Santa Barbara, California has long been a battleground for environmental progress, John.

It’s where, in response to the devastating 1969 oil spill, activists launched an environmental movement that changed this country forever. Communities came together to demand protections for our coastlines and oceans, leading to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day.

Now, Santa Barbara is at the center of another environmental fight. An old, defunct pipeline — one that ruptured in 2015 and spilled more than 120,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean — is set to restart operations.

A Houston-based oil and gas company, Sable Offshore Corp., plans to restart drilling from three offshore platforms and pump oil through that same pipeline, running for miles along California’s Gaviota Coast. This stretch of coastline is one of the last undeveloped treasures of Southern California, a sanctuary for wildlife and natural beauty.

You might be wondering how this can happen when President Biden banned new offshore drilling. The answer is simple but infuriating — this isn’t considered new drilling. Because the pipeline is being “restarted,” it falls outside the scope of Biden’s executive action. That’s how Big Oil and its enablers are working around climate protections to keep their dangerous operations alive.

When the pipeline failed in 2015, it poisoned the waters, killed sea lions, dolphins, and birds, and spread oil to beaches and waters as far as 100 miles south. The damage rippled outward — fisheries closed, tourism suffered, and residents felt the heartbreak of watching their homes and ecosystems destroyed.

Now, Sable Offshore claims they’ve “fixed” the pipeline. They’ve repaired corroded sections and added new safety measures. They argue that restarting this operation will bring jobs and boost the local economy.

But here’s the truth: the risk of another spill isn’t gone. Environmental experts warn that resuming operations could lead to spills every year, with a major rupture expected every four years. If that happens, the damage could surpass the 2015 disaster.

Santa Barbara County has ambitious goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but this project would make those goals nearly impossible to achieve. Environmentalists are speaking out because they know what’s at stake — not just for Santa Barbara, but for the planet.

This is bigger than one pipeline. It’s about the fossil fuel industry clinging to a destructive status quo. It’s about politicians who enable environmental recklessness, including Donald Trump, who has pledged to "drill, baby, drill." It’s about whether we continue to extract and burn every last ounce of oil or choose a different path — one where we protect our coasts, invest in renewable energy, and secure a livable future for our children and grandchildren.

Our mission at JanePAC is to elect leaders who won’t bow to Big Oil. Leaders who will fight for our climate, our communities, and all of us. This fight is why we exist.

Santa Barbara taught us what’s possible when people come together to demand change. We need that spirit now more than ever.

If you’re as outraged as I am, share this story. Tell your friends and family what’s happening on California’s coast. Remind them that the fossil fuel industry’s greed doesn’t stop, and neither can we. And if you’re able to, chip in any amount you can to power our mission at JanePAC and elect climate champions who will never stop to defeat the fossil fuel industry. [[link removed]]

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In solidarity,

- Jane Fonda

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