Here in Santa Barbara, the Community Environmental Council was born in 1970, between the oil spill and the first Earth Day (their first big party). Since then, they’ve been steadily working to improve our community by decreasing its waste, promoting efficiency in building and transportation, and through consumer advocacy and education. Here are a few of their recent accomplishments.
Last year, a “Solarize Santa Barbara” program effectively decreased the cost of installing solar and resulted in 50 new contracts in 3 months time for an annual production of 300 megawatt hours* of power from the sun.
In 2008, after convening a coalition of builders, architects and realtors, a three year building code was enacted resulting in energy savings of 560 megawatt hours annually.
CEC has worked towards installing public charging stations for EVs, and last year installed 60 in the tri-county region.
Through their “Rethink the Drink” program, water bottle filling stations have been or will soon be installed in nine local schools, daily filling stainless steel canteens that are being distributed to the students.
Carrot Mobs are fun, the opposite of boycotts. CEC promoted one to help a local coffee shop retrofit with energy efficient lighting. Coffee Cat doubled their sales that day which funded the new lighting that will save them 30%. I can say that it was rather empowering to know that the simple act of buying a coffee could help to make this happen!
Thanks, CEC!
*One megawatt hour = 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity (1000 kWh), about the average monthly use per home in the U.S.
CEC sounds really great at spending other people’s money. I once exchanged a light socket nailed to a board for a nice stainless fluorescent lamp at one of their events. Like most of this sort of green nonsense, it seems nice at first, but the bulbs burn out every year, are only available at one store in town and cost $10. Perfect metaphor for the subsidized green racket.
Be sure to read in Drudge latest statements by original green guru scientist who is amazed at the degenerate absurdity the eventual Church of Green Movement became.
James Lovelock and the “Green Drivel Exposed” article can be found at the Toronto Sun.
Spending other people’s money is fine as long as this came from voluntary contributions, even when getting a charitable tax write-off.
Spending other people’s money when it comes mandatory state, local or federal taxation is when voters need to draw the line and vote for far more responsible elected officials, whether it is in Washington, Sacramento, county, city and even your local school boards.
Who do you choose to spend this money and what will they really be spending your money on? You need to ask this at every election. And then find out what they actually did with their election promises.