California Student Public Interest Research Group
(CALPIRG)
805.893.8319, www.calpirgstudents.com
An organization where students gain an educational experience through democratic activism. They are informed of today’s major issues in society and get a chance to make a difference by facing up to them. CALPIRG has worked on problems such as river, lake, and beach cleanup, power plant cleanup, community education on genetically engineered foods, exposed consumer rip-offs, and raising money to feed and shelter the homeless.
City of Santa Barbara
Because Santa Barbara takes the environment so seriously, the City’s Administrator’s Office established “Green Team” in 2005. The team (comprised of City Managers and Supervisors) was formed to take a more proactive approach to developing a sustainable community. The goal of the Green Team is to establish a community-wide “culture of sustainability.” This includes education, resource conservation, and protecting the planet’s natural systems to improve the overall health of our community. The City of Santa Barbara adopted a Sustainable City Program, and is working to reduce the emissions that contribute to global climate change, and promote sustainable practices, following the Urban Environmental Accords established by the United Nations, which provides a comprehensive structure for developing a sustainable community program tailored to the individual community, a template recognized for “thinking globally and acting locally.” Mayor Marty Blum voted to support the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement at the June 2005 U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting
Community Action Commission
805.964.8857, www.cacsb.com
Provides an environmental service program that focuses on energy conservation and pollution prevention to help low-income residents lower their utility bills.
Community Environmental Council
www.communityenvironmentalcouncil.org
The Community Environmental Council is an evolving family of programs that changes and adapts with the environmental challenges faced on the South Coast. While our scope of work deals mainly with San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, our influence and the by-products of our innovation have and will be felt state-wide and at the national and global levels. Focus areas include our Fossil Free by '33 program, which promotes renewable energy and energy efficiency, water quality and restoration, and sustainable land use and transportation.
County of Santa Barbara
Strict land-use laws in the Santa Barbara County preserve open spaces and superior quality of life. The County Air Pollution Control District has a special program, the Santa Barbara Car Free Project, which is designed to promote car-free travel to and around Santa Barbara.
Environmental Defense Center
805.963.1622, www.edcnet.org
The only nonprofit environmental law firm between Los Angeles and San Francisco that works with activist groups on eco-issues such as water quality, habitat protection, animal extinction, and public health safety. EDC selects cases that focus on enhancing the community environment. EDC primarily serves community groups located on the Central Coast.
Fund For Santa Barbara
805.962.9164, www.fundforsantabarbara.org
The Fund is a non-profit foundation that supports grassroots organizations working for social, economic and environmental justice within the Santa Barbara community. Since 1980, the Fund has given over $2.8 million to more than 600 projects.
Green2Gold
A nonprofit incubator with the mission to develop, protect, mentor, and commercialize new environmental technologies, products, and services for the consumer and business marketplaces utilizing recycled and diverted materials. An alliance/partnership between California Integrated Waste Management Board, RMDZ, CALEPA, California Trade and Commerce Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration, Incubators 2000, Small Business Development Centers, Technology Transfer Society and U.S. EPA.
GreenDifference.org
A website that gives info on Santa Barbara County agencies and organizations to provide environmental assistance and strive to make a difference at work and at home.
Heal the Ocean
805.962.0651, www.healtheocean.org
A non-profit organization that hires scientists, lawyers, engineers and other environmental experts to do research and give reports on coastal pollution. They also work with city, county, and state agencies to initiate new programs of wastewater upgrade. Heal the Ocean focuses on issues within Santa Barbara County but also serves as a model for other coastal communities throughout the nation.
Lightblueline
Lightblueline is a volunteer public education effort (born and bred in Santa Barbara) that transforms the science of global climate change into a public action. We are painting the seven meter above sea level line on the streets of the world to remind everyone that human induced climate change will, if we do not act NOW, create a new climate, and a new coast line. We chose seven meters, as this is the effect of the ice on Greenland (only) melting. lightblueline is a public information project to paint on the streets the message that human induced climate change will impact coastal cities. Whenever you cross the light blue line, remember that the coastline is an outcome of our collective human efforts. Let's keep the ocean on the waterfront.
Look for Santa Barbara's light blue line coming soon! We are working hard with the City government to create a best-practice example for this public education effort, so that we can pass on this information to volunteers in other cities. The lessons we learn here will help grow this movement across the globe.
Project Clean Water
www.countyofsb.org/project_cleanwater/
Founded in 1998 by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to create solutions to creek and ocean water pollution in Southern California. The board consists of government agencies, community groups and active individuals who investigate the contributing factors to the water quality problems and closures at our local beaches.
Santa Barbara Car Free Project
The Santa Barbara Car Free Project, designed to promote car-free travel to and around Santa Barbara, is led by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. More than 100 partners - government agencies, non profits, and tourist businesses and organizations - work towards the Project's goals of reducing traffic and promoting cleaner air. The Project won the 2004 Environmental Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the 2004 "Niche Marketing -Eco-Tourism" Award from the California Travel and Tourism Commission.
Santa Barbara Channel Keeper
A nonprofit organization (originally founded by the Environmental Defense Center in 1999) who identifies, cleans and prevents coastal pollution, the SBCK focuses on the contamination of local beaches, waterways and wetlands from urban runoff, sewage, agricultural operations, industrial discharges and other sources. Santa Barbara Channel Keeper is a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, which now holds more than 150 members worldwide, and of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, which has 10 members working on water quality protections at the state level.
Santa Barbara County Water Agency
Cooperative county agency dedicated to water conservation.
Surfrider Foundation (Santa Barbara/Isla Vista)
805.893.5166, www.surfrider.org
A grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that concentrates on the protection of our oceans, waves and beaches. The Santa Barbara and Isla Vista Chapters, both located in Santa Barbara County, are two of the organization’s sixty chapters located along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican, and Hawaiian coasts. The Isla Vista Chapter consists almost entirely of college-aged students, which is unique to all other chapters. Through environmental education and awareness, Surfrider recognizes the integrity of coastlines and is committed to the preservation thereof.
Women's Environmental Watch
805.688.8585, www.we-watch.org
Women's Environmental Watch (a.k.a. WE Watch) is committed to educating our members and our community about critical ecological issues that bear directly on the quality of life in the Santa Ynez Valley. We take an active leadership role in protecting and preserving our surroundings for ourselves and future generations through community activism and social responsibility that allows differences in opinions and approaches.
