KneeDeep Times Magazine

Beach Loss Looms for the California Coast California’s beaches are disappearing due to rising seas, El Niño, and coastal erosion. What can be done to save them?

For more on how beach erosion is impacting the Bay Area, check out KneeDeep's deep dive into the science: buff.ly/9oPzHX7

#BayArea #beacherosion #OceanBeach #SanFrancisco #climatescience

Video: How beaches are affected by climate change Ocean experts warn about coastal shorelines changing over time and how climate change can impact coastal erosion.

Climate change is dramatically changing our coastlines through coastal erosion and sea level rise, explains Patrick Barnard, research director for the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at @ucsantacruz.bsky.social: buff.ly/XDpMa6v

#beacherosion #sealevelrise #climatechange

Bayfront Redevelopment on a Landfill Sparks Pollution and Flood Concerns – KneeDeep Times The Redwood Life project plans to build 12 multi-story buildings atop a former landfill at the edge of Belmont Slough.

The project area is already vulnerable to flooding during high tide events, and sea level rise will further complicate the redevelopment process. #sealevelrise #flooding

Read all about it at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/nUmwomo

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“What might drilling hundreds of piles do in terms of releases of toxins into the Bay, into the wildlife refuge? We think they should not proceed until they have a better idea of the potential damage,” says Gita Dev of the Sierra Club’s Loma Prieta chapter. @sierraclublp.bsky.social

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The Redwood Life redevelopment project, which would add 12 multi-story buildings to an existing office park built over a closed landfill, is raising concerns about the environmental impacts of drilling through contaminated soil. #environmentalpollution #sfbay #redwoodcity

📷: Plan Redwood Life
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July 📷 of the Month: Photojournalist Florence Middleton captures the red cape of a child on a mission to save the MLK Jr. Shoreline in #Oakland from #climatechange and #environmentalinjustice. This community day of action - fueled by fantasy role play - was organized by the Mycelium Youth Network.

Are you part of a climate group in the Bay Area? Please take our survey to help KneeDeep learn about the scope of climate action in our region: buff.ly/IrxSBzi

#BayArea #climateaction #ActOnClimate

A Living Shoreline, Built One Oyster at a Time – KneeDeep Times Can the humble Olympia oyster stabilize shorelines and fight rising seas across the West Coast? With a little help from human engineering.

Establishing these moveable ecosystems is no easy feat. Researchers are experimenting with oyster shell placement, tidal depth, species pairings, and other variables in an effort to create truly resilient habitats. #climateadaptation

Read all about it at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/hGXbILX

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“Natural, low-lying oyster beds do not do much to reduce wave energy and build marshes, especially in deeper #estuaries,” says the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Chela Zabin. “In the Bay, we really need artificial structures like reef balls or oyster blocks to break waves.”

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From Giant Marsh to Puget Sound, scientists are enlisting oysters to defend the coast from rising seas. Oysters can buffer waves, trap sediment, increase #biodiversity, and create living, shifting edges that grow with the coast. #livingshorelines #sealevelrise

📷: Sonya Bennett Brandt
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Magical Thinking Takes Eleven Kids on Journey for Justice – KneeDeep Times In fairy wings and cloaks, Bay Area youth turned the MLK Shoreline into a living game to tackle climate change.

In fairy wings and cloaks, Bay Area youth turned the MLK Shoreline into a living game to tackle climate change. buff.ly/klAw9oN

#climateyouth #climatejustice #MLKshoreline #oakland

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Bayfront Redevelopment on a Landfill Sparks Pollution and Flood Concerns – KneeDeep Times The Redwood Life project plans to build 12 multi-story buildings atop a former landfill at the edge of Belmont Slough.

A contentious plan to redevelop an office park at the edge of Belmont Slough is spotlighting the challenges that closed landfills can create for planners and cities trying to protect their shores from rising waters. buff.ly/InYC0M6

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Nine Tiles Hint at Preferred Textures for Seawall Life – KneeDeep Times A two-year experiment suggests seawalls with nooks and crannies attract more seaweed, crabs, and other bay creatures than smooth ones.

This July, scientists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center removed nine tiles covered in oysters, seaweed, and crabs from San Francisco's seawall - part of a three-year experiment designed to test if textured seawalls can attract more native #marinelife. buff.ly/dQQVBBI

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A Living Shoreline, Built One Oyster at a Time – KneeDeep Times Can the humble Olympia oyster stabilize shorelines and fight rising seas across the West Coast? With a little help from human engineering.

Can the humble Olympia oyster stabilize shorelines and fight rising seas across the West Coast? buff.ly/gdXZyJG

#sealevelrise #livingshoreline #naturebasedsolutions #marsh

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In this month’s stories, the shoreline is the center of climate action. Scientists use oysters to build living barriers to #sealevelrise, waterfront developers wrestle with the legacy of old landfills, and youth roleplay #climatesolutions along the MLK Shoreline. buff.ly/QEknj6Q

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Are you a planner or landscape architect designing for a climate-resilient future in #California? Fill out our survey to submit your project for our next installment of The Practice: buff.ly/HS50FIT

#landscapearchitect #environmentaldesign #urbandesign #environmentalplanner

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3 Innovative Projects: Mariposa Trails, Marin Roads, & China Basin Park In our new column, The Practice, we daylight how designers and planners are helping California communities adapt to a changing climate.

KneeDeep's quarterly column “The Practice” spotlights innovative environmental design projects like China Basin Park. #urbanparks

Read all about it at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/X1igKPI

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To protect against flooding without adding extra weight that could cause it to sink, SCAPE used a lightweight fill material to raise the park. “It’s 10% lighter than it was before, and it’s 10 feet higher, which is kind of crazy,” says Kaleen Juarez, SCAPE director and project manager.

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A Mission Rock parking lot has recently metamorphosed into one of San Francisco’s newest urban green spaces: China Basin Park. The project, completed in 2024, was designed by #landscapearchitecture studio SCAPE to be resilient to #sealevelrise and storm events. #SanFrancisco

📷: SCAPE
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California Refineries Are Closing. What About the Workers? As Valero prepares to shutter its Benicia oil refinery, 400 jobs hang in the balance. Can California ensure a just transition for fossil fuel workers?

Now a historic coalition of labor unions and environmental groups is pushing for policies like 2-year closure notices and job retraining programs to ensure workers aren't left behind in California's #energytransition. #laborrights

Read all about it at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/GJelarA

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“We've seen [it] happen over and over again,” says Christine Cordero of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. “The company will just want to maximize profits. They'll file for bankruptcy, and then workers and communities get left holding the bag.” @apen4ej.bsky.social

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Next year, the Valero refinery in #Benicia will shut down, leaving 400+ employees out of work. When the Marathon Martinez refinery closed in 2020, workers struggled to transition to other sectors, with 26% still unemployed a year later. #ContraCosta

📷: BlueGreen Alliance Foundation
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Is biomass energy a viable solution for California? Read the full interview from our climate equity reporting partner at UC Berkeley ⬇️

Mayor Alma Hernandez Pushes Suisun City to Do Better Mayor of a city threatened by sea level rise, Alma Hernandez has devoted herself to preparing her community for a warming world.

From updating building requirements in flood-prone zones to installing energy-efficient lighting in the city’s streets and government buildings, Hernandez is focusing on practical climate solutions. #sealevelrise #suisuncity #suisunmarsh

Read all about it at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/h3FPo0I

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#Suisun mayor Alma Hernandez's journey into climate advocacy began more than a decade ago, when learning about #plasticwaste sparked her environmental awareness. Now leading a city just seven feet above sea level, she's taking action as flooding threats intensify.

📷: Suisun City, USFWS
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Beyond flood protection, living levees can also filter pollutants, sequester carbon, create wildlife habitat, and provide recreation areas for local communities. #carbonsequestration #nativewildlife

Read all about it at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/8JAwdLt

📷: Jacoba Charles
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“Horizontal levees can help reinforce traditional levees and could reduce the risk of waves overtopping a levee by up to thirty percent,” says Rae Taylor-Burns, lead researcher for this study.

📷: Rae Taylor-Burns
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A new UC Santa Cruz study found that horizontal "living levees" - gently sloped, planted barriers - can protect against rising seas and storm surge when added in front of existing levees. @ucscscience.bsky.social

#naturebasedsolutions #sanmateo #sealevelrise

Illustration: Punto Aparte
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Solano's Newest Climate Leaders Step Up in a Resilience Hot Spot Eighteen newly-minted community leaders develop projects to protect Suisun City and Fairfield from pollution, heat, smoke, and high water.

This month, the first cohort of 18 climate fellows graduated from the program and presented their projects at a community summit.

Read more and watch a video from the event at KneeDeep Times: buff.ly/7xZcWwN

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“Here in Suisun, we expect that we’re going to see significant flooding in the coming years,” says Willa Gruver, Sustainable Solano program manager. “So, we saw this program as an opportunity to equip #Fairfield and #Suisun with the resources to face these challenges.”

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