Santa Barbara photographer tracks the Scherpa Fire
More than 1,200 firefighters and first responders continue to battle a growing wildfire west of Santa Barbara today. The Scherpa Fire, as it’s called, is currently 5,800 acres and 20% contained.…
The drought reveals hidden history at the bottom of Lake Casitas
After five years of drought, Lake Casitas, a main water source for cities like Ventura and Ojai, has dropped to its lowest point since it was filled in the 1960s.…
With the Santa Barbara Food Action Plan complete, what’s the action?
After two years of research and countless volunteer hours, the Santa Barbara Food Action Plan is now complete. Headed up by the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, the plan strives…
MAP: Where oil runs in Santa Barbara
Have you ever wondered what oil pipelines run through Santa Barbara County? If so, then you might like this handy map: Here’s the breakdown: The county’s longest line, Plains All-American…
Oil companies get green light to frack offshore of Santa Barbara, is it safe?
Photo by Linda Krop Oil companies can now frack off the coast of California once again. The Obama administration made this announcement last week after a federal report found the…
KCRW wants to answer your questions about oil
What do you wonder about oil production and extraction in California? We want to answer them!
KCRW wants to answer your questions about fracking
Are you concerned about fracking in Southern California? Ask us your questions and we’ll investigate.
KCRW wants to answer your questions about the oil spill
One year ago, a corroded pipe operated by Plains All-American burst along the Gaviota Coast, a pristine coastline west of Santa Barbara. It released a river of crude oil into a…
The past and future of regulating oil
Today marks one year since an oil pipeline ruptured near Refugio Beach in Santa Barbara County, spilling 143,000 gallons of crude oil along the coast. This week, KCRW is checking…
Why one researcher calls Refugio spill response ‘outdated’
What has changed in spill response technology in the past decades? According to Sean Anderson, an environmental researcher at California State University-Channel Islands, not a lot. He’s spent years studying oil spills, from…
Pipeline company Plains faces criminal charges
The Texas oil pipeline company behind last year’s 142,000 gallon oil spill along the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County has been indicted on 46 criminal charges. Plains All American Pipeline faces…
Who’s dealing with the wildlife data?
Ever since the corroded pipe operated by Plains All-American burst, releasing a river of crude into the ocean at Refugio State Beach, biologists have been out studying the effects on wildlife. Jenny Marek…
Counting Grunion a year after the spill
Last year’s Refugio Oil Spill came at a time when grunion were spawning on the oil-covered sand. Now, scientists are looking at this year’s fish to see if there’s been any…
A year later, what we know about the Refugio oil spill
One year ago, a corroded pipe operated by Plains All-American burst. It released a river of crude into a creek that empties into the ocean at Refugio State Beach, a pristine coastline…
How artists helped create the National Park Service
The National Park Service is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. However, the concept of the parks dates back far earlier than that. In 1864, Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite…
It’s not so easy to clean up Exide’s lead pollution
Cleanup is now underway to remove the toxins left behind by the now-shuttered Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon, just south of downtown Los Angeles. For decades, the plant pumped dangerous levels…
What it will take to earthquake-proof L.A.’s most vulnerable apartment buildings
The recent earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan underscore just how vulnerable many parts of the world are to big earthquakes, including Los Angeles. As the old saying goes, it’s not…
108 years since the Model T, the car of the future is just about here
We’re at the precipice of a new age of automotive options, as the car of the future is just about here. Tesla’s top of the line Model S 90d, while…
Why are VW’s diesel issues still unresolved?
It’s been six months since news broke that VW rigged hundreds of thousands of its diesel vehicles to cheat on pollution tests. Government officials are still wrestling with what to do…
Mass layoffs hit undocumented farmworkers in Santa Maria
(Photo by Paul Wellman, the Santa Barbara Independent) Last week, hundreds of undocumented farmworkers in Santa Maria were laid off. After a Homeland Security investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE agents ordered Bonita…