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. Check out this infographic of our most impressive accomplishments from 2011.

Thank you to everyone who helped us this year: donors, green-minded businesses, Solarize SB participants, Facebook fans, Earth Day attendees...  you all help power the clean energy movement in Santa Barbara. Consider giving back by making a donation to CEC this year.

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You may already know why we think electric vehicles (EVs) are so cool. EVs are around 3x more efficient than gasoline vehicles – that's how the EPA rates them around 100 mpg equivalent. They produce zero tailpipe emissions, and on California's clean grid, they produce around 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable gasoline car.

Since the new generation of EVs started to hit the market this year, most of the questions we've heard are about range, permitting, rebates and how to actually purchase one. Here's what you need to know:

Range and charging

• Many commuters find that they can make most, if not all, of their daily trips solely on electricity. The Chevy Volt has a 40 mile battery range and then can travel over 300 miles on gasoline. The Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus EV, and many other all-electric vehicles have a 70-100 mile range.
• Most recharging is done overnight at home. CEC's Plug in Santa Barbara is working to get more public stations in place this year.
• Many drivers install a 240-volt (Level 2) charging station in their garage and recharge the battery at night, when the cost of electricity is lower. Visit SCE for a calculator with various charging rates and other information. It generally takes about 3 to 8 hours to recharge from a Level 2 station, depending on the vehicle.

Permits

• To install a 240-volt charging station, contact a licensed electrical contractor. The process is similar to installing a hot tub – your electrician will arrange the permit and inspection.

Rebates

• A federal tax credit of up to $7,500, and a more limited California rebate of $2,500 are available.
• More information on rebates...

Making a purchase

• These vehicles are in such high demand that manufacturers are increasing production volumes. Meanwhile they are difficult to find on the lot, so contact a local dealer to get on the waiting list.
• By 2012, there are expected to be a dozen electric vehicles on the market, so the supply may be less constrained.

To track the latest news on these models, stay in touch with CEC through Facebook and our e-newletter.

Also, check out a green car show to see them for yourself. CEC hosts three shows per year where you can check out all the new electric vehicles. Shows in 2012 are scheduled for: Santa Barbara (April 21-22), Ventura (July 4) and Santa Maria (TBD). You can watch a 6 minute tour of the 2011 Green Car Show on CEC's website.

Do you already own an EV? We want to hear about your experience! Shoot a quick email to Michelle at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

"I happily participated in the Green Car Show Ride and Drive this past April and was able to drive a Nissan Leaf.  I am a Prius driver, thus knew what to look for when trying out an all-electric car.  Nissan did an excellent job making the Leaf a very 'consumer-friendly' automobile.  The Leaf was comfortable, spacious and even fun to drive.  Most importantly, I didn’t feel as though I was driving a 'golf cart'.

The CEC did a great job to provide our community with the opportunity to view and even drive a multitude of alternative vehicles in their Green Car Show. I look forward to following CEC's Plug In Santa Barbara efforts."

-- Jeff C., Santa Barbara

Jeff plans to lease an electric vehicle.

We are proud to report over 38,214 people attended Earth Day this year – our largest event ever! (And thanks to our stellar volunteers, who track entries from 6 locations). It’s a beautiful thing when so many people can gather peacefully to share information, celebrate, and empower one another.

Our Favorite Stats:

• 1,130 people valet parked their bikes for free at Bike World, and more than a thousand others self-parked their bikes. Still more came by foot or bus. Specials thanks to our partners at the SB Bicycle Coalition,, MTD, and Santa Barbara Car Free. 
• We finally found a way to keep everyone hydrated thanks to two Water Monsters, which take local tap water, filter it and serve it cold to anyone with a refillable bottle.  The amount of water distributed by the Water Monsters this year was equivalent to 3,200 6,000 plastic bottles (Edit: We recalculated and discovered our savings was much more than we originally thought).
• 523 people took a ride and drive in one of the new plug-in vehicles in the Green Car Show. Thanks to the teams from Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and Toyota Prius for making this possible.
• All of the waste generated by the festival is being hand sorted by one of our major sponsors, MarBorg Industries. We will know our diversion rate at the end of the month.

Tell Us What You Think
We want to hear from you! What were the highlights? Suggestions for next year? Respond by Wednesday at 5pm and we'll enter you in a drawing to win some fossil-free lifestyle gifts, including Key2Fitness gift certificates, CEC water bottles, Earth Day t-shirts and more.

Sponsor or exhibitor? Take this survey.
Festival attendee? Take this survey.

Share Your Photos
We know you took some great shots -- please share them! You can post your photos and videos to one of our sites (including Facebook or Flickr) or mail a disc to CEC for a chance to be used in festival promotional materials for 2012.

Special Thanks
A huge thank you to our core production partners, +One Events and LoaTree, as well as dozens of other production partners and hundreds of volunteers. We invite you to join us in applauding their incredible energy and commitment.

You Can Still Give Back
For those who participated in our text donation drive, many thanks. If you didn't get a chance, you can still make a $10 donation by texting "Earth" to 50555. We'll be pulling our raffle winners tomorrow - prizes include a bicycle, water bottles, and more. Your support allows us to host this event year after year.

Experience cutting-edge technology first hand by taking an electric vehicle for a “ride and drive” at the 12th annual Green Car Show, held at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival. At the Green Car Show, CEC hosts the largest collection of efficient and alternative-fueled vehicles between LA and San Francisco.

This year we feature the latest electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles, like the Chevy Volt and the Nissan LEAF, and some are available for a test drive. We’re also showcasing vehicles that run on hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel and compressed natural gas.

The Green Car Show helps CEC launch our new program Plug In Santa Barbara as we work to bring electric vehicle charging stations to the Central Coast and make it easier to use EVs in Santa Barbara. Get ready for plug-in electric vehicles and follow our updates on Facebook.