'Fossil Free by 33' campaign

Commitment to Action

'Fossil Free by 33' campaign

Commitment by

Orfalea Foundation

In 2008, the Orfalea Foundations committed $105,058 to expand it 2006 commitment supporting the efforts of the Community Environmental Council (CEC) to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in Santa Barbara County in one generation. This 'Fossil Free by '33' campaign uses three strategies: (1) to reduce the amount of energy used to heat, light and power buildings by educating architects and builders, and changing local building codes; (2) to work with industry leaders and local governments to generate large amounts of electricity from renewable resources; (3) to help fleet managers and car owners transiton to hybrid or electric vehicles, and biofuels.

CEC is creating a package of comprehensive marketing materials for its Fossil Free by '33 campaign; and it has identified four phases of work that will result in a 12- to18-month campaign to help conduct analysis of its audiences, and develop and/or revise CEC's marketing and communications strategies.

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Tabs

Overview

Summary

Commitment

'Fossil Free by 33' campaign

Launched

2006

Est. Duration

3 years

Estimated Total Value

$105,058

Region

Northern America

Countries

United States of America

Commitment by

Orfalea Foundation

Partner(s)

Community Environmental Council, Cox Communications, Inc., Gott Advertising, Free Range Studios

Details

The Orfalea Fund commits to expand its 2006 commitment to further support the goal of the Community Environmental Council to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in Santa Barbara County in one generation. The primary goals are to increase visibility and awareness of CEC and its new mission, and to increase the number of people who are engaged with the Fossil Free by '33 vision on a personal level - changing their habits and behavior, creating grassroots support, applying pressure on policy makers, and investing in CEC as financial donors.

Background

The Community Environmental Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the use of fossil fuels in the Santa Barbara region. The Community Environmental Council's Fossil Free by '33 campaign aims to address global climate change, national security issues, and concerns about limited oil resources through regional solutions. These include advancing regional renewable resources (primarily wind, solar and wave power), biofuels made from regional feedstocks, and improvements in energy efficiency to regionally-constructed buildings. The Fossil Free by '33 campaign is a long-term project with specific goals and milestones for reducing fossil fuel use in Santa Barbara County over the next 25 years. In 2008, the project will focus on four strategies:

The first strategy is to immediately reduce energy use through conservation and energy efficiency. Activities include promoting the national Architecture 2030 Challenge with local governments. In 2007, the City of Santa Barbara became one of the first cities in California to adopt the Architecture 2030 Challenge and pass an ordinance that sets energy standards that exceed California's Title 24. In 2008, the Fossil Free by '33 campaign will work with at least two other local jurisdictions to pass similar ordinances.

The second strategy is to provide options for our region to immediately transition to hybrid vehicles and biofuels. Activities include working with fuel station owners to install biodiesel and ethanol dispensers at local stations and promoting the use of biodiesel in fleets among businesses and governments. In 2008 we will work with fuel station owners in Southern California to install five new biodiesel and/or ethanol pumps along the Highway 101 corridor.

The third strategy is to generate large amounts of electricity from renewable energy. Activities include helping to establish the first large-scale wind farms, solar farms and ocean energy projects in our county, and promoting solar power and small wind turbines to homeowners and businesses. However, with the first wind farm in our County now going through the permitting process, and with other technologies still in the developmental stage, this strategy involves planting as many seeds as possible now with the hope that they will develop into actual projects within the next five years. This strategy also includes developing a feasibility study in 2008-2009 to explore the potential for local governments to build renewable energy projects in our region through a new state law called Community Choice law.

The fourth and final strategy is to promote next-generation vehicles. Activities include collecting 'soft orders' for future plug-in hybrids, working with local governments to provide incentives for next-generation vehicles, and working with school districts to replace old and polluting diesel buses with plug-in hybrid buses that are now available.

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is one of the oldest and most established environmental organizations in Southern California, having been founded in 1970 as a result of the oil spill off of the Santa Barbara shores. The Community Environmental Council's 'Fossil Free by 33' campaign aims to address concerns about human health, national security and economic stability by removing the source of these problems, fossil fuels, and replacing them with safer alternatives.

Partnership Opportunities

SEEKING: financial resources, implementing partners, best practices information, media and marketing assistance.

OFFERING: implementing partners.

Progress Reports

April 2010

- -Strong success with influencing public policy and working with wind and solar developers to provide more renewable energy to Santa Barbara County;

- -In June 2009, assembled a volunteer professional creative team to develop a concept that will become a future print, television and radio marketing campaign. The team's first assignment was to develop and produce a short video showing community support of CEC's Fossil Free by '33 campaign.

- -In March through September 2009, hired a professional consultant to review the website and structure the e-blasts so that they are better taking advantage of an in-kind grant from Google AdWords. Between the launch of the new website and the work of Gott Advertising, the website traffic has increased 50 to 200% over comparable months from last year.

- -In September 2009, began a process on several of the items outlined in the work-plan with Free Range Studios, namely: develop CEC's message and brand story; update CEC's logo; and settle on a new graphic 'look'.

- -CEC is very clear that moving an entire region away from fossil fuels in one generation cannot be accomplished by a staff of 12 and a Board of 12. Over the last several years Orfalea Foundations has partnered with several dozen organizations - from museums to utilities to religious groups to conservative Santa Maria business leaders - to further this mission. However, even this will not be enough to create the momentum needed in a very short period of time.

April 2009

- Built community support for a 100-megawatt wind farm - the first in Santa Barbara County -- which took over two years to get through permitting.
- Worked closely with the City of Santa Barbara to unanimously pass an ordinance that makes Santa Barbara's building energy code one of the most progressive in the nation.
- Played an integral role in the state Public Utilities Commission's decision to set a goal for all new homes in the state to be 'zero net energy' by 2020 and commercial buildings by 2030.
- Partnered with government agencies and non-profits to develop a Green Business certification program that provides detailed technical assistance to businesses wanting to go green.
- Provided education and technical assistance to more than 40 churches, schools, and non-profits that are hard-hit by rising energy costs.
- Convened an invitation-only symposium with more than 100 community leaders that explored the impact on the region of high energy prices and reduced fuel supply.
- Held a Green Car Show at the annual Earth Day Festival, showcasing the newest hybrids, electric cars, and programs that promote carpooling and car-sharing.
- Launched a campaign to help individuals and businesses make lifestyle changes using local resources (www.GetEnergized.org <http://www.GetEnergized.org> ).

July 2008

The Community Environmental Council is leading a coalition of architects, builders, and others to work closely with local jurisdictions to adopt the national Architecture 2030 Challenge.

March 2007

The Community Environmental Council and the Coalition, comprised of builders, architects and non-profits, provided a presentation and draft resolution about the Architecture 2030 Challenge to the Santa Barbara City Council. This presentation directly resulted in the City Council's request that city staff develop a plan for implementing a future resolution. The CCity Council also directed City staff to incorporate the challenge goals into the General Plan Update process, perform LEED training for City staff, and work with the Coalition on outreach.

Additionally, CEC and the Coalition met with the City's Sustainability Subcommittee to comment on the City staff's proposed policy guidelines. The subcommittee endorsed the recommendations of CEC and took them to the City Council in late March.

CEC and the local Architecture 2030 coalition held trainings and meetings to share the Challenge with groups believed to be vital to the success of the program. CEC also met with representatives from other communities and urged them to adopt the policies of the City of Santa Barbara in their own communities. As a resultof these discussions, the County staff is currently considering a 'public architecture' green building draft document, which incorporates the 2030 Challenge. CEC is working with County staff and elected officials to ensure this document is adopted and implemented.

CEC worked with the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) in completing an inventory of its greenhouse gas emissions by providing third-party advice on what should be included and what comparisons should be used. The Santa Barbara MTD has completed its baseline emissions inventory and is now certifying it with the Climate Action Registry (www.climateregistry.org <http://www.climateregistry.org/>). MTD is the first transit district in the state to conduct such an inventory and, once it is certified, will be the first to have it certified.

September - December 2006

- Drafted a plan to require all new or renovated buildings in the City of Santa Barbara to be carbon-neutral by 2030 following a meeting with architect Ed Mazria and City of Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum. In accordance with Mazria's 'Architecture 2030' challenge, the plan aspires to cut back emissions from construction along phased reduction targets.
- Began initial work to site five biodesel/ethanol stations in the tri-country region. This is a project with the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities program and CALSTART to site five biodiesel/ethanol stations in Oxnard, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, as part of a 16-station corridor throughout Southern California. Currently there are only two public fueling stations in the region that offer biodiesel, and only one public station in all of California that offers ethanol.

- Concluded an annual assessment of the most viable renewable energy sources in the region: energy efficiency and conservation; biofuels and hybrid technologies; biomass and waste-to-energy technologies; wind energy (including on-shore and off-shore resources); and solar energy (including photovoltaics, solar thermal water heating, and utility scale 'concentrating solar energy' technologies). Technical assessments were made by
energy experts and then vetted with stakeholders in the region. Moving next to develop a 'blueprint' for utilizing these resources economically, the review will culminate in a public document to be released in the first quarter of 2007.

- Co-sponsored a public lecture on the potential for significantly addressing global warming by strengthening building codes in this region September 26, 2006.

- Presented at a special meeting of the local transit district to explore alternative fuels and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions September 27, 2006.

- Held an annual gala awards dinner honoring a local family business for their environmental leadership ctober 7, 2006. The event raised $70,000 for CEC and greatly strengthened our relationship with the business community.

During the final quarter of 2006, CEC also established a project with the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities program and CALSTART to site five biodiesel/ethanol stations in Oxnard, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, as part of a 16-station corridor throughout Southern California.

Finally, CEC concluded an annual assessment of the most viable renewable energy sources in the region: energy efficiency and conservation; biofuels and hybrid technologies; biomass and waste-to-energy technologies; wind energy (including on-shore and off-shore resources); and solar energy (including photovoltaics, solar thermal water heating, and utility scale 'concentrating solar energy' technologies). Technical assessments were made by energy experts and then vetted with stakeholders in the region. Moving next to develop a 'blueprint' for utilizing these resources economically, the review will culminate in a public document to be released in the first quarter of 2007.

Milestones Reached:

- In the fall of 2007, the City of Santa Barbara unanimously passed an ordinance that requires all new and renovated buildings to be more energy efficient than California's already-stringent Title 24, making Santa Barbara's building energy code one of the most progressive in the nation.

- Spearheaded by the CEC, the Architecture 2030 Coalition persuaded the City Council to adopt the goals of the Architecture 2030 Challenge for its own operations, and to adopt a new building ordinance, which sets minimum standards for residential buildings at 20% above Title 24 and 10% above for commercial buildings, for private construction.

- By June 2008, Community Environmental Council will have proposals before the cities of Goleta and Carpinteria to adopt the Architecture 2030 Challenge, which would require all new and retrofitted buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030. Community Environmental Council would then begin working with these jurisdictions and stakeholders within them (including architects and builders) on language for ordinances similar to that recently passed by the City of Santa Barbara.