On Jan. 4, the Trump administration released its plan to open up protected ocean areas to oil drilling. In Santa Barbara, we’ve experienced firsthand the detriment oil spills have on our environment, economy, and community from the 2015 Refugio spill that dumped almost 143,000 gallons of oil in our coastal waters. That is why the Santa Barbara and Goleta city councils passed resolutions against offshore drilling last year, joining a national movement of more than 150 cities and 1,200 local, state, and federal officials calling for strong protection of our national seashores. What’s more, Trump’s decision is a danger to the climate, promoting dirty energy when we should halt fossil fuel development.
This article appears in Jan 11-18, 2018.