Hundreds of environmental advocates gathered at West Beach on Saturday to join hands, voices, and a statewide movement against new offshore oil drilling. “Hands Across the Sand” brought people together in nearly a dozen coastal communities to mark the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, the landmark law protecting coastal resources and guaranteeing public access to the state’s shoreline. The images captured at each location serve as a visual expression of solidarity with one another and in commitment to protecting the health of the ocean. The people of Santa Barbara clasped hands or threw them high in the air for photo ops that struggled to fit everyone lined on the beach in one frame.
Toni Cordero — tribal leader, tomol paddler, and member of the Environmental Defense Center’s board of directors — was the first to speak from the platform under a large banner reading “WATER IS LIFE. PROTECT OUR COAST.” She first acknowledged that the gathering was taking place at the location of one of her ancestral villages.
“I ask you please to reflect on the fact that you are standing on unceded ancestral homelands of the Chumash peoples,” Cordero said. “’Unceded’ means that we never voluntarily relinquished them. Please think about what that means to us and what it means to you. And please think about what you can do to move beyond mere land acknowledgement. To uplift and preserve the relationship and connection between these lands, these waters, and their original peoples.”
Another impassioned speech came from 16-year-old community organizer and activist Ethan Maday. He referenced an interaction with the county Board of Supervisors earlier this month that included a common rebuttal thrown at renewable energy advocates. Maday mentioned that he was called out for using his laptop during a public comment since oil is key to its creation. Maday disputed the argument that “everything is made of oil so we can’t move away from oil.” Refusing to surrender to the all-or-nothing mentality, he looks toward the future.
“We still need oil today, and that sucks,” Maday said. “We are trying to move away from that. That is why we’re not investing in more offshore drilling — more gas and oil production. We’re using common sense. It’s pretty simple. We don’t need to build more infrastructure for a dying industry. We have the technology to move away from oil and gas, and we need to start doing so while thinking of the workers that depend on that.”
Additional speakers included Emily Engel with the Santa Barbara Sierra Club, Linda Krop with the Environmental Defense Center, and Meagan Harmon, chair of the California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara city councilmember. Representatives from numerous other organizations attended and shared information: Fearless Grandmothers, Community Environmental Council, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Surfrider Foundation, 805 Action, Clue S.B., Unidos 805, 350 Santa Barbara, League of Women Voters, Last Chance Alliance, Sea League, Get Oil Out!, Indivisible Santa Barbara, and Women’s March.
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