Climate Justice
City of Guadalupe residents are especially impacted by air pollution from pesticides, dust, and other agricultural inputs. Photo by Mar y Sol Productions.
OUR VISION
In a region with extreme wealth disparity and some of the highest poverty rates in the state, CEC is deploying bold, community-led solutions rooted in climate justice that protect our most vulnerable populations against extreme weather and climate impacts. We engage frontline communities that are additionally impacted by fossil fuel infrastructure, legacy pollution, extreme weather, and other intersecting injustices to ensure that everyone has a say in how to protect against climate risks.
By actively creating spaces where underrepresented voices can share their vision and directly influence the planning and implementation of community-led solutions, we can catalyze and sustain investment in communities most vulnerable to climate change.
“Air quality monitors tell us what the air contains, how it affects us, and gives us information so we are able to protect ourselves.”
—Ranulfo Morales
Field Worker
WHAT CEC IS DOING
CARB Guadalupe Community Air Monitoring Project
This project is gathering information about outdoor air quality in Guadalupe (north Santa Barbara County), including the presence of wildfire smoke, pesticides, and other common pollutants, pollutant distribution data, and providing this information to the community via a bi-lingual website along with locally-focused, educational programming on local air quality and health concerns. Learn more.
Community Resilience Hubs
CEC, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Regional Climate Collaborative and the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), received a grant to plan and design a network of neighborhood climate resilience centers – or hubs – that provide centralized disaster services, support, and education to residents who are most vulnerable or at high risk during disasters.Learn more.
Supporting Language Justice
CEC’s multilingual events use best practices for translation and provide expert interpretation. We work with CEC’s Community Ambassadors and skilled translators to improve language access for our events and programs, so more people can participate and create community-centered solutions to the climate crisis across multiple languages. https://cecsb.org/language-justice
FRESA (Food Resilience, Equity, Sustainability & Action)
FRESA is a community-led coalition of food system advocates in Santa Barbara County, including nonprofits, government, private industry, and individuals. The coalition is working to expand community access to affordable, locally-produced fruits and vegetables in the North County and Mid County regions. Learn more.
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Advocate for policy changes
Join our community of policy advocates and get all of the latest news on how you can play a direct role in influencing policies at the local level. Captain Sheila Kelliher L.A. County Fire Department
Hear frontline stories
Review CEC’s Climate Resilience Roundtable Stories of Resilience/Historias de resiliencia to hear lived experiences and deepen your understanding of the compounding impacts of climate change and socio-economic vulnerabilities on our frontline and essential workers and indigenous cultures.
Educate Yourself
Visit the Climate Justice Resources page to learn more about everything.
