I am a bridge-builder, and I’m a CEC Climate Steward.
“The Climate Stewards course showed me how to make conversations about climate action more approachable for my colleagues. When individuals recognize that informed, deliberate actions, however small, contribute to meaningful change, they’re far more likely to take them.”
About Tommy
Since moving to Santa Barbara in 2021, Tommy Blanchard has witnessed the toll that extreme weather and wildfires have taken on local ecosystems and communities. During one particular storm in January 2024, Tommy left work early to escape the intensifying rain. Navigating flooded streets as the water rose, he feared becoming trapped and having to abandon his car on foot. He made it home safely, but the experience brought the destabilizing effects of climate change into sharp, personal focus. This deepened his resolve to take action, leading him to CEC’s Climate Stewards course.
As public programs manager at MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Santa Barbara’s family science museum, Tommy was already working on a Green Guide to help his colleagues live and work more sustainably. Climate Stewards gave it a new direction. The course taught him that people overwhelmed by the climate crisis often disengage entirely, and that lasting change starts by meeting people where they are. Tommy added a “Green Tips” section full of small, everyday actions anyone can take, from cutting energy use to reducing food and plastic waste. A course field trip to the Tajiguas ReSource Center opened his eyes to how local waste systems work, inspiring new guidance on recycling and composting.
The MOXI Green Guide is now part of the museum’s onboarding process, introducing every new employee to its green policies, initiatives, and benefits from day one. Since its first release in 2024, the guide has nearly doubled in length, growing from nine pages to 16. Tommy believes bringing climate action into the workplace is a powerful way to grow the movement. By giving colleagues practical tools to take action, Tommy hopes to inspire changes that extend beyond the workplace to their families, friends, and neighbors.
“This is how people’s minds actually change,” Tommy said, “by hearing it from those they already respect and trust.”
