Santa Barbara Oil Spill Video: Did America Forget So Soon?

[tomm2thumbs]

"Birth of a Movement" - this video documents some footage from the Santa Barbara Oil Spill and speaks to community leaders who were involved in fighting for change as a result. The filmmaker notes the spill as the birth of the modern environmental movement. There is no doubt the current oil industry is frightened to death that the BP oil disaster in the Gulf could give birth to a new movement such as happened in 1969 - a period when numerous initiatives towards a cleaner earth began.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeBXx0I3B7U

Video Summary: Santa Barbara is known as the birthplace of the Modern Environmental Movement. This reputation grew from the publics actions in 1969 when an oil blowout spewed crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel. The cry to Get Oil Out! rang loud, and the world reacted. Shortly after important environmental legislation was established, and institutions like Earth Day and UCSBs Environmental Studies program sprung up.
Forty years later, with a new call for oil drilling and a new understanding of its ramifications, the lessons of the grassroots activism of 1969 are perhaps more pertinent now than ever. This movie looks to share those lessons in order to inspire a new generation of activism.

The video is also on vimeo with some other notable videos at:
http://vimeo.com/4417225