Blog
A space for learning.
Help ensure the City of Santa Barbara continues ambitious climate action!
On July 2, 2024, the Santa Barbara City Council will consider adopting an updated Climate Action Plan. The Community Environmental Council has been tracking this plan for many years, and we need your support to ensure Santa Barbara adopts this plan and continues implementing bold climate solutions.
Empowering Change: An Evening with Dr. Flávia Maia Resources Toolkit
The Community Environmental Council and our co-host Telea Insights would like to thank everyone who joined us on January 19 at CEC’s new Environmental Hub for an inspiring evening with Brazilian climate leader Dr. Flávia Maia.
Central Coast Voices: Air pollution on the Central Coast
Last year, the Community Environmental Council (CEC) announced it is the proud recipient of a competitive grant to monitor and share findings on air pollution, wildfire smoke, and pesticide exposure at the neighborhood level throughout Guadalupe and the Santa Maria Valley.
Climate of Hope Forum
Join us at the annual Climate of Hope Forum: Artivism- Creative Action for Justice. This year's program will feature Lil Milagro Henriquez, Founder and Executive Director of the Mycelium Youth Network and other artists from a variety of artists from a variety of backgrounds who promote healing, environmental justice, and community resilience through poetry, film, music, photography, murals and other art forms. Program will be interpreted to Spanish. Get Free tickets or you can make a donation if you would like to support our work.
Register at: bit.ly/3YDj0XH
CEC's Santa Barbara Earth Day: A Brief History by Paul Relis
"What I love about Earth Day today is that it has become an enormous exchange of information and ideas about how to preserve, protect and enhance the quality of life in Santa Barbara and by extension, the world. It's fun, educational and an aesthetic experience all rolled into one. How many events do you go to where 38,000 people gather to learn from one another? Earth Day gives me a sense of joy and hope each and every year."
- Paul Relis, former CEC Executive Director
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."
Marking 50 Years of Environmental Leadership on the SB Oil Spill Anniversary
On January 28, 1969 an oil blowout in the Santa Barbara channel sparked a worldwide environmental movement.
CEC formed in response shortly after and has been rallying the community to action ever since. Watch the January 27, 2019 community gathering.
In Memoriam: Joan Crowder
Long before she made a name for herself as a cultural writer for the Santa Barbara News-Press, Joan Crowder was a volunteer editor of the Santa Barbara Survival Times, a fledgling monthly magazine published by CEC in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.