The Surfrider Podcast
The Surfrider Podcast
Podcast Description
The Surfrider Podcast dives beneath the surface of today's most pressing coastal environmental issues. Each episode takes you beyond the headlines to explore the compelling stories behind Surfrider’s mission to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches — from the plague of plastic pollution to the coastal impacts of climate change. Join us as we spotlight the extraordinary people who power Surfrider’s environmental work: dedicated volunteers making a difference in their communities, passionate advocates fighting for policy change, and everyone in between who's making waves to protect our ocean. Listen now to discover the deeper currents of change at work at the Surfrider Foundation, and learn more about how you can get involved at www.surfrider.org
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on key topics in coastal environmentalism, including plastic pollution, climate change impacts, and community activism. For example, episodes cover critical issues like the Tijuana River sewage crisis affecting San Diego and highlight initiatives such as Surfrider's Clean Border Water Now program, providing listeners with concrete examples of environmental advocacy and community-driven solutions.
The Surfrider Podcast dives beneath the surface of today’s most pressing coastal environmental issues. Each episode takes you beyond the headlines to explore the compelling stories behind Surfrider’s mission to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches — from the plague of plastic pollution to the coastal impacts of climate change. Join us as we spotlight the extraordinary people who power Surfrider’s environmental work: dedicated volunteers making a difference in their communities, passionate advocates fighting for policy change, and everyone in between who’s making waves to protect our ocean. Listen now to discover the deeper currents of change at work at the Surfrider Foundation, and learn more about how you can get involved at www.surfrider.org
A “Super El Niño” is building in the Pacific, and forecasters warn the 2026–27 winter could bring some of California’s most powerful storms, highest seas, and worst coastal erosion in decades. But the greater long-term threat isn’t the waves — it’s how we respond to them. Surfrider CEO Dr. Chad Nelsen and Dr. Charles Lester, director of UC Santa Barbara’s Ocean and Coastal Policy Center, unpack what makes this El Niño so strong, and what back-to-back storms could mean for a coast where up to 70% of beaches are at risk of disappearing by 2100. This conversation centers on the knee-jerk reaction to armor shorelines with seawalls and revetments — and the “coastal squeeze” that quietly erases the beaches in front of them. Our guests explain why emergency armoring is the wrong answer to a disaster we can see coming, and make the case for pragmatic coastal adaptation. It’s a clear-eyed, hopeful look at how Californians can protect their public beaches and coastal access, before the storms hit.
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