At Surfers Point in Ventura, California is beginning its retreat from the ocean.
Construction crews are removing a crumbling bike path, ripping out a 120-space parking lot and laying down sand and cobblestones. By pushing the asphalt 65 feet inland, the project is expected to give the wave-ravaged point 50 more years of life.
Sea levels are rising and threatening coastal land. Berms and concrete walls may provide short-term reliief but generally just make things worse by intensifying the power of the waves, stripping nearby beaches of sand.