Caption: The view from the Sloat Boulevard Parking Lot after a large storm. Photo taken March 17th, 2012, Credit: Bill McLaughlin / Surfrider Foundation
Image by: Bill McLaughlin / Surfrider Foundation 
The view from the Sloat Boulevard Parking Lot after a large storm. Photo taken March 17th, 2012 

San Francisco fights to keep the ocean at bay

From: KALW
Length: 07:14

Embed_button
The only thing more powerful than human will is Mother Nature. At San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, the two forces have done battle for years over wave erosion, but only the city has something to lose. With the safety of its wastewater treatment plant at stake on the one hand and a lawsuit on the other, San Francisco’s planners are attempting to find a solution that will placate Mother Nature and avoid the most expensive fix: retreat. Read the full description.

Poststorm3 The only thing more powerful than human will is Mother Nature. At San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, the two forces have done battle for years over wave erosion, but only the city has something to lose. With the safety of its wastewater treatment plant at stake on the one hand and a lawsuit on the other, San Francisco’s planners are attempting to find a solution that will placate Mother Nature and avoid the most expensive fix: retreat.

More from KALW

Caption: PRX default Piece image

Where Twitter and Quakers meet (11:15)
From: KALW

The mid-Market district of San Francisco is undergoing tremendous change. Construction cranes literally cast shadows over the businesses and charities serving long-time ...
Piece image

Planting a permanent culture (07:45)
From: KALW

Permaculture is a design method focused on using space efficiently, working with nature, and sustaining resources rather than depleting them. It aims to get the most use out ...
Piece image

Fighting the dropout rate for African-American youth (08:17)
From: KALW

In 2011, about 82 percent of San Francisco’s students graduated from high school. Ten percent dropped out. Break it down by ethnic group and the numbers change in ...
Piece image

Confusion at the gas pump: which grade is best? (05:10)
From: KALW

Gas prices in California are always a big problem. And this year, the average price per gallon is set to hit four dollars – the highest average ever. It seems like there’s ...
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Taxi alternative Uber faces legal hurdles (06:59)
From: KALW

Hailing a taxi in San Francisco can be nearly impossible if you’re not downtown. Calling ahead isn’t a guarantee either – often, the cab is late and sometimes it never ...
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Gaming museum warps players through time (08:33)
From: KALW

Lots of people talk about how addicted we are to our screens. We spend our days staring at smartphones, tablets, and computers. But the first digital addiction came before ...
Piece image

Seeing past the nudity at San Francisco City Hall (04:51)
From: KALW

San Francisco has long been known as a city where you can let it all hang out. Nudists from all over the world flock here to participate in events like the Folsom Street ...
Piece image

West Oakland landlords invest in city's most dangerous streets (09:53)
From: KALW

Mead Avenue is a single block in West Oakland in the triangle where San Pablo Avenue and Market Street meet. Like streets in a lot of low-income communities, Mead Avenue has ...
Caption: San Quentin State Prison

Inside the Adjustment Center at San Quentin State Prison (26:32)
From: KALW

In 1851, the government of the new state of California legalized executions. But it wasn’t until 1891 that the state legislature required all executions take place within the ...
Caption: Undaria laid out across the dock at the San Francisco Marina., Credit: Marianne Kavanagh

San Francisco’s volunteer seaweed fighters (06:13)
From: KALW

Picture a slimy seaweed thicket – each plant a dark gold-brown, with a strong spine – wrapping around ropes, chains, and other sea life. This is Undaria, an invasive kelp ...

Piece Description

Broadcast History

Aired on "Crosscurrents" on KALW public radio on March 27, 2012.

Related Website

http://kalw.org/post/san-francisco-fights-keep-ocean-bay