Climate and Clean Energy Program
Empowering the Central Coast
At Surfrider, our mission is to prevent further drastic changes to our ocean, waves, and beaches by reducing emission of greenhouse gases and to adapt responsibly to changes already occurring.
Protecting Our Coast in a Changing Climate
We are a community of surfers, swimmers, and beach-lovers dedicated to protecting the coastline that is our home. The waves, the beaches, and the vibrant marine ecosystems of the Central Coast are under threat. The burning of fossil fuels has fundamentally altered our atmosphere, and the ocean has been our silent hero, absorbing over 90% of that excess heat and 25% of the resulting carbon dioxide (IPCC, Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC)).
We are now witnessing the Triple Threat to our local waters:
- Rising Tides: Sea levels are projected to rise by at least a foot by 2035, threatening to drown our beaches and coastal habitats.
- Ocean Acidification: As our water absorbs CO2, it becomes more acidic, disrupting the very foundation of the marine food web.
- Extreme Weather: More severe storms and warming waters are damaging our reefs and altering the waves we love.
Our Vision
The Surfrider SLO Climate & Clean Energy Program exists to bridge the gap between ocean conservation and energy policy. We know that a healthy ocean is impossible without a rapid, just transition to clean energy. We recognize a difficult truth: to protect the nature of the ocean we love, we must stop our energy use from destroying it. Some think of the coast as a place where our bipedal human world ends and the underwater nature begins. As swimmers, surfers, divers, fishers, floaters, and appreciators who so frequently walk right on into the ocean, we know there is no line, no two worlds. The coast is where we stand, or float, and understand how interdependence of land and sea, our health with the ocean’s.
The coast is not the separator between two jurisdictions, human and that of the immense power of the blue; it is our telltale, our dipstick, our indicator that we look to to understand how well the realms of land and water and atmosphere are working together. When we look from our coasts and see coral bleaching, sea levels rising, more frequent hurricanes, populations in decline, and islands of trash, our indicator is flaring a code red.
Our goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the source and adapt responsibly to the environmental changes already underway. Clean energy defends our coastlines, and our future, from the destructive impacts of our own energy use.
The climate crisis is an ocean crisis. Join us as we fight for our oceans
Our Action
At Surfrider San Luis Obispo, we don't just advocate for a clean energy future; we work on the ground to ensure that the transition is responsible, science-based, and inclusive of the people who know these waters best. We serve two primary roles in the Central Coast energy landscape:
Protecting Our Ecosystems
Connecting Projects to People
Current Local Focus Areas
Large-scale energy projects, like offshore wind or massive battery storage facilities, can have significant footprints. As your local watchdog, we:
Review the Science: we dive into Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) to ensure projects use the best available science and don't take shortcuts that could harm marine life or surf breaks.Monitor the Process: We track the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and local Planning Commissions to make sure coastal protection laws are being upheld.
Demand Transparency: We push for rigorous environmental monitoring before, during, and after construction.
Energy policy can be dense and technical. We act as a bridge to ensure the local community’s voice is heard in the boardrooms and government offices.
Community Education: We break down complex projects into what they actually mean for our beaches, waves, and local economy.Inclusive Advocacy: We believe a just transition must include the voices of our local Tribal nations and the fishing community. We advocate for their inclusion in the planning process to ensure that cultural heritage and local livelihoods are respected.
A Seat at the Table: We advocate for our oceans at public hearings, ensuring that the playground we all love isn't overlooked in the rush for new infrastructure.
Responsible Offshore Wind: The Morro Bay Wind Energy Area is a massive undertaking. Surfrider SLO is actively engaged in ensuring this project minimizes impacts on migratory paths and the seafloor while providing the clean power California needs.
Local Carbon Neutrality: We partner with the City and County of San Luis Obispo to help them meet their ambitious climate goals. By supporting local battery storage and building electrification, we help reduce the demand for the fossil fuels that are currently warming our waters.
"Blue Carbon" Restoration: Beyond energy infrastructure, we work to protect our natural defenses. From kelp forest advocacy to supporting living shorelines, we are active in preserving the ecosystems that naturally sequester carbon and protect our coast from rising tides.
Our Promise: We are for clean energy, but we are first and foremost for the ocean. We will continue to hold developers and policymakers accountable to ensure the Central Coast remains a vibrant, healthy place for generations to come.
How You Can Take Action
The climate crisis is an ocean crisis, but you have the power to help turn the tide. At Surfrider SLO, we believe that real change happens when local passion meets organized action. Here is how you can help protect the Central Coast today.
Current Action Alerts
These are our highest priority items. Your voice is needed now to influence local and state policy.
- Urge our Federal Leaders to Prevent Harmful Seabed Mining
- Tell Congress to Protect Our Coasts From Offshore Oil Drilling
- Tell your state reps: Let people plug into the sun (SB 868)
- Stop Beach Armoring in San Clemente
- Public Comment on BOEM Calls for Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing
- Support Responsible Offshore Wind: Urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and state regulators to prioritize rigorous environmental monitoring and tribal consultation for the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area. We need clean power, but we won't compromise on the health of our marine ecosystems.
- Advocate for SLO Battery Storage: Tell our County Supervisors that you support local battery storage projects. These "big batteries" are the key to shutting down gas-fired plants and making our local grid resilient against wildfires and heatwaves.
- Show up where decisions are made: attend city council, county, Coastal Commission, and state agency hearings on offshore wind, BESS, Diablo decommissioning, sea level rise planning, and coastal access.
- Talk about climate and energy justice in your circles: Discuss climate change, offshore wind, storage, and fossil fuel phase‑out with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. Learn their perspectives, share information. When we connect these issues to local realities (like water quality, housing, jobs, and coastal access) we confront the challenges in front of us and drive the public will needed for policy shifts.
Living Sustainably on the Central Coast
Living sustainably on the Central Coast isn’t about fixing climate change through personal virtue. It’s about using our time, skills, and relationships to shift the systems (energy, land use, transportation, and water) that shape the coast we live on. It is about people here using our collective power (in local governments, community groups, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods) to change the systems that drive climate pollution and coastal damage.
When we organize, we can win big structural shifts: phasing out offshore oil, shaping offshore wind and port plans, expanding transit and bike networks, building clean energy and storage, restoring dunes and wetlands, and passing policies that protect vulnerable communities first. Those are the kinds of changes that move the needle on emissions and resilience, far beyond what any of us can do alone.
Individual choices still matter, but mainly as part of that bigger story. When you cut energy use, electrify your home, or reduce plastic, you’re not “fixing climate change by yourself”; you’re helping build demand, social norms, and political space for the large‑scale changes we’re fighting for. Surfrider SLO’s goal is to plug people into campaigns, coalitions, and community projects where personal effort adds up to real power for the coast, not just a greener shopping list.
Here are some Lesser Discussed Tips for Individual Changes That Can Add Up:
- Go Electric, but don't Go New: If you need a new vehicle, consider a pre-owned electric model. Manufacturing a new car carries a heavy "embodied carbon" cost and batteries carry large mineral and sociological weight; by choosing used, you prevent the emissions of a new production cycle while still benefiting from California's increasingly clean, renewable grid.
- Align your home with the transition: When you can, electrify your home, add rooftop or plug‑in solar, and switch from gas cars to walking, biking, transit, or EVs, and tell your story publicly to build social and political support for larger changes.
- Eat Lower on the Food Chain: Shifting toward a plant-forward diet is one of the most effective individual actions you can take. Reducing red meat and dairy consumption significantly lowers your carbon and methane footprint.
- Support Regenerative Agriculture: Seek out Central Coast farmers who use regenerative practices. These methods focus on soil health, which helps sequester carbon in the ground rather than letting it escape into the atmosphere and acidify our seas.
- Reduce Food Waste: Roughly one-third of all food produced is wasted. When food ends up in landfills, it creates methane. Planning meals and composting locally helps keep those emissions in check.
Join the Chapter
The best way to stay informed and effective is to join our community of ocean defenders.
- Volunteer: Join our Climate & Clean Energy committee to help us review technical documents and speak at public hearings.
- Donate: Your contributions stay right here in SLO County, funding our advocacy efforts and community education programs.
- Stay Alert: Sign up for our newsletter to receive "Action Alerts" when critical local votes are coming up.
One Wave at a Time: You don't have to do everything, but everyone has to do something. Together, we can ensure the Central Coast remains resilient for generations to come.