The Birth of a Movement

Santa Barbara is known as the birthplace of the Modern Environmental Movement. This reputation grew from the publics actions in 1969 when an oil blowout spewed crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel. The cry to Get Oil Out! rang loud, and the world reacted. Shortly after important environmental legislation was established, and institutions like Earth Day and UCSBs Environmental Studies program sprung up.

Forty years later, with a new call for oil drilling and a new understanding of its ramifications, the lessons of the grassroots activism of 1969 are perhaps more pertinent now than ever. This movie looks to share those lessons in order to inspire a new generation of activism.