California Against the Sea

Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline

By: Rosanna Xia

Narrated by: Cindy Kay

Along California's coastline, the Pacific Ocean is rising and pressing in, imperiling both wildlife and the maritime towns and cities that millions of people call home. In California Against the Sea, Los Angeles Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia asks: As climate chaos threatens the places we love so fiercely, will we finally grasp our collective capacity for change?

Xia, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, investigates the impacts of engineered landscapes, the market pressures of development, and the ecological activism and political scrimmages that have carved our contemporary coastline—and foretell even greater changes to our shores. From the beaches of the Mexican border up to the sheer-cliffed North Coast, the voices of Indigenous leaders, community activists, small-town mayors, urban engineers, and environmental scientists commingle. Together, they chronicle the challenges and urgency of forging a climate-wise future. Xia's investigation takes us to Imperial Beach, Los Angeles, Pacifica, Marin City, San Francisco, and beyond, weighing the rivaling arguments, agreements, compromises, and visions governing the State of California's commitment to a coast for all. Through graceful reportage, she charts how the decisions we make today will determine where we go tomorrow: headlong into natural disaster, or toward an equitable refashioning of coastal stewardship.

©2023 Rosanna Xia (P)2024 Tantor

Both informative and engaging!

This book led me to learn about the history of California and the future possibilities through a completely different lens than before! While it was jam packed with information it was also a very engaging storyline. I am a much more knowledgeable Californian now. I recommend others read this book as this information will become more and more crucial in the coming years…