Whales may dwarf every other living thing on earth but they are no match for a cargo ship traveling at high speeds. Every year, whales are struck and killed by ships carrying goods around the world. In 2007, five blue whales were killed as a result of ship strikes in the Santa Barbara Channel alone. Because this was a much larger number of fatalities than usual, and due to the blue whale’s endangered status, this greatly concerned scientists.
This blog by EDC’s Environmental Analyst and Watershed Program Coordinator, Brian Trautwein, tells the story of the Endangered Southern California Steelhead, the plight of a pair of steelhead discovered in a local creek in 2017, and current efforts by EDC and partners to bring this species back from the brink of extinction.
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.
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 […]
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 […]
