Environmentalism Trumps Post-1969 Progress
False Assumption: After the late 1960s economic boom, further development like drilling and building was unnecessary because the economy was already good enough, prioritizing ecology over abundance.
Written by FARAgent on February 11, 2026
The Environmental Era began in late 1968 with Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders' Earthrise photos over the moon. Stewart Brand used these images to promote his Whole Earth Catalog, shifting the zeitgeist from space exploration to Earth conservation. Before 1969, projects with hardhats and bulldozers were seen as good for the economy despite occasional spills.
In January 1969, the Santa Barbara oil spill sparked backlash. Locals questioned the need for more development when the economy, especially in affluent areas, was already strong. This attitude spread to coastal California, halting projects like the Teamsters-funded Beverly Hills Country Club expansion over ecology concerns and mob ties. The Sandpiper Golf Club, opened in 1972 on former oil fields, became a relic, with renovation plans stalled for decades.
Today, regulations like those from the California Coastal Commission block superior designs, such as the Crenshaw-Coore Dos Pueblos course rejected in 2003. Renovations at Sandpiper remain minor, reflecting minoritarianism where elite environmental priorities limit middle-class access to oceanside golf despite prime land availability.
People Involved
- In the late 1960s, Stewart Brand emerged as a key figure in the shift toward environmental priorities. He created the Whole Earth Catalog after a 1966 acid trip, using images from Apollo 8 to argue for focusing on Earth conservation rather than space exploration. [1] Brand promoted this view in good faith, seeing it as a natural progression from abundance to ecology. [1]
- Meanwhile, Bill Anders, an astronaut on Apollo 8, captured the Earthrise photos on Christmas Eve 1968. [1] These images helped fuel the growing belief that further development was unnecessary, as Anders contributed without apparent malice. [1] Critics argue that such figures, while well-intentioned, helped entrench an assumption now facing mounting challenges about whether ecology truly trumped ongoing progress. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“Brand had first dreamed up the idea during a 1966 acid trip in San Francisco... So, when the Apollo 8 photos were published back on earth on December 30, 1968, Brand was ready to explain the meaning of it all.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
“The beginning of the Environmental Era is traditionally dated to Christmas Eve, 1968, when Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders snapped a number of photos with his Hasselblad camera of the lovely Earth rising over the dead surface moon.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
Organizations Involved
The California Coastal Commission played a central role in upholding the idea that post-1960s abundance made further building redundant. In 2003, the commission blocked a high-quality golf course design by Crenshaw-Coore on oceanfront land at Dos Pueblos. [1] This decision reflected a broader institutional push to prioritize environmental concerns over development in affluent areas. [1] Growing questions surround whether such enforcement by the commission stifled necessary progress, though the debate remains active among experts. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“In the 1990s, the outstanding design team of famous golfer Ben Crenshaw and brilliant golf architect Bill Coore spent a decade trying to get approval for a much better design on a similar oceanfront property a mile northwest of Sandpiper, ARCO’s Dos Pueblos land. This would have been a much better golf course than Sandpiper. But the California Coastal Commission shut it down in 2003 for reasons.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
The Foundation
The assumption took root amid key events in the late 1960s. Apollo 8's Earthrise photos, released in December 1968, suggested Earth was fragile and already sufficient in its bounty. [1] Soon after, the January 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill reinforced this view, making even rare incidents seem intolerable in an era of perceived plenty. [1] Affluent regions like Santa Barbara began to resist more drilling or building, arguing the economy needed no further boosts. [1] Mounting evidence challenges this foundation, with critics pointing out how it overlooked potential for continued abundance, yet the original arguments still hold sway in some circles. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“Before then, anybody who could remember the Depression tended to reflexively assent to any project involving hardhats, bulldozers, and drilling as being “good for the economy.” An occasional oil spill was the price you had to pay for progress. But in January 1969, the burghers of Santa Barbara suddenly asked themselves, “Hey, wait a minute, the economy is pretty good already, especially here in Santa Barbara. What do we need this for?””— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
How It Spread
The mindset spread rapidly along California's coast after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. Local furor over the incident led to widespread rebellion against development, even in places like Beverly Hills. [1] This attitude emphasized ecology over expansion, influencing broader cultural shifts. [1] Icons like the Whole Earth Catalog helped propagate the change, moving society from space ambitions to conservation and from rockets to computers. [1] Critics argue this propagation ignored long-term needs for progress, though growing questions about its validity leave the issue contested. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“Soon, the Santa Barbara attitude was sweeping the country, starting in coastal California. For example, the people of Beverly Hills had not protested in 1966 the massive construction entailed by Dean Martin’s Beverly Hills Country Club... But by 1969 the demands by the Teamsters-funded project for more access roads... led the good folks of Beverly Hills to rebel and shut down the huge project.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
“Brand was an extraordinary huckster, but, still he seems to have nailed the sudden change in the zeitgeist with uncanny precision, from the space-bound explorers to Earth-bound conservationists, from rockets to computers.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
Resulting Policies
Environmental regulations tightened after 1969, making new golf course construction far harder. Only expensive, high-end designs got through, while updates to existing ones, like Sandpiper, stalled around 2003. [1] These policies stemmed from the belief that abundance was already achieved, rendering further building unnecessary. [1] In affluent areas, such rules preserved land at the expense of development. [1] Mounting evidence challenges whether these policies balanced ecology and growth effectively, but experts remain divided on the matter. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“The rise of environmentalism from 1969 onward has meant that it’s far more difficult to get golf courses built, but that the few that get built tend to be better but also extremely expensive.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
Harm Caused
Access to oceanside golf waned for the middle class as post-World War II courses like Sandpiper turned into outdated relics. Superior new designs faced repeated blocks, leaving land undeveloped. [1] Projects such as the Beverly Hills Country Club, once on track, got shut down in 1969 despite earlier approvals. [1] This prioritization of ecology in wealthy zones limited expansion and abundance. [1] Critics argue these harms highlight flaws in the assumption, with growing questions about lost opportunities, though the full impact stays debated. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“Abundance would mean middle class guys could plays oceanside golf courses at least once in their life.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
“Why did they need a mobbed-up construction site? Did Beverly Hills really need more building? Think of the ecology! Let’s be progressive and keep things just the way they were when we moved to Beverly Hills.”— Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969
Sources
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[1]
Un-Abundance: Why Democrats lost interest in progress in 1969reputable_journalism