On my bucket list

Daily Pilot Oct. 22, 2021

Ban Offshore Oil Drilling

Like we have done several times over the years, two of my baby boomer friends and I recently met to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of life in America these days.  

After we "solved" all of society's ills, we asked each other this question:  What's one issue you would like resolved before you pass?  One said, "An all-out, national commitment to solar energy."  The other said, "The need for new approaches to solving homelessness."  I connected the dots between 1985, when I first was involved in the issue and today, when I answered:  "The need to permanently end offshore oil drilling off our coast." 

The recent Orange County oil spill underscores our need to protect both the ocean and our way of life.  The fact that the Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach city councils have formally adopted resolutions calling for an end to offshore oil drilling is a step in the right direction.  What's needed now is city council members in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton, Buena Park and other inland communities to step up and pass similar resolutions.  Tar balls on our beaches aren't just problems for people lucky enough to live near the water, they potentially are economic disasters for everyone living in the county.  

To be honest, I don't know if my friends will live long enough to see their last bucket issues fulfilled; but, I am certain we have the chance to see mine become a reality.  It's been 36 years since I first was involved in the offshore oil fight.  If enough people have the political will now, I believe we can solve this problem once and for all in the next 36 months.

Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach