6 Comments

Wonderfully written. I have spent a fair amount of time in the Santa Barbara region, so I know about these superblooms.

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Thank you! Seeing one of these in person is definitely a bucket list activity.

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Excellent post. I grew up here and you've done a great service in capturing the spirit of the area.

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Thanks, Dan! So glad to hear it. Would love to see the boundaries expanded to include some of the drilling sites that will hopefully be shut down some day.

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did you fly there in an airplane and then drive around in an suv?

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Hi Leslie, appreciate you taking the time to comment—we’re always up for a good discussion.

To your point, we shouldn’t pretend consumers are the reason we’re still stuck on fossil fuels. The industries profiting from them have spent decades blocking alternatives that would reduce our dependence. Airlines have fought high-speed rail to protect short-haul flights, and fossil fuel interests have shaped transportation policy to keep us reliant on cars and planes.

Yes, we rely on fossil fuels right now—because those benefiting from the status quo have made sure we have few alternatives. But using energy and excusing reckless, destructive extraction are two different things. The fact that I drove to Carrizo doesn’t justify turning wild landscapes into wastelands for short-term profit.

If we want better options, we have to push for them. Staying quiet only benefits the industries that want nothing to change.

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