Aaron Jones, Associate Director for Community Affairs for UCSB’s Associated Students, commutes regularly from his home in downtown Santa Barbara to the UCSB campus. Each day, he travels the same route, but his trip isn’t in the comfort of his own vehicle. As part of a one-car family, Aaron spends the majority of his commute on the bus or on his road bike. 

“We don’t need two cars. I don’t need to drive.” Using public transit and biking has been the most economically viable means of transportation for Aaron, but he also considers it easy and fun. He saves hundreds of dollars every year on parking alone and is cutting out the other expenses that come with driving a vehicle on a daily basis.

Aaron bikes about 12 miles to get to work, where he stretches, showers on campus, and changes into work clothes. “It’s just a beautiful ride; you can’t ask for a better place to live, where you’re able to commute to work by bicycle almost all times of year.”  Plus, he thinks better, feels more positive and confident, and has more energy overall when he’s biking. When he’s not riding his bike, he’s on public transit. Taking into account the walk to the bus stop, the bus ride, and the walk to the office, he figures the commute takes roughly the same amount of time as it does by bike. 

Aaron started biking at age 5 and he distinctly remembers his training wheels, but it wasn’t until more recently in his life that biking began to play a bigger role. In 2002, his housemate mentioned that he would be participating in the AIDS Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and asked Aaron if he would be interested. Aaron thought of his housemate as a “much more committed rider,” but joined him in training anyway. He purchased additional equipment, became more serious about cycling, and “actually got a helmet!” Nowadays, Aaron is always equipped with the usual biking gear ¬- helmet, shoes, gloves, etc. -- but also brings a repair kit with an extra tube, CO2 cartridge, tools, and a snack in case he starts to feel tired.

Aaron’s family is also involved in his bimodal commuter lifestyle. It can be challenging when it comes time to service the family car, but usually there aren’t any usage conflicts with his wife Sara. “It works fine because during the week, I don’t need to drive.”  With a tag-along attached to his bike, he takes his daughter to school.  She enjoys the rides with her dad, but at age 6, Aaron acknowledges she may not be thinking about the environmental effects of biking versus driving. In the future, Aaron and Sara plan to continue being open with their children about why they have only one car and the benefits of biking and exercise. “It’s ironic that the body needs to expend energy in order to give energy.” By exercising, Aaron notices how much more energized he feels. “It’s somewhat paradoxical, but it’s true.”

Over ten years have passed since Aaron decided to take biking more seriously, and he admits that creating an alternative transportation routine is an ongoing, evolving process, but it is something he truly values. He recognizes that biking gives him a healthy appetite and more patience because he simply has more time to think and process while he rides; he even considers biking a form of meditation. As a PhD student with two kids and a full-time job that sometimes requires him to be on campus early in the morning and late into the evening, it’s not always easy to find a ride or catch the most convenient bus. Still, he recommends making the switch, particularly for those who are physically able and living in Santa Barbara. 

“It’s not a race. Just enjoy being on the bike and the ride; it’s not about setting any records.” For him, it’s about getting regular exercise, decreasing his carbon footprint, and starting his day feeling well-energized and invigorated.

The Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival brought people of all backgrounds together to celebrate our earth, sustainability, and the community. Throughout the weekend, festival goers were asked two questions as part of the Earth Day Network’s “Face of Climate” campaign. Saturday’s question got people thinking about the issues that worry them most about the environment. Sunday’s question uncovered the positive components that give people hope for Mother Nature. Bill Nye respnded with "Raise the standard of living for women through education and reduce the human population. Provide energy and clean water for everyone by engineering. Control the climate of the whole world by working together".

Scroll down to see the top photos for each day and check out the entire collection here >

Saturday: What concerns you about climate change?

Sunday: What gives you hope for the Earth?

When 250 volunteers filled Alameda Park during CEC’s Earth Day Festival in April —building displays, greeting and counting attendees, helping exhibitors load in to their booth spaces -- Heather Gardner was in the thick of it all.

Returning this year as a Zone Captain – a volunteer who helps manage other volunteers – Heather reflected on what keeps professionals like her returning to the event year after year. As a UCSB Materials Engineering Academic Personnel Coordinator by day, she regularly meets people from all over the world in the science and technology industry.  CEC’s Earth Day Festival, however, is a chance to connect with and give back to her community. ”"I find it incredible to see how many facets there are of people in the community who care about the environment. It’s my favorite thing that I volunteer for,” she said. 

Returning volunteers are important because they know the overall layout of the festival and are familiar with the duties, said Clara Svedlund, the festival’s Volunteer Coordinator.  “Without them, the festival couldn’t happen; they’re the integral part. If they come back, it shows we’re doing something right!”  This year, 83% of the volunteers surveyed after the event said that they help simply because they feel it is the right thing to do. Over 90% said they found the volunteering process easy and felt like they were well utilized, and 95% said they would volunteer at CEC’s event again.

In addition to being of service, the volunteers also report that they learn from the exposure to environmental displays and information.  For example, Heather enjoyed the Green Car Show because she thinks the “transportation industry is a big problem, and seeing what they’re doing to ease congestion is always very exciting.” She also said she was inspired by CEC’s Environmental Hero Van Jones, who stirred the audience with his questioning of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline installation.

After two years under her belt, Heather recommends a few things to anyone volunteering: good walking shoes, sunblock, and a bottle of water.  “Just enjoy it; people are really serious so you have to come into it with a lot of enthusiasm.”

We recently asked CEC’s Staff, Board, and Partnership Council about their role 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 Brina, Andrew, Marjan, and Jacob.

Although he’s been known to play a video game or two, Noah Z. is not your ordinary teenager. Recently, Noah decided he wanted to express his concerns about the world his generation is inheriting by shedding light on a simple way that American drivers can reduce their carbon footprint. His experiment won him a medal at the Santa Barbara County Science Fair and has him thinking about the future.

The idea started when he and his family checked out the Green Car Show at CEC’s 2012 Earth Day Festival. After seeing the Nissan LEAF on display, his parents decided to purchase one for their household. They had test-driven a friend’s LEAF and enjoyed how it felt like driving any other car.  “It’s a little bit of a ripple effect,” Noah’s father Howard explained. After their purchase, both their neighbors and their best friends ended up buying LEAFs for their households too.

Although he is not old enough yet to drive, Noah was intrigued with the mechanics. He spent time looking through the manual, focusing on the manufacturer’s recommendations for maximum energy efficiency in an electric car. He also did some research on “Carwings,” a complimentary remote data collector provided by Nissan, which allows his family to monitor the charging, climate, and daily energy consumption of the LEAF. The Carwings technology conveniently works from his parents’ smartphones, allowing the family to set reminders and timers to start charging the car -- even when they’re not actually inside of it.  

After a little more research on electric vehicles, Noah decided to create a science project utilizing data from the new family car. He and his father completed 9 trials (See Table 1 for exact results) on a set 11.8 mile route throughout Santa Barbara, driving in relatively similar conditions each time. Individual trials were either considered “Normal,” “Aggressive,” or “Eco.”  Normal driving consisted of rolled up windows, air conditioning and radio on, and an “every day driving” style. Aggressive driving meant that the A/C was on full blast, the windows were rolled down, the radio was on and the driver was using quick braking and accelerating.  Eco driving consisted of rolled up windows, no A/C or radio, and slower acceleration and braking to conserve energy.

Noah found that the eco mode was consistently more energy efficient than the normal and aggressive trials, with an average of 4.87 m/kWh. Based on these statistics, he and his family have taken the extra step to drive more economically.  Noah’s father was surprised by the results, but he’s definitely not complaining. “It’s great. You forget it’s an electric vehicle; you have to plug it in, but you never go to the gas station.”

Noah’s project was awarded the Bronze medal at the Santa Barbara County Science Fair in the Junior Environmental Division, and has him thinking about environmental science as a potential career. He said that his family had also been looking into CEC’s Solarize Santa Barbara program to make their vehicle completely zero-emission; but until they go solar, they’re doing everything they can to be more environmentally friendly. “If every driver lowered their emissions just a little bit, it would result in a staggering amount of change”, says Noah. 

It doesn’t take much to lower a carbon footprint and help protect the Earth; this teenager is proof of that. Driving an electric vehicle helps to lower car emission rates and saves individuals and the government money. If you’re interested in learning more about electric vehicles visit the Plug In Santa Barbara website or be sure to check out the Green Car Show at Santa Barbara Earth Day, April 20-21,2013.

Steve Hahn has been interested in sustainable transportation and electric vehicles for as long as he can remember.  Growing up in Detroit, he was steeped in the car culture, as well as the big city’s trains and subways. Later in life he moved to Santa Barbara and began working for the Metropolitan Transit District (MTD). Residing close to work, Steve drives a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) every day. It seemed like an efficient and sustainable decision, and “bypassing the pump has also been nice.” He has enjoyed it so much so that he even converted his neighbors, creating Santa Barbara’s very own EV Neighborhood.

When fully-functioning electric vehicles began hitting the market a couple of years ago, Steve and his wife Connie decided to purchase a 2011 Chevy Volt. They had been following the progression of the electric vehicle market for years through auto web sites, books, car shows, and magazines. There were a number of reasons for making the switch to electric, but for Steve and Connie, “the Iraq war was a major factor. “We were so mad about how willing we are to invade another country for foreign oil, so a lot of this was just to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” Going electric was the obvious next step. Since purchasing the Volt in 2012, they have driven over 60% of their 26,000 miles in electric mode and avoided the use of 500 gallons of gas. Steve is also very happy to be supporting American technology and California’s economy.

When they’re driving during the week, “the car is in pure electric mode all the time.”  They charge it at home and at charging stations in Southern California whenever they’re doing weekend trips to Los Angeles or Orange County.  When they do those long trips, they never worry about running out of power because “it’s an extended range electric vehicle,” meaning the gas kicks in when they are about to run out of charge. So far, Steve’s only qualm is that the electric heating system isn’t very efficient. “It takes a lot of energy to run the system and ends up being very expensive.   Luckily, he’s figured out a few solutions by heating it while it’s plugged into the wall and utilizing smartphone apps to “precondition the temperature.” Even so, he’s not too affected in the balmy Santa Barbara climate. The Volt also only seats four, but as a family or 3 this hasn’t been a problem.

Working at MTD, he has helped transition the agency to electric and hybrid buses with similar technology to the Chevy Volt. In fact, MTD is one of the leading public transportation programs in this field, with 20 electric buses and 18 hybrids¹. He thinks the future will be “a mix of everything: hybrids, electric vehicles, trains, and of course the performance vehicles for those who can afford them.” 

For Steve, effective public transportation is imperative. “In New York City, you can get around without a car; you can do the same in Santa Barbara every day.” By removing 20,000 car trips out of the day just to this small area, all of those emissions are also cut. Plus, having strong alternative solutions “eases congestions and lessens the need for more than one car.” He has happily imparted a similar mindset onto his 14-year-old son, Will, who also enjoys public transportation. “He’s ridden trains all over the world, and buses in Ireland, Italy, and England.” Will even followed in his father’s footsteps and rides an electric scooter to school every day.

¹ http://www.sbmtd.gov/about/facts.html

Don Lubach constantly seems to be in a million places at once. Sometimes he’s leading a lecture in one of his famed undergraduate courses. Other times he’s rushing from meeting to meeting with administrators and students, always with a massive grin across his face. Where we like to catch him is on his modified Bianchi city bike, commuting around Santa Barbara car-free.

Don – who is approaching age 50 – has “enjoyed bicycling all the way through life.” (Recently he found a picture of himself with his first bike at age six.) While some people may feel restricted by a bike, Don says that’s not the case for him. He relies on a combination of a folding bike and a city bike that he has stretched into a “long-tail” using a product by Xtracycle to carry surfboards, boxes, groceries, and even people.

Today Don’s daily work commute is four miles each way, primarily along Class 1 trails like the Obern Trail, designed exclusively for bicycles and pedestrians. ”Commuting by bicycle doubles my enjoyment of living in Santa Barbara. When I get to Goleta Beach, I leave the trail and ride through the parking lot so that I can be as close to the ocean as possible.”

Biking is a way of life for Don, but it’s not his only option. With his folding bike,  he can “drive or take the MTD to the highest point on State Street and then use my bike and the help of gravity to zoom into town with no worry about parking.”  This multi-modal mindset is exactly what he encourages his friends to participate in.  When he factors in the time it takes to park and traffic, he figures that bike trips can actually be faster than driving around town. For that and other reasons, he’s tried to find alternatives. He is a long-time member and fan of Zipcar, and with UCSB’s ample supply, he rarely needs to use his own car. “Most cars in the U.S. are not moving, just taking up space, for more than 90% of their life. That’s ridiculous. We could all save a lot of money and worry if we shared cars.” Plus, no car means more room for bikes in the garage.

When his two daughters were younger, he would drop them off and pick them up from school on the tail of his bike. Because of Don’s influence, his daughters are also strong riders now and are planning a long bike tour together in June 2014.

When he’s not cramming his bike in with the rest of the family fleet at home, he’s parking it in one of the numerous bike lots on campus.  When he’s at UCSB, it seems like everyone is biking too.  “The rates of faculty and staff who bike are quite high compared with professionals across the state.  When it comes to students, daily drivers are very rare,” so he feels like he’s going with the crowd.  He loves saving money, and parking costs hundreds of dollars at his workplace.  He reckons his long-tail Bianchi might be stolen one day, but “it’s such an unusual bike that half the campus would wonder what someone else is doing on the associate dean’s giant bike.”

Aside from the theft concern, sometimes Don runs into complications or mechanical problems. Still, he thinks it’s a better alternative than driving. He finds car repair “mysterious,” where as bike malfunctions are usually fixable on the spot.  With significant repairs, he looks on the bright side and realizes it means spending time with some of his favorite bike mechanics. 

Weather isn’t always on a biker’s side either, but Santa Barbara gets pretty lucky. For riders who find themselves frequently in the rain, Don recommends fenders, a rain cape or poncho, wearing an old pair of sandals or no shoes at all and storing necessities (e.g. work shoes, socks, and his briefcase) in a large plastic bag. During rainy season, he follows this routine and walks into the workplace, wearing a suit and tie, looking just like his colleagues who commute by car.

On top of these benefits, the regular bike commute forces him to stay in shape and provides him with a solid social life. “Why join a gym when you can both get to work and get some exercise at the same time?” He enjoys coming upon one of his many bicycle friends and having a great conversation as they make their way to the office. “You just can’t do that on the 101,” he says with a grin. “You could try, but it would be very hazardous.”

We recently asked CEC’s Staff, Board, and Partnership Council about their role 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 Andrew, Kathi, Katie, and Michael.  Stay tuned for the next installment of this series!

What we’re downloading…

CEC Partnership Councilmember Katie Davis is using the Skeptical Science app for ready answers to climate change denial. Recently trained by Al Gore through his Climate Reality program, Katie now uses this app to readily access scientific answers to many common climate arguments.  She also takes the California Tidepool app with her to the beach.   It was created by local experts with the help of her team at Citrix, and helps users identify the creatures cruising around in the littoral zone.

We recently asked CEC’s Staff, Board, and Partnership Council about their role 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 Jacob, Sigrid, Barbara, and Brian.  Stay tuned for the next installment of this series!

What we’re reading…

	CEC Partnership Council Member Barbara Lindemann read Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver.  Set in a small east Tennessee town, this story addresses the “reality of climate change and the resistance that scientists face in countering the influence of corporate-sponsored denials.”  Amidst the environmental, economic, and political dilemmas, the characters are forced to challenge what they have always deemed as truth and consider sustainable change in their community.
CEC Assistant Director Sigrid Wright recently read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.  She says it’s “a must-read for anyone wanting to involve all personality types on their team.”  After taking a small group of non-profit executives to see the author speak at a UCSB lecture last fall, she said the topic “sparked some great dinner conversation and got me thinking further about how powerful solutions can come from quieter reflection.”
	CEC Partnership Council Member Jacob Tell recommends Jonah Lehrer’s Imagine, saying it is a “great book on examining how creativity and the creative process work from both an artistic and scientific perspective.”  Even in the wake of Lehrer’s plagiarism scandal, this book has still been highly acclaimed as a must-read as he expands on the importance of “embracing the rut, thinking like a child, and daydreaming productively” in order to create better neighborhoods, companies, and schools.
CEC Board Treasurer Brian Fahnestock recommends a timely article entitled Ten Nonprofit Funding Models in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.  It discusses the challenges the nonprofit sector faces when it comes to financing organizations in the current economic state and provides 10 models that “could support the growth of organizations” while simultaneously examining “potential and constraints associated with those models.”

Going solar is a smart and easy way to lower energy costs -- especially in sunny California -- but for many, it is not a feasible option. GRID Alternatives, a non-profit licensed solar installation organization, has found a way to give everyone an opportunity to bring alternative energy into their community, by training volunteers to install solar electric systems for low-income families.

The program brings renewable energy to families that will greatly benefit from the savings of going solar, but that wouldn’t otherwise be able to financially support a renewable energy system.

Through GRID Alternative, volunteers sign up for a one-time orientation. The next orientation in the Central Coast region is Tuesday, January 22 from 6-8 pm at the Santa Ynez Tribal Hall. Once that is completed, volunteers are divided into teams based on experience. (For example, some will go on to set up tracks on the ground, while others will work on the rooftops.) For the individuals looking to gain more experience and skills, GRID Alternatives offers a Team Leader program, which requires five installations and an additional training session. Once a volunteer is able to demonstrate mastery of the core skills, he or she can become certified as a “teaching assistant,” helping the rest of the staff in the field.

Otha Cole, a LEED Green Associate with a Master’s in Urban Planning, started getting more interested in solar a few years ago and wanted to increase his professional skills. Santa Barbara City College offered several sustainably-minded courses in construction technology, including solar energy. “Once I started taking those classes,” says Cole “I did my first solar panel installation. I wanted to extend on that and heard about GRID Alternatives.”

For Otha, gaining the knowledge and skills was beneficial to him professionally, but it was also about more than that. “People talk about the importance of solar energy and how it is the future; I wanted to learn first-hand just how it works.” He believes that the real incentive to go solar "is self-sufficiency, moving toward a more logical approach towards energy and a critical mass of people who are adopting these lifestyles.”

In the future, Otha wants to have solar panels on his own home. Since he doesn’t have that option currently, he did everything else he could to show his support for solar energy by joining the volunteer force of GRID Alternatives. “This is a great way to volunteer and to actively participate in an actual project, getting the hands-on experience installing solar panels and learning about all the components that are needed in a solar array system…for free.”

To learn more about GRID Alternatives, visit their website. You can also join their next Solar Installation training on Tuesday January 22 from 6-8 pm at the Santa Ynez Tribal Hall. Sign up for the orientation online or contact Serena Bruce, Solar Corps Solar Installation Associate at (805) 769-9112.

In 2007, 31-year-old Colin Loustalot sold his car and began biking for transportation. For five years, he's been getting around on a low-end aluminum frame mountain bike with street tires and some aftermarket components. He also has a low-end racing bike for longer distances.

He does not regret making the switch. Before moving to Santa Barbara, Colin was living a car-centered lifestyle in L.A. – complete with a daily 45-90 minute work commute (depending on traffic). He also spent a lot of time in the car driving to music performances and college classes. The commute became "more than my psyche could endure," he said. Growing tired of driving across a city "notorious for excessive sprawl, gridlock, and road rage," he made a decision: he no longer wanted to surround himself with that environment.

Initially after selling his own car, Colin straddled the car and bike worlds by sharing a car with a friend. By 2009, however, he was strictly biking and utilizing public transportation. He found that when he had a car parked in the driveway with keys in hand, it was too tempting to drive, and decided that getting rid of the car completely was his best option.

Without the "luxury" of owning his own vehicle, he discovered it wasn't really much of a luxury at all. To him, cars actually cause more harm than good. He knew automobiles were inefficient, especially since most drivers travel solo in their five-seaters, but he also felt trapped, "locked into this cycle of unnecessary expense that was contributing zero to anyone's true happiness or well-being." To him, no longer participating in car ownership and instead becoming a cyclist was the best way to reconnect with his surroundings, prevent further environmental destruction and improve his physical and mental health. More specifically, Colin cited three motivations behind his decision:

1. "Climate change is the biggest issue of our time." The environmental impact of vehicle production is mountainous compared with the production of bicycles. While he recognizes that transportation isn't the number one source of atmospheric carbon, bicycling was a change that he could make that was readily achievable.
2. "Owning a vehicle is an intensive ongoing expense." Bikes are a relatively small investment, and repairs and maintenance are dirt cheap.
3. "The psychological and physical benefits of bicycling were experientially evident." He's more relaxed and fit than he was before he ditched his car.

Once he got started, Colin found other benefits as well. Biking helped him be much more efficient when running errands. When he goes to work or grabs coffee across town, he feels like his travel time is usually comparable to that of drivers when he factors in time spent looking for parking. Plus, Santa Barbara's flat surfaces and nicely paved bike lanes make for a pleasant trip.

Colin wasn't always the skilled bicyclist that he is today. He's moved quite a bit in the past few years, from Georgia to Texas and now to Santa Barbara, a decision that was heavily based on how realistic of an option cycling would be. It took some time for him to get to this level, but he thinks that anyone is capable of becoming a full-time cyclist. After his move to Santa Barbara last year, he began cycling 7-14 miles per day. Combined with his active lifestyle of running and hiking, he can tell that his cardio fitness has already improved. "I'm no longer the first one wheezing on a hike!"

To some, the idea of joining car traffic on a bike may seem stressful. To Colin, it now seems like second nature. He recommends that inexperienced riders find chaperones to help them as they first learn to ride in traffic. Local non-profits like Bici Centro, where he currently volunteers, offer affordable street skills clinics that can help riders bike confidently.

All in all, Colin has gained plenty of unforeseen benefits by biking for transportation. He feels like a part of the biking community and has met some wonderful people through volunteering at Bici Centro. His family and friends have expressed how proud they are of his commitment to cycling and carbon-smart transportation. His experience has illustrated that "it's better for the planet, it's better for the community, and it's better for the individual."

As a new mom with a 3-month old baby, Lauren D. had a lot on her plate as it is – late night feedings, changing diapers and finding time for herself. Even with her hectic, sleep-deprived schedule, she decided to take on the 30-day Eat Local Challenge in October by only eating food grown and produced in Santa Barbara County. After winning the CEC prize basket, she was able to discover a few more local options to use during the challenge.

Before the month began, she was feeling pretty confident, given that it was her third year taking the challenge. Her social life wasn't nearly as active with a newborn, which she figured could work to her advantage. She knew she could rely on go-to recipes from the past such as vegetable gratins, pasta dishes, and fruit-based desserts.

Her friends and neighbors helped out, bringing her locally-made dishes, giving her cookbooks to spark ideas, and trading her for local ingredients. In her ag-oriented urban neighborhood, many of her neighbors have backyard gardens and hold garden exchanges. She traded with eggs from her three backyard chickens and fish from her husband's local fishing trips along the coast.

Even with the support of friends, she still struggled with certain things. It was difficult to plan and have enough energy with the demands of her newborn. There were certainly nights when she was not motivated to cook a full meal of local foods. On these nights she made a special effort to support local businesses, especially those that source some ingredients locally like Pizza Guru.

She also didn't want to waste the items that she already had in her cabinets, so items like spices weren't replaced with locally grown counterparts. And every now and then, she couldn't help but break the rules for some chocolate and local Mexican food.

Her husband Gus was participating in the challenge...sometimes. Lauren chuckled as she explained, "he was always ready and willing to eat local, provided I prepared the meals, but for him, it was hard to break habits." Gus was used to his morning coffee and cereal before work each day, and it was difficult for him to break that routine -- although they did switch to Green Star Coffee, which is locally-owned, but not locally grown.

Despite those challenges, Lauren discovered a few new tricks in the kitchen, including throwing together combinations she'd never considered and using locally-produced wines to sautée food. She also discovered Plow to Porch, a local business that delivers various sized boxes of produce from local farms, as well as extras like honey, spices, and more. She plans to continue ordering produce boxes from them as she thinks they will make great gifts for friends. She used farmers' market coins for olive oil and vinegar, which came in handy for a number of different dishes.

She and her family also took the challenge into Thanksgiving, by making everything from farmer's market vegetables and backyard produce. She and her family cooked a feast of sweet and mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, home-made ice cream and plum pie. Lauren says that celebrating the holiday this way was "much more meaningful" and goes back to the tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for what surrounds you.

The greatest unanticipated benefits of the challenge were getting to know her farmers better, discovering new recipes and vegetables, and losing weight. She didn't spend much more money on food than she would in a normal month, but she says "a small increase in price was totally worth it."

Cheryl Kelmar is not your typical fixed-gear eco-hipster. She is a 52-year-old engineer who, for the last 2 years, has relied solely on a "30-year-old beat up 10-speed" to get around town.

After living awhile in Santa Cruz, in 2010 Cheryl decided to return to Santa Barbara to retire "because it's friendly for an eco-minded lifestyle," she said. "You can walk and ride your bike in Santa Barbara, and the weather is nicer than Santa Cruz." Years ago in the early 90s, she had gone car-free before it was trendy -- so she knew she could do it again.

Being without a car does not seem to limit her; she runs errands almost daily and bikes all over town. She rents a car a few times a month for longer trips -- mostly for special events and when her son comes to town -- and takes the bus around Goleta and the occasional train to Los Angeles. She's crossing her fingers for a high-speed train up to the Bay Area.

One of the greatest perks of her bicycle-focused lifestyle is the extra time she spends in the Santa Barbara sunshine. In fact, she said "biking helps my mood and endorphins." Plus, biking has helped her to lose over 40 pounds since becoming a full-time bicyclist in 2010. As a 52-year-old, she is in great shape and never goes to the gym.

There are some drawbacks, though – particularly on cold winter nights when she goes to meetings and events. Still, she isn't planning on stopping anytime soon.

Cheryl has found that, for her, the positives of biking for transportation far outweigh the negatives. She feels more connected with the people around her and doesn't have to worry about increasing gas prices. On top of that, she is proud to be making a positive impact on the environment and wishes more people would do the same after witnessing all of the recent natural catastrophes.

"It affects my son more than me. [Our kids] are the ones who are going to see the impact of our destruction. Plus, I think biking teaches him something: a sense of responsibility and independence. It's a good life lesson."

Ryan, her teenage son, has gotten used to biking and enjoys the benefits as well. As a swimmer, he noticed how much faster he was after all the exercise he was getting from biking to school every day. “Santa Barbara is definitely a bike city; they actually have paths along roads and the ocean,” he says. He rides his one-speed to visit friends in town and uses the bus system when he needs to go a bit farther for movies on Upper State.

Cheryl believes that everyone can become a regular bicyclist, no matter what their age – stressing that she's proof that bicycling is not just an activity or way of life for young people. "If you work less than 5 miles away, why wouldn't you bike?"



The pressure of college coursework and the “Isla Vista lifestyle” make it tough to eat a lot of local produce and fish, but Sam Nusbaum, a fourth year UCSB student and Isla Vista resident, wanted to give it a try. In October he took the 30-day Eat Local Challenge by only eating food grown and produced in Santa Barbara County.

When he saw that CEC and Edible Santa Barbara were giving away an “Eat Local” prize basket, he tossed his name into the hat and won. The basket included a produce box from Plow to Porch, Farmers' Market tokens, gift certificates to local spots (Goodland Kitchen, Telegraph Brewery , Sustainable Vine Wine Tours), and an abundance of other locally-sourced items.

One of the items was a month of seafood from Community Seafood, a community-supported fishery that provides weekly shares of local, sustainably-caught seafood in Santa Barbara. Sam didn’t know about the program before the challenge and ended up going every week to pick up his share.

Sam’s diet is largely pescatarian/vegetarian. He cut out red meat a while ago, but makes a few exceptions here and there. (During the challenge, he admits that he did go to In-N-Out with his roommates to celebrate a birthday, but for the most part, has been able to stick to the challenge.) Since he relies heavily on fish for protein, he plans to utilize Community Seafood even now that his 30-day challenge has ended.

Meal prep with local ingredients wasn’t too much different than usual, with a few exceptions. Instead of buying fruits and vegetables pre-cut in a bag at the store, he cut them up himself. He also reduced portion sizes to make certain meals last throughout the week. Not being able to shop in bulk at places like Costco was his greatest hurdle, because he used to get all of his produce in bulk. “I eat a lot. Even though it’s pretty healthy stuff, it’s a lot of food,” he said. Some of the items in the Eat Local basket – like the spiced almonds – gave him something to snack on.

Reflecting back on the month, he wouldn’t have allowed himself to make an exception for herbs and spices. If he had prepared in advance, he could have been growing some of his own. Although his Isla Vista neighborhood isn’t the most conducive for backyard gardens, he’s hoping to grow a fresh herb garden in his window sill.

The Eat Local Challenge has put things into perspective for Sam. He never realized what he took for granted, and used to buy items like milk without thinking. Once he began the challenge, he started thinking about which products are actually produced and became more aware of how far certain items travel to get on the shelf. Sam’s next step is checking out local breweries and wineries.

Front row: Mark Fennell, Gina Fennell, Katie Haldeman. Back row: Matt Dubberley, Charity Dubberley.
Not pictured: Ben Haldeman

With the Eat Local Challenge right around the corner, many local residents are preparing to shift the way they eat for the month of October – and a few are taking it even further this year.

As veterans of the Eat Local Challenge, Goleta residents Mark and Gina Fennell have decided to up the ante this year. They have engaged their friends Katie and Ben Haldeman and Charity and Matt Dubberley to participate in the month-long challenge with a new twist: this October, the group of friends will spend the first week sustaining themselves (mostly) off of foods from their own backyards.

During the month, this group will eat dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables and a handful of other food products that were grown or produced within a 100-150 mile radius from their homes. They will also trade with locals who keep non-commercial dairy animals, such as goats and chickens. For the first week, however, they will limit their radius to their own backyards. This task has required significant planning, and they have been preparing for it all summer by strategically planting foods at certain times. Take a look at what they have planted in their gardens:

The friends have allowed themselves a few exceptions – salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil – but are cutting out coffee and tea completely. Gina is especially going to miss her morning cup of joe, but is optimistic that she'll be able to make it through the month.

During Week 1, they also have agreed to trade products with local growers, non-commercial food producers and other Eat Local participants. For example, Katie is planning on trading avocados, bananas and apple sauce in exchange for eggs and other protein sources, since she doesn't have chickens herself. She is also willing to trade squash and zucchini for anything she can get her hands on, and is interested in obtaining honey or other sweeteners.

All six group members know that their Backyard Challenge in Week 1 of the Eat Local Challenge will be somewhat tricky, but they remain confident in their ability to maintain their active lifestyle throughout the month. They are expecting less trash, a smaller food budget, and a bit more planning to provide them with sustainable results.

Meet the team

Mark and Gina Fennell

An avid gardener and self-proclaimed "locavore," Mark is participating in the challenge because he recognizes the heavy reliance on toxins and fossil fuels in the industrial food system. "I want to learn from this experience," says Mark. He thinks that developing enough satisfying meals is going to be one of his challenges because it's going to take "some extra creativity to use those staples in interesting ways, especially with the limited number of additional ingredients."

For Gina, cooking and discovering new recipes is half the fun, and she has already added a number of new ideas to her personal cookbook. "Every time I look at a recipe, I think 'what do we have?'" Gina explains. While she may miss a few items throughout the month, she is ready and willing to invest the prep time for these upcoming sustainable and delicious meals.

However, when Mark and Gina asked their 17-year-old football-playing son if he wanted to participate in the challenge, he replied "NO WAY!" Trading the regular team pizza parties for a dinner of eggs and kale did not appeal to him, so Gina will continue to assist with his meals separately.

Ben and Katie Haldeman

Katie works in the ranching community and aims to further support local farmers and ranchers by eating local. She's already discovered a few unforeseen challenges – such as finding a garden-sitter during vacation, pests (slugs, "dive-bombing birds" and rabbits), and even people unknowingly weeding through some of her quinoa. Logistically, she's struggling to organize all of the harvested items in her freezer. She also worries that the challenge might create some awkwardness when she goes out to restaurants for working lunch meetings with her boss and others, but already has a few ideas in mind for how to work around this.

Luckily, Katie's husband Ben is also participating and has been active in the garden and planning process. They are interested to see how much variety they'll be able to create with her available ingredients and in what they'll be able to bring to work.

Matt and Charity Dubberley

Matt wants this challenge to be a learning experience. He is interested to find out what he really can do with his own yard, how he can expand his garden, and what plants are going to give him the "most bang for the buck."

As a runner with an extremely active lifestyle, Charity plans on growing grains in order to achieve a well-balanced diet during the challenge. She doesn't want to compromise her exercise routines, as she's training for a 50-mile trail race in November. She's planning to maintain her usual diet but knows that there may be some challenges ahead.

Charity also writes a blog about local eating called "Garden Eats."

You can eat local too

There's still time for you to join the Eat Local Challenge. First, define your challenge. Then, connect with other participants on the Eat Local Challenge Facebook page to ask questions, share ideas, and arrange food swaps. Once you get started, share your progress on Facebook, Twitter (#EatLocalSB, @CECSB, @EdibleSB), and Instagram (#EatLocalSB).

When you browse the produce section of a typical grocery store, you'll find that much of the food we eat is not sourced from local farmers, but typically travels from all corners of the world. It takes a lot of energy to produce fertilizers and pesticides, package and process the food, and then transport and store it.

Eating locally grown food saves energy and is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Eat Local Month (October) -- which is co-sponsored by CEC, Edible SB, and the Farmers' Market -- challenges locals to only consume foods grown or produced within 100 miles of their home.

The easiest way to eat local is to shop at Farmers' Markets, and local grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Lazy Acres, Gelsons, the Isla Vista Food Co-op and others that provide well-marked locally grown items. For some families, eating locally can be supplemented by foods from their backyard garden. Follow the steps below for more information.

Enter our eat local giveaway

We want to make local eating easy, so we're giving away a gift basket with everything you need for a successful Eat Local Month. The basket includes:

• A month of seafood from Community Seafood
• A produce box from Plow to Porch
• Farmers' Market tokens
• Lunch at Goodland Kitchen
• Beer tasting at Telegraph Brewery
• Wine tour at Sustainable Vine Wine Tours
• And an abundance of locally-sourced items

Tell us how you would use this basket to take on Eat Local Month. For example, tell us about your radius, who is participating, and how you're planning to be successful. We'll select the winner on Friday, September 21. Submit your response →

How to participate in 'Eat Local Month'

Step 1: Define your radius.

Each "eat local" challenge is customized to the challenger. An "eat local radius" can be defined as tightly as a 100 mile radius, or the tri-county region, or as broad as the state of California. Decide what radius will work best for you.

Step 2: Define your exceptions.

Participants in the Eat Local Challenge can also make exceptions for certain products like coffee, tea, and spices. These products can be more difficult to find locally. Some participants have made other exceptions like salt, pepper, and olive oil as well. They also have incorporated trading products with other local growers, non-commercial food producers, and other Eat Local participants. Some also make allowances for eating previously harvested food (i.e. frozen, dehydrated, pickled, or fermented).

Step 3: Eat local.

All participants can go about their lives as usual, making this adjustment to their eating habits, and paying attention to what parts of it are easy, and what parts are – well --- a challenge. Some may question the feasibility and practicality, but those who have gone through the challenge before say that doing it in place like Santa Barbara during an abundant time of year makes it easier.

Step 4: Stay connected.

Connect with other Santa Barbara locals on the Eat Local Challenge Facebook page to ask questions, share ideas, and arrange food swaps. Once you get started, share your progress on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (#EatLocalSB, @CECSB, @EdibleSB).

For Santa Barbara residents Chris and Stacey Ulep, the decision to solarize their home “was just the natural decision.” They’ve always been conscious of their environmental impact by recycling and turning out lights that aren’t in use. However, as a family of musicians, they use a lot of energy to power instruments, amps, and other gear.

When the Uleps began a re-model of their home last October, they started thinking about how they could make their home as energy efficient as possible. Since the house was built in 1931, they incorporated upgrades to improve the energy efficiency of the property, such as new windows, denim insulation, and Energy Star appliances.

They also began considering solar so they could generate their own energy and offset the electricity used by their musical gadgets. However, they were concerned; the upfront price was prohibitive, and they had other re-model costs to consider. When Chris and Stacey heard about Solarize Santa Barbara and reviewed a cost analysis, they decided to lease their solar panels instead of owning them outright. This option minimized the upfront costs, set them up with a predictable electricity bill, and allowed them to produce clean energy for their home. They also appreciated how smoothly the process went with Solarize Santa Barbara. They didn’t have to research companies or figure out which technology was best; they just had to sign on the dotted line.

The Uleps completed the remodel and had their solar panels installed in February. Chris says the solar panels were well worth the initial investment. Before the re-model in 2010, their electricity bill was averaging $125 per month. They now pay a flat rate of $65 per month -- a rate that is locked in for the length of their 20-year contract. Based on projected energy costs of electricity, the Uleps will save more than $27,000 over a 20-year period.

Note: Click to enlarge. Figures based on a 5% increase per year for traditional electricity.

Beyond the financial savings, check out their “Environmental Impact” breakdown, below. Since the Uleps needed to cut down a backyard tree that was shading their roof, Stacey was pleased to see that their solar panels have saved the carbon dioxide equivalent of 60 trees planted. Although cutting down the tree wasn’t easy, seeing how much of a positive environmental impact they have made after going solar has definitely helped.

If you are interested in joining the Uleps and dozens of other Santa Barbara families, check out our Solarize Santa Barbara program. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to go solar in Santa Barbara and the program is running until November 9, 2012. Our next workshop is coming up in Carpinteria on Monday, September 17. Learn more →

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