Blog
A space for learning.
Extreme Heat: A Call to Action
With extreme heat posing such serious threats to human health and the environment, the time to take action is now to prepare for extreme heat and build resilient communities.
National Climate Progress Takes Local Climate Action
The two of us have joined forces with many others in our community on a clear mission. We are running a race to protect a fundamental aspect of life on earth: a safe livable climate.
A New Initiative Will Create Neighborhood Resilience Hubs to Serve Vulnerable Populations
Imagine your community is impacted by the next wildfire that starts in our region. Maybe your home is in close proximity to the flames, or the smoke and ash from the fire drifts to your doorstep. How will you respond? Will you have the supplies you need? Will you know when or where to evacuate to? If you lose power, how will you prepare food, stay cool, or run air purifiers? What if you have a neighbor who needs help? By sharing information and resources, residents can be empowered to support each other and build community resilience in the face of wildfires, earthquakes, extreme heat, and other natural disasters.
North County Climate Steward Christina Hernandez Inspires Climate Action through Connection
Recent Community Environmental Council (CEC) UC Climate Steward graduate Christina Hernandez is a lifelong resident of the small coastal city of Guadalupe in North Santa Barbara County. A social and environmental justice advocate for over 10 years, she is driven by a deep love of her community and the desire to help her fellow residents connect with nature, access critical resources and support, and participate in building a healthy and resilient region. Christina fills many key roles in her community, including as a member of the Santa Barbara County Equity Advisory and Outreach Committee, a board member at Los Amigos de Guadalupe, and the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.
We spoke with Christina about how CEC’s UC Climate Stewards program helped deepen her community engagement around climate change and nature conservation, and what she envisions for the future of Guadalupe.
Climate: Front and Center
The White House used the Summit of the Americas as an opportunity to make significant global commitments to combating the climate crises. I took special note of the following advancements that relate to the progress the Community Environmental Council is making in our region.
The Right to Breathe
This will not be a lyrical post, but rather a stuttering gasp of grief and impotent rage after witnessing – as we all did this week – the cries of an unarmed man for the most basic human right: the right to breathe.
How the Pandemic Could be a Crossroads for the Climate
The pandemic could be a crossroads for the climate if we act together now. We’ve learned a few key things from the climate movement that can be helpful here. And vice versa; what we’re learning from this extremely challenging public health crisis could make this a watershed moment for climate change and an enormous opportunity for transformation.
Bold, Timely Solutions That Can Inform COVID-19 Community Needs
The pandemic exposes our region's social, economic and environmental strengths and vulnerabilities – the exact type of community resilience CEC's Climate Resilience Roundtables are designed to help us work toward together. See community-driven solutions we've developed that could support us in this time.
The Oil Spill Heard ‘Round the World
On the 50th anniversary of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, CEC's Executive Director Sigrid Wright and the Environmental Defense Center Chief Counsel Linda Krop speak to the need for "swift and all-encompassing action to heal our planet and prevent further harmful climate disruption."
