Community Environmental Council
For 50 years, CEC has strategically catalyzed change on the Central Coast, influencing California and beyond.
1970: Founded one of the nation’s first ecology centers
1973: Founded one of the nation’s first learning and research community gardens
1976: Opened one of the nation’s first community recycling centers
1982: Hosted a green building competition for CEC headquarters
1985: Pioneered hazardous waste collection and curbside recycling
1990: Helped pass California’s recycling law, the first in the nation
2001: Built the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro Beach
2004: Shifted CEC’s mission to focus on climate change
2007: Published one of the nation’s first carbon neutrality plans
2010: Installed the first Rethink the Drink water bottle refill station in a local school
2011: Opened the first Solarize program
2016: Published the Santa Barbara County Food Action Plan
2017: Secured city commitments to 100% renewable energy
2018: Achieved Community Choice Energy for most of the Central Coast
2019: Secured our region’s first wind farm
2020: Launched an effort to establish the Central Coast as a global climate leader
2020: Named California Nonprofit of the Year
2020: Awarded City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero
2022: CEO Sigrid Wright named Congressional Woman of the Year
Today:
In 2023, CEC:
Through the Guadalupe Community Air Project, collected and analyzed local air quality data and created bilingual resources and opportunities for community discourse on air pollution, pesticide exposure, and health.
Hosted 19 meetings with presenters from 15 partner organizations for Nuestro Tiempo (Our Time), 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.
Partnered with the County of Santa Barbara to deliver a Spanish-language electric vehicle (EV) training for 33 peer educators to help enroll low-income or disadvantaged households in CEC’s free EV purchase guidance services. The partnership more than tripled CEC’s capacity to conduct Spanish-language EV outreach and education in the region.
Mission Statement:
CEC builds on-the-ground momentum to reverse the threat of the climate crisis.
We transform the systems that fuel it.
We safeguard the community from its impacts.
We lead, we partner, we act.
And every day, we move people to create a more resilient Central Coast.
Current short-term needs:
Family Night – November 8th 5pm – 8pm at Leroy Park Ron Estabillo Clubhouse Gymnasium
We are hoping for local nonprofits to provide local resources, health services, and provide a family friendly event where CEC and Blue Tomorrow will share results from the Air Quality monitors for 2024, and share the results of the pesticide soil testing in Guadalupe schools and parks.
Please sign up to join us and provide a booth for this event.
Current long-term needs:
Guadalupe Air Monitoring Project – community input and Mixteco/Zapoteco interpretors.
Guadalupe Lompoc Initiative – Community outreach, and climate action plan advocacy.
FRESA – Support food access and support the Cosecha market.