Little shiny black lumps gather along tide lines in sand, glittering softly in the sun.
I live in an area where crude oil naturally bubbles up from the earth. The black gold finance made this area known for its beautiful coastal collage campuses and parks. Santa Barbara is also the birth place of Earth Day- inspired by a major oil spill back in the 70s.
The natural beaches change day to day with the tide and the change is even more noticeable with the sands between summer and winter. We don’t allow drilling off the coast anymore in this area because of the spills that kept happening.
The signs warn you about unusual bacteria in the water but the tar issue on sand is common knowledge. People walk and play all the same. Oil and soap with a little extra time is required to remove tar from skin and stuff. Although, for me, I think I’m done walking beaches with the dog this summer!
