12.02.030 Rights of Santa Monica residents and the natural environment.

     (a)   All residents of Santa Monica possess fundamental and inalienable rights to: clean water from sustainable sources; marine waters safe for active and passive recreation; clean indoor and outdoor air; a sustainable food system that provides healthy, locally grown food; a sustainable climate that supports thriving human life and a flourishing biodiverse environment; comprehensive waste disposal systems that do not degrade the environment; and a sustainable energy future based on renewable energy sources.

     (b)   Natural communities and ecosystems possess fundamental and inalienable rights to exist and flourish in the City of Santa Monica. To effectuate those rights on behalf of the environment, residents of the City may bring actions to protect these natural communities and ecosystems, defined as: groundwater aquifers, atmospheric systems, marine waters, and native species within the boundaries of the City.

     (c)   All residents of Santa Monica possess the right to self-governance and to a municipal government which recognizes that all power is inherent in the people, that all free governments are founded on the people’s authority and consent, and that corporate entities, and their directors and managers, do not enjoy special privileges or powers under the law that subordinate the community’s rights to their private interests. (Added by Ord. No. 2421 CCS § 1, adopted 4/9/13; amended by Ord. No. 2611CCS § 10, adopted by 6/25/19)