We are proud to report 35,765 people attended Santa Barbara Earth Day this year! (And thanks to our stellar volunteers, who tracked entries from 6 locations). It's a beautiful thing when so many people can gather to share information, celebrate, and empower one another. Check out our "Live" site to re-live the magic: live.sbearthday.org

Our favorite stats

• 923 people took a test drive in one of the new electric vehicles in the Green Car Show. Thanks to the teams from Chevy Volt, Coda, Ford Focus, Nissan Leaf, and Toyota Prius for making this possible.
• We counted about 1,500 bikes at the festival. 850 took advantage of free valet bike parking in Bike World. Still more came by foot or bus. Special thanks to our partners at the SB Bicycle Coalition, MTD, and Santa Barbara Car Free.
• The amount of water distributed by our water stations this year was equivalent to 2,000 plastic bottles.
• 85% of the waste generated by the festival was diverted from the landfill. Special thanks to Green Project Consultants for hand sorting each piece.

Special thanks

A huge thank you to our core production and marketing partners: +One Events, LoaTree, New Noise, and Oniracom, 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 and replying "Yes." 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.

You can also donate online.

Tell us what you think

We want to hear from you! What were the highlights? Suggestions for next year? Respond by Thursday at 5pm and we'll enter you in a drawing to win some fossil-free lifestyle gifts.

• Festival attendee? Take this survey.
• Sponsor or exhibitor? Take this survey.
• Volunteer? 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, Instagram #sbearthday, or Flickr) or mail a disc to CEC (26 W. Anapamu St. 2nd floor) for a chance to be used in festival promotional materials for 2013.

In the last month, we have seen social media help change the course of the Keystone XL pipeline and SOPA/PIPA legislation in Congress.

No matter how you feel about these issues, the power of social media influence is undeniable. Together, we’re capable making a significant difference by leveraging our networks. Imagine what could happen if we applied that energy to local environment issues.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see a huge out-pouring of support at CEC’s Earth Day Festival in Santa Barbara? Nearly 40,000 people came to the festival last year. If only half of those people made a resolution to do something for the Earth - like bike to work once a week, shop locally for produce, or carry a reusable water bottle – that’s 20,000 people collectively powering the clean energy movement. That’s the type of action we need to move our region off fossil fuels.

We know that CEC’s Earth Day Festival can change the course of our energy future, especially with the help of social media. YOU can be a part of that.

In preparation for Earth Day, CEC wants to help give you the tools to magnify your impact on social media. Attend our Social Media Bootcamp to learn all the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. Bring your questions and learn from our coaches. 

Social Media Bootcamp

Friday, February 24, 2012
Drop in between 10am – 4pm

Community Environmental Council
26 W. Anapamu, 2nd floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Your social media coaches

• Michelle Kitson (CEC’s Online Marketing Coordinator)
• Jordan benShea (Owner of Skyview Projects and CEC Boardmember)

While this is a drop-in event, we’d appreciate hearing if you plan to attend. RSVP to Michelle Kitson: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Feel free to forward preliminary questions before the event.

When Moby-Duck author, Donovan Hohn, heard about the mysterious loss of 28,800 bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers and read up on Arctic science and geography. Little did he know that he would be pulled into the mixed-up worlds of renegade beachcombers, Alaskan non-profit politics, Chinese toy manufacturers, and a massive environmental problem.

Moby-Duck reveals the huge amount of plastic pollution in our oceans. A core vision at CEC is choosing ‘eco-smart products’ to help minimize our fossil fuel consumption. Plastics are among the most fossil fuel intensive products being manufactured today. Single use plastic bags and water bottles are used for a very short time but the environmental impacts can last for decades, particularly when they end up in our oceans. You can help stem this tide by bringing your own bags whenever you shop and carrying reusable water bottles and coffee cups.

The “UCSB Reads” program is promoting Moby-Duck on campus and has given away over 2,000 copies. “Santa Barbara Reads” is also featuring the book in the city’s library branches. Local universities and libraries are organizing activities designed to expand readers’ understanding of the book and the questions it raises.

The Community Environmental Council is proud to be included in upcoming panel discussions about the effects of plastic pollution and what we can do to help reverse the trend. The program culminates on Monday, March 5 at UCSB’s Campbell Hall with a lecture featuring the book’s author. Local libraries are stocked up with several copies of the book so check one out and join the conversation!

Schedule of events:

• SBCC Library: Wednesday, February 15 at 3pm*
• Montecito Library: Wednesday, February 15 at 6pm
• Solvang Library: Thursday, February 16 at 6pm
• Carpinteria Library: Tuesday, February 21 at 6pm*
• UCSB Davidson Library: Wednesday, February 22 at noon*
• Goleta Library: Tuesday, February 28 at 6pm
• Central Library: Wednesday, February 29 at 6pm
• Eastside Library: Saturday, March 3 at 11am
• Campbell Hall, UCSB: Monday, March 5 at 8pm, author lecture (free)

*CEC present on discussion panel

You don’t have to read the book before attending an event! For more information go to www.sbplibrary.org.

We’ve all been stuck in dreadful traffic near a school. In fact, during morning rush hour on certain routes, up to 30% of all traffic can be attributed to parents driving their kids to school. The problem is getting worse as fewer kids are taking the bus, carpooling, walking or biking to school. Instead, their parent chauffeurs are getting busier and busier.

CEC and Traffic Solutions are working with the Dos Pueblos High School Traffic Committee to reverse this trend through our Walk and Roll Initiative. Our most recent project is the Dos Pueblos Carpool Challenge, a one week event that is taking place right now. CEC helped the Traffic Committee and the student leadership class plan the event and secured prizes and incentives, with a grand prize of two concert tickets donated by the Santa Barbara County Bowl!

The students are buzzing with excitement about the Carpool Challenge, and as of yesterday, over 123 have signed up to DP’s new carpool matching list, with more coming in every day. There are banners around school promoting the Carpool Challenge, school bulletins, and a preferential carpool parking area with music and a table where carpoolers pick up raffle tickets and donuts. The Traffic Committee and the student leadership class did a great job making it fun to carpool to school!

Carpooling is the easiest way for anyone to “double their gas mileage in any car.”

In CEC’s Transportation Energy Plan, ridesharing is the top strategy to quickly reduce fossil fuel use, congestion, and pollution on our roads. Ridesharing doesn’t require expensive new vehicles or infrastructure - it uses our existing cars and roads to increase efficiency. If everyone carpooled one out of every five trips they would normally have driven alone, we’d experience a 20% drop in fossil fuel use and traffic would be much less of a hassle!

Work toward that goal – visit Traffic Solution’s online carpool matching webpage to find a carpool: http://www.trafficsolutions.info

More information about the Dos Pueblos Carpool Challenge >

A buzz was in the air and Coffee Cat was teeming with people on Saturday, January 21^st. We put the word out about our Carrot Mob on Facebook, Twitter, and our email list, and you (along with hundreds of your neighbors) showed up for the “buy-cott” to help green a local business.

Hundreds of activists came together and bought cups of coffee, crepes, and bags of coffee beans, all in the name of energy efficiency. The mood was upbeat as carrots danced on the street and a band played inside, with bikes stowed next door at Bikestation bike valet. Check out the photos on Facebook >

The results

Carrot Mob was a success!  

From 10am to 3pm, 440 people came to the Carrot Mob to support Coffee Cat’s efforts to go green. And it showed - Coffee Cat’s sales for the day more than doubled! The Carrot Mob produced $1,400 above what Coffee Cat would normally bring in. 100% of those funds will pay for major lighting improvements that will increase energy efficiency and reduce the shop’s carbon footprint.

YOU made energy efficient lighting a reality for Coffee Cat – Thank you! Krista Fritzen, owner of Coffee Cat, is grateful to have the community rally behind her efforts to make the shop more sustainable, and is eagerly preparing for the installation process.

Watch this video from the event:

Next steps

Coffee Cat will be swapping out old, energy-wasting lamps for new, efficient lamps. We’ll take you behind the scenes during the installation so you can check it out for yourself. Stay tuned for updates on Facebook, Twitter, and by email.

Thank you for mobbing, mob again soon!

Thanks to our Partners:

Bikestation, CALPIRG, City of Santa Barbara, Edible Santa Barbara, LoaTree, Plus One Marketing, Santa Barbara Bike Coalition, Santa Barbara High School Dons Net Cafe, The Sustainability Project, Sustanability Socially, and UCSB Environmental Affairs Board.

Join CEC at workshops for prospective electric vehicle (EV) owners, with info about rebates, home charging units, and public fast-charging stations. The workshops will also include test drives and a conversation with current EV owners. Come to one of the workshops to learn one of these vehicles might work for you, or pass this announcement along to friends that might be considering a new car.

Free lunch is included but requires an RSVP.  RSVP today >

Santa Barbara Workshop

Saturday, January 28, 2012 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara MTD | 550 Olive St. | Santa Barbara, CA 93101
More event information...

Camarillo Workshop

Sunday, January 29, 2012 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Pleasant Valley School District Auditorium, 2222 E Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93010
More event information...

Why is CEC so interested in electric vehicles?

These revolutionary new vehicles are not only fun to drive, but they achieve approximately 100 mpg equivalent, produce zero tailpipe emissions, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% (or 100% if you plug in to rooftop solar panels). By the end of this year, there will be a dozen new models of EVs of all shapes and sizes on the market.

The buzz has been building and we've been leaking hints. We heard a lot of cat-related guesses on Facebook – Hungry Cat, Wildcat Lounge, Lemos Pet Store, and more. Finally the day is here to let the "cat" out of the bag!

We hope you'll join us in a Carrot Mob for Coffee Cat (1201 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara) on Saturday, January 21 from 10am to 3 pm. We're expecting hundreds of local activists (including you!) to pour into Coffee Cat to reward the business for its commitment to reducing the shop's carbon footprint and making it more energy efficient.

I've never been to a Carrot Mob. What do I do?

Step 1: Visit Coffee Cat on Saturday, January 21.
We'll make you feel right at home. There will be a band to groove to (Holdfast Rifle Co.), a place to park your bike (courtesy of the SB Bicycle Coalition), and people who love to support local businesses.

Step 2: Buy something. Anything.
Whether it's coffee, tea, a snack, a bag of coffee beans, or a tumbler, every purchase on Jan. 21 helps raise money to help Coffee Cat install new energy efficient lighting.

Step 3: Share with your friends.
There's strength in numbers. Check-in to the Carrot Mob on Facebook, upload a photo, post a status update and tweet it (@CECSB #SBcarrotmob) to spread the word!

How do I get there?

• By foot from nearby neighborhoods.
• By bike. Free bike valet will be available at Bikestation, courtesy of the SB Bicycle Coalition and the City of Santa Barbara, and a bike mass will be heading down from Isla Vista (details coming soon).
• By bus (www.sbmtd.gov).
• By car (last resort). Parking available on neighborhood streets.

What will the money pay for?

As a result of the Carrot Mob, Coffee Cat plans on implementing major improvements to the lighting in the shop, including upgrading all of the existing overhead lighting from outdated T12 lamps to much more efficient and cost-effective T8 fluorescent lamps. The replacement of approximately 44 lamps will reduce energy use by about 352 watts per hour, which is a savings of 30%!

Why Coffee Cat?

CEC chose Coffee Cat because the owner and staff are eager to make these changes and have already started putting some work into make the business run more sustainably.

The owner of Coffee Cat, Krista Fritzen, is excited for the upcoming event. She explains, “When I first came to Coffee Cat one of my first goals was to reduce waste and move the store towards more efficiency. The Green Business Program provided a structured way to achieve these goals. Many of the targets were easily achievable, but one of the most heavy-hitting changes ended being the cost associated the lighting upgrades. As a small business owner, it just wasn’t possible for me to make these changes on my own, so I had to put the whole program on the back burner until CEC approached me about holding a Carrot Mob.”

“It is so fulfilling to see them moving forward on the path towards becoming more sustainable” said Frances Gilliland, Program Director of the Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County.

With help from the Carrot Mob, she'll be one step closer to completing the program.

Partners:
The Santa Barbara Carrot Mob on Saturday, January 21 is being organized by the Community Environmental Council, in partnership with Bikestation, CALPIRG, City of Santa Barbara, Edible Santa Barbara, LoaTree, Plus One Marketing, Santa Barbara Bike Coalition, Santa Barbara High School Dons Net Cafe, The Sustainability Project, Sustanability Socially, and UCSB Environmental Affairs Board.

Do you recall the story of the young boy trying to get a stubborn donkey to pull his cart? Rather than making the donkey move by hitting him with a stick, the boy dangled a tasty carrot in front of the donkey to entice him to move forward. In a Carrot Mob, YOU are the carrot that helps a business go green!

Think of a Carrot Mob kind of like a reverse boycott. We use social networks to pack a local business with customers and boost its sales for the day. In return, the business promises to dedicate 100% of the additional sales from that day to making sustainable improvements to its operations. Learn more...

Our next carrot mob is just around the corner

Want the inside scoop? Stay updated on the upcoming Carrot Mob by following CEC on Facebook, and signing up for email action alerts. We’ll be playing trivia games and dropping hints about the secret location in early January. Can you can guess which lucky business will be target of our next Carrot Mob?

Animated explanation of a Carrot Mob

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.

Share this infographic on Facebook and Twitter.

Click the image for a full size version.

Share this infographic on Facebook and Twitter.

CEC is the title charity for this year's Santa Barbara International Marathon. The proceeds from the race will support CEC's efforts to transition the Santa Barbara region away from fossil fuels in one generation. As a part of our participation, we are helping with preparations for the race. We have 2 volunteer opportunities for you to help CEC:

Saturday, November 5, 10am-8pm
American Red Cross, 2707 State Street
Race goodie bag stuffing. Looking for volunteers to take 2 hour shifts.

Friday, November 11, 8am-8pm
Earl Warren Exhibit Hall, 3400 Calle Real
Race chip and number distribution to half marathon participants. Looking for volunteers to take 3 hour shifts.

Please contact Kathi King at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (805) 963-0583 x108 to sign up for a shift and start racking up those eco-karma points. Also, CEC is happy to give community service hours to high school students.

CEC's Green Gala, the eco-chic event of the year, looked and felt exquisite -- but still reflected CEC's core environmental ethic.

Almost everything at the event was borrowed, repurposed or vintage: the costumes, the greenery, the décor, the centerpieces, and more. All food and drink was carefully sourced, with an emphasis on local, organic and in many cases vegetarian for every course.

In addition, we hand-sorted all the waste at the end of the evening. For the last two years, over 90% of the waste generated by the Green Gala has been recycled or composted. This year, CEC is proud to announce that we diverted 97% of the waste generated. These numbers far exceed waste management practices of any standard event and are exemplary even for an event striving to be considered "zero waste." Read the full report from Green Project Consultants...


Thank you to Merryl Brown Events for paying such close attention to these details. It is this kind of effort that has won Merryl and her team prestigious national awards for the Green Gala, such as the 2010 International Special Events Society (ISES) Esprit Award. Special thanks to Green Project Consultants for helping us manage the waste that evening.

This beautiful gypsy caravan can be yours! It is the featured auction item at CEC’s Green Gala.

Ideal as an artist studio, guest cottage, romantic getaway or over-the-top conversation piece, the Gypsy Caravan has been built in the Ledge style of gypsy caravans — a narrow base with upright sides, extended living space, and arched roof.

Our Gypsy Caravan features sleeping quarters for two in a custom-built and dressed double bed, built-in desk and closet, indoor and outdoor sconces and a painted chandelier with antique Austrian crystals, powered by an off-grid solar panel. Built from the ground up using mostly reclaimed wood and found material, the entire piece features charming and eclectic recycled, bartered and repurposed items—in true gypsy fashion.

Jim Forsha of Imagine Design Studios and Jamie Nelson of Jamie Nelson Construction in Santa Barbara are the architects, visionaries and builders of this masterpiece. Galvin Painting designed the base painting. The copper roof was donated by Craig Roof Company. The caravan's entire decorative painting, antiquing, processing of the colors, and custom artwork, both inside and outside was done by renowned artist Maryvonne LaParliere. The solar panel was donated by Sun Pacific Solar Electric. Merryl Brown Events coordinated the project from conception to completion. Together, these artisans have created a unique and amazing masterpiece valued at $80,000!

Bidding starts at $20,000. Advance bidding begins Tuesday, October 11 on CEC’s Charity Buzz online auction page.

For more information, contact Kathi King at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Did you watch the film "Who Killed the Electric Car," about the auto industry's backlash against California's electric car requirements and how GM crushed the EV1? The film is a cult classic and inspired many of today's electric vehicle owners or future owners to pledge that their next car would be electric.

Now for Revenge

On Wednesday, October 5, 2011, CEC and The Sustainability Project are bringing an exclusive preview of the sequel - "The Revenge of the Electric Car" - to the gorgeous Marjorie Luke Theater. The film captures the auto industry, one of the mightiest industries of all time, at a time when it is almost forced to collapse by the Great Recession, and being pushed by government regulations to design greener and more innovative products. Reviewers note that "Revenge" director Chris Paine gained extraordinary access to the automotive industry's movers and shakers, and tight editing and a spiffy soundtrack make the film highly entertaining. Even for those not interested in cars, the film has received rave reviews:

"Fascinating ... a hugely entertaining portrait. (Revenge) makes for a refreshing and ultimately very effective change of pace compared with the strident, propaganda approach so often employed by similar documentaries. Even the most skeptical global warming deniers are apt to find themselves rooting for this disparate group of risk-takers who may well be spearheading the long delayed transition from oil reliance to new technology."
-Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

Watch the Trailer

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Today's Electric Vehicles

The modern electric vehicles like the Tesla, Chevy Volt, and Nissan Leaf are a revolutionary product compared to gasoline cars, at least from the perspective of environmental impact and energy independence. With EPA ratings often exceeding 100 mpg equivalent, they produce zero tailpipe emissions, and on California's green, domestic grid, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent. Most inspiring, home owners with solar panels on their roof can power their car without using a drop of oil or generating emissions.

Event Details

On Wednesday, October 5, CEC will be hosting an electric car show from 5:30 to 7 pm. The Mobile Café will be on site selling nutritious food, and local businesses and organizations will provide informational displays. We will have reserved parking for electric vehicles (EV), in hopes of having the largest collection of EVs in Santa Barbara. If you are driving your EV to the screening, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to reserve parking.

The film will begin at 7 pm and will be followed by a panel of EV experts and owners, who will join documentary director Paine for a discussion about the benefits and difficulties of EV ownership and the future of the EV industry. CEC Transportation Specialist Michael Chiacos will also join panel and will highlight the latest in Plug in Santa Barbara's efforts to build charging stations and make it easier to drive electric vehicles.

The event is a benefit for The Sustainability Project, and tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 on their website, along with more information, at www.TheSustainabilityProject.org or for $15 at the door.

RSVP on Facebook >

CEC's annual Solar SUNday event is this weekend – Sunday, July 17, from 11 am to 4 pm at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Why should you add it to your calendar?

1. Tons of solar information, all in one spot.
   With energy prices continuing to rise, the time to go solar is now. You don't have to go hunting around Santa Barbara for the information you need. It all comes together for you at Solar SUNday. Attend a workshop, talk to some installers and ask the experts all your questions.
   
   
2. Electric vehicles are making an appearance.
   The new Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf will be at Solar SUNday. Some Santa Barbara residents are plugging their electric vehicles into their home solar panels and are driving on sunshine – imagine the possibilities!
   
   
3. Kids love this event.
   We're offering two art projects and a Chumash storyteller, who will be telling Sun Stories throughout the day.
   
   
4. Museum is FREE all day, and the butterflies are back!
   Admission to the Museum is free all day, thanks to the CEC and our sponsors. Solar SUNday is the perfect opportunity to visit the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's "Butterflies Alive!" exhibit – one of the most popular exhibits. Visitors stroll through a beautiful atrium with more than 1,000 free-flying butterflies fluttering around.

CEC's Solar SUNday introduces our community to the resources and experts in Santa Barbara that can help make our buildings, and lives, healthier and prosperous.

RSVP to the event on Facebook...

Watch this video from Solar SUNday 2009:

"I learned a lot at Earth Day – everything from discovering the Solarize SB program, to meeting local solar installers, to information on incentives.

Personally, I'm pretty stoked to move forward with a solar installation now that my projected break-even point is 6-7 years. That’s not a bad financial return while doing the right thing for Mother Earth.”

-- Paul D., Santa Barbara resident

30 days after Earth Day, Paul D. met with a Solarize SB contractor at his home to assess it for a solar panel installation. This is what we love to see - a local resident getting inspired at Earth Day and then taking steps to make sustainable changes.