Readers may recall that, in the past, I wrote an open letter to our local celebrity Robert Wyland, encouraging him to be more engaged in addressing climate change. There were responses and some back and forth. I am writing now because I visited the Wyland gallery recently and discovered that Wyland recently partnered with graffiti artist and cultural influencer OG Slick (no pun intended) to create a striking and no-holds-barred graffiti-style artwork that calls out the fossil fuel industry in no uncertain terms (expletives included), entitled Drilling is Killing.
Reminiscent of some of Shepard Fairey’s work, it includes an iconic Wyland whale dripping in oil and shedding a tear while the sun setting over an ocean that is dotted with drilling platforms takes on a skull-like appearance.
Mr. Wyland, I salute your decision to expand your artistic celebration of our environment to include a more explicit call to protect it while remaining true to your aesthetic and love of everything oceanic. I hope to see more of it.
Gary M Stewart, Laguna Beach
In this era of climate changed any awareness campaign is beneficial but actually doing something about the pollution put into the atmosphere is better. Our new construction project will not have natural gas. This choice will be a sacrifice for us and a new way of living. The decision not to have a gas range, gas heater etc. for our new home came slowly to me but coupled with the byzantine application process for natural gas installation, the city requirement to abandon the gas line for demolition and the cost savings I gradually grew fond of the idea. Now I am looking forward to our new home and the contribution it will make by not polluting the atmosphere….at least from natural gas.
Anyone who has had the opportunity to build or remodel in Laguna knows about Southern California gas long wait times and Byzantine application process.