Refugio Oil Spill Remebered
As we remember the second anniversary of the Refugio oil spill (May 19,2015), it’s important to understand the important part played by the Environmental Defense Center. But let me digress for a moment to share my perspective on oil extraction in general.
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LNG and Me
Sometime in 2006… I was on my way to the 101 Freeway near the Esplanade Financial Center. I saw two of my friends, Bill Terry and Gloria Roman, standing on the sidewalk trying to get the attention of the people in the passing cars. They had huge photographs of fiery explosions and huge pipes. They […]
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The Southern CA Sea Otter – Protected at Last (We hope)
I often run along our bluff tops here in Santa Barbara admiring the ocean and our Channel Islands afar, looking out in hopes I may be so lucky to see one of my favorite ocean friends, the southern California sea otter. Today, I am excited to share with you that for the second time in just over two years, this month a federal judge ruled in our favor to protect the threatened sea otter!
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Ellwood Mesa: A Story of Preservation
Ellwood Mesa is a mecca for hikers, joggers, cyclists, surfers, and horseback riders to enjoy a natural preserve of exceptional beauty. Situated on the Western edge of Goleta, it is protected forever from future development. This is no accident, however.
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The Start of the Movement
Forty-eight years ago today, on the morning of January 28, 1969, five miles offshore Summerland at Oil Platform A, something went terribly wrong: the well blew out. As oil began seeping up from the bottom of the ocean floor, so began one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
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The Birth of the Environmental Defense Center
For me gratitude brings the greatest bliss I know, and in this state I recall the birth of the Environmental Defense Center in 1977, forty years ago, and the work that began in 1969 that led to its creation.
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Celebrating Our Volunteers
Today is International Volunteer Day and on behalf of all the staff at the Environmental Defense Center, we would like to say thank you to our wonderful team of volunteers! Today is a celebration of the people who give their time, energy, and wisdom to projects and causes they care about, and the work we do at EDC simply would not be possible without our volunteers.
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TGIF: How Does a Great thing Keep Getting Better?!
With 18 years of fine-tuning, we are proud to say that the 2016 TGIF season was the most successful yet, ending with a bang at our Fall Feast on October 14th. As the sun set over Santa Barbara, 300 people joined us in our festive downtown courtyard and enjoyed delicious food prepared by Big Easy […]
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Positive Future for Ocean Health at the Santa Barbara Channel Islands
Good news has come after 10 years of monitoring the protected waters around the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. The health of the ecosystem is improving, and although there will still be challenges ahead, the long term outlook is very hopeful.
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Ventura Oil Pipeline Spill (Again) Highlights Continued Problems With Pipeline Oversight, Lack of Transparency
Almost exactly a year after an oil pipeline owned by Plains All American LLP ruptured and spilled at least 143,000 gallons of crude oil into the coast at Refugio State Beach, Ventura residents awoke on the morning of Thursday, June 23 to yet another major oil pipeline spill. This latest regional oil calamity originated from an aging, 75 year old line known as the “V-10” which moves oil from Ventura oil fields to Los Angeles area refineries. The spill eventually released an estimated 30,000 gallons of crude into the Prince Barranca in a densely populated area within the City of Ventura adjacent to Ventura High School.
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