Rethink the Drink started in 2010 with a simple concept: provide schools with an alternative to single-use plastic water bottles and see if habit change followed. Four years later, we are proud to report that habit change is indeed possible. There are now 39 water refill stations in schools and community facilities across Santa Barbara County, and they have been used more than 870,000 times. Creating a single plastic water bottle emits 2.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, thus the amount of carbon dioxide emissions mitigated by our refill stations is more than 2 million pounds.

Rethink the Drink has been proud to partner with the Orfalea Foundation since the program began. Orfalea’s support has led to collaborations with other groups, including this year’s partnership with Vapur and 1% for the Planet . Together, these organizations provided 12 refill stations and 7,500 Vapur reusable bottles for Santa Barbara County schools. The UCSB Associated Students Coastal Fund, the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation and Citrix also provided support that allowed the program to add five additional stations to schools in Goleta and Santa Barbara.

There are now refill stations in nearly every public school in the Santa Barbara School District, and the Goleta Union School District will be fully equipped by the fall of 2014. The Lompoc School District has nine stations and Buellton, Solvang and Guadalupe each have two.

Sharon Baird, Food Services Director in Goleta, can already see the positive effects of Rethink the Drink. “Goleta Union School District students and teachers are drinking more water and participating in saving our environment by not buying plastic one-use water bottles. By drinking more water, they drink less soda and other high-sugar beverages, and they are establishing a positive habit that helps them stay healthy while contributing to the longevity of our planet. It’s truly a win, win, win!”

CEC’s Rethink the Drink program is part of our Ditch Plastic initiative. Single-use plastic products have become a global issue, as they are having serious, widespread environmental impacts. Lightweight by design, single-use plastic often ends up as unintentional litter that flows into our waterways and to the ocean. Once in the ocean, plastic breaks down into such small segments that pieces from a single one-liter plastic bottle could end up on every mile of beach throughout the world. And the volume of this plastic litter is staggering. In Los Angeles alone, ten metric tons of plastic fragments are carried into the Pacific Ocean every day.

Efforts are underway to understand the impacts of plastics in the ocean, but one thing is clear: until we stop the flow of plastic into our oceans, we will not be able to clean it all up. Since 80 percent of all marine plastic begins on land, changing consumer habits is the most effective solution. Bring your own reusable bags everywhere you shop. Bring your own insulated water bottle or cup to coffee shops. Or take a true coffee break by enjoying a beverage in a ‘for here’ mug. When grocery shopping, choose products with the least amount of packaging and buy 100% recycled paper goods. Pack waste-free lunches for school and the office. Only by reducing our dependence on single-use plastics can we begin to stem the tide of plastic polluting our waterways.

"Intern Spotlight” is a series about former CEC interns, detailing their experiences at the organization and finding out what they are up to now. Over the years, hundreds of interns have helped CEC with its environmental programs while gaining useful skills and connections pertinent to their future careers. 

Logan McCoy works as the Environmental Program Coordinator for Patagonia in the Bay Area. Logan is a two-time intern at the CEC. Both internships took place during his undergraduate years as a student majoring in Environmental Studies Major at UC Santa Barbara.

Tell us about your internships at CEC:

During my first internship in the fall of 2008, I helped organize some holiday LED light exchanges in coordination with the South County Energy Efficiency Partnership (SCEEP) in Santa Barbara. I also helped manage carbon offset pledge data, which was collected during community events like Earth Day. During my second internship in the spring of 2010, I worked with the Building Energy team. This led to another internship with the Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County, where I completed a case study of the Santa Ynez Marriott, which was the first green business certified hotel in Santa Barbara County.

You were also an intern for Paul Relis, former Executive Director of CEC. Tell us about that:

During my senior year as a student at UC Santa Barbara, I took an Integrated Waste Management class taught by Paul Relis. At the time, he was working on a memoir chronicling the history of the modern environmental movement in Santa Barbara in the 1960s and 1970s. He hired me to conduct extensive archival research around the history of CEC and how CEC was tied into that movement. I learned so much during this time, such as how CEC forged the path on blue-bin recycling in Santa Barbara County, and helped launch the first commercial newspaper recycling industry in the U.S ., and how CEC has been at the heart of Earth Day since the very beginning. This internship gave me some serious insight in a way that you simply cannot get in a classroom setting. Paul shared some of his memoir at the 2014 Earth Day Festival festivities, which everyone really enjoyed hearing.

Where are you working these days?

Six months after I graduated from UC Santa Barbara, I started working for Patagonia. I worked my way into the Environmental Program Coordinator position at our Palo Alto store, where I coordinate local grant-giving, product-donations, and events. One of the non-profit organizations that Patagonia partnered with is 1% for the Planet, which is a non-profit organization and a network of companies that have all dedicated 1% of their sales to environmental non-profit groups. At Patagonia, which is a fairly large private company, we divvy up that 1% between all of our retail locations, corporate offices, and our distribution center. Here at the Palo Alto store, I present the grant requests that we receive from local non-profit organizations to all the store staff, and I help manage our grant-giving budget. I also help coordinate product donations throughout the greater Bay Area for fundraisers and various events in the community. The skills I developed and the connections I made during my CEC internships have had enormous applications in my role at Patagonia. I utilize the skills I learned in community-level outreach at CEC to collaborate and partner with local environmental non-profits on events.

Tell us more about your work with 1% for the Planet.

Patagonia has a fantastic corporate environmental internship program internally. Employees who have been with the company over a year can apply to work with one of the non-profit organizations that the company partners with and donates to, and for an extended period of time Patagonia will pay that employee’s wages. I applied to work with 1% for the Planet, and was approved for 150 hours. It was an incredible opportunity, the kind I couldn’t pass up. I dropped down to part-time at work in the Patagonia store, and ultimately completed a 300-hour internship with 1% for the Planet. I helped plan a large national event for corporate and non-profit leaders -- Connecting the Dots – which was held in Santa Barbara and which the Community Environmental Council was a big part of. The event focused on food, water, and energy issues in California and how they’re all interrelated. The event also addressed all the ways in which businesses can affect those things, how they can partner more closely with non-profits and other business, and how to come up with more sustainable solutions to our current problems. That event took place in February 2014, and it was a wonderful experience.

What's next?

I’m currently working half-time at Patagonia and half-time with 1% for the Planet and am looking forward to attending the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in the fall. I plan on earning a Master's in Environmental Management, most likely with a specialization in Business and the Environment.

CEC accepts interns all year round. See what positions are currently available >

"Driving on Sunshine” is a series about people who are using grid-tied solar panels on their homes to power their electric vehicles.  More plug-in vehicles are entering the market at competitive prices, including low monthly leases starting at $199/month. In addition, more people are able to afford home solar systems thanks to solar leasing programs and group-purchasing options, such as CEC’s Solarize program.

Kevin and Donna Moon
Arroyo Grande, CA

Kevin Moon wanted to install solar panels on the roof of his Arroyo Grande home, but to do so, he made a deal with his wife, Donna. “I told her if we could have the solar panels, she could remodel the bathroom. We did the two projects almost simultaneously, so I got my prize at the same time that she got hers,” he says with a laugh.

But getting his wife to sign on to the project wasn’t the only hurdle Kevin had to overcome.

While he had been looking into solar panels for years, Kevin could never get them to pencil out economically. He and Donna had always been modest users of electricity, and since their kids had moved out, their total energy consumption had dropped even further. Between their limited energy usage and the high cost of the panels, “it just didn’t make a whole lot of economic sense at first,” says Kevin, a marketing manager for a community bank in San Luis Obispo.

Then, late last year, two things occurred that changed their energy equation.

First, in early August, Kevin received an email from the Economic Vitality Corporation of San Luis Obispo County (EVC) announcing the Solarize San Luis Obispo County program in partnership with the Community Environmental Council (CEC), offering San Luis Obispo County residents a limited-time, discounted price on solar installations. In addition to the discounts, the program also streamlined what can be for homeowners an overwhelming process of transitioning to solar energy. The next day, Kevin contacted the EVC and the CEC and set the process for purchasing and installing the panels in motion.

Second, the Moons decided it was time to trade in Kevin’s Prius for a plug-in electric vehicle. “We needed one more thing to push us a little bit, and the Solarize program was the thing,” says Kevin. “It presented enough of a savings for the panels to make more sense economically, and at the same time, it gave me the confidence to add the electric vehicle. The Solarize program for us was the last piece of the puzzle.”

Because they wanted to use a local, homegrown firm, the Moons chose Solarponics as their installer, and by early October, their 12 panels were in place. Even though Kevin had expected the actual installation to take several days, the Solarponics team came one morning with an efficient crew and by early afternoon had finished the job. At his request, they also installed an electric vehicle charger in the garage, an added bonus that “has been working perfectly,” he says.

Now, Kevin says, “Donna thinks I’m even more frugal than I was before. I’ve always been that way, but now she’ll leave the room, and I’ll turn the lights off, and she’ll come back in and protest that she wasn’t done. Having the panels has definitely made me more aware of our energy consumption. Plus, almost every day I’m logging on in the afternoon to see what kind of output we’re producing that day. The system is designed to cover what we have used in the past plus a good estimate for what our energy demand will be with the electric vehicle. My goal is to be at net zero.”

Charging their electric vehicle is helping him achieve that goal. Kevin and Donna both work in San Luis Obispo, about 14 miles away, and the two carpool together in the Toyota RAV4 EV they purchased. Kevin chose the car because of the longer range it offered, up to 120 miles on a single charge, as opposed to the 70 to 80 mile range common for the Nissan Leaf. Even getting used to the charging routine has been easier than Kevin anticipated. “I thought it was going to be much more of a mental exercise of ‘Gee, did I remember to plug the car in last night?’ But that hasn’t been an issue at all. It’s been surprisingly easy to make it part of our lifestyle.”

His RAV4 EV doesn’t look that different from the non-electric version, and Kevin is used to people not even noticing that it’s an electric vehicle. It’s certainly not as obvious as a Leaf or Volt, not to mention a Tesla. So, when a pedestrian in Pismo Beach a few months ago did a double take after reading electric on the side of the car and stopped in the middle of the crosswalk to ask Kevin questions about the car, Kevin was floored, and not a little sheepish. “I answered his questions, but I told him I wasn’t sure we should be having a conversation right in the middle of the street,” he remembers.

He’s been fielding inquiries from his neighbors about his solar panels, too. Within the first few days of having them, one neighbor had already dropped by to chat about them, and in the months since, three others have been interested to know how the experience has been working out.

A bit of a renewable energy geek, Kevin is more than happy to share his knowledge and experience of solar panels and EVs. In his spare time, he likes to peruse articles discussing the trends of renewable energy in California and around the world. “I always learn something about some new battery development or a renewable project occurring in India or China that, to me, is just fascinating,” he says. “Plus, it’s heartening to read all the articles that are coming out in obscure and sometimes not so obscure publications about electric vehicles. It really gives you a feeling that they’re following the same course as the Prius, where they start out slow but then reach some tipping point where they aren’t such an oddity anymore.”

Kevin points to his camping experiences with his dad as a child as a possible explanation for where his interest in preserving the earth’s resources comes from. “My dad would always say, ‘Leave the world better than you found it’ and things like that. I’ve always been attuned to that idea of giving back where you can. I’ve never wanted to just be a net user.”

Those are not hollow words for Kevin. He had a few extra panels installed on his roof because he wanted to not only cover his own energy needs but also to feel like he was doing his part to contribute more clean energy to the grid.

Still, the rewards of “driving on sunshine” aren’t completely altruistic for the Moons. As Kevin notes, “I smile every time I pass a gas station knowing I’ll only visit when I need to fill my tires with air!”

Driving on Sunshine” is a series about people who are using grid-tied solar panels on their homes to power their electric vehicles. More plug-in vehicles are entering the market at competitive prices, including low monthly leases starting at $199/month. In addition, more people are able to afford home solar systems thanks to solar leasing programs and group-purchasing options, such as CEC’s Solarize program.

Aaron and Marianne Carlberg
Santa Maria, CA

Aaron Carlberg is not your typical “go green” kind of guy. He’s a conservative. He thinks that the country’s solar industry has been too heavily subsidized. And don’t get him started on climate change. None of that, however, stopped Aaron from installing solar panels on his home in Santa Maria, and, not long afterwards, purchasing a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Come again?

Aaron owns a computer business and serves as lead pastor of Element Christian Church. He and his wife, Marianne, bought their home in 2010 at the bottom of the foreclosure market. Although the house required extensive repairs, it came with a backyard pool, which thrilled the Carlbergs who were already envisioning hosting church events like baptisms and youth pool parties.

But when their monthly electricity bill arrived, the Carlbergs were shocked to realize it was about $350, at least in part due to their energy-intensive pool. Marianne works at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, and when one of the doctors mentioned installing solar panels and subsequent energy savings, the Carlbergs were inspired.

They reached out to REC Solar, a solar electric system design and installation company, and mounted a 6.9 kW system on top of their garage. They decided to lease their solar panels through Sunrun — a partner of REC Solar — which owns, insures, monitors, and maintains a homeowner’s solar panels for the 20-year duration of the lease. Such a set-up allowed the Carlbergs to begin to reap the fruits of their solar transition immediately without investing a sizeable sum of money upfront for costly panels.

“When I got the solar panels put in, all of my neighbors were like ‘Oh no. Here come the enviro wackos,’” says Aaron teasingly. “But I am saving a ton of money.” Since installation, the Carlberg’s electricity bill has been cut nearly in half.

Aaron and Marianne quickly discovered that their solar panels were producing far more power than they needed, so they sold Marianne’s Saturn Outlook and purchased their plug-in hybrid, a 2013 Ford Fusion Energi, to further increase their energy savings.

The Carlbergs test-drove other plug-in hybrids, including the Chevy Volt, but ruled them out because they were too small and confining for their tastes. When they discovered the midsize sedan Energi, however, they knew they had found their ideal electric car. The car operates on electric power for their short, daily driving needs, while still offering the range of a gasoline engine. The EPA estimates that the Fusion Energi averages 58 mpg between gas and electric, tying it with the Prius Plug-in for the most fuel-efficient midsize.

Aaron and Marianne mostly use their plug-in hybrid for short trips around Santa Maria. As a result, their annual gas consumption associated with the vehicle is low. In the last year, they went to a gas station only three times, and even though they’ve put about 7,600 miles on the car, they’ve barely used more than 30 gallons of gas. Total.

“The electric charge is great,” says Aaron. “The only drawback is that there are limited charging stations in Santa Maria. At the very least, Marian Regional Medical Center, which is supposed to be one of the greenest hospitals in the state, should have a charging station.”

In 2012, the Community Environmental Council helped the County of Santa Maria install four charging stations at the County Administrative Building. A few other stations are clustered in the same area — a few miles southeast of downtown — at Rabobank, Santa Barbara Health Care Center, and three local car dealerships.

“Still, we love it,” continues Aaron. “If you can put panels on top of your house and charge your car and drive around in it, just by producing energy on your own home, it seems like a no brainer. You don’t have to make pollution just to make it.”

Others in Santa Maria are taking note. The Santa Maria Times ran an article on the Carlbergs after the CEC shared this story with them. And at least one of Aaron’s neighbors is following in their footsteps. He stopped by the Carlbergs soon after the panels were in place to check them out, and now solar panels adorn his roof too — further blurring that perceived line between ”environmentalist” and fiscally responsible consumer for the rest of the community.

Last June, Phoebe Wolfe Lyons decided to participate in the Santa Barbara Triathlon — her first experience with such an event. No matter that she had never swum in the ocean before. No matter that she was only eight.

Luckily for Phoebe, her mother Mindy had been in several triathlons and knew that some amount of training was called for. “The first question that went through my mind was how to train an eight-year-old to swim a quarter mile in the ocean with no other experience,” Mindy says. “I told her we’d have to start training in order to get comfortable in the water and that we’d need to practice riding our bikes.”

As an intentional one-car family that prefers biking to driving, all of the Wolfe Lyons, including Mindy’s husband, Graham, and younger daughter, Harper, have had plenty of opportunities to hone their bike riding skills.

Fourteen years ago, Mindy and Graham, both attorneys, decided that they didn’t want to waste a significant portion of their day commuting in a car. They chose downtown Santa Barbara as home so that they could work close to where they live, and in the years since, they’ve continued to make conscious decisions to limit the amount of time they have to spend in their Ford Flex.

“Being mindful about what activities you choose to do is what it comes down to,” Mindy says. “If you choose to do a workout class in Goleta, you’ve got to drive to that. If you choose to join an ice hockey team in Ventura, you have to drive there. Do we let our lack of wanting to drive everywhere curb our activities? You bet. Do we feel like our kids are missing out? No. We lead full, happy lives.”

Most days, Mindy works from her home office, and Graham either walks or bikes to work. On his way home in the evening, he values the extra moments that these slower modes of transportation give him to decompress, reflect on his day, and mentally prepare to re-enter their active home with 6-year-old and 9-year-old daughters.

Like many young kids, Phoebe and Harper love hopping on their bikes, and Mindy and Graham have tried to cultivate that enthusiasm. “We’ve shown them pictures of people biking all around the world. We’re teaching them that anywhere you go, there’s likely to be a bike, and you can get anywhere you want. We’ve talked about adventurous people who have biked across countries, and they’re learning how to be confident and smart on a bike so that they can get from A to Z safely.”

Still, it isn’t always smooth pedaling. About once every three months, Mindy and Graham notice a need for a second car. Usually, an extra bike ride or two can solve the problem. However, when their car broke down recently and left Mindy stranded, Graham had to borrow a car from a friend to bring her home.

But for the Wolfe Lyons, the benefits of being a one-car family surpass the few inconveniences that arise. In addition to a deeper appreciation for generous friends, they believe they know their neighbors and neighborhood better because they’re not always getting in their car and driving away. They’re out in the world, not detached from it.

And there’s no question in Mindy’s mind that Phoebe’s experience and comfort on the bike helped out with the triathlon. “She did amazing, and at the end of the race, she felt so strong and accomplished. She’s learned that biking can be a part of being healthy and still fun.”

When they do need a car—for road trips or for Saturday soccer practices in Goleta—it’s waiting in the driveway, with less mileage and wear and tear on it than it would have otherwise.

After this many years, deciding whether to bike or drive is second nature for Mindy and her family. But that’s an attitude they’ve earned over the years, and she recognizes that. For those looking to make the #driveless commitment, Mindy has these words of advice:

“Start simply. Don’t just sell your car and jump on a bike. If you’re not comfortable on a bike, take a few training classes, and then try to be car-free for a day at a time. Think about how to arrange your day so that you don’t need a car. For example, make Tuesdays a no-car day and see what that would look like.”

Got daughters inspired by Phoebe’s grit? The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SB Bike) is partnering with Girls Inc. for a Summer Triathlon Training Camp from June 16 through August 22, 2014. They also teach free classes to people of all ages every other month aimed at creating more confident cyclists in the region through their project, Bici Centro–a community DIY bicycle repair shop and education center. The next round of classes that include learning basic bike maintenance, bike handling skills, and participating in a group ride begin in early July. (Alternatively, you can contact the program’s This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to take or organize a private class with qualified cycling instructors at any time.)

The Wolfe Lyons know to take advantage of SB Bike’s classes, too. Most recently, Phoebe and Graham took on a project together at Bici Centro rebuilding a recycled bike so Phoebe could better learn the ins and outs of bike construction and maintenance. She also got to pick out new handle bar grips and break cables to customize her bike to her favorite color, lime green.

Today, with the announcement of new carbon regulations, the Obama administration is using authority granted to the E.P.A. by the Clean Air Act to tackle the U.S.’s largest source of carbon pollution: over 600 coal-burning power plants. The proposed regulations would seek to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from these power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

According to The New York Times, the E.P.A. estimates that the regulation will cost $7.3 billion to $8.8 billion each year, but will garner economic benefits of $55 billion to $93 billion over the life of the regulation. Such a reduction in pollution is equivalent to removing the carbon pollution from two-thirds of the cars and trucks on America’s highways.

The Community Environmental Council’s President & CEO Dave Davis talks about how this new development affects climate policy and issues that CEC has been working on for the past seven years.

Q. The E.P.A. just released their draft proposal of new federal regulations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants 30 percent of 2005 levels by 2030. What is your reaction?
President Obama has started at the top and used executive action where he could not get legislative action out of Congress, and in doing so, has tried to address one the largest sources of greenhouse gas pollution in the country: existing power plants, especially those that burn coal. The direction and the approach are going in the right direction. We would have loved more in terms of stricter requirement on the power plants, but it is a step in the right direction for the U.S., especially in terms of next year’s Paris Accords where the U.S. will be sitting down again with other countries and looking at what the world is doing to address climate change.

Q. What might be potential repercussions of this action?
We do not have coal-burning power plants in California, but we do import coal power from plants in nearby states, although the state’s utilities have been reducing that amount. However it’s clear that large parts of the country, especially those with economies centered around coal, will be concerned about the economic effects of the proposed regulations. There could be a lot of noise about the economic effects surrounding the transition away from coal and the cost of new pollution controls.

It will also potentially have a political effect. In those states, we’re sure to see strong campaigns that will try to pit the environment against the economy rather than looking at the fact that a good environment usually equals a good economy. So, I think we can expect economic clamor and at least some political ramifications.

Q. How does the work that CEC does and has been doing for decades fit into the larger debate?
Since 2007, CEC has had a new energy vision for Santa Barbara County and has been calling for a carbon-free future. This is a step in the right direction for the rest of nation to reach that goal too. In California, coal is a small percentage of our electricity generation, and it’s been phased out more and more over the years, so I think we can expect that there will be less of a direct impact here than in other parts of the country.

While many people feel that the regulations should have gone a lot further, in today’s political climate, I think the step that President Obama’s administration has taken is pretty courageous. I am sure there will be lots of litigation all the way to the Supreme Court challenging the E.P.A. and the President’s ability to carry out these regulations. That fight will carry us all the way into the next presidential election. This step today has set us up for a national debate over the next few years as to the future of federal controls on greenhouse gas pollution. It’s a big deal.

According to the Sierra Club, more than four million people have already voiced their support of reducing climate pollution from new power plants. They understand and CEC understands that we have a moral imperative to act and act now if we’re going to curb the worst effects of climate change. The more that the American people can demand this of our president, the more he knows he is responding to the will of the people.

Read more about the proposed regulations on The New York Times, NPR, NBC News, NRDC’s Switchboard blog, and Climate Progress, and check out this short YouTube video from the E.P.A. explaining their clean power plan.

"Driving on Sunshine” is a series about people who are using grid-tied solar panels on their homes to power their electric vehicles. More plug-in vehicles are entering the market at competitive prices, including low monthly leases starting at $199/month. In addition, more people are able to afford home solar systems thanks to solar leasing programs and group-purchasing options, such as CEC’s Solarize program.

Jordan benShea
Santa Barbara, CA

Jordan benShea had not been thinking about buying a new car, electric or otherwise. At nearly 200k miles, her roomy and rugged 2002 Toyota Highlander was going strong, and the mechanic said it would keep chugging forever. Plus, it had been paid off for years.

Not to say she hadn't thought about the benefits of a more energy-efficient lifestyle. Her home was converted to solar back in 2006, producing enough energy to power three homes on the property and still sell electricity back to Edison during the down times. Also, the Prius is a common vehicle in her family. However, the low profile and smaller capacity of these vehicles just didn’t mesh with her daily needs, which often included piling both a dog and a bike in the car for an off-road adventure.

Then a Facebook post about the Chevy Volt by Michael Chiacos, CEC’s Energy Program Manager, piqued Jordan's interest, and she reached out to him. As a solution to needing more space, he suggested a hybrid option that was a little more Jordan's speed, and a lot more her size: the Ford C-Max Energi.

Just for kicks, she went to the Ford website and built a virtual model of this 4-door hatchback, picking and choosing options important to her. Not too long after, she found her way to a dealership to take a test drive, still not intending to buy. "Walking in, there was zero part of me that thought I was going to get a new car that day."

What changed Jordan’s mind?

First and foremost was the fact that she already had solar panels at home. This meant there would be zero cost for charging the vehicle and—even more exciting for her—she would get to serve as an ambassador for CEC’s “Driving on Sunshine” program.

Then there was her experience at the dealership. She was directed to the internet office where "there was absolutely no sales pressure” because she’d mocked up the car online. The test drive left her impressed by the design inside and out—the ultra-smooth get-up-and-go of the ride, the high-tech auto-park mode, the Sony surround sound.

And finally, the rebates and discounts off the $39,000 price tag sealed the deal: $7,500 in instant federal rebates, $1,500 from the California Center for Sustainable Energy’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, and a $4,000 trade-in value for her well-loved Highlander. This, plus $800 out of pocket, penciled out to a 3-year lease at $328 per month with 19,500 miles per year and 2 years free maintenance.

Now that Jordan had the car, she reasoned she may as well maximize its energy-saving potential. This meant she needed to rethink the way she drove, and the car’s built-in coaching tools were crucial to helping her do just that. The dashboard tracked acceleration, braking, and cruising and provided a visual to let her know when she could better optimize each activity. The Energi app gave her scores for braking and driving to teach her to maximize fuel efficiency.

Then there was community support. “CEC was a huge resource—I spent a lot of time talking with Michael about all the ways I could save energy.” A week after buying the car, she also participated in the Plug In SB—an annual event where other hybrid owners shared insider knowledge.

Six months in to driving the car, the app showed that she had doubled her efficiency, going from an average of 40 mpg in September to 80.5 mpg in February. The app also revealed that she’d saved the equivalent of a blimp's-worth (125 gallons) of gas and 10,367 pounds of CO2. She noted, “It’s awesome to see how my choices have such a big impact.” In the spirit of today's social web, she also used the app to rank herself among other drivers, engendering a little friendly eco-competition.

Financially she’s benefiting as well. Before making the switch, she regularly filled up her tank five times or more per month. No longer. "My car went 1,364 miles on my last tank of gas, and I've only filled up 4 times in the past 5 months." To achieve these high mpg rates, she opts to drive on purely electric whenever she’s taking shorter trips around town. And even with nightly charges at home, she hasn’t seen an uptick in her monthly electricity usage. Since she’s on solar, she has the added luxury of charging her car whenever it’s convenient—those not on solar tend to wait until night to charge to take advantage of lower electricity rates.

Not to say that switching cars was all roses——Jordan felt a bit of sacrifice. She misses the sense of independence that being able to go anywhere and do anything in her Toyota had given her. She has had to learn to downsize what she brings with her, and she can’t throw her car into 4-wheel drive to head off-road anymore. In order to optimize fuel, she also has to plan out her trips a little more carefully, and consciously focus on the choices she makes while driving.

Despite these downsides, she says, "It’s so worth it for not being dependent on gas. It feels like I'm doing my part, and I love that I'm flying by the gas station. Plus, I love that I'm supporting an American company now—all my previous cars have been foreign."

Jordan’s done her part in other ways as well. Not long after she bought the car, the dealership contacted her to be in a commercial about buying the new car. While not eager to step into the limelight, she decided being out of her comfort zone was worth it if it could spur others toward greener transportation.

Now seven months in, Jordan loves that she is still discovering new features and possibilities for optimizing the car's power-saving potential. Perhaps she’ll have them all figured out by the time the lease is up (at which point she’ll likely upgrade to a newer model given the rapid advancements occurring in fuel cell technology).

Either way, she finds that having a plug-in hybrid suits her lifestyle—and more importantly, her ambitions to protect the planet—quite well.

"Intern Spotlight” is a series about former CEC interns, detailing their experiences at the organization and finding out what they are up to now. Over the years, hundreds of interns have helped CEC with its environmental programs while gaining useful skills and connections pertinent to their future careers. 

Marjan Riazi works as the New Student Requirement Coordinator for the UC Santa Barbara Alcohol & Drug Program. Marjan completed a 9-month internship at CEC following graduation from UCSB with a major in Environmental Studies.

Tell us about your internship:

My internship focused on online marketing, writing, and Earth Day related projects. I wrote web articles and contributed to social media posts about relevant environmental news and community members engaged in sustainable practices. I contributed to the CEC “Powered for Good” blog, coordinated photo shoots, and assisted with talking points and press releases. I also assisted with the implementation of the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival marketing strategy and related marketing campaigns. All of this allowed me to expand my foundational social media skills, and I enjoyed having a broader scope of work than most interns working for local non-profit organizations.

How would you describe your experience as an intern, behind the scenes of the Earth Day Festival:

Being a part of the online marketing media team at the Earth Day Festival was an unforgettable experience. There are so many moving parts behind the scenes, during the production process leading up to the festival. As an intern, it’s a unique opportunity to learn and grow as a young professional, and develop fundamental project management skills, including managing multiple relationships with our Earth Day partners and sponsors.

I assisted in the development and implementation of our marketing and media campaign strategy. I coordinated the Earth Day Network’s Faces of Climate campaign throughout the course of the festival weekend, which gave me an opportunity to work and collaborate with environmental heroes like Bill Nye, as well as other influential community members.

We asked Bill Nye what issues concern him the most about the environment. His response: “Raise the standard of living for women through education and reduce the human population. Provide energy and clean water for everyone by engineering. Control the climate of the whole world by working together.” Working as an Earth Day intern for the CEC was truly a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

You stay involved with the CEC and volunteered again this year at the Earth Day Festival. Tell us about that:

The people I met and the genuine connections I made working as an intern at the CEC bring me back as a volunteer. To this day I am in touch with Earth Day production partners, as well as the CEC staff. I attended this year’s All Hands meetings for Earth Day, and helped out with events leading up to the festival weekend, like Green Drinks and the Opening Night reception.

Tell us about the value you see in being mentored, as an intern at CEC:

The mentorship component of my internship was enormous. The staff at CEC make a serious commitment to answer questions, and offer guidance, advice and support. I still seek regular professional guidance from CEC Assistant Director Sigrid Wright and Online Marketing Coordinator Brina Carey. As mentors, they provide a positive space for interns to grow and develop professionally, and it was a unique privilege to have such strong, successful female influences working in the environmental space.

In addition to mentorship, I built relationships and developed close friendships with highly influential community members, which has opened the door to an entirely new world of professional networking, development, and career opportunities.

What transferrable skills did you gain at the CEC?

I’m currently working as the New Student Requirement Coordinator for the UCSB Alcohol & Drug Program. The scope of my work is primarily research and communication-based. My internship at the CEC helped me develop essential professional and effective communication skills. I gained the ability to work collaboratively as well as independently, both of which have huge applications in my work now. I work with upwards of ten different departments here at UCSB, all at the same time.

CEC accepts interns all year round. See what positions are currently available >