Surfer Chadd Konig first gained national attention when he paddled 315 miles from Santa Barbara, California to Mexico to raise awareness about a proposed development project west of Goleta, California. Now he’s set his sights on fracking.
Two days ago he completed a paddle of the 300 miles of sharky coastline between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. Check out photos of the trip here.
The Environmental Defense Center, a nonprofit based in Central California, writes on its website that, “In early May, 2011…it was discovered that Venoco, Inc. had hydraulically fractured two oil wells near the community of Los Alamos in northern Santa Barbara County without first obtaining appropriate permits, or even notifying community residents or County regulators.”
And, according to Exploration & Production magazine, an oil industry trade publication, the Monterey Shale that extends from Northern California, down to Los Angeles and out to the offshore islands, is “arguably the largest shale play in the U.S.”
“My main intention is to educate people,” Konig told ESPN, midway through his journey. “Most people … have no idea what fracking is.”
