Community Environmental Council (CEC)

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Community Environmental Council (CEC) 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year. Read our impact statement: https://cecsb.org/impact

Community Environmental Council (CEC) is putting the Central Coast – and California – on track for an equitable, climate-safe future with an ambitious plan for how our community can meet this urgent moment, go all in together, and halt the climate crisis. Over the next ten years, our work will focus on three major efforts.

🌱Reverse the trajectory of the climate crisis
🌿Repair the damage already done
🍃Protect communities from extreme weather and other climate impacts

Young people aren’t just the future — they’re making a difference today. 🌎CEC and 805 Action invite students in grades 5...
10/15/2026

Young people aren’t just the future — they’re making a difference today. 🌎

CEC and 805 Action invite students in grades 5–12 to a FREE Youth Climate Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 24! Explore local climate challenges, discover solutions taking shape in our community, and learn how to turn your concerns into action.

The workshop features our annual policy panel, moderated by Ethan Maday of 805 Action | Grassroots Youth Activists, with Santa Barbara City Councilmembers Oscar Gutierrez and Meagan Harmon and Santa Barbara County Board of Education representative Nadra Ehrman| Santa Barbara Realtor. Gunnar Langenhuizen, senior field representative for Assemblymember Gregg Hart for Assembly, will also join us to share ways students can help shape ocean conservation.

Connect with peers, explore ways to advocate for change, and leave with practical tools to make an impact. Plus, earn community service hours! The workshop is free, and snacks will be provided. Permission slips are required for participants under 18.

⏰ Saturday, Oct. 24 | 1–4 p.m.
📍 CEC’s Environmental Hub | 1219 State St., Santa Barbara
📣 Learn more and register: cec.pub/YCW-october2026

10/15/2026

What does climate action look like in the workplace?

Meet Tommy Blanchard, public program manager at MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, and a CEC Climate Steward Alum who’s helping make sustainability part of the museum’s everyday operations.

Through his Climate Stewards project, Tommy expanded MOXI’s Green Guide with practical tips for reducing energy use, food waste and plastic waste, along with guidance on recycling and composting. Since its first release in 2024, the guide has grown from nine to 16 pages and is now part of onboarding for every new MOXI employee.

Tommy’s story is a reminder that climate action doesn’t have to start with big changes. Sometimes it begins by making small, meaningful steps more accessible to the people around us.

As we celebrate five years of CEC’s Climate Stewards program, we’re highlighting alumni turning climate knowledge into action across the Central Coast.

Watch Tommy’s story and explore more alumni stories at the link in our bio.

Video credit: Maxx Hennard

🚗⚡ Missed our All About EVs webinar last month? Don’t sweat! We’re giving you another chance to get the guidance, resour...
10/14/2026

🚗⚡ Missed our All About EVs webinar last month? Don’t sweat! We’re giving you another chance to get the guidance, resources, and incentive information to decide if an electric vehicle is right for you.

CEC is hosting a second “All about electric vehicles: Ownership, charging, and how to get money back” webinar on October 27. It will cover the basics of EV ownership, charging, and purchasing and leasing, plus available rebates and incentives that can help make an EV more affordable.

Whether you’re considering an EV now or just want to understand your options, join us!

The same webinar will be offered in both English and Spanish at different times of the day:
📅 Tuesday, October 27, 12–12:45 p.m. via Zoom (english)
📅 Tuesday, October 27, 6–7 p.m. via Zoom (spanish)

Register for the English session here: cec.pub/all-about-evs-webinar2



🚗⚡ ¿Se perdió nuestro seminario web Todo sobre los vehículos eléctricos el mes pasado? ¡No se preocupe! Tendrá otra oportunidad para conocer las opciones, los recursos y los incentivos disponibles para decidir si un vehículo eléctrico es adecuado para usted.

CEC ofrecerá un segundo seminario web, “Todo sobre los vehículos eléctricos: compra, carga y cómo obtener reembolsos”, el 27 de octubre. Aprenderá los conceptos básicos sobre tener un VE, cómo cargarlo y las opciones para comprarlo o arrendarlo, además de los reembolsos e incentivos disponibles que pueden ayudarle a reducir el costo de un vehículo eléctrico.

Ya sea que esté considerando adquirir un VE o simplemente quiera conocer sus opciones, ¡le invitamos a participar!

El mismo seminario web se ofrecerá en inglés y en español, en distintos horarios:
📅 Martes 27 de octubre, de 12 a 12:45 p. m., por Zoom (inglés)
📅 Martes 27 de octubre, de 6 a 7 p. m., por Zoom (español)

Regístrese aquí para la sesión en español: https://cec.pub/vehiculos-electricos

IncentivosParaVE

Discover what electric transportation has to offer at Drive Electric Ventura!This free EV ride and drive and resource fa...
10/13/2026

Discover what electric transportation has to offer at Drive Electric Ventura!

This free EV ride and drive and resource fair on Saturday, October 17, is your chance to get behind the wheel, explore different EV models, and hear firsthand from local drivers and dealerships about their experiences with EVs. While you’re there, you can:

💚 Learn about rebates and incentives, get help navigating available assistance programs, and explore charging options.
💚 Connect with CEC EV staff — we’ll tell you how much you could save with rebates and incentives.
💚 Get EV resources and incentives information from Driving Clean Assistance Program, Clean Cars 4 All, and other programs.

This event is free and open to the public.
WHERE: Ventura Unified School District, 255 W. Stanley Ave., Ventura
WHEN: Saturday, October 17 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Learn more and register: https://cec.pub/ventura-evs

¡Descubra todo lo que el transporte eléctrico tiene para ofrecer en Maneja Eléctrico Ventura!

Este evento gratuito de prueba de manejo de vehículos eléctricos (VE) y feria de recursos, el sábado 17 de octubre, es su oportunidad para ponerse al volante, conocer diferentes modelos de VE y escuchar de primera mano las experiencias de conductores y concesionarios locales con los vehículos eléctricos. Durante el evento, podrá:

💚 Conocer los reembolsos e incentivos disponibles, recibir ayuda para explorar los programas de asistencia y conocer sus opciones de cargar.
💚 Conectarse con el personal de vehículos eléctricos de CEC. Le explicaremos cuánto podría ahorrar con los reembolsos e incentivos disponibles.
💚 Obtener recursos e información sobre incentivos para vehículos eléctricos de Driving Clean Assistance Program, Clean Cars 4 All y otros programas.

Este evento es gratis y está abierto al público.
DÓNDE: Ventura Unified School District, 255 W. Stanley Ave., Ventura
CUÁNDO: Sábado 17 de octubre | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Obtenga más información y regístrese: https://cec.pub/ventura-evs

10/10/2026

Five years of Climate Stewards. Countless ways to make a difference. 🌱

As the UC Environmental Stewards community gathers in Santa Barbara this weekend, we’re celebrating five years of CEC’s Climate Stewards program — and the people turning climate knowledge into action across the Central Coast.

First up: Meet Jamie Collins, a CEC Climate Steward Alumni who is bringing climate education and advocacy into her work with young people at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.

Jamie is one of more than 250 local residents who have completed the program, putting what they’ve learned to work in their careers, communities, and everyday lives.

Follow along as we share alumni stories over the coming weeks, and explore more Climate Stewards stories: cecsb.org/five-years-climate-stewards



Video credit: Jhana Studio

⚡ Rideshare drivers: You could get up to $20,300 toward an electric vehicle (EV).California’s Rideshare Incentives for D...
10/08/2026

⚡ Rideshare drivers: You could get up to $20,300 toward an electric vehicle (EV).

California’s Rideshare Incentives for Driving Electric (RIDE) program offers financial incentives for qualified rideshare drivers to switch to an EV.

Eligible drivers can receive:
🚘 Up to $20,300 toward a new zero-emission vehicle
🚘 Up to $14,200 toward a used zero-emission vehicle
🚘 Up to $1,170 per year for charging costs

Who is eligible: Uber, Lyft, and HopSkipDrive drivers who meet income requirements and have completed at least 4,500 rides in the last 12 months.

If you’re a rideshare driver considering an EV, this is your invitation to go electric. Learn more and check your eligibility at RIDECA.org.

⚡ Conductores de servicios de transporte compartido: podrían recibir hasta $20,300 para un vehículo eléctrico (VE).

El programa Rideshare Incentives for Driving Electric (RIDE) de California ofrece incentivos económicos a conductores de servicios de transporte compartido que cumplan con los requisitos para cambiar a un VE.

Los conductores elegibles pueden recibir:
🚘 Hasta $20,300 para un vehículo nuevo de cero emisiones
🚘 Hasta $14,200 para un vehículo usado de cero emisiones
🚘 Hasta $1,170 al año para gastos de carga

Quiénes son elegibles: conductores de Uber, Lyft y HopSkipDrive que cumplan con los requisitos de ingresos y hayan completado al menos 4,500 viajes en los últimos 12 meses.

Si usted es conductor de un servicio de transporte compartido y está considerando un VE, esta es su oportunidad para hacer el cambio a un vehículo eléctrico. Obtenga más información y verifique si cumple con los requisitos en RIDECA.org

Rooted in the land — and in community. 🌱At this year’s Green Gala, our first-ever Green Gala Market brought together far...
10/07/2026

Rooted in the land — and in community. 🌱

At this year’s Green Gala, our first-ever Green Gala Market brought together farmers, ranchers, winemakers, food and beverage artisans, and other partners helping shape a more resilient Central Coast.

Guests had a chance to meet the people behind the food, products, and practices, and then keep those conversations going over dinner, with Market participants seated throughout the room.

It was a celebration of the relationships at the heart of CEC’s work to REPAIR working lands and leverage their climate benefits, and a reminder that lasting climate solutions are built together.

A huge thank you to everyone who brought the Green Gala Market to life, including:
Salty Strings
Coyote’s Market
Marino Soil foods
Solminer W**e
Cuyama Lamb
Lilykoi Farm
Silver River Vineyards
Ventura Spirits
T.W. Hollister & Co.
Guner Tautrim
Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates
Gonzales-Siemens Family Farm
📷 Maxx Hennard

Los vehículos de gasolina pueden ser costosos de mantener y conducir: tanto el precio de la gasolina como el mantenimien...
10/06/2026

Los vehículos de gasolina pueden ser costosos de mantener y conducir: tanto el precio de la gasolina como el mantenimiento regular pueden representar un gasto considerable. Al cambiar a un vehículo eléctrico (VE), puede reducir los costos de combustible, cambios de aceite, mantenimiento de los frenos y otras necesidades de servicio. Estos ahorros pueden marcar una gran diferencia a lo largo de la vida útil de un vehículo.

Deslice para ver de dónde vienen los ahorros de un VE ➡️
y descubra cinco razones más para hacer el cambio. cec.pub/5-reasons-for-evs

¿Listo para cambiarse a un vehículo eléctrico? Reciba apoyo personalizado del equipo de vehículos eléctricos de CEC para resolver sus dudas sobre la carga, conocer los incentivos para los que puede calificar y mucho más. cec.pub/eyl-ndem

Gas cars can be expensive to drive — both the cost of gasoline and regular car maintenance can put a serious dent in you...
10/06/2026

Gas cars can be expensive to drive — both the cost of gasoline and regular car maintenance can put a serious dent in your wallet. When you switch to an EV, you can cut the cost of fuel, oil changes, brake maintenance, and other service needs. These savings can make a major difference over the life of a vehicle.

Swipe to see where EV savings come from ➡️
and check out five more reasons to make the switch. cec.pub/5-reasons-for-evs

Ready to go electric? Get one-on-one support from CEC’s EV team on charging questions, incentives you qualify for, and more. cec.pub/eyl-ndem

Last night, CEC’s community built a Groundswell of inspiration for regenerative agriculture on the Central Coast.Farmers...
10/02/2026

Last night, CEC’s community built a Groundswell of inspiration for regenerative agriculture on the Central Coast.

Farmers, ranchers, and the Central Coast community gathered to screen Groundswell Film, a documentary that explores the regenerative agriculture movement around the world. The evening featured special guests including award-winning writer, producer, and director of the film Rebecca Tickell, along with Executive Director and Founder of African Women Rising Linda Eckerbom Cole.

The film transported the crowd across the world to regenerative agriculture sites in all regions and climes, reminding the viewers of the inspiring practices our local farms and ranches are doing to bring about healthy food systems and a resilient climate future.

In a Q and A session after the film screening, Rebecca connected the global regenerative agriculture movement to the one happening in our backyards, using a wisdom developed from both her faraway travels and her local farming background. “The principles and the practices of regeneration — no matter where you are — work. It will look different in Northern Uganda than it would look in Santa Barbara. But actually, the principle of that is: Farm in context to your environment. That is Rule #1 of regenerative agriculture: Farm in context to your environment.”

Another lesson of the evening: nature-based land stewardship is community-driven and personally felt. CEC CEO Sigrid Wright recalled her experience at a regenerative agriculture site at Chamberlain Ranch, when she and a group of fellow climate advocates lay in the grass, looked at the clouds, and talked about soil and what was possible for our region. “Protecting the Earth is personal, we need more moments of that kind of embodiment, of literally grounding ourselves, so we have what it takes for the slower work of building community.”

A special thank-you to our culinary partners for giving us a taste of the Central Coast, with food and drink from the farmers, ranchers, and producers who help make our regional food system thrive:
The Daisy
Restoration Oaks Ranch
Tutti Frutti Farms
Casitas Valley Pastures
Shepherd Farms
The Garden Of...
Milliken Family Farms
Sandhi W**es
Tractor Beverage Co
Farmhand Foundation
T**a T**a Brewing Company
Ventura Spirits

📸 Maxx Hennard /Jhana Studio

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1219 State Street, Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA
93101

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