Does an Oil Spill Matter If It’s Not Somewhere Beautiful?
Faculty member Pollyanna Rhee’s latest essay in Zócalo Public Square revisits the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill and its lasting impact on the environmental movement. The piece explores how the disaster galvanized an unlikely coalition of activists and helped spur major policy changes, including the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Rhee also examines the movement’s limitations—particularly how public attention and urgency can depend on who is affected and where disasters occur. The essay challenges readers to consider whether environmental concern is applied equitably and what is needed to make environmentalism more inclusive and effective.
Read the full article on Zócalo Public Square: Does an Oil Spill Matter If It’s Not Somewhere Beautiful?
