Home of the sand, the sun, the waves, and the infamous Sable Offshore oil rigs (?)
You are a politician that has just been elected to represent Santa Barbara County.
The year is 1969, and locals have not quite formed an opinion of you yet. You will make a series of decisions over the course of your term, and the path you chose will directly affect your outcome. Are you ready?
The sun is shining down our perfect beaches in our lovely town. Birds fly by in the distance and surfers are paddling out on the waves. Its 70 degrees and you couldn't be happier.
Out on the horizon lies a line of silhouettes of ominous structures. These are Sable Offshore's Oil Rigs, which have been operating to extract crude oil from the ocean ground since 1896.
All of a sudden, you see 10 missed calls from your colleague. You answer the phone and he demands you turn on the radio station immediately!
At first, people are calm. But as the oil spreads, thousands of marine animals drop dead and wash up on the beaches. Oil and tar coat our once beautiful sands. The people are outraged. What could have been shared mourning has been overcome with rage, and the people direct it at you.
Luckily, Sable Offshore admires your ability to lie to the public. Their support keeps you in office.
You demand for Sable Offshore to stop oil drilling to ensure this never happens again. The people panic. Rightfully so, as the oil spreads thousands of marine animals drop dead and wash up on the beaches. Oil and tar coat our once beautiful sands.
In the courtroom, you lose in a 3-2 vote and Sable continues operations. It becomes a day for mourning. However, the people now know your stance on this issue, and your public trust increases.
The year is now 2015, and the people are relatively happy. Protests have been erupting since that spill so many years ago. The government has taken higher monitoring to the beaches and oil operations, and sent out clean-up crews to slowly clean up the spillage.
Your career has been on the rise, and despite your old age the people have labeled you as an icon. Life is good! That is until you answer a phone call from your campaign manager, telling you to check turn on the news immediately!
Wow. You really are fitting into the politician role. The people are not happy with your vote, and even worse they have lost all trust in you. On the other hand, congratulations! Our businesses will be booming! The business in question? Sable Offshore. As for the local businesses, restaurants, fisheries, bla bla bla. They will manage... hopefully.
Somehow, the people's voices were heard. With a 6-2 vote, the county decides to shut down that Sable pipeline. However, you hold your ground and their operations continue all over.
The damages of this oil spillage were worse, and even moreso a reminder of the past incident. This time the vote passes, 6-2 and Sable's pipeline gets shut down.
While it becomes a day for celebration between you and the local people and businesses, this isn't the end of the legal fight. Sable is still operating all over, and has yet to back down on their industry.
The year is now 2026. Trump is our president (again?) and has already declared his stance on the oil indusrty: to keep pumping. Luckily, the Santa Ynez pipeline that burst just over 10 years ago has remained shut down.
This time, there are no news reports to check. Your assistant walks into your office and puts a folder labeled "URGENT" on your desk, telling you to sign it.
The Santa Barbara representatives vote to shut down the pipeline in a 3-1 vote. Lucky for you, the Trump administrative disregards your colleagues' votes and pushes to re-open it anyways. Trump and Sable are both on your side, but the people are not. How does that make you feel?
Your vote decides who is put in power. Don't forget to vote.
In the meantime, you can learn more about ways to help fight back against Sable Offshore. Or you can try restarting the model as a different character and making different decisions to see how they play out!
The Santa Barbara representatives vote to shut down the pipeline in a tie 3-1. But your celebration is cut short. Unfortunately, the Trump administrative disregards your debate, and pushes to re-open it anyways.
Your vote decides who is put in power. Don't forget to vote.
In the meantime, you can learn more about ways to help fight back against Sable Offshore. Or you can try restarting the model as a different character and making different decisions to see how they play out!
Sup! You are a local surfer in Santa Barbara, CA.
The year is 1969, and born and raised here, you are finally of age to vote. You will make a series of decisions over the course of your life, and the path you chose will directly affect your outcome. Are you ready?
The sun is shining down our perfect beaches in our lovely town. Birds fly by in the distance as you paddle out into the waves. Its 70 degrees and you couldn't be happier.
Out on the horizon lies a line of silhouettes of ominous structures. These are Sable Offshore's Oil Rigs, which have been operating to extract crude oil from he ground since 1896.
When you get home to shake the salt and sand at of your hair, you tune into the radio to the local news station.
You protest. No one listens and they keep drilling.
Except, you weren't the only one to speak up. "GOO!" a group advocating for "Get Out Oil" starts up to protest against the conditions of the oil rigs. This sparked Santa Barbara's first annual celebration of Earth Day in 1970. While they didn't succeed this time, by banning together you and the people's voices were heard. You now hold some power.
Nothing happens. They keep drilling.
Except, some of your peers started making a commotion. "GOO!" forms, a group advocating for "Get Out Oil" starts up to protest against the conditions of the oil rigs. This sparked Santa Barbara's first annual celebration of Earth Day in 1970. You wonder if your efforts could have helped them make a difference.
The year is now 2015, and the people are moderately happy. More of your local peers have began protesting since that spill so many years ago. The government has taken higher monitoring to the beaches and oil operations, and sent out clean-up crews to slowly clean up the spillage.
The divide between the people and the government has started to become clear. Us, the people, want to protect our oceans and environment. The government wants to help our economy.
After a long day of surf, you get home to wash the tar off your feet. You turn on the TV to the news channel to see whats going on locally.
This time, you ban together with "GOO!" and downtown Santa Barbara turns to a marching ground of protesters carrying a 50 foot long rubber pipeline to make a statement.
Somehow, your voices were heard. With a 6-2 vote, the county decides to shut down that Sable pipeline. However, this isn't the end of it. Sable is still operating all over, so the fight isn't done.
It's not like protesting did anything last time. Except, when you look out your window you see a commotion of protesters for GOO! holding a giant rubber pipeline in protest. This time, they definitely made a statement.
Their hard work clearly paid off, and you wonder what it would feel like to be on that side of history. Their voices were heard, and with a 6-2 vote, the county decides to shut down that Sable pipeline. However, this isn't the end of it. Sable is still operating all over, so the fight isn't done.
The year is now 2026. Trump is our president (again?) and has already declared his stance on the oil indusrty: to keep pumping. Luckily, the Santa Ynez pipeline that burst just over 10 years ago has remained shut down.
You open your smart phone to check the news and see an urgent article on the headline.
Santa Barbara electives vote and conclude to keep the pipeline shut down. However, a larger power steps in: The Trump Administration. They push to re-open it anyways. Your efforts in protesting and stepping up made change once, they must continue to do it again.
Every voice matters. Be a part of the collective change.
In the meantime, you can learn more about ways to help fight back against Sable Offshore. Or you can try restarting the model as a different character and making different decisions to see how they play out!
Santa Barbara electives vote and conclude to keep the pipeline shut down. However, a larger power steps in: The Trump Administration. They push to re-open it anyways. The fight is still not over, and whether you are apart of the change or not will make a difference.
Every voice matters. Be a part of the collective change.
In the meantime, you can learn more about ways to help fight back against Sable Offshore. Or you can try restarting the model as a different character and making different decisions to see how they play out!
You are a Pelican living off-shore in Santa Barbara, CA.
The year is 1969, and your species population is stable. You will make a series of decisions over the course of your lifespan, and the path you chose will directly affect your outcome. Are you ready?
The sun is shining down our perfect beaches in our lovely town. You fly over the city looking down upon happy tourists on the beach and surfers paddling out.
Out on the horizon lies a line of silhouettes of ominous structures. These are Sable Offshore's Oil Rigs, which have been operating to extract crude oil from he ground since 1896.
You fly farther from the coast, looking for a spot to sit and rest. As you make your way to the oil rigs, you notice something is off.
Even though you stay clear from the actual spill, oil still gets under your feathers and you fall very ill.
Miraculously, you survive, but thousands of your friends don't.
You evade the massacre by flying away.
After a few years you return back home, however thousands of your friends are dead.
The year is now 2015, and the people are moderately happy. However, you are still sad from your friends' deaths. You made some new friends in the meantime. The beaches have slowly over the years started to clear from oil and tar, although residue remains.
As you make your daily departure to fly through the channel looking for food, you spot something strange on the shore.
Surely the humans wouldn't do anything that would knowingly hurt us, right? Wrong. Hundreds more of your friends die from the oil. You didn't even get to say bye.
Once again you grow vastly ill, but by some miracle you survive again to see through the events. How could the people let this happen again?
This time, you fly further to avoid the situation.
When you return home, it feels just like it did decades ago, to a sad beach of oil and tar residue. Hundreds more of your friends dead, you didn't get to say goodbye. How could the people let this happen again?
The year is now 2026. The humans seem to be ... politically challenged. While flying along the coast, you make a stop at the old Santa Ynez pipelines, which have been out of service for 10 years and make a great safe spot to rest.
This time, when you land it feels different. It is much noiser.
Unfortunately, humans can't understand you. The pipeline begins reoperating. Due to your past illnesses and old age, you die.
Animals don't have a voice. Be their voice.
In the meantime, you can learn more about ways to help fight back against Sable Offshore. Or you can try restarting the model as a different character and making different decisions to see how they play out!
Unfortunately, because of your past illnesses and old age you don't make the journey. You die before making it past Oxnard, and the pipeline begins re-operating.
Animals don't have a voice. Be their voice.
In the meantime, you can learn more about ways to help fight back against Sable Offshore. Or you can try restarting the model as a different character and making different decisions to see how they play out!