California communities become climate resilient?
CEC’s Senior Director of Climate Programs Em Johnson explored this question at the California Economic Summit and continued the conversation at last week’s Resilient California Summit.
The climate decisions we make today will affect our communities for decades to come. Young people deserve a say in shaping their future — and at the Community Environmental Council’s (CEC) Youth Climate Workshop, students can learn how to make their voices heard and take action in their communities.
Co-hosted with 805 Action, this free workshop invites students in grades 5–12 to explore how they can influence local climate policy and help shape a more sustainable future.
There’s still time to share your perspective with CEC — but our community survey is closing soon!
We’re asking Central Coast residents to share how they want to hear from CEC and what would make it easier to connect with the climate action work happening in our communities. Your feedback will help us better understand how to reach more people and create accessible pathways to get involved.
Thank you to everyone who joined our webinar “All About Electric Vehicles: Ownership, Charging, and How to Get Money Back”! CEC’s Climate Mitigation Program Manager Sean McArthur walked through the benefits of driving electric, how to navigate charging options and costs, and incentives that can help make EV ownership more affordable. If you’re ready to learn more or considering making the switch, CEC is here to help!
Join us Tuesday, Sept. 15, to urge the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to approve proposed amendments to the Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) and Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO) that would prohibit new onshore oil and gas wells. These long-awaited protections would safeguard community health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent future expansion of oil extraction while creating a responsible pathway for winding down existing operations in Santa Barbara County.
Over seven weeks, you’ll explore the science and solutions behind the climate crisis facing our region, hear from local experts and climate leaders, and connect with others who want to make a difference. You’ll have chances to put what you learn into practice through hands-on field experiences and a stewardship project centered on an issue you care about. You don’t have to do it alone — we’ll be there to guide you!
Whether you’re planning a board meeting, strategic retreat, volunteer training, film screening, public forum, or year-end gathering, The Environmental Hub provides a welcoming space designed to help mission-driven organizations connect, collaborate, and inspire action.
Located on State Street in the heart of Santa Barbara, The Hub features flexible meeting spaces, built-in AV, a catering kitchen, and competitive non-profit pricing. Every booking also supports the Community Environmental Council’s work to advance climate solutions across the Central Coast.
At the Community Environmental Council (CEC), our impact depends on people who bring the expertise, leadership, and commitment needed to advance practical climate solutions across the Central Coast.
We’re pleased to welcome two new members to CEC’s Board of Directors, Angela Antenore and Dr. Paasha Mahdavi. Together, they bring deep experience in environmental justice, public policy, governance, and organizational leadership that will help guide CEC’s work in the years ahead.
We’re also excited to welcome three new staff members whose expertise will strengthen programs and partnerships across our region: Development Officer Renee Freeman, Climate-Smart Agriculture Program Manager Brian Sweeney, and Climate Projects Associate Sachi Shiroma.
Since launching the course, CEC has certified 256 CEC Climate Stewards — a growing, interconnected network of alumni who are putting what they’ve learned into practice. This diverse mix of educators, non-profit leaders, students, retirees, business owners, and climate allies are tackling challenges ranging from local policy change to plastic pollution to wildfire resilience.
Discover how CEC is reducing waste at the source, and how you can help create a circular future.
Before you recycle or throw something away, let’s see if it can be repaired! Join us Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at CEC’s Environmental Hub (1219 State St.) for Repair Cafe Santa Barbara, where skilled volunteer fixers will help you troubleshoot and repair everyday items.
Bring up to two items to fix — whether it’s clothing, electronics, bicycles, furniture, toys, or small appliances. You’ll work side by side with volunteers, learn practical repair skills, and help keep valuable items in use instead of creating unnecessary waste.
When we began planning this year’s Green Gala, we kept coming back to a simple idea: Hope has roots.
Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) for an uplifting evening of movement, creativity, reflection, and play designed to help you slow down, tune in, and experience a deeper sense of belonging. Through a series of guided, beginner-friendly exercises, you’ll explore how curiosity, imagination, and embodied awareness can open new pathways to connection and resilience.
What does active hope look like? It looks like learning new skills, meeting inspiring people, celebrating community, coming together around shared solutions, and discovering practical ways to create change.
This summer, the Community Environmental Council (CEC) invites you to join us for A Year of Active Hope — a series of free events offering a welcoming space for people to unite, find courage, and take meaningful steps for our planet.
Over the past several weeks, our community invested in a healthier, more resilient future.
From the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival to our Spring Appeal, we saw hundreds of people step forward to support climate action and community resilience across the Central Coast.
Thank you.
Because of supporters like you, this campaign outperformed recent years and raised meaningful support for the work ahead.
At a moment when so much progress feels uncertain, that kind of community investment matters deeply.
How do we protect Santa Barbara’s beloved coastline amid rising seas and a changing climate?
Next week, join us for June’s Climate Fridays Santa Barbara to hear directly from local leaders working toward climate and coastal resilience. Melissa Hetrick, the City of Santa Barbara’s adaptation and resilience manager, will share updates on the Waterfront Adaptation Plan.
Hope is not passive — it’s built through collective action, conversation, and courage. TEDxSantaBarbara and the Community Environmental Council (CEC) are hosting an evening of active hope in the face of the climate crisis. Join us at The Hub for “Climate Action: Energized by Hope” to explore how truth, voice, vision, and sustained action can help us move from eco-anxiety to meaningful impact.
There’s still time to weigh in, but the deadline is coming up fast. Community members are encouraged to complete the Waterfront Adaptation Survey by Monday, May 18 to help shape the long-term future of Santa Barbara’s Waterfront.
The Waterfront Adaptation Plan looks ahead to the next 30 years, focusing on how to prepare for coastal flooding, shoreline erosion, and sea level rise. At the same time, it aims to protect and enhance what makes the waterfront so important to the community: beach access, recreation, boating, natural habitats, and essential coastal infrastructure.
We’re in the final days of our Spring Appeal, and we’re still working to reach our $75,000 goal by May 15.
We’re close — and every gift matters right now.
We are seeing renewed efforts to expand fossil fuels and roll back climate progress, even here on the Central Coast.
We’ve come too far to go back.
Your gift today will be matched dollar-for-dollar, but only for a short time.
Give now. Your gift will be doubled. ?
I have long been worried about climate change, but I wasn’t sure what I could actually do to make an impact in my community.
That changed when I joined CEC’s Climate Stewards program.
I gained the tools and confidence to take action, and soon found myself helping bring the “Make Polluters Pay” campaign to Santa Barbara County, organizing alongside students and community members.
It showed me what’s possible when people come together.
This weekend, thousands of people came together on the Central Coast for the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival.
Together, we celebrated, connected, and recommitted to building a healthier, more resilient future.
Thank you for being part of it.
To carry this momentum forward, CEC is working to raise $75,000 by May 15 — and every gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar.
On Saturday, April 25 (11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.) and Sunday, April 26 (11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.), Alameda Park will come alive for the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, one of the longest-running Earth Day gatherings in the country. Presented by the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and CarpEvents, this free festival is a reminder of the reason we started this work 56 years ago: to empower our communities to take meaningful local action for the future of our Central Coast.
This year’s theme — Our Power, Our Planet — calls on all of us to stand together in support of clean air, clean water, renewable energy, and a thriving planet for generations to come. Amid federal rollbacks and climate challenges, this message resonates louder than ever.
Festival-goers can also enjoy live music, a plant-forward Food Court and Beer Garden (featuring reusable cups), a Kids Zone, and over 200 eco-friendly exhibitors throughout the festival. We invite you to step into the action and find the CEC team at:
More than 50 years ago, a devastating oil spill off our coast sparked a powerful movement.
In 1970, our community came together to organize one of the first Earth Day celebrations — and the Community Environmental Council was born.
This weekend, we will gather again.
Earth Day is a reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together to demand change and build solutions.
But today, we are once again facing efforts to expand fossil fuels and roll back progress.
Across the country, we’re seeing renewed efforts to expand fossil fuels and lock in decades of climate risk.
Here on the Central Coast, we know what that means.
We’ve seen what happens when systems fail — and we’ve spent decades building something better.
To protect that progress, CEC is working to raise $75,000 by May 15 — and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar.
We can’t go back.
Protect our progress ?
The Central Coast is counting on people like you to step up for a climate-safe future. CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program, in partnership with the University of California Environmental Stewards program, gives you the tools to launch and lead climate solutions in your neighborhood. Starting this Wednesday, April 15, join a cohort of community members, professionals, students, and retirees who are done waiting on the sidelines and ready to lead.
SANTA BARBARA — The Community Environmental Council (CEC) has announced its 2026 Environmental Heroes, honoring Megan Birney Rudert and Assemblymember Gregg Hart for their leadership and innovation in advancing climate solutions. The awards will be presented at the 56th annual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, returning to Alameda Park April 25–26, 2026.
One of the longest-running Earth Day celebrations in the country—and among the largest on the West Coast—the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival is a beloved community tradition that brings together thousands of attendees for a weekend of environmental action, education, and celebration. The free, two-day event will take place Saturday, April 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, April 15 through June 3, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. PDT via Zoom
(Plus occasional weekends for in-person field trips)
You don’t have to be a scientist or politician to make a difference in the climate movement. Real progress happens neighbor by neighbor. CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program, in partnership with the University of California Environmental Stewards program, equips everyday people to lead that change, offering a clear path toward meaningful local action.
Help us meet this moment.
To defend climate progress on the Central Coast, we must raise $75,000 by May 15 — and your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous match from our Board and President’s Council.
Make your matched gift today ?
More than 50 years ago, an oil spill off our coast exposed the risks of fossil fuels — and led to the creation of the Community Environmental Council.
Today, we face renewed threats.
SANTA BARBARA — The Community Environmental Council (CEC) released its 2021-2025 Impact Report, marking the conclusion of its most ambitious strategic plan and highlighting the power of community-driven climate action across the Central Coast.
The report reflects five years of progress advancing clean energy, climate-smart agriculture, and community resilience — despite significant challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting federal policies, and the loss of more than $1.5 million in anticipated federal climate funding.
Central Coast residents invited to join Spring 2026 climate action training SANTA BARBARA — The Community Environmental Council (CEC) has opened enrollment for the Spring 2026 Climate Stewards certification course to engage, inspire, and activate individuals on the Central Coast to join…
Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) at our Earth Month events to jump into the local climate movement, connect with your community, and take meaningful action together. From festivals and celebrations to lectures and workshops — there’s something for everyone. Browse the full April events line-up below.
Join us at Repair Cafe Santa Barbara to give your broken items a second life. This is a simple, but impactful way to take meaningful climate action that benefits you and the planet. By making small, conscious choices, we can all contribute to a more sustainable future.
Join us on Tuesday, March 10 to urge Santa Barbara County Supervisors to consider resident feedback and fully address all environmental challenges facing the communities most affected.
Low-income communities and communities of color often bear the brunt of the climate crisis, facing more severe environmental hazards with fewer resources. Santa Barbara County is required by state law to adopt an Environmental Justice (EJ) Element that addresses environmental inequities.
If you are — or know — a student in grades 6–12 who cares about the future of our coastlines, wildlife, and communities, this is the moment to spring into climate action. Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC), Santa Barbara High School’s Environmental Advocacy Club, and the Sierra Club Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter for a free, interactive Youth Climate Workshop designed to turn passion into tangible impact.
Climate disasters like extreme heat, wildfires, poor air quality, and flooding can strike our region at any time. Community Resilience Hubs are trusted, local spaces — like schools and libraries — that support neighborhoods before, during, and after climate disasters. Each Hub is unique and offers services and resources for the specific needs of the community.
From wildfires and flooding to extreme heat, Southern California communities are facing intensifying climate challenges. Southern California Edison (SCE) — the electric utility company that delivers power to homes and businesses across the Central Coast — is working toward providing safe, reliable service and preparing for increasing climate risks.
When climate challenges feel overwhelming, our most powerful response is connection — gathering in community, strengthening our resolve, and finding pathways forward together. Hope is something we must actively practice every day. That’s why the Community Environmental Council (CEC) invites you to join us for A Year of Active Hope.
Sigrid Wright and Joan Hartmann unpack why oil isn’t security — and what real energy leadership looks like for California and the nation.
The Community Environmental Council’s (CEC) Winter 2026 Climate Stewards cohort begins in just one week! This is your final opportunity to join a growing community of climate advocates turning concern for our planet into meaningful, local action. You don’t need a background in science, advocacy, or policy to join — just a desire to learn, connect, and collaborate to amplify climate action.
“At a time when federal support for climate action is shrinking, communities are increasingly being asked to lead,” said Kathi King, Course Instructor and CEC’s Director of Outreach and Education. “The Climate Stewards program builds the local capacity needed to meet the climate crisis head-on, empowering people to take meaningful action and drive solutions in their own communities.”
The new year welcomes new goals, fresh momentum, and the chance to plan out your events with intention. At CEC’s Environmental Hub (1219 State St., Santa Barbara), you can host your 2026 gatherings in a space that’s both memorable and meaningful, while simultaneously supporting a climate-safe future for the Central Coast. Every booking powers CEC’s critical work to protect our region from climate impacts.
