Climate Fridays Santa Barbara

Join CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club on the first Friday of each month to gather with fellow climate activists, students, allies, community partners, and friends. We aim to create a space where individuals can learn about regional climate change issues, take collective action, and collaborate to protect our planet. These monthly gatherings will facilitate inspired grassroots action to combat climate change in quantifiable ways. October's gathering with focus on a proposed Marine Protected Area off the coast of Carpinteria and feature marine science expert guest speakers.

Marine Protected Areas: The Power of Protected Waters

The ocean is under increasing pressure from multiple, overlapping stressors like rising temperatures, more frequent marine heatwaves, overfishing, and habitat loss. As new impacts from climate change emerge and ocean industrialization and exploitation expand, marine protected areas (MPAs) are a key solution to help protect California's ocean waters and build resilience into the future. Grounded in recent science and real-world results, this presentation highlights the critical role MPAs play in a rapidly changing climate, why bigger, older, and fully protected areas make the greatest impact, and how California's MPA network is performing after 10 years. Join us to explore how California's MPAs are performing against ocean threats, and how we can take action to bolster the MPA network and prepare our oceans for the challenges ahead.
Speakers:
Azsha Hudson, Environmental Defense Center
Sandy Aylesworth, NRDC