Rosanna Xia has reported on the California coast for the Los Angeles Times since 2010. Out of that journalism grew California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline, which considers local and state responses to climate change–fueled sea rise from multiple angles. She reports on activists, homeowners, seawalls, researchers, public officials, and differences in how diverse communities are handling the Pacific coast’s disappearance. The result is a tremendous, urgent read. By the end of this century, in California, Xia warns, the sea could rise more than “six, possibly seven feet.” In 2019, the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office found that California is behind on this issue and argued that any action in the next 10 years could determine the coast’s fate. While the facts are stark, Xia concludes on a hopeful note with one coastal community that’s taking giant steps forward to test the managed-retreat solutions put forward by experts and officials. Everyone who loves California’s iconic coast, from San Diego to Arcata, must read this book.
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CALIFORNIA AGAINST THE SEA: VISIONS FOR OUR VANISHING COASTLINE, BY ROSANNA XIA
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