Southern California is typically known for its sunshine and beaches, but with over 125,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean last week, police and beach officials were quick to close off beaches to the community members and begin their cleanup process. 

With the lives of numerous wildlife endangered and millions of dollars going into the cleaning process, concerns rise among uneasy California residents who wonder how the spill may impact climate change.

Although authorities initially had difficulties identifying the source and cause of the spill, officials soon concluded that it was directly linked to an offshore energy and oil platform called Elly. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, platform Elly sits on top of the Pacific Ocean, above a “rich supply of oil in federal waters managed by the Interior Department.” The spill itself is believed to have occured because of a broken pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach. The platform has since been shut of, but many residents still fear that another spill is likely to occur. 

Oil spills are nothing new to California. In previous cases, and for most oil spill cases in the U.S, the party found responsible for the accident is in charge of paying, with some supportive assistance from the federal government to ensure the most efficient and safe practices are being followed. However, in this case, many Californians are left wondering whether the oil platform company will ultimately pay for their damage or if the state will be forced to clean up its mess. Oil spill cleanups range in price depending on the amount of oil spilled, how far it has spread, and the type of oil that spilled; Cleaning them up can cost over $2 billion dollars. Although it was determined that the spill was caused by the oil platform Elly, cleanup efforts are being led by the Coast Guard.

The Tuesday following the spill, Governor Gavin Newsom arrived at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County and made a statement regarding the catastrophic event. Newsom stated, “As California continues to lead the nation in phasing out fossil fuels and combating the climate crisis, this incident serves as a reminder of the urgent need to usher in a cleaner and greener future that safeguards public health, the economy and our environment.” For many Californians, especially younger residents, climate change is a major concern. The latest oil spill in Huntington Beach only further raised their concerns about the greater impact fossil fuels have on our environment, and whether or not California is on the right path to eliminating fossil fuels and ensuring a greener future. 

Regardless of where the oil spill occurs, the frequency of spills raises one important question in the minds of California residents: Is digging for fossil fuels more important than preserving the ecosystem and saving the state billions of dollars?  For many, there is no doubt that preserving the state’s wildlife is more crucial than the fossil fuels that are negatively impacting the state. However, many are still in denial that there is any issue at all, making the future of California’s look awfully dim.