1971 Arnold Pictorial Map of California, Pollution and Environmental Degradation

A highly scarce work of persuasive cartography, this 1971 pictorial map of California by Jeff Arnold highlights the flaws of the 'California Dream' and signals the rise of the environmental movement.

A Closer Look

Reflecting a growing concern over environmental destruction and pollution, this map condemns big oil and gas companies, chemical producers, and housing developments that have tarnished the veneer of the Golden State. Particular ire is reserved for several large corporations, including Chevron (earlier the Standard Oil Company of California) and Dow Chemical. Arnold also points out unsustainable housing developments in the deserts east of Los Angeles and 'Carbon Copy Communities North of Los Angeles.' The prevalence of gambling around Lake Tahoe is also highlighted, one of the few issues mentioned that is not directly related to pollution or overdevelopment. South of Lake Tahoe is a two-headed water spigot labeled 'Drips for the north, Flood for the south,' referring to the systems of aqueducts channeling water from these areas to Southern California. In the north of the state, the destruction of old-growth redwood forests and their partial replacement with tree farms is disparaged. Governor Ronald Reagan, a business-friendly politician opposed to regulations, appears wearing a crown at Sacramento. A distressed-looking Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck stand out amid the smog of Greater Los Angeles.

Historical Context

California arguably has always had a strong environmental movement, dating back to Native Americans and early conservationists such as Galen Clark and John Muir. Later, the channeling of water from rural areas in the Sierra Nevada to coastal cities was a contentious issue, dubbed the 'Water Wars' of the early 20th century. However, the modern environmentalist movement was a reaction to the breakneck development of the postwar period, when the population of the state nearly tripled between 1940 and 1970, with little regard for ecological effects or environmental costs. Local movements fit within wider trends, such as a backlash against the chemical industry, punctuated by the damning book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, focusing on the pesticide DDT (prominent here in the farming communities near Fresno). 1970, the year before this map's production, also saw the first Earth Day, the passage of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the state level, even the regulation-skeptical governor Ronald Reagan recognized the deep public anger over issues of pollution and signed the California Environmental Quality Act.

Among the incidents gaining national attention that sparked the environmental movement was the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill (referred to here as 'Santa Barbara Oil Fiend' instead of 'Field' towards bottom-left). It was, at the time, the worst oil spill in U.S. history and remains the worst oil spill in California's history. The offshore oil platforms had only recently been built (beginning in 1968) despite considerable local opposition, particularly after an oil spill in June 1968. But construction continued and on January 28, Platform A, belonging to Union Oil, was the source of a blowout that over the next several weeks poured millions of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara. The impact on marine life was catastrophic and the incident helped to spur both the statewide and national environmental movement. The State of California has maintained a moratorium on coastal drilling within 3 nautical miles of the shore since 1969.

Publication History and Census

This pictorial map was drawn by artist Jeff Arnold in 1971. Nothing is known about the artist or production of the map, but it is quite scarce, with the only other known example being held by the Oakland Museum of California.