Action Alerts

  • SBCAN: Come to our forums on Big Oil March 27 & 28

    Join Santa Barbara County Action Network, Safe Energy Now North County and Food & Water Watch to learn about the history of oil development in Santa Barbara County and our plan to fight new extreme oil development and promote clean energy in the Trump Era.

    Topics Include:

    • 750 new oil wells in Santa Barbara County and our vision for no more extreme oil extraction in Santa Barbara County
    • Local transition to 100% renewable energy and the proposed wind farm in Lompoc
    • Statewide strategies and solutions
    • Adam Scow, Food & Water Watch’s California Director, will talk about why Food & Water Watch opposes Cap and Trade as a solution to combat Climate Change

    Please join us at our upcoming forums: Big Oil Targets Santa Barbara County!

    SOLVANG:
    Monday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Hall, 1745 Mission Dr.

    SANTA BARBARA:
    Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m., Faulkner Room, Santa Barbara Library, 40 E. Anapamu

    It's up to us, as Santa Barbara County residents, to push for 100% renewable energy and an end to new extreme oil development. Learn how you can take action and get involved!

  • SBCAN Fun Alert: Gale McNeeley & Chuck Osborne perform "One World, One Heart" Sunday in Santa Barbara

    You're invited to Gale McNeeley and Chuck Osborne's performance of "One World, One Heart" in Santa Barbara on Sunday, March 26:

    One-World-SB.jpg

     

  • Support Renters Rights in SB Tuesday at 5:30 pm

    Hi Friend --

    Support Renters Rights
    TUESDAY, MARCH 21 
    RALLY at 5:30 p.m. in front of City Hall at De La Guerra Plaza
    CITY COUNCIL MEETING at 6 p.m.

    HousingMarch21image1.jpeg

  • Gale McNeeley and Chuck Osborne perform One World, One Heart in SY & SB

    Hi Friend --

    You're invited to Gale McNeeley and Chuck Osborne's performance of "One World, One Heart" in Santa Ynez on Sunday, March 19:

    One-World-SY.jpgor on March 26 in Santa Barbara (see below).

    Singer Gale McNeeley and Accordionist Chuck Osborne Tour the Central California Coast this March with “One World, One Heart”  - A Celebration of the Music and Peoples of the World.

  • SBCAN members and friends invited to important Sierra Club meeting Friday in Lompoc

    The Arguello Group, one of four groups in the Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club, has invited SBCAN members to a meeting this Friday, March 17, at 6:30 PM at the Presbyterian Church at 1600 Berkeley Dr., Lompoc

    Jim Hines, President of the Los Padres Chapter has been in Washington, DC this week lobbying Congress to protect our National Parks and other wild lands from the policies of the current administration. He will speak about what he learned while there and how we can make a difference in this battle as well.

    SBCAN board members Janet Blevins and Rebecca August co-chair the Arguello Group and they wrote:

  • Join us at the SBCAN SC Roundtable

    Friday, March 17, 2017, Noon

    NEW LOCATION: Union Bank’s Community Room, 15 East Carrillo St., Santa Barbara. 

    DRAFT AGENDA

    (Times are rough estimates)

    1. Call to Order by Dick Flacks.Introductions; Agenda Review (5 min.)
    2. Brief updates from participants. (2 to 5 min. each)
    3. Phillips 66 Rail Terminal. The SLO Board of Supervisors upheld the Planning Commission’s denial of the project on March 14; lessons learned, possible next steps. (10 min.)
    4. Debrief on SBCAN’s March 12 GREAT Community Brunch and Panel Discussion. Rep. Salud Carbajal keynoted the event and Dave Davis moderated a GREAT (Gathering Resistance and Effective Activism Together) panel. We would like to hear what those of you who attended gleaned from the discussion. (20 min.)
    5. On-Shore Oil Forum Monday, March 27. Alena Simon from Food & Water Watch and Ken Hough will report on an upcoming forum to explore the ramifications of upcoming proposals for on-shore oil development in East Cat Canyon and elsewhere. (10 min.)
    6. Affordable Housing and Renters Rights. Dick Flacks will report on a meeting he will have just come from. (10 min.)
    7. Open discussion about other items of interest. (10 min.)
    8. Next meeting. Our next meeting is scheduled for April 14 and Das Williamswill speak to us about the County’s 2017 budget process and issues. 
  • Great News: Phillips 66 Rail Terminal Denied!

    On March 14 the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to uphold their Planning Commission's decision to reject Phillips 66's proposal for a rail spur that would bring dangerous crude oil trains through Santa Barbara County. SBCAN and many other organizations and individuals were at the public hearing to urge the Board to uphold the denial. SBCAN Executive Director Ken Hough was quoted in the Santa Maria Times

    "This is the first time in 15 years we have ever spoken outside Santa Barbara County," said Ken Hough, Santa Barbara County Action Network executive director. "We never had the need to ... until now."

    Hough told the four supervisors — Chairman John Peschong recused himself from the hearing because of his consulting background with the oil industry — his organization stands with Santa Barbara County in its opposition to the proposed rail spur project.

    The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors penned a letter last week to San Luis Obispo County elected officials urging them to uphold their Planning Commission's decision and deny the appeal, and reiterating the county's opposition to the proposed project.

  • Phillips 66 Rail Terminal Public Hearing on Monday, March 13

    SBCAN Action Alert
    March 11, 2017

    Phillips 66 Rail Terminal Public Hearing on Monday, March 13

    On March 13 starting at 9 AM the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will consider whether to uphold their Planning Commission's decision to reject Phillips 66's proposal for a rail spur that would bring dangerous crude oil trains through Santa Barbara County. Please join SBCAN and many other organizations and individuals to urge the Board to uphold the denial.

    We understand that speakers who request just one minute will speak first, followed by those who want two minutes, and lastly, those who want three minutes. The public hearing may last beyond the first day, but people requesting to speak need to turn in their speaker slips on the first day.

    SBCAN has been working against this rail terminal for nearly two years. In July 2015 we published this report "Impacts and Risks from Oil Trains and the Phillips 66 Rail Spur Project" detailing the potential impacts of the project in Santa Barbara County. It focuses on the impacts and risks in Santa Barbara County of existing oil-train traffic and the increased impact and risks that could occur if the project is approved.

    Please join us! 

    Date: Monday, March 13, 2017 
    Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM 
    Address:
    1055 Monterey St.
    San Luis Obispo, CA 93408

    For more information on this issue, visit http://www.mesarefinerywatch.com
  • SBCAN-March Roundtables - new dates, GREAT Community Brunch March 12

    The North County Roundtable, previously scheduled for Thursday, March 9, has been canceled.  The next meeting is scheduled for April 13 in Santa Maria.

    The March South County Roundtable  is rescheduled to Friday, March 17 at noon in Santa Barbara. 

    Meanwhile, it is not too late to get tickets to attend SBCAN's GREAT Community Brunch on Sunday, March 12:

  • SBCAN Action Alert: City of SM takes input on drawing voting districts tonight

    Santa Barbara County Action Network
    March 7, 2017 

    Hazel Davalos, Community Organizing Director for CAUSE and a board member of SBCAN, sends this message:

    Hi everyone,
     
    Just reminding you all that the first (Santa Maria) City Council hearing on district maps is (Tuesday, March 7) at 6:30pm at City Hall (110 E. Cook St.). This is a historic moment for our city and we need as much public participation as possible, please do your best to make it. 
     
    (Tuesday) is a regular council meeting and it looks like we're item number 5 so it's very likely they won't address this issue at least until 7:00. If you plan on giving comment it would be good to get there early and fill out a speaker's slip, or send me your name and we can fill one out for you.
     
    I'm attaching the staff report (find it here) that describes how (Tuesday, March 7) will go, according to this report it looks like the city might schedule the next hearing on 3/30 at the Vet's Hall but I'll keep everyone posted. What we do know is that there won't be very many hearings so it's critical to be there  from the very get go and let the city council know what kind of maps we'd like to see. 
     
    I'm pasting some talking points below. I know the last meeting was rough, and we heard some things we didn't like from our opposition and the council but I really encourage folks to focus your comments to what you'd like to see in the maps and keep a positive tone.