As sea levels continue to rise due to rising global temperatures, California residents are facing a tough decision about whether to abandon their coastal homes.
What's happening?
As explained by the Santa Cruz Local, local governments across the California coast are required by state law to prepare for sea-level rise in the coming decades. Unfortunately, "the process has not been easy" in Santa Cruz County, where coastal residents and business owners must consider the possibility of leaving the area.
A potential retreat strategy was described by the outlet as "controversial," pointing to the "wide-scale backlash against the Coastal Commission and the ouster of a city mayor" after the town of Pacifica proposed plans to draw back from the ocean gradually. It was noted that Santa Cruz "may get its first taste of managed retreat within the next five years," as there are plans to relocate a stretch of road about 50 feet inland.
However, preparing for the change has proved difficult, as proposals for state bills that would have provided local governments low-interest loans to buy coastal property from private landowners were vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021 and 2023 over funding concerns.
While Tiffany Wise-West, sustainability and resiliency officer for the city of Santa Cruz, said there are no new immediate plans for the city to explore a buyout program that would influence residents to retreat, she noted that things could change quickly.
"Truly, there are big and challenging discussions ahead," Wise-West told the Santa Cruz Local.
Why is this important?
A warming climate has created an untenable situation for coastal communities and ecosystems around the world.
The burning of dirty energy sources produces heat-trapping pollution that causes temperatures to rise and oceans to warm at rapid rates. This can lead to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, leading sea levels to rise exponentially.
The warmer climate also creates favorable conditions for storms and floods to become more frequent and intense.
The Santa Cruz Local cited a warning from the Ocean Protection Council to plan for "an estimated 3-7 feet of sea-level rise by 2100." However, it would take just five feet of sea-level rise to completely submerge several of the city's beaches.
What's being done about this?
In addition to the potential retreat strategy, Santa Cruz County will also have to explore ways to defend the coast with seawalls or other structures and fortify homes and buildings against rising tides. However, climate change analyst Kelsey Ducklow noted that it's not easy to find a balance between all the strategies.
"The question of this planning process is, what set of strategies from those categories make sense right now? What is going to make sense over time? How does it shift over time?" Ducklow said to the Santa Cruz Local. "There's no single answer or silver bullet."
It's important to stay informed about critical climate issues to help reduce your contributions to rising global temperatures. Efforts to reduce pollution and switch to clean, renewable energy sources are crucial in slowing down the rise of sea levels and in protecting coastal communities.
-Sam Doric, The Cooldown, March 6, 2025
