The Edge: The Pressured Past and Precarious Future of California's Coast

The Edge is a dramatic snapshot of the California coast's past, present, and probable future in a time of climate change and expanding human activity. Written by two marine experts who grew up on the coast, The Edge is both a celebration of the coast's natural and cultural uniqueness and a warning of the many complex changes that threaten that uniqueness.

The Pacific coast is the most iconic region of California and one of the most fascinating and rapidly changing places in the world. Densely populated, urbanized, and industrialized -- but also home to wilderness with complex, fragile ecosystems -- the coast is the place where humanity and nature coexist in a precarious balance that is never perfectly stable. As ocean levels rise, coastal communities are starting to erode, and entire neighborhoods have been lost to the sea. Coastal ecosystems and wildlife that were already stressed by human settlement now face new dangers, some threatening their very existence. The combined impacts of climate change, housing and commercial growth, commercial fisheries, oil drilling and production, along with environmental advocacy, all come together to define the future of the region. A masterful and sweeping synthesis of environmental and social science, The Edge presents a comprehensive portrait of natural and cultural history -- the story of the people, communities, industries, ecology, and wildlife of the California coast.

Author: Kim Steinhardt, Gary Griggs
Publisher: Craven Street Books
Published: 10/01/2017
Pages: 302
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781610353090

About the Author
Steinhardt, Kim: - Kim Steinhardt delivers popular lectures and photographic programs exploring the universe of sea otters and coastal conservation for aquariums and marine centers, universities, state parks, and other audiences. He has been recognized for his award-winning marine wildlife photography and is currently working with National Geographic Books on publication of a collection of his sea otter images and coastal storytelling. He has also served as an advisor regarding sea otters for the NatGeo Kids Explore My World series and, for the last five years, has written a newsletter column about marine wildlife and the ocean. As a longtime conservationist drawing on his former service as a California state administrative law judge, litigator and public interest advocate, he helps translate ocean conservation concerns to the public to build support for citizen action and legislative policy making.Griggs, Gary: - Gary Griggs has written or coauthored ten books about the coast and coastal issues both in California and globally. As a Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, he is known for his expertise in oceanography and coastal geology. He is a frequent contact for news media on questions of climate change, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and other related issues. He has written a popular biweekly newspaper column, "Our Ocean Backyard," for nine years and is in high demand for talks throughout California. He serves as the director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, which includes the Long Marine Laboratory and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, a popular educational destination for tens of thousands of visitors each year.