Past Action Alerts
Help California get to Carbon Neutrality by 2035
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will soon decide on two major issues impacting California's ability to move quicker on combating the climate crisis. We need you to share your voice and spread the word on two key issues: Carbon Neutrality and Clean Cars. Take 5 minutes today to advance critical climate policy by 10 years.
WIN: All-electric new building construction is the future of Santa Barbara
On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, Santa Barbara City Council and Mayor Cathy Murillo voted unanimously to enact a new building ordinance prohibiting natural gas infrastructure in newly constructed buildings, with the exception of restaurants and applications where there isn't yet a viable electric alternative to gas. With this vote, the City takes an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting our 2035 carbon neutrality goal.
WIN: AB1276 passes to help eliminate single-use plastics from take-out and delivery orders #SkipTheStuff
Thank you for helping pass AB1276! We now have a policy in place that requires that restaurants and online food delivery platforms list the accessories they provide so that customers can choose only what they need. This will help eliminate millions of tons of single-use foodware from entering the waste stream. Local jurisdictions are creating their own implementation strategies and CEC is working with the City of Goleta in the hopes that they will include an EPS (Styrofoam) ban in their plan.
WIN: Help create a safer, more equitably accessible, and uninterrupted travel corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians
Santa Barbara’s Mayor and City Council members voted unanimously to uphold the appeal and support the Westside Community Paseos project. There were some conditions to their approval, mostly to ensure that the Historic Landmarks Commission members can support landscape design for the project and to improve the way that City staff bring these projects to their design review boards (including the Historic Landmarks Commission).
Approving the Westside Community Paseos project is a critical step for climate action, safer biking and walking, and clean transportation equity in Santa Barbara.
ÉXITO: Ayúdanos a crear una ruta de recorrido más segura, equitativamente accesible, e ininterrumpida para ciclistas y peatones
El alcalde de Santa Bárbara y los miembros del Consejo Municipal votaron unánimemente para defender la petición y apoyar el Proyecto Paseos de la Comunidad del Lado Oeste. Hubo algunas condiciones para su aprobación, principalmente para garantizar que los miembros de la Comisión de Monumentos Históricos puedan apoyar el diseño del paisaje para el proyecto y para mejorar la forma en que el personal de la Ciudad lleva estos proyectos a sus reuniones de revisión de diseño (incluida la Comisión de Monumentos Históricos).
Aprobar el Proyecto Paseos de la Comunidad del Lado Oeste es un paso crítico para la acción climática, andar en bicicleta y caminar de manera más segura y equidad en el transporte limpio en Santa Bárbara.
WIN: City of Santa Barbara moves forward an Energy Code Amendment
The City of Santa Barbara is moving forward an Energy Code Amendment that would require new buildings to be built all-electric instead of also using natural gas. This new code does not apply to existing buildings or homes, and will have NO affect on existing buildings supplied by natural gas.
These new buildings will help make zero carbon communities possible and will get us a step closer to the City's goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2035. The next step is to consult with stakeholders and bring back a refined all-electric code for new buildings in the next couple months.
WIN: City of Santa Barbara sets bold goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2035
We did it! Join us in applauding the City of Santa Barbara for joining the City of San Luis Obispo in setting a goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2035. On the heels of Governor Newsom's executive order to advance key zero-emission climate goals to 2035, this decision represents a momentous step forward for our city, our region, and our state.
LOSS: SB 54 and AB 1080 fail to pass California legislature
CEC and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper are sad to share that the landmark California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (SB 54 and AB 1080) failed to pass the California legislature.
WIN: Take Action on Local Transportation Reform in your Community / Toma acción sobre la reforma del sistema de transportación en tu comunidad
A final version of Connected 2050 RTP-SCS was adopted in August 2021. Learn more.
Una versión final de Connected 2050 RTP-SCS se adoptó en agosto de 2021. Aprende más.
WIN: Strauss Wind Project underway! #cleanenergy
We are pleased to share that the Strauss Wind Project received its permits in early May. This means that construction can begin on Santa Barbara’s first wind farm. Renewable energy continues to be more cost-effective than oil and gas and the struggles of the fossil fuel industry during the COVID-19 pandemic are only increasing this divide.
WIN: Help speed the transition to electric vehicles #driveclean
In 2019, CEC was able to have follow-up conversations with our Electric Drive 805 partners and work with them to streamline permitting for EV charging stations. This laid the groundwork for Electric Drive 805 to launch the South Central Coast CALeVIP program in 2021, providing $12 million in new state funding to build new EV charging stations in our region.
Stop risky oil development in Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission heard public comment on the controversial ERG cyclic steaming oil project on March 13, 2019. Comments took the entire day and they pushed the report to be heard on March 27. After the March 27 meeting, they determined they needed more information, continuing the item until May 29.
They directed staff to conduct research on many of the points CEC brought up, specifically around the carbon intensity of the proposed oil production and what a greenhouse gas offset plan would look like. We will keep following the issue and share updates as we receive them.
WIN: Go electric MTD #driveclean
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District voted unanimously to set a goal of 100% all-electric buses by 2030, joining Los Angeles and seven other California Transit Agencies. Setting this goal will lead to cleaner air, cut climate pollution, improve the health of our region’s residents, and increase jobs.
WIN: Santa Barbara Unified goes solar
Thanks to advocacy efforts from CEC and others, and particularly CEC past board president and SBUSD board member Laura Capps, Santa Barbara Unified School District moved forward with a comprehensive solar and storage project. Fourteen sites will install solar and six will include battery energy storage, for a total of five megawatts of solar and five megawatt hours of energy storage. This is one of the largest solar+storage projects in Santa Barbara and a fantastic asset for our community.
WIN: SB 100 signed into law
Your voice helped move California one step closer to a clean energy future. The 78 calls made by CEC's followers contributed to the passage of SB 100, which requires California to move to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045. It will next need to pass the Senate, and be signed by Governor Jerry Brown.
SB 100 calls for California to move to 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2045. Amid rising concerns about the impacts of climate change, the California Assembly voted to pass the bill in late August. Next, it moved on to the Senate before landing on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown, who added on an executive order establishing a new target to achieve carbon neutrality, also by 2045.
WIN: Community Choice Energy takes a huge step forward
After over a decade of encouragement from the Community Environmental Council and other advocates, the County of Santa Barbara, and the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria all independently voted to move forward with launching a local Community Choice program.
WIN: City of Santa Barbara moves to #DitchPlastic
Your support helped the City of Santa Barbara continue to ditch single-use plastic. With a hundred signatures and individuals showing up to testify at City Council, a ban on Styrofoam food service items & retail sales will go into effect January 1, 2019, as well as a ban on plastic straws with a provision that food providers must ask customers if they need plastic cutlery or stirrers before providing.
WIN: City of Goleta votes unanimously for 100% renewable energy by 2030
We did it! Goleta Becomes 51st city in U.S. to Set 100% Renewable Energy Goal
In an unanimous vote, City of Goleta council members committed to moving the city's municipal facilities and community-wide electricity supply to 100% renewable power by 2030. They also resolved to have at least 50 percent of electricity use by municipal facilities come from renewable sources by 2025. To support these goals, the city authorized investigating the feasibility of a city-wide Community Choice Energy program that could encourage more local renewable generation.