The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is a powerful voice in our community for climate change. Rightfully so, since Santa Barbara is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement, stemming from the 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Many agree with environmental lawyer, Robert Sulnick, that “it’s time for Santa Barbara to create a national climate change movement, alerting the country to the pending dangers of an overheating planet.”
The CEC website reminds us that “the White House has officially declared we are in a climate emergency. The most notable scientific body in the world has declared Code Red for Humanity.” They advise that “it’s time to lean into local solutions like never before — and that means unrelenting, focused, and inclusive climate action on the California Central Coast.”
CEC organizes their climate work around six areas: Equity, Energy, Waste, Food, Transportation, and Community.
“We are living on this incredible blue planet at such a unique and fragile moment,” CEO, Sigrid Wright reminds us. “The times are calling on us to really get clear on what it means to protect our home at a visceral level — body, heart and mind. If we’re to successfully navigate the daunting and immediate threats of climate change, we’ll need to not only draw on our intellect, but also tap into our imaginations.
“This is what art does for us: it challenges us to look at things differently, to experience the emotion, to engage our other senses. “
» Local nonprofits collaborate to make a difference.
It all started with the severe challenges of the pandemic. Most museums were required to shut their doors, seemingly indefinitely. Their very existence was threatened, and no one had any answers. So, a few local museums Zoomed together to compare notes, explore ideas, and learn from each other. Soon more joined the meetings.
Eventually, the group included 14 local museums and began meeting in person on a regular basis. They formalized the consortium by naming it the Environmental Alliance of Santa Barbara County Museums. Such a unique partnership had never existed before.
The inaugural project of their first-of-its-kind collaboration focused on raising awareness of environmental issues. Impact: Climate Change & the Urgency of Now is a multidisciplinary project aimed at building a greater collective responsibility for limiting the effects of our planet’s rising temperature.
The alliance includes 12 museums, a zoo, and a botanic garden. “We are 14 institutions with one shared vision,” said Steve Windhager, executive director of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
“We believe that our collaborative work will inform and engage the public, while being a force multiplier for positive change.” The alliance has planned exhibits, events, and programs through September 2022 and beyond.
Each organization will highlight climate change in a way consistent with their mission. For example, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) is presenting a program on whales in the Santa Barbara Channel titled Whales are Superheroes!
CEO, Greg Gorga explains: “Whales are large creatures, so they poop a lot. Phytoplankton, and then krill, feed on this poop, and then through photosynthesis CO2 is absorbed and turned into oxygen. Our oceans actually supply more oxygen than trees on this planet. And when whales move up and down in the water column, they are bringing more nutrients from the depths of the ocean to the surface, again leading to more conversion of CO2 into oxygen.
“Finally, when these large creatures die, they drop to the bottom of the ocean, taking all the CO2 in their bodies down with them.”
The alliance membership includes: UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum, Elverhoj Museum of History & Art in Solvang, MOXI, Museum of Contemporary Art, Old Mission Museum, Botanic Garden, Historical Museum, SBMM, Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, Sea Center, Trust for Historic Preservation, Santa Barbara Zoo, and Wildling Museum of Art & Nature in Solvang.
» Local governmental agencies are working to address climate change issues.
In his recent Noozhawk column, Robert Sulnick explains that “climate change has unequivocally changed life on Earth as we have known it. Unless governments around the world act to stop climate change by midcentury, we will reach the 1.5 C (2.7 F) tipping point in global temperature rise, after which our climate will no longer resemble anything we’ve ever experienced in relationship to drought, storms, wildfires, ecosystem declines and human displacement.”
Thankfully, our city and county governmental agencies are taking heed.
Sulnick informs us that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has directed staff to develop a zero emissions plan aimed at carbon neutrality by 2045. This includes expanding the county’s electric vehicle fleet to include all new sedans and light duty vehicles, installing 120-130 electric vehicle chargers, strengthening energy efficiency in new developments, and educating the public on the urgency of addressing climate change.
The Santa Barbara City Council has also addressed building and transportation GHG emissions in its Climate Action Plan. Santa Barbara became the first city in the country to adopt the Architecture 2030 Challenge, a nationwide movement for the environment to become carbon neutral by the year 2030.
The city has also built a vehicle fleet that includes alternative fuels, hybrid and electric vehicles, and reduces vehicle trips by city employees. The city has expanded bike trails and installed 30 new electric vehicle-charging stations on the roof of the downtown Granada Building parking garage to promote plug-in electric vehicles.
» One local nonprofit is addressing the effects of agricultural practices on climate change.
The Living Earth Foundation is creating regenerative learning centers that provide professional research, development, and educational services to assist farmers and ranchers in quickly and profitable transitioning to organic certification. Their goal is making regenerative organic agriculture the primary means for producing our foods, cleansing our ecosystems, and restoring the climatic balances.
Founder/CEO, James McMath, explains the situation this way: “The greatest challenge of our time is addressing the root causes of global warming. The current land-use practices of conventional agriculture are quickly depleting the world’s fertile topsoil and account for nearly 25% of the total greenhouse gas emissions — which are leading to an unprecedented climate crisis.
“The widespread use of agrochemical applications has been increasingly destroying the microbial cultures that keep the airborne carbons in check. How do we move past high-impact farming and create a healthier, more sustainable way of growing our foods that is beneficial for our ecosystems?”
The solution, he says, is “learning how to consistently apply nature’s own regenerative systems, which focus on the resourceful application of beneficial microorganisms for restoring the health and resilience of the soil’s dynamic food web — thus creating healthy living soils.”
» You can do your part to achieve climate change goals.
The newly formed Environmental Alliance’s website lists 10 things you can do now to address climate change. They remind us that inaction contributes to the status quo, and even the smallest action contributes to saving our planet.
Other suggestions include checking your personal carbon footprint, eating a more plant-based diet, composting food scraps, recycling, rethinking your transportation choices, making sure your home is energy efficient, installing solar power, conserving water, landscaping with drought-resistant native plants, and speaking up in our community to promote environmental stewardship.
Now that the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, please be sure to visit these museums, the zoo, and the Botanic Garden. You will be contributing much needed support to these creative organizations and fighting climate change. You will also have a very enjoyable experience.
— Dr. Cynder Sinclair is a consultant to nonprofits and founder and CEO of Nonprofit Kinect. She has been successfully leading nonprofits for 30 years and holds a doctorate in organizational management. To read her blog, click here. To read her previous articles, click here. She can be contacted at 805.689.2137 or cynder@nonprofitkinect.org. The opinions expressed are her own.