Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Governor Brown Urges President Obama To Ban Oil Drilling Off California's Coast
Platform Heritage off the coast of Santa Barbara. (Photo by Glenn Beltz via the Creative Commons)
()
Following the lead of state lawmakers, Governor Jerry Brown called on President Obama to ban offshore oil drilling in the waters of California.
"California is blessed with hundreds of miles of spectacular coastline; home to scenic state parks, beautiful beaches, abundant wildlife and thriving communities," Brown wrote in the letter Tuesday. "Clearly, large new oil and gas reserves would be inconsistent with our overriding imperative to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat the devastating impacts of climate change. Now is the time to make permanent the protection of our ocean waters and beaches from new oil and gas drilling."
The letter, unsurprisingly, comes as Obama's term in office ends to make way for President-elect Donald Trump, who, by the way, has called climate change a hoax, called for more drilling, picked Exxon Mobil's CEO for Secretary of State, and has reportedly just tapped someone that scores a 3% with the League of Conservation Voters for Secretary of the Interior. Yikes!
According to the L.A. Times, it'd be unclear if President-elect Trump would be able to reverse such a ban.
Support for LAist comes from
Santa Monica-based environmental group Heal the Bay applauded Brown for the letter. "We've seen first-hand how oil spills can kill marine life and spoil once-pristine shorelines, such as the recent Refugio spill in Santa Barbara," Heal the Bay spokesperson Matthew King said in a statement to LAist. "As climate change worsens, it's simply time to embrace cleaner, less damaging forms of energy production. Let's invest in the future, not hold onto harmful practices of the past." Last year, Heal the Bay led the charge when voters in Hermosa Beach rejected a proposal to drill for oil in the Santa Monica Bay.
The California State Lands Commission controls the waters up to 3 miles offshore and they have not been opened to any new oil exploration since the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969 (drilling continues at existing sites off Santa Barbara). The waters beyond that, up to 200 miles offshore, are under the jurisdiction of the federal government. The last oil exploration off California in those further waters was done in 1981, the same year a federal moratorium on offshore drilling went into effect. That moratorium was lifted in 2008, but there still hasn't been any oil development off the Golden State since.
Today's letter comes as the governor has the oceans on his mind. He's currently in Coronado launching the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification with the governors of Washington and Oregon, as well as representatives from Chile and France. Along with climate change, ocean acidification is another unfortunate effect of rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Sea surface waters have gotten 30% more acidic since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, according to NOAA, negatively affecting biodiversity, especially coral reefs and animals with a calcium shell (shellfish).
Brown also signed an agreement today with the Department of the Interior to explore the options of renewable energy off our coasts, including wind and wave energy.
With the future uncertain, California could be leading the progressive charge against the forthcoming Trump administration. In September, Brown signed the most ambitious greenhouse gas laws in the country, and today's actions show he's not done yet.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Wasteland Weekend is all about souped-up rust buckets, spikey costumes and an ‘ideal apocalypse.’ -
The Shadow the Scientists initiative at UC Santa Cruz strives to demystify astronomical research. -
Some submissions to the Pasadena Humane Society were made by extremely talented artists. The others … tried their best. -
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning.
Best of LAist