Blog
A space for learning.
The Oil Spill Heard ‘Round the World
On the 50th anniversary of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, CEC's Executive Director Sigrid Wright and the Environmental Defense Center Chief Counsel Linda Krop speak to the need for "swift and all-encompassing action to heal our planet and prevent further harmful climate disruption."
Marking 50 Years of Environmental Leadership on the SB Oil Spill Anniversary
On January 28, 1969 an oil blowout in the Santa Barbara channel sparked a worldwide environmental movement.
CEC formed in response shortly after and has been rallying the community to action ever since. Watch the January 27, 2019 community gathering.
CEC's 2015 Environmental Hero: Bill McKibben
CEC proudly announces environmental activist and author Bill McKibben as our 2015 Environmental Hero Award recipient.
What We're Reading: Cadillac Desert, Eating on the Wild Side, and The Climate Casino
We recently asked CEC’s Staff, Board, and Partnership Council about their roles as thought leaders in the Santa Barbara community, asking what books, articles, films, apps, podcasts, and other multimedia are influencing their work. Today we’re hearing from Megan Birney, Dennis Allen, and Karl Hutterer. Stay tuned for the next installment of this series!
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.
Connecting the Dots: Climate Change, Drought, and a Wildfire Film Series
For several decades now, scientists have anticipated that climate change would likely trigger increasingly severe droughts, especially in places like semi-arid Southern California. The state is, of course, in the midst of a merciless drought, and last Friday, state officials announced that for the first time in its 54-year history the State Water Project would not deliver water to 29 local water agencies serving 25 million residents and nearly 750,000 acres of farmland.
Infographic: CEC's results in 2013
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is a small and dedicated non-profit with a very big mission: ending the Santa Barbara region’s dependence on fossil fuels in one generation. It's been a busy year for CEC. After all, moving our region off fossil fuels is no small task.