Blog
A space for learning.
Free Solar Advice and Peace of Mind
Who doesn’t dread that monthly moment of opening a mailbox or an inbox and finding a stack of bills waiting to be paid? Electricity bills, cable bills, phone bills, medical bills—like hungry young birds in a nest, they sit there silently peeping until their demands are met.
Ty Lewis, a city employee of Paso Robles, set out to eliminate or significantly reduce one of the more common ones in his pile: his electricity bill.
6,000 Years of Solar: From Solar Heated Boxes to Hot Air and Water
“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.
Entering the Driving on Sunshine Galaxy
When Tal first learned about ‘driving on sunshine,’ or powering an electric vehicle with solar energy produced by panels on your home, it seemed like a science fiction fantasy come to life.
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.
Drinking It In: Eliminating single-use plastic bottles
Rethink the Drink started in 2010 with a simple concept: provide schools with an alternative to single-use plastic water bottles and see if habit change followed. Four years later, we are proud to report that habit change is indeed possible. There are now 39 water refill stations in schools and community facilities across Santa Barbara County, and they have been used more than 870,000 times. Creating a single plastic water bottle emits 2.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, thus the amount of carbon dioxide emissions mitigated by our refill stations is more than 2 million pounds.
The Last Piece of the Renewable Energy Puzzle for One Arroyo Grande Family
Kevin could never get solar panels to pencil out economically...until CEC's Solarize San Luis Obispo program came along.
A Conservative Embraces Driving on Sunshine
Aaron is not your typical “go green” kind of guy. He thinks that the country’s solar industry has been too heavily subsidized. And don’t get him started on climate change. None of that, however, stopped Aaron from installing solar panels on his home or purchasing a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Come again?
A Clean Energy Future
Cameron Clark is a local freelance website designer interested in clean energy issues and environmental sustainability. He is also a member of the Santa Barbara County Water Guardians.
America is a country that rises to a challenge, albeit sometimes reluctantly. Winston Churchill observed: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they've tried everything else.” Nowhere is that more true than energy.
WIN: Cuyama solar project
On September 9, 2014, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Cuyama Solar Project, Santa Barbara County's first utility-scale solar project. The Cuyama Solar Project will convert 327 acres of previously disturbed, over-drafted farmland in the Cuyama Valley into a solar facility that will generate enough power for 16,000 California homes and avoid the emissions of 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Greenhouse gas emission threshold in Santa Barbara County
Let the County Board of Supervisors know that you support the lowest threshold possible for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. This Tuesday the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider options for setting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission thresholds from stationary sources. Their decisions will impact Santa Barbara’s ability to regulate GHG emissions for generations to come.
Raising Confident, Independent Girls By Biking More and Driving Less
Last June, Phoebe Wolfe Lyons decided to participate in the Santa Barbara Triathlon — her first experience with such an event. No matter that she had never swum in the ocean before. No matter that she was only eight.
WIN: No on AB 2145
On August 30, 195 people took action and spoke out against AB 2145. The bill is currently in committee. We will update this as new information becomes available.
E.P.A. Announces New Proposed Carbon Pollution Regulations
Today, with the announcement of new carbon regulations, the Obama administration is using authority granted to the E.P.A. by the Clean Air Act to tackle the U.S.’s largest source of carbon pollution: over 600 coal-burning power plants. The proposed regulations would seek to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from these power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
Jordan Finds Pride (and Savings) in Driving on Sunshine
Jordan had not been thinking about buying a new car, electric or otherwise. Then a Facebook post piqued her interest.
6,000 Years of Solar: Solar Design in Ancient Greece
“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.
Intern Spotlight: Marjan Riazi
Marjan Riazi works as the New Student Requirement Coordinator for the UC Santa Barbara Alcohol & Drug Program. Marjan completed a 9-month internship at CEC following graduation from UCSB with a major in Environmental Studies.
From 47 Million Plastic Bags to Fewer Than 5 Million
The saying goes that ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Sometimes it begins with a single plastic bag.
Using Film and a Brompton Foldable Bike to Preserve the Planet
Most mornings, Beezhan Tulu hops on his bright green bike and rides down Highway 101 from his home on the Gaviota Coast to the most westerly bus stop in Goleta, where he folds up his bike, pays the $1.25 bus fare, and completes the last leg of his 20-mile trek into Santa Barbara. Beezhan, a local filmmaker, purposefully does not own a car, and his Day-Glo bike is his sole means of transportation.
But that hasn’t always been the case.
Another Successful Earth Day! Thank you.
We are proud to report 37,364 people attended Santa Barbara Earth Day this year! It's beyond inspiring to see so many people gather to share information, participate in community building, and celebrate this year’s theme “Local Roots,” which encouraged meaningful actions to help make a global impact. The festival was organized around the CEC’s five initiatives: Drive Less, Choose Electric, Go Solar, Ditch Plastic, and Eat Local.
Why Earth Day Matters More Than Ever
On April 22 – the official, nationally designated Earth Day – my email box blows up. Not just from the usual business of managing our local Earth Day festival, but from the mass of e-newsletters and Facebook posts calling attention to the day. They come from every corner of society. A statewide religious consortium. Elected officials. A local attorney’s office. Some are fluff, others are sincere calls for action, and others call into question what it’s all for.