A kitchen staple — and holiday favorite fruit — could be in jeopardy, as rising sea levels and strong storms threaten to devastate coastal towns in the Pacific Northwest.
What's happening?
As detailed by Climate Central and Daily Yonder, cranberry bogs in Washington are in peril, as coastal erosion has raised the risk that growing areas will be contaminated with too much salt.
The rising global temperature is also impacting rain patterns, with towns such as North Cove receiving months' worth of rain in a single storm.
"Our storms are stormier, our winters are wetter. We have the same amount of rainfall, but it comes all at once. And that's where our issue is," said Connie Allen, a resident of North Cove.
Why is this important?
Allen explained to Climate Central and Daily Yonder that the cranberry industry supports more than 70 farmers in the area along with their families, workers, and buyers, including clients such as Ocean Spray.
"It would destroy the community," Allen said of losing the industry to storms and encroaching seas, which have already claimed an abandoned Coast Guard station, a schoolhouse, and a post office. The report states that the town is thought to have the fastest-eroding shoreline on the West Coast.
North Cove isn't the only community in danger, either. Climate Central's Surging Seas Risk Finder predicts a 96% chance of at least one coastal flood surging five feet above the high tide line before 2050.
Such an event would overwhelm cranberry bogs and block state highway access in parts of Washington. It would also put neighboring town Tokeland (home to tribal lands) underwater.
What's being done about this?
North Cove residents are fighting to save the town's beloved cranberry bogs. Along with her late husband David Cottrell, Allen launched "Washaway No More." The initiative aims to raise awareness about shoreline erosion through community events and product sales.
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Move somewhere else 🌎 For instance, T-shirt sales helped the group hire local contractors to dump rocks along an eroded beach, helping to slow down erosion.
Per Climate Central and Daily Yonder, Washaway No More's efforts resulted in the installation of a permanent cobble berm (a mound of sediment that protects against waves and storms). What's more, the initiative caught the eye of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which allocated $13 million to North Cove to continue its erosion mitigation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation also awarded $25 million to Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe members to relocate their homes and tribal headquarters to higher ground. However, tribal member Kristine Torset called the relocation a painful experience for many in her community.
"My biggest concern is can we do this in a way that the next generations coming don't have to worry about any of this," Torset told Climate Central and Daily Yonder, highlighting how human activities have led to the rising temperature that threatens coastlines worldwide.
Dirty energy consumption is of particular concern. The burning of gas, oil, and coal produces more than 75% of the planet-warming gases — causing glaciers to melt (which contributes to sea level rise) and supercharging our weather.
You can help by adopting habits that reduce pollution from these fuels. Walking and biking whenever possible, unplugging game consoles when they aren't in use, and installing LEDs (which are more energy-efficient than light bulbs) are simple, budget-friendly actions that add up.
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