Earth Day began in 1970 when an oil spill caused by a well drill by Union Oil Platform happened on the Santa Barbara Coast on January 28, 1969. It is the third-largest oil spill in U.S History, along with the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and 2010 Deepwater Horizon.
As a result of the oil spill in Santa Barbara, local activists united in passing environmental protection laws and worked hard to clean up the oil spill. President Nixon at the time even came to visit and gave the following statement: “..the Santa Barbara incident has frankly touched the conscience of the American people.”
During that time, a Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson passed a bill for a national environmental education day called Earth Day. The bill passed in 1970. Also, due to the oil spill in Santa Barbara, many local environmental organizations were formed that still exist to this day dedicated to protecting the environment.
Earth Day has become an annual holiday where we learn about the environment and talk about what we can do better to save the planet.
To celebrate Earth Day in Santa Barbara, the Community Environmental Council will be hosting many Earth-day themed events Saturday, April 23, at the Historic Arlington Theater located on State Street in Downtown Santa Barbara.
Popular events featured on that day are the Green Car Show, a Climate Summit, and many more! There will also be booths and tables about ways we can get involved to protect the environment!
We recommend Green Table, a vegan restaurant featuring great juices and smoothies for a great Earth Day Trip! Try their Morning SuperStar Smoothie with Cauliflower-egg crust pesto pizza! Or check out their juice cleanses if you’re in the mood to start your day with a healthy workout before heading out to the Earth Day Event!
After having a great breakfast, head out to the Arlington Theater, where you can start the day with Chumash blessings being stated and hear a presentation made by the Community Environmental Council. The event will then feature different Earth-day-themed short films.
After the films, check out Rascal’s, a Mexican-themed vegan restaurant known for their made-from-scratch tortillas on their tacos and delicious vegan-themed drinks like their Oat Milk Horchata! Or try their Spicy Elote and Rajas Tacos! Or try Fala Bar featuring kale falafels, sweet potato falafels, and other vegan fares! It’s popular with the locals and featured on local magazines and food websites here!
After a great lunch, at 2 pm, UCSB students will be organizing a recycled-themed fashion show where they will feature clothing made from recycled materials. There will also be an evening concert at 7:30 pm.
After the Earth Day event organized by the Community Environmental Council, head to Satellite SB, a great vegetarian dining restaurant with wine, craft beer, and cider. Known for its outdoor patio and nice relaxing dinner, this restaurant is a place you don’t want to miss on this Earth Day trip.
Earth Day is a great day to go out with friends and reflect on the planet. Also, a great way to keep eating healthy and save the planet one step at a time!
Did we miss any vegan restaurants? What’s your favorite? Let us know how you celebrate Earth Day! And for more great day trips and vegan-themed restaurants, subscribe to Limon!