350 Santa Barbara Hosts Community Climate Conversation on a Just Transition to Clean Energy

On Wednesday, March 23 at 7:00pm, 350 Santa Barbara will host an online community conversation about transitioning our regional energy system away from gas to clean energy. Guest speaker Tomás Rebecchi of Food and Water Watch will talk about Southern California Gas Company’s proposed expansion of the Ventura Compressor Station. Area residents receive gas from Ventura and have reason to be concerned about continued dependence on fossil fuels when other energy sources cost less. Register here for this free event.

In 2021, the neighborhood of westside Ventura County banded together as the Westside Clean Air Coalition, and has been battling the renovation of the Southern California Gas (SoCal Gas) Compressor Station. They object to the toxic chemicals found in the soil, noise pollution, air pollution linked to health problems such as heart disease and respiratory ailments, and the increased risk of deadly accidents and explosions.

Since SoCalGas was responsible for the largest natural gas blowout in the United States at its Aliso Canyon storage facility in 2015, the fears of Ventura residents are justified. The Aliso Canyon explosion released about 100,000 metric tons of methane and other pollutants into the atmosphere, and leaks are ongoing.

On the front lines between old and new energy models, the struggle over the Ventura compressor station has caught the attention of state officials and the general public, showing how grassroots action and a call for a just transition has the potential to shape a community’s future.
In response, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold public meetings on a just transition away from natural gas. The first CPUC webinar is set for March 16 at 10:00am.

In April, the next Community Climate Conversation will focus on regenerative agriculture. The series will conclude in May with a discussion of environmentalist Paul Hawken’s book, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.

For more information, please email the 350 Santa Barbara Steering Committee: 350santabarbara@gmail.com