Event 3: Field Trip

Oil Decommissioning

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, History of Oil in the Santa Barbara Channel exhibit, https://sbmm.org/exhibits/.

Event 3 asks participants to consider the long history of oil infrastructure in the Central Coast, even before the infamous 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. To this end, take a field trip to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum to view their History of Oil in the Santa Barbara Channel exhibit for an interactive deep dive into the history of oil in the region. The exhibit unpacks how “oil has been a part of maritime history for thousands of years,” and how even as we move towards renewable energy sources, “oil affects every facet of our lives.”

After spending time in the exhibit, pick a stretch of Santa Barbara coast and look out towards the horizon, where the offshore platforms appear. Take the time to notice the oil infrastructure that dots the region’s coastline. Reflect on what you learned from the History of Oil in the Santa Barbara Channel exhibit, as well as from this syllabus. How has the history of oil in the region impacted your life?

“Photograph of Platform Holly diorama,” Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s History of Oil in the Santa Barbara Channel exhibit, by Sage Gerson.