Hosted by Community Environmental Council since 1970

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Santa Barbara’s Historic Environmental Legacy

In 1969, the devastating images of a massive oil spill from an oil platform off Santa Barbara’s coast galvanized California into action and caught the attention of the rest of the nation, including Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day, who visited Santa Barbara shortly after the spill. The resulting swell of outrage and concern gave rise to the first Earth Day in 1970, as well as to the creation of the Community Environmental Council – one of the most established environmental organizations in the region, and the host of Santa Barbara’s annual Earth Day Festival.

Read more about Earth Day history →

Today, the Community Environmental Council is leading a campaign to move Santa Barbara County away from fossil fuels in one generation – Fossil Free by ’33. CEC’s bold regional energy blueprint seeks to head off a nearly perfect storm of energy-related concerns, including rapidly diminishing oil supplies (“peak oil”), growing concern over our national security because of our dependence on foreign oil, volatile fuel prices, and climate change.

Sustainability at Santa Barbara Earth Day

Electricity for the Earth Day Festival is generated from the sun and from biodiesel. The festival strives to keep our waste to a minimum. This year we are working Green Project Consultants, who will divert compostable and recyclable materials from the landfill. While we strongly encourage vendors and participants to walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to the festival, we recognize that some carbon emissions will result from a gathering of this size. To make sure this is a truly carbon-free event, we offset the remaining emissions.

Press and Media

Visit our Press Page for the latest press releases, event details, event photos and graphics.