Santa Barbara community celebrates Earth Day at Arlington Theatre
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Community members took to the Arlington Theatre on Saturday to celebrate Earth Day in its county of origin, Santa Barbara.
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) hosted a day-long event in and outside of the Arlington Theatre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, free to the public.
Organizers said the event included a full day of guest speakers, short films, Climate Hero awards ceremony and Annual Climate Summit – plus interactive tables, performers and the annual Green Car Show.
After 5 p.m., event organizers said the Arlington Theatre will host a ticketed evening concert featuring artists such as Jackson Gillies, Alastair Greene and No Simple Highway, along with some special guests.
CEC provided the following information about Santa Barbara's Earth Day:
Widely acknowledged as the birthplace of Earth Day, Santa Barbara’s involvement began with the devastating 1969 oil spill off its coast. This led a local group of concerned citizens to begin discussing a different way of looking at environmental systems.
During that time, Senator Gaylord Nelson visited Santa Barbara to view the oil spill damage. When he returned to Washington, D.C., he introduced a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth. Over the next few years, the environmental movement was born across the country – including Community Environmental Council (CEC).
Led by a group of forward-thinking youth and elders, CEC incorporated in the spring of 1970 and its first act as a new nonprofit was to hold an Earth Day celebration – a one block long teach-in between State St. and Chapala St. along Anapamu.
Around the country, 20 million concerned citizens attended similar events. We recognize that “every day is earth day” and that special events like this are a way to bring diverse voices from our community together as a reminder to tread lightly on the planet.
Earth Day 2022 will highlight the critical role CEC has played across the region for more than 50 years, shining a light on the system changes, policy implementation, and individual action needed to meet the urgency of the climate crisis.
Community Environmental Council
For more information, click here to visit CEC's website.
