Kenny Loggin will receive the Environmental Hero Award on April 23, Earth Day, in Santa Barbara.
Kenny Loggins, award-winning singer-songwriter and humanitarian, and certified graduates of the Community Environmental Council’s UC Climate Stewards program are recipients of the CEC 2022 Santa Barbara Earth Day Environmental Hero Award.The awards ceremony will take place at this year’s Santa Barbara Earth Day celebration at 2:30 p.m. April 23 at the Arlington Theatre.
Featured will be a video acceptance speech from Mr. Loggins, who lives in Montecito, and live appearances from several UC Climate Stewards alumni.
Mr. Loggins’ song “Conviction of the Heart’‘ was dubbed “the unofficial anthem of the environmental movement” by vice president Al Gore in 1995 after Mr. Loggins performed the song on Earth Day at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for a crowd of 500,000.
A Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter with more than 25 million albums sold worldwide, Mr. Loggins is a deeply committed environmentalist with a long history of advocating for the planet. He has been outspoken on the importance of taking care of the earth and combating climate change for decades. He regularly lends his musical talent to support projects focused on environmental activism, education and outreach.
“I’m honored to receive this year’s Environmental Hero award from CEC,” said Mr. Loggins. “I believe that supporting efforts toward renewable energy, sustainable farming and environmental equity are critical to our future. I believe that each of us must step up and work together to create the change needed not only to survive, but to thrive.”
His generous support of countless local organizations has made a lasting impact on the causes that are close to his heart, including his work with Santa Barbara’s Toys for Tots, which helped launch Unity Shoppe in 1988 as an organization where individuals could volunteer their services to help low-income families, children, the elderly, sick and disabled in Santa Barbara County.
“We are thrilled to honor Kenny Loggins for his lifetime commitment to the environment and his tremendous support for the Santa Barbara community,” said Sigrid Wright, CEO and executive director of CEC. “For the past several years, he has been a bright light at our Earth Day events, inspiring people of all ages to connect through music and through their hearts to the great privilege we have of living on this planet.”
In 2021, CEC became the only Central Coast nonprofit to offer a UC Climate Stewards course. The 40-hour certification course includes climate curriculum and discussion, field trips and a Capstone project, giving participants a deeper understanding of the psychology and science behind climate change while providing skills necessary for climate action.
The more than 40 certified stewards to date are being honored this year for their shared commitment to engage in transformative local solutions to promote community and ecosystem resilience in a changing climate.
“CEC is proud to showcase these exceptional individuals who have made climate literacy and activism a priority in their busy lives. They are enriching communities with lessons learned from their Capstone projects. Local businesses, nonprofits and retirement communities are benefitting from these meaningful new ventures that put sustainability front and center.” said Kathi King, director of climate education and leadership.
The awards ceremony will honor UC Climate Steward graduates from three courses held to date and will highlight how they are putting their new-found climate knowledge to work within Central Coast communities. For more information about CEC’s UC Climate Stewards Program, visit climatestewards.cecsb.org.
Camille Dupuis will be one of the graduates attending the Earth Day awards ceremony.
“The UC Climate Stewards course helped me become a stronger communicator about climate science and a more active member of the community. The skills I gained will also help me build and strengthen the business model for my own local small business,” said Ms. Dupuis, co-founder and chief sustainability officer of Seminalia Truffles.
This year’s awardees join an esteemed list of previous Environmental Heroes, including Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA; Paul Hawken, “Drawdown” author and environmental pioneer; Lois Capps and Salud Carbajal, U.S. Congress members; author Suzy Amis Cameron and director James Cameron, “The OMD Plan: Swap One Meal a Day to Save Your Health and Save the Planet”; Marcus Eriksen of 5 Gyres; 350.org founder Bill McKibben; science educator Bill Nye; and activist/actress Daryl Hannah.
Other Santa Barbara Earth Day related events/activities include the following:
– The UCSB Library Presents: “The Business of Less: The Role of Companies and Households on a Planet in Peril” with Roland Geyer at 4 p.m. April 19 in the Pacific View Room, 8th Floor, UCSB Library.
– Ventech Presents: “Is Recycling a Lie? The New Paradigm for a Circular Economy” from 5 to 8 p.m. April 20 at Cabrillo Pavilion, 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd.
Kathi King, CEC’s director of climate education and leadership, will be speaking.
Email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
FYI
To see the 2022 Earth Day Program lineup for April 23, visit sbearthday.org/schedule.
