“Beautiful” Images From California’s Refugio Oil Spill

As a waverider from this area, I see this coastline as a limited resource that should be cared for with respect. To see one of my local beaches defiled with oil is  sickening—sickening to the soul as much as it is physically. After shooting these images I felt lightheaded and had a headache for few hours. The stench was overwhelming and no doubt toxic. But almost as disheartening as the tarred beaches themselves was the lack of organized effort to contain the spill in its infancy. If oil companies want to run the risk of endangering our coast, they need to have a course of action ready to resolve the problems they create. Someone needs to be held accountable for this tragedy; this is an issue that transcends politics and needs to be addressed with an understanding of its implications for years to come.I feel somewhat uncomfortable taking photos of the spill that have aesthetic value because this situation is ugly. There is a passionate beach loving community in this area that will hopefully band together to clean this mess up and help push for regulation that ensures it never happens again.