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What We're Eating: Local Food
To celebrate Eat Local Month this October, we asked CEC’s Staff, Board, and Partnership Council about what local foods they’re indulging in, where they make their purchases, and what the local food scene means to them.
Today we're hearing from Sigrid, Jules, Jordan, and Dennis.
What We're Eating: Local Food
To celebrate Eat Local Month this October, we asked CEC’s Staff, Board, and Partnership Council about what local foods they’re indulging in, where they make their purchases, and what the local food scene means to them.
Today we're hearing from Krista, Sarah, Dawn, and Kathi. Stay tuned for the next installment of this series.
Employees Plug in at Lynda.com
lynda.com is a rapidly growing online learning company that offers thousands of video courses to help viewers learn software, technology, creative, and business skills. With growth comes the challenge of recruiting, and the largest motivation for installing workplace electric vehicle (EV) charging stations came from the Human Resources department.
Why We Should Eat More Plants
A few years ago, Al Gore was asked why he didn’t mention the environmental impact of animal agriculture in his groundbreaking 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. His candid answer (that getting people to drive a hybrid is easy, while getting them to give up animal products is almost impossible) speaks volumes about the personal nature of environmental politics.
It’s Almost Time for the Eat Local Challenge
Those of us who live in Santa Barbara know that one of our greatest local treasures is the abundance of fresh produce, meat, and seafood that can be sourced regionally. However, you might be surprised to find out that while Santa Barbara County is in the top 1% of agricultural producing counties in the U.S., 95% of the produce we eat is imported. In more extreme cases, the food we eat was sourced locally, shipped overseas for processing and sent back to Santa Barbara to end up on your plate. Take calamari for example.
Tim F. Discovered That Electric + Solar = Savings
When this financial professional crunched the numbers he found that driving on sunshine added up.
Michael Is Powering His Home and Car with the Sun
CEC's Energy and Transporation Manager is driving on sunshine.
We Challenge You to Eat Locally This October
When you browse the produce section of a typical grocery store, you'll find that much of the food we eat is not sourced from local farmers, but typically travels from all corners of the world. It takes a lot of energy to produce fertilizers and pesticides, package and process the food, and then transport and store it. By choosing to eat locally-sourced food you’ll save energy and is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Marika D. Gives Back without Relying on a Car
At age 84, Marika Davidek is an activist, organizer, reiki practitioner, student, teacher, volunteer, and grandmother. She unravels an impressive list of community involvements and rich tale of activism efforts. And she does it all without a car.
For the Love of Plunging in the Pool
Ley and Suzanne Wertz love their pool, but as the largest electricity-using item in their home, they have struggled with its financial and environmental impact. Now, thanks to CEC’s Solarize program, they are enjoying the pool without the guilt.
Social Media and Mobile Technology Make it Easy to Drive Less
Recently in Not Your Father’s Carpool Part 1, CEC reported on new findings by U.S. Pirg indicating that young people are buying fewer new cars and driving less – demanding a new American Dream that is less dependent on the one-car-per-person model.
Coupled with this is another trend: the rapid development of social media and mobile technology that make it easier for people to connect directly with someone who has something they need.
Thinking Outside the Box and Bottle
To me, huge stockpiles of stuff is crazy making. What I see are expiration dates and things calling out “do something with me!” The idea of buying cases and pallets of merchandise individually packaged screams waste, so I prefer to source household staples in simple, sustainable quantities.
Jeff and Mandy P. are "Driving on Sunshine"
Jeff and Mandy discovered how much they could save powering their electric vehicle with solar.
Is California the New Keystone?
Katie Davis explores the local and global impacts of an oil boom in California.
Ground-Mounted Solar Arrays
Hear about Carol's experience with the Solarize Ojai Valley program.
Students Are Part of the Plastic-Reduction Solution
“I want to do something about all the plastic waste. I want to be an environmental scientist.” Those words of wisdom and hope came from a seventh-grade girl at La Cumbre Junior High earlier this month. The Community Environmental Council’s (CEC) Rethink the Drink staff visited the school and spoke to over 300 students about the importance of reducing our dependence on single-use plastic products.