Grant Bixby Featured on United By Nature
What happens when a coastal business owner and a Hollywood actor sit down on Huntington Beach to talk about offshore oil drilling?
BAPPC founding member Grant Bixby recently joined actor Jim Meskiman—whose credits include Landman and There Will Be Blood—for an episode of United by Nature, a series that brings together people with different backgrounds and perspectives for conversations about our shared connection to the natural world.
For their conversation, Grant and Jim met on Huntington Beach, with offshore oil infrastructure visible just off the Southern California coast. The setting offered a striking backdrop for a discussion about what offshore drilling means for the people, businesses, and communities that depend on a clean and healthy ocean.
“It was great to spend some time with Jim—on the beach—and talk about why protecting our coast matters so much to those of us that call this place home. We may come from different backgrounds, but one thing that unites us is a clean, healthy ocean that is accessible to all,” Bixby said.
Grant brought the perspective of both a longtime coastal resident and a business owner. Their conversation touched on the consequences of offshore oil development and spills, including the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill, which shut down beaches and disrupted recreation, tourism, and businesses throughout the area. The spill offered a stark reminder that the economic consequences of offshore drilling don’t stop at the water’s edge.
BAPPC members understand that firsthand: our West Coast beaches and ocean support a vast network of restaurants, hotels, retailers, recreation companies, and other businesses whose livelihoods depend on people being able to enjoy the coast. When an oil spill closes beaches or keeps visitors away, those impacts ripple through the local economy.
Grant and Jim’s conversation demonstrated the fundamental idea behind United by Nature: that people don’t have to come from the same background or agree about everything to recognize the value of protecting places that matter to them.
The conversation comes at a particularly important moment, as the federal government considers new offshore oil and gas leasing off the California coast. BAPPC businesses can play an important role in reminding decision makers what’s at stake: protecting our coast isn’t just about beaches and wildlife. It’s about protecting the communities and local economies that depend on them.
Watch Grant and Jim’s United by Nature conversation on YouTube here!