The Community Environmental Council (CEC) will host #CelebrateClimateLeadership, a virtual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival dedicated to inspiration, community building, and climate action. The free livestream event runs noon Thursday, April 22 to Saturday, April 24 at SBEarthDay.org.
The festival, which is online again this year due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, will feature conversations with climate leaders, musical performances, art contests, inspirational speakers, and opportunities for individuals to learn how they can lean into action at this urgent moment.
Each day will celebrate a key area in which climate leaders are stepping up to do critical work needed to combat the climate crisis:
April 22: Youth Leadership: Emcee Florencia Ramirez, CEC 2018 Environmental Hero, who is an author, climate activist, and director of the Pesticide Free Soil Project.
April 23: Business Leadership: Emcees Eric Cardenas and David Fortson from LOACOM.
April 24: Community Leadership: Emcee April Price, CEC Renewable Energy Program senior manager, and friends from the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
“The activists, thought leaders, organizations, and community members coming on stage this Earth Day are taking the courageous, hard-hitting action this moment demands,” said Sigrid Wright, CEC’s CEO/executive director.
“We must commit, individually and as a community, to learning, to leading, and to taking bold steps every day toward ending the climate crisis,” Wright said.
“We are proud of the wide variety of community groups participating in this year’s event,” said Kathi King, Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival director.
“While we wish we were together in the park, we know that the passion of our participants will jump off the screen, bring us together to celebrate climate leadership, and propel us into a year of inspired climate action on the Central Coast,” she said.
The event will support local businesses and organizations by including an interactive virtual Exhibit Hall. This provides 24/7 access to browse virtual stores and take climate action through eco-friendly initiatives, products and services, plus LIVE video chat 11 a.m.-noon and 5:30-6:30 p.m Thursday -Saturday.
The exhibit hall will stay open April 22 through May 22, providing ongoing opportunities for interaction and exposure for exhibitors. Registration for exhibitors is open at www.SBEarthDay.org/exhibit.
A full festival line up is available at SBEarthDay.org/schedule. Some highlights include:
Awards and contests
CEC’s Environmental Hero Award. Hear Annie Leonard, Greenpeace USA executive director, as she accepts the annual CEC award. Saturday, April 24
Earth Day – Every Day Pledge Campaign. Community members are urged to take a pledge to establish earth friendly daily habits. Choose from 21 actions that have a positive impact on the planet. Post photos of your new habits tagged with #SBEarthDay and #EarthDayEveryDay to be eligible for prizes.
Pledge winners will be announced during the virtual festival. Take the pledge at www.sbearthday.org/eded.
Live Earth Day Mural Painting at Paseo Nuevo. Watch a mural come to life in a real time over the course of the festival with contest winners Adriana Arriaga and Claudia Borfiga. Twenty-eight Santa Barbara artists submitted pieces depicting what climate leadership means to them.
Hosted in partnership with The Arts Fund, CEC, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Paseo Nuevo, and Santa Barbara BCycle.
Livestreaming April 22-24.
Why Earth Day Matters”Poetry Contest. Writers of all ages were invited to interpret Earth Day from their point of view. This contest intends to highlight the importance of standing up to protect the planet’s dwindling natural resources and working against the threats of climate change.
Awards will be announced by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate (2015-17). Hosted by Wilding Museum. April 22.
What the Channel Means to Me Art Contest. Students were invited to share their visual interpretation of the Santa Barbara Channel. Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the festival. Juried by local artist and Earth Day Mural winner Claudia Borfiga. Hosted by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. April 22.
Thought Leaders
Terry Tamminen interview. CEC’s Wright will discuss energy and the environment with Tamminen, an author, lecturer and strategist, who held a cabinet post in the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. April 24.
Better World Interviews. Emcees Cardenas and Fortson from LOACOM will interview Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet; Karen Lickteig, strategic advisor for the B Corp Climate Collective; Gregory Landau, CEO of Regen Network; and the team from Oniracom, a longtime CEC partner and local certified green marketing business. April 23.