Seattle, WA- The nation's leading park advocacy group, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association, (NPCA) today called global warming an "unnatural disaster" for national parks in Washington and across the country, and called on Congress and the Administration to take action now before the centennial of the National Park System.
"The Northwest is already feeling the effects of global warming in our national parks, as evidenced by the extreme flooding in Mount Rainier, Olympic and the North Cascades this past fall," said NPCA Northwest Regional Director Sean Smith. "Our federal government should follow the lead of states like Washington and Oregon, which are pursuing innovative strategies to address the threat of climate change in order to preserve our national heritage."
NPCA's new report, Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming and Our National Parks, warns that if Congress and the Administration do not take action now to slow or halt global climate change, as much as 70-90 percent of the snowpack in the Cascade mountains could disappear by the end of the century, threatening winter sports and water supplies. In Olympic, warmer winters and more extreme precipitation events could greatly increase the likelihood of flooding.
"Congress and the Administration should take action now to preserve our national heritage," added Smith. "We have less than 10 years until the 100th birthday of our National Park System-now is the time for action. Taking care of our national parks should be a national priority."
NPCA recommends that Congress and the Administration act now to cut emissions from coal-fired power plants and other leading greenhouse gas polluters. Significant pollution reductions now will help avoid the worst global warming-related damages to the natural and cultural treasures protected by our national parks.
Regionally, water managers should prepare for the opposing threats of too little and too much water; they will need to store enough water in reservoirs to prepare for summer shortages caused by disappearing glaciers, shrinking snow pack, and earlier melting but leave enough capacity to capture floodwaters before they wreak havoc downstream.
The report also commends Washington state for adopting innovative programs for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and urges the federal government to follow their lead. Both Washington and Oregon now require new power plants to offset anticipated emissions by up to 20 percent, and Portland, Oregon, has successfully reduced its emissions below 1990 levels.
NPCA's report is available online at www.npca.org/globalwarming
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