Pfeiffer Burns underwater park in Big Sur. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.
A new study, commissioned by the California Department of Boating and Waterways and conducted by San Francisco State University (SFSU), finds that rising sea levels could take a substantial toll on one of California’s biggest attractions: its beaches.
The study says that a one- to two-meter sea level rise by 2100 would causes hundreds of millions of dollars per year in economic damage to communities that depend heavily on their beaches. The study areas include San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, Carpinteria, Malibu, Venice, and La Jolla’s Torrey Pines State Reserve.
The assessment comes two years after a study by the Pacific Institute, an NGO, estimated that projected climate change could cause $100 billion worth of property losses by the end of the century.
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