In partnership with the Clean Coalition, the World Business Academy has engaged the Montecito community towards the development of a Community Microgrid, starting with independent microgrids at three critical community facilities: Montecito Fire Protection District (FD) headquarters and primary fire station, which maintains and deploys the majority of Montecito’s fire-fighting resources. Montecito Water District (WD) headquarters and […]
Santa Barbara County Votes to Join Central Coast CCA: Now What?
By Robert Perry, Director of Research On June 16th, the County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to participate in the Monterey Bay Community Power Authority (MBCPA), Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Program. Following years of deliberation and analysis concerning the feasibility of forming its own CCA, the vote could lead to the inclusion of Santa […]
Downtown Santa Barbara Retail Discussion Moves Forward With New Consultant’s Report
When it comes to the issue of revitalizing Downtown Santa Barbara and bringing back some of its lost luster, momentum is building towards a solution and the World Business Academy is gratified to see that the public discussion we launched last year about this vital issue continues to move forward. The World Business Academy started […]
WATCH: Video of Global Citizens Club July 2019 Event “Housing Solutions for a Vibrant Santa Barbara”
Please enjoy this video recording of the July 10, 2019 GCC Public event “Housing Solutions for a Vibrant Santa Barbara” focusing on the pressing topic of housing in Santa Barbara, specifically on the question of how to compensate for the housing shortage and the aging population. Panel Moderated by: Rinaldo Brutoco; Speakers: Councilmember Jason Dominguez, […]
Global Citizens Club Meeting: Housing Solutions for a Vibrant Santa Barbara
On July 10th, 2019, we enjoyed the company of over 100 Santa Barbara community members and four key panelists at the Global Citizens Club meeting on Housing Solutions for a Vibrant Santa Barbara. As part of the 2019 conference series, this meeting focused on the pressing topic of housing in Santa Barbara, specifically on the […]
Housing Solutions for a Vibrant Santa Barbara
Like most of California, Santa Barbara is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. As our population has grown over the past few decades, our housing stock has stayed relatively flat – leading to exponentially rising prices to rent an apartment or buy a home. Partly this is by design, as majority bias in […]
WATCH: Video of Global Citizens Club May 2019 Event “Santa Barbara Transitions to Transportation Integration”
Please enjoy this video recording of the May 22, 2019 GCC Public event “Santa Barbara Transitions to Transportation Integration” focusing on Santa Barbara’s transportation future. Speakers: Robin O’Hara, Mark Bradley, Ernesto Paredes, and Gregg Hart. Panel Moderated by Rinaldo Brutoco. Location: Belmond El Encanto Hotel, Santa Barbara.
Global Citizens Club Meeting: Santa Barbara’s Transportation Future
We were delighted by the response to our May 22nd Global Citizens Club meeting focusing on Santa Barbara’s Transportation Future. With attendance reaching almost 100 people, it clearly demonstrated the historically vigorous community interest in finding transportation solutions that will work well for everyone and strategies for investing in new modes to quickly transition to […]
Some Good News on the Fracking Front
By Robert Perry For all of us following the onslaught of oil and gas proposals and attempts by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to open every acre of federal land in California to fracking, the sheer volume of battles can be daunting. I attended and spoke at the BLM public meeting at SBCC on […]
Using Today’s Mass Transit System: A Case Study
By Robert Perry and Kristy Jansen In order to gain first-hand experience of our local transit system in Santa Barbara, Robert Perry (the Academy’s Director of Energy Research), and Kristy Jansen, (the Academy’s Chief of Staff and Media Producer) resolved to only use mass transit at least one day a week during the month of […]
Transitioning from Absolute Autonomy to a Multi-Modal World
Our lifetimes are marked by rites of passage, many of which revolve around personal autonomy and agency. As a baby, we crawl and then learn to walk. Later, we are given a tricycle and then a bicycle. Who doesn’t recall getting their first bicycle? In one fell stroke, a child’s range of exploration is expanded […]
Honoring Earth Day 2019 with a Renewed Commitment to Finding Solutions
Visit the World Business Academy Booth at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival April 27 & 28 at Alameda Park. The world has problems, and Santa Barbara County is no exception. The World Business Academy’s mission is to encourage businesses to create innovative solutions both locally and globally to the planet’s pressing environmental challenges. […]