Art by Cara Tang
Editor’s Note: PGM staff members decide on the topic of a Staff Editorial together. The staff as a whole provides opinions and content included in this Staff Editorial to provide thoughts about and shed light on solutions for happenings at Pepperdine.
Being a Pepperdine student comes with the privilege of living in the picturesque city of Malibu. It can be easy to overlook the environmental concerns Malibu is facing with the recent destruction the weather has caused.
It’s important to remember that all the beaches, mountains and roads we enjoy are not immune to the climate. Thus, we implore Pepperdine students to be a bit more intentional and mindful of how the city we see right now might undergo harsh changes in the upcoming decades.
It’s been a difficult moment to live on this coastline — one that is easy to love.
Last week, El Niño-driven waves crashed onto oncoming traffic on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), causing a disruption; the energy was driven by Tropical Storm Marie. Wave heights were off the charts as they averaged from 6 to 10 feet, with the National Weather Service reporting a maximum peak of a 15-foot wave, according to AFP.
As rain pelted down, the Malibu Chili Cook-Off closed its festivities for the day on Sept. 6. The mountains were shrouded in mist and fog.
The surf pounded away the shoreline as Malibu’s own beachfront driveways collapsed into a sinkhole, forcing an evacuation of 31 neighboring homes. The homes were left entirely without gas and water lines.
Point Dume State Beach and adjacent Westward Beach lost 10 feet of sand and faced structural damage, amplifying the ever-increasing coastal erosion issue to the forefront of our minds.
Our steps were heavy as temperatures reached a high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Sept. 9. August was the hottest month in California’s history. The heat advisory intensity drew concerns of potential wildfires, according to the Daily News.
The past couple weeks have been a real-time reflection of what living on the edge of a volatile climate looked like on our streets, our beaches and right up to people’s front porches.
Yet, Malibu is resilient, and even more so, its residents. The community comes together to keep its spirit alive. The Graphic hopes to come across as intentional in providing resources for the growing climate anxiety we have toward the place we call home.
The Bay Foundation restores the dune habitat at Zuma and Point Dume. The nonprofit Sea of Clouds blends environmental conservation with honoring Malibu heritage.
The Surfrider Foundation, started in Malibu back in 1984, has now grown into a leading non-profit grassroots organization, dedicated to advocacy for the coast and oceans, organizing beach cleanups and working on policy to protect local surf breaks.
While bordered by the ocean, Malibu’s mountains make up the terrain around us, a constant reminder of the natural beauty we must strive to protect.
Through the ever-changing fire and erosion season, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy maintains land preservation and habitat protection across the hillsides above Malibu.
We also keep in mind the other wildlife that inhabit the diverse ecosystems Malibu has. The California Wildlife Center rehabilitates injured and orphaned native wildlife, often displaced by the fires or storms.
Here at the Graphic, our utmost priority is to continue reporting on all that goes on in Malibu. As members of the Pepperdine community, we believe it’s important to build a bridge with the Malibu community.
We hope the Malibu community understands The Graphic creates a space that points toward action, community and trust.
With care for this community,
The Graphic Staff
This article was copy edited by Caitlin Murray.
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