Surrounded by representatives from local environmental groups and officials, Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, expressed concern about the Trump administration’s rollbacks on environmental protections.

“This new wave of federal disinvestment threatens to unravel years of hard-won gain and puts our region already on the front line of climate change at even greater risk,” he said.

Carbajal and the Community Environmental Council hosted a roundtable discussion on Monday at the CEC Environmental Hub, where he listened to different groups about how the government rollbacks have affected research projects, employees, funding and other work.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have made a series of changes to environmental laws at the federal level. The changes include exiting the Paris Agreement, changing laws on carbon emissions, and rolling back restrictions on drilling in federal lands and waters.

During the meeting, representatives from UC Santa Barbara 2035 Initiative, the Central Coast Climate Justice Network, the City of Santa Barbara, the County of Santa Barbara and more explained how the cuts in funding affected them.

The representatives described cutbacks to programs meant to expand the electric vehicles and charging ports to cut back on greenhouse emissions, the erasing of research and the lack of the government as a partner.

Carbajal said that one of the new concepts he heard during the roundtable discussion was called “green hushing.” Some commentators said it is causing researchers to be more careful regarding their research and how public they are.  

Carbajal said the green hushing is an example of how the Trump administration is trying to create a climate of fear.

“It’s not just taking us back and rolling back policy but trying to whitewash all the work that has been done,” Carbajal told Noozhawk. “(And) that needs to continue to be done to address climate change, to help environmental justice, to address the protecting of the environment and our ecosystems.”

He also stressed the need for local leadership to step up and push for stronger regulations to protect the environment. Speakers encouraged Carbajal to work to codify laws on offshore drilling and greenhouse emissions.

Sigrid Wright, the CEO and executive director of the CEC, said the event was organized after hearing how different groups have been affected during the past year.

“We wanted to also bolster each other and remind ourselves that we do have strength here,” Wright said. “This is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement. This is the birthplace of Earth Day, and we do have an opportunity to stand together.”

One of the attendees at the meeting was Ethan Maday, president of the Santa Barbara High School Environmental Advocacy Club and a Youth Climate Steward with the CEC.

Maday said he was impressed that Carbajal took the time to listen to him and other groups.

“I think it’s really cool that Salud is here and respecting the people he’s representing and supporting them,” Maday said. “I think it’s great.”