The Destruction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Gary Griggs | Op-Ed

Global temperatures in 2024 were above the 1991-2020 average (red) across most of the planet. Yearly temperatures compared to the 20th-century average (bar chart) show that it has been 48 years since Earth had a cooler-than-average year (Courtesy of NOAA Climate.gov, based on data from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information).

“Move fast and break things” is a catchphrase popularized by Mark Zuckerberg, suggesting that rapid innovation and progress are achieved by embracing experimentation and accepting that mistakes and failures are inevitable…While this approach may have benefits in the tech world, it is no way to run a nation, yet, sadly, this is what we are now experiencing in Washington, D.C., with the administration’s plans underway now to essentially destroy the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Introducing SandKids.org and Sand Tales Episode 1: From the Mountains to the Sea

SandKids.org website illustration introducing "Sand Tales" Episode 1: "From the Mountains to the Sea © Giba Junior

What’s the difference between weather, climate, and climate change? We often hear about the threats posed by climate change and its effects on people and the environment. But before addressing how to tackle it, it’s important to understand the basics: what climate is, how it differs from weather, and how the two are connected. Discover how to identify signs of climate change in your area and start conversations that promote a more resilient future…

They lost their coastal Malibu homes to fire. But should they rebuild along a rising sea? – the Los Angeles Times

Coastal homes in Southern California devastated by the 2025 Palisades Fire (Courtesy of CAL FIRE_Official CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr).

“I think we suffer from what I call a short disaster memory. We want to get in there and build and rebuild as fast as we can,” said Gary Griggs, a UC Santa Cruz oceanographer and coastal geologist who wrote “California Catastrophes: The Natural Disaster History of the Golden State.” But the impermanence of coastal construction ”is not something most people are interested in hearing about.”…

The Loss of Coastal Legend . . .

Orrin H. Pilkey, c 2012.

We are sad to report that a true coastal legend passed away after a short illness on December 13, 2024. Dr. Orrin Pilkey was Professor Emeritus of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, and founder and Director Emeritus of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Orrin was special for many reasons and was a friend and colleague to many of us. We thought this amazing guy was so tough and resilient that he would simply never die…

California regulators approve huge Ocean Beach seawall – San Francisco Chronicle

Ocean Beach in San Francisco, along the Great Highway. (by Sara Rosado, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr).

On Thursday, California’s main coastal protection agency approved a $175 million climate-related project that will transform the southern portion of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach despite fierce opposition from some members of the public. A sticking point is a massive seawall that some surfers fear could make the beach disappear…

Elections and Oceans – Gary Griggs | Op-Ed

Northeaster (1895) by Winslow Homer. Original from The MET museum. (digitally enhanced by rawpixel, public domain).

While I typically try to inform rather than advocate in my columns, in the United States, we are currently about two weeks from what may be the most consequential election of our lives, and the outcome of our collective voting will have major impacts on all of us and the oceans in the years ahead…