The Napa Valley Climate Connection: Book Review: 'California Against the Sea' by Rosanna Xia - Napa Valley Register

Book Review: 'California Against the Sea' by Rosanna Xia

It’s a curious thing, to live at the edge of an ocean. I’m often drawn to sit and watch the tides move in and out, to listen to the pervasive crash and hum of billions of gallons of water sloshing around our planet, to contemplate how each grain of sand on the beach used to be a rock, maybe even a boulder, until the inexorable beat of water wore it down to an infinitesimal speck.

But danger prances hand in hand with all that majesty — our coastline is shifting, far faster than it ever has before, and our love of ocean views and sea breezes is now at risk. This tension between desire and danger is at the heart of Rosanna Xia’s impressive book, "California Against the Sea." Indeed, it seems this dichotomy is emblematic of California, a state renowned for excesses — of gold, sun, beauty, wealth — that can often crash spectacularly to pieces.

Beachfront property is some of the most expensive and desirable land in California. But the price of acquisition belies the true cost in terms of required insurance coverage for a house that sits at the edge of the world and whose foundation rests upon soil that constantly erodes. Nor are most buyers probably aware of the intense engineering work that goes into protecting a beach, and the houses on it, from washing away with the next big storm. Some property owners and municipalities go so far as to spend exorbitant amounts trucking in sand from elsewhere to rebuild beaches. Such operations go mostly unnoticed by the public.

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In Napa we consider ourselves protected from sea level rise given we are an hour from the ocean and have completed the flood protection project. However, Xia counters such complacency with a cautionary warning about what is happening in Marin City, a small, unincorporated community just north of Sausalito. Marin City sprang to life as a shipyard during World War II. With waterfront acreage on Richardson Bay, it was well-suited to that industry. Laborers, many of whom were Black, were drawn with the promise of work, and their families joined them. The end of the war meant the end of shipbuilding, but many families stayed, and their descendants still reside in Marin City.

Now the water in the bay is rising — indeed ALL water is rising, including groundwater. As groundwater seeps higher, toxic dumps left over from the shipyards come to the surface and harmful toxins seep into the water table. Marin City’s only highway exit floods constantly, and those floodwaters are laced with the toxic leftovers of a long-past industry. The residents of this little town, already disadvantaged due to lack of generational wealth and the cripplingly high cost of living in Marin County, face higher rates of serious illness than the rest of the county.

Xia also discusses the various cities facing the prospect of managed retreat. Towns that used to flood only under extreme circumstances now face routine flooding with each king tide (which happens more frequently these days). Some are bowing to science and planning for an unsure future, while for others the phrase “managed retreat” itself, let alone the act of pulling up stakes and abandoning their homes, is deeply politicized and tied to homeowners’ fears of plummeting home values.

Xia is a Pulitzer Prize finalist who investigates climate change and the coast for the Los Angeles Times, and she covers these complicated issues with a deft hand. I finished the book informed, enlightened, and even a little bit hopeful for the future.

Actions You Can Take

- Napa Bookmine and Sierra Club Napa Group will be hosting Rosanna Xia at Napa Bookmine on Second Street on March 5, 2024. Please come join the discussion!

Elayna Trucker is the Lead Buyer and Operations Manager of Napa Bookmine, and a member of Napa Climate NOW!.

Napa Climate NOW! is a local nonprofit citizens’ group advocating for smart climate solutions based on the latest climate science, part of 350 Bay Area. Info, napa.350bayarea.org