Blog
A space for learning.
The Electric Vehicle Ripple Effect
Nearly everyone who works at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital knows that if you’ve got questions about solar panels or electric vehicles, Dr. Timothy Rodgers probably has the answers. During the lunch hour, you can sometimes spot Timothy, a specialist in Internal Medicine, in the hospital’s cafeteria — and a couple times a week, he’s chatting with someone curious about green technologies.
Ingenuity and Volunteerism at Earth Day
Fourteen-year-old Catalina Russell has grown up with Santa Barbara’s Earth Day Festival. Since before she can remember, her mom has been bringing her to the celebration that strives to inspire the community to protect and preserve the world we live in. Five years ago, when she was just nine years old, Catalina decided she wanted to do more than passively enjoy the festival. She signed up as a volunteer to help the event she had come to love – and she’s kept coming back to volunteer every year since.
6,000 Years of Solar: From Selenium to Silicon and Beyond
“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.
Setting an Example for the Next Generation
Sue Selle was introducing her science students to ways they might reduce their carbon footprint -- including the many forms of alternative-fuel cars available in today’s market. Then came the question: "Ms. Selle, do you drive one of those cars?" The answer was no. She shared her reasons, but her words felt hollow. "I always try to be a role model to my students, to practice the environmentally-conscious actions that I teach about. I didn't like that I couldn't do that in this case."
Commuting in "Kelleafy"
When Kelly Schmandt Ferguson took a job in Santa Ynez last year, commuting to work by bus was no longer an option for the Santa Barbara resident. Concerns over increased gas expenses and the environmental impacts of fossil fuel emissions as well as the desire to “support a technology that [she] believed in” led Kelly to research leasing an electric vehicle.
Gilbert and Joy Are Reaping the Benefits of Driving on Sunshine
The Robledos have been driving on sunshine for over three years, and they couldn’t be happier with their decision.
Five Ways Colleges Are Coaxing Students Out of Their Cars
Like other schools across the country, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has its own program to entice students, faculty, and staff to reduce driving and choose more sustainable modes of transportation. The Transportation Alternatives Program, or TAP, seeks to reduce traffic congestion, traffic emissions, and the demand for parking on campus and serves those who commute to UCSB by foot, skateboard, bicycle, bus, carpool, vanpool, or train.
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.