Blog
A space for learning.
Tesla: More cost-effective than you think?
Kenneth can drive between 24,000 and 30,000 miles in a year, nearly double the amount of the average driver, according to the Department of Transportation. Such heavy vehicle use — and gas —has consequences, as Kenneth realized. His mounting gas bill coupled with a growing realization of the repercussions of his CO2 emissions on the planet’s climate convinced him to look at purchasing an electric vehicle. Then, when an EV charging station was installed outside his office building, he took it as a sign. Transitioning to an EV, however, wasn’t without its bumps.
How to Eat Well and Live Happily on Our Local Abundance
How do we create a resilient food system that supplies an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs, meat, seafood and spirits—and stitches together our community in the process? By bringing it local. Very local.
Bus-Bike Commuting: Not chicken scratch
John Bailey, a Spanish language teacher at Santa Barbara Junior High, takes the Clean Air Express every weekday from Lompoc. The bus driver fits John’s bike underneath in the luggage compartment, and on arrival at State Street and La Cumbre, he pulls it out and John rides over one of the old stagecoach routes, State Street, to teach class at the junior high school. At the end of the day, he hops on his bike and rides back to State and La Cumbre, where he rides the bus back home. During the ride he can sleep, chat, listen to a book or music, read or catch up on work.
Trading Eggs for Wine in the 2013 Eat Local Challenge
When Kaitlyn Stewart decided to participate in the Eat Local Challenge, she never imagined she’d be trading her eggs for local wine with a neighbor.
Climate Solutions for a Better World: Connecting the dots
On Thursday, February 13th, over 100 business leaders, nonprofit executives and 1% for the Planet members convened at Citrix in Goleta, Ca. for Connect the Dots, a conference that highlighted steps being taken by companies, NGOs and individuals to build resilient communities in an era of unprecedented climate change.
6,000 Years of Solar: Solar Architecture in Ancient China
“6,000 Years of Solar” is a series about the history of solar energy technology drawn from John Perlin’s new book Let It Shine: The 6,000-Year Story of Solar Energy. The series profiles the fascinating people, from ancient Greece and China to late 19th century New York to today, who have made the present day solar revolution possible.
Central Coast Installs Over 200 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
With CEC's help, there are now over 200 public or semi-public charging stations available in our region. Most of them have been constructed in just the last year or two. Read on for information on charging station locations, what they do, how to use them, and how often they are being used.
Connecting the Dots: Climate Change, Drought, and a Wildfire Film Series
For several decades now, scientists have anticipated that climate change would likely trigger increasingly severe droughts, especially in places like semi-arid Southern California. The state is, of course, in the midst of a merciless drought, and last Friday, state officials announced that for the first time in its 54-year history the State Water Project would not deliver water to 29 local water agencies serving 25 million residents and nearly 750,000 acres of farmland.
Eating Local with Creativity and Zucchini Noodles
When Georgianna Wilson committed to the Eat Local Challenge for the month of October, she didn’t think it was going to be that challenging. She was already signed up for weekly produce boxes through Plow to Porch, a local CSA program, and to top it off, she won one of the local food baskets in the Eat Local Giveaway by CEC and Edible Santa Barbara.
Guiding Businesses to Green in Santa Barbara
For businesses throughout Santa Barbara County, making the initial decision to go green is often the easiest part. But identifying which green practices—from recycling and reducing waste to conserving or even generating energy—make the most economic sense and implementing them can be a herculean task all of its own.
CEC welcomes new Board members
The Community Environmental Council is pleased to announce the addition of four new Board members, including Laura Burton Capps, Christopher E. Hahn, Karl L. Hutterer, and John H. Steed, to the organization’s Board of Directors.
A Concluding Word on the Santa Maria Energy Project
In the past few weeks, much has been written about the Board of Supervisors' decision to approve the Santa Maria Energy Oil and Gas Project, and to allow it to emit at least 10,000 tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) annually, despite the objections of numerous organizations and individuals who either asked the Board to deny the Project or require complete mitigation (to zero) of its GHG emissions. For many of those advocates, including the Environmental Defense Center, Community Environmental Council, Get Oil Out!, Los Padres Sierra Club, Santa Barbara County Action Network and Santa Ynez Valley Alliance, the Board's action was at least an improvement over the decision of its Planning Commission, which would have allowed the Project to increase its emissions more than five-fold. Others have complained that the Board "went too far," and several points of now-contentious discussion have emerged. On behalf of the above groups who appealed this Project to the Board, I would like to correct and/or clarify some misconceptions.
Thank You for Fueling the Clean Energy Movement
Thanks to our supporters we've been able to make some big strides in the clean energy movement on the Central Coast.
Use Pedal Power to Cut Your Carbon Emissions
As the cost of hybrid and electric vehicles continues to decrease, the switch to fuel-efficient cars becomes more appealing – but the purchase or lease of a new car isn’t right for everyone. While a hybrid or EV may be on your horizon, an easy way to bypass the fuel pumps today is, of course, to dust off your bicycle. Just riding your bike one weekday out of five can help to significantly increase your effective mpg rating.
CEC's results in 2013
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is a small and dedicated non-profit with a very big mission: ending the Santa Barbara region’s dependence on fossil fuels in one generation. It's been a busy year for CEC. After all, moving our region off fossil fuels is no small task.
Infographic: CEC's results in 2013
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is a small and dedicated non-profit with a very big mission: ending the Santa Barbara region’s dependence on fossil fuels in one generation. It's been a busy year for CEC. After all, moving our region off fossil fuels is no small task.
WIN: Santa Maria Energy Project Appeal
159 people took action against dirty oil development. After an impassioned six-hour hearing with 110 public commenters, the Board of Supervisors voted to uphold the appeal that was brought by CEC, the Los Padres Sierra Club, Get Oil Out, and the Santa Barbara County Action Network and represented by the Environmental Defense Center. They decided on a 10,000 metric ton threshold for greenhouse gas emissions. While this is not the zero emission threshold we were asking for, it requires Santa Maria Energy to offset almost 90% of their greenhouse gas emissions, instead of the 29% that the Planning Commission had previously approved.
This decision establishes Santa Barbara as an environmental leader. Mitigation will either occur onsite or by funding environmental offset projects.
Kick off the Giving Season With Giving Tuesday
CEC has joined #GivingTuesday, a national movement to create a day of giving around the holidays. With consumerist traditions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday becoming the new norm, #GivingTuesday aims to bring generosity and giving back into focus.
Our Moral Obligation to Address Climate Change
ECOFaith of Santa Barbara is a coalition of faith communities working to harness a collective spirit to take action against the most critical issue of our day - climate change.
Krista H. Reflects on the Eat Local Challenge
For the fifth year, Edible Santa Barbara along with the Community Environmental Council, the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County sponsored the Eat Local Challenge, which encourages people to take a personal pledge to eat and drink local products for the month of October. The challenge is a great way to encourage people to think about where their food comes from and to perhaps change the way they shop and eat.