Climate Justice
OUR VISION
In a region with extreme wealth disparity and some of the highest poverty rates in the state, CEC is deploying bold, community-led solutions rooted in climate justice that protect our most vulnerable populations against extreme weather and climate impacts. We engage frontline communities that are additionally impacted by fossil fuel infrastructure, legacy pollution, extreme weather, and other intersecting injustices to ensure that everyone has a say in how to protect against climate risks.
By actively creating spaces where underrepresented voices can share their vision and directly influence the planning and implementation of community-led solutions, we can catalyze and sustain investment in communities most vulnerable to climate change.
Revertir, Reparar, Proteger: Plan de acción climática audaz del CEC
In 2022, CEC:
Partnered with Visión y Compromiso to provide electric vehicle training to Spanish-speaking community ambassadors. Through grassroots peer-to-peer education, these ambassadors helped more people access clean vehicles.
Expanded translation, interpretation, and consultation with our partner Rooted Language Justice to build Spanish language capacity and deepen CEC’s language justice work, helping ensure greater access by a broader community.
Expanded the capacity of the Central Coast Climate Justice Network to extend a regional, grassroots Green New Deal for Ventura County, launch a labor policy council, and continue to advance social, economic, racial, and environmental justice for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
Developed Nuestro Tiempo, a space for Spanish-speaking community members to learn more about how climate change intersects with key issues, share ideas and concerns, and design ways to take action.
“We have an opportunity right now to apply resilience to dismantle oppressive systems and let communities reclaim their own power. “
– Jennifer Hernández, Climate Justice Manager
Community Environmental Council
Our Impact
1
new community initiative, Nuestro Tiempo, established as a space for Spanish-speaking community members to learn more about how climate change intersects with key issues, share ideas and concerns, and design ways to take action.
65
low- to moderate income drivers accessed an electric vehicle through one-on-one support provided in Spanish and English through collaborations with Access Clean California and Ecology Action.
5
Air quality monitors installed in Northern Santa Barbara County to track wildfire smoke, pesticides, and other airborne toxins so impacted communities can better understand air pollution and its health effects.
3
locations identified, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Regional Climate Collaborative, for community resilience hubs that will provide centralized disaster services, support, and education to residents who are most vulnerable, or at high risk, during disasters.
663,128
pounds of high-quality food distributed to local organizations who feed community members experiencing food insecurity, the result of a partnership with CalRecycle to provide resources, equipment, and funding to CEC’s Santa Barbara County Food Rescue partner, Veggie Rescue.
WHAT CEC IS DOING
Nuestro Tiempo
An initiative of the Community Environmental Council, Nuestro Tiempo is a space for Spanish-speaking community members to learn more about how climate change intersects with key issues, have questions answered, share ideas and concerns, and design ways to take grassroots action. Learn more.
CARB Guadalupe Community Air Monitoring Project
This project is gathering information about outdoor air quality in Guadalupe (north Santa Barbara County), including the presence of wildfire smoke, pesticides, and other common pollutants, pollutant distribution data, and providing this information to the community via a bi-lingual website along with locally-focused, educational programming on local air quality and health concerns. Learn more.
Community Resilience Hubs
CEC, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Regional Climate Collaborative and the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), received a grant to plan and design a network of neighborhood climate resilience centers – or hubs – that provide centralized disaster services, support, and education to residents who are most vulnerable or at high risk during disasters.Learn more.
Supporting Language Justice
CEC’s multilingual events use best practices for translation and provide expert interpretation. We work with CEC’s Community Ambassadors and skilled translators to improve language access for our events and programs, so more people can participate and create community-centered solutions to the climate crisis across multiple languages.
FRESA (Food Resilience, Equity, Sustainability & Action)
FRESA is a community-led coalition of food system advocates in Santa Barbara County, including nonprofits, government, private industry, and individuals. The coalition is working to expand community access to affordable, locally-produced fruits and vegetables in the North County and Mid County regions. Learn more.
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Join the Nuestro Tiempo community
An initiative of the Community Environmental Council, Nuestro Tiempo is a space for Spanish-speaking community members to learn more about how climate change intersects with key issues, have questions answered, share ideas and concerns, and design ways to take grassroots action. Join now.
Advocate for policy changes
Join our community of policy advocates and get all of the latest news on how you can play a direct role in influencing policies at the local level. Check out this guide that outlines how to engage in local public policy work.
Hear frontline stories
Review CEC’s Climate Resilience Roundtable Stories of Resilience/Historias de resiliencia to hear lived experiences and deepen your understanding of the compounding impacts of climate change and socio-economic vulnerabilities on our frontline and essential workers and indigenous cultures.
Learn more about how to engage with our community-based projects
Educate Yourself
Visit the Climate Justice Resources page to learn more about everything.
