the Sea
  • initiating the kitchen waste (yellow bin) composting drop off at the Thursday Farmer’s Market in downtown Carmel by the Sea
  • supporting the outreach of the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) by requesting that Carmel by the Sea pass a resolution in support of CCL’s carbon fee and rebate plan
  • continuing to support the efforts of the Measure Z campaign at public meetings and Monterey County Supervisors’ hearings  to ban fracking in Monterey County
  • supporting Measure M to reduce the effects of development on the old Fort Ord lands
  • campaigning for Proposition 37 labeling GMO products
  • continuing to advocate for the protection of open space on the old Fort Ord lands by opposing the proposed Eastside parkway project by the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) 
  • tabling at Earth Day, Farmer’s Market and other community events 
  • representing the greater Carmel area at City Council and Monterey County Supervisors’ meetings
  • continuing collaboration with groups like the Regional Waste Management District, Monterey Bay Community Power, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Compost Coalition and Landwatch, to name a few, in their efforts to protect the environment