Geraldine “Gerrie” Clemens
I’m an activist, and I’m a CEC Climate Steward.
Partnering with the Oil & Gas Action Network, Gerrie helped design and build an oil well replica for the End Dependence Day 2023 in San Luis Obispo.
“I don’t want the next generation to inherit a world in crisis — and if we don’t act now, it’s inevitable. We all share responsibility, not just Big Oil. CEC’s Climate Stewards course was my chance to show up, use my voice, and learn how to make better choices for the planet.”
About Gerrie
After decades of climate advocacy, Gerrie Clemens enrolled in the Climate Stewards course to sharpen her leadership, ground her work in science, and turn urgency into measurable change.
As a longtime member of the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition and committed community activist, Geraldine “Gerrie” Clemens was no stranger to taking action. But she saw CEC’s Climate Stewards course as an opportunity to deepen her impact — to pair lived experience with science-based knowledge, amplify frontline voices, and drive community-wide change.
During the course, Gerrie deepened her understanding of the devastating health and environmental harms caused by oil extraction in vulnerable communities. It was a lightbulb moment. For her Stewardship Project, she set out to coordinate End Dependence Day in San Luis Obispo — an ambitious public education and organizing effort focused on implementing , Senate Bill 1137, the landmark law establishing a 3,200-foot buffer between oil drilling operations and homes, schools, and hospitals.
Working in collaboration with local partners, Gerrie connected the global consequences of fossil fuel extraction to local, lived realities while advocating for a just transition to renewable energy. Partnering with the Oil & Gas Action Network, she helped design and build an oil well replica for the event, giving community members a powerful, hands-on way to understand the intersection of climate justice, public health, and social equity. End Dependence Day was a remarkable success, and implementation of SB 1137 went into effect the following year.
Since graduating, Gerrie continues to embody the Climate Stewards ethos. With ongoing guidance from CEC, she has transitioned to an electric vehicle and remains deeply engaged in environmental advocacy —- stepping in wherever her experience and voice can make a difference.
