Hollywood, Fla.-The nation's leading park advocacy group, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), today called global climate change an "unnatural disaster" for national parks in Florida and across the country, asking Congress and the Administration to take action now, and follow Governor Crist's lead, before the centennial of the National Park System in 2016.
"Florida's national parks are wonders of our park system, offering economic benefits, recreational opportunities, and irreplaceable memories for local residents," said NPCA Sun Coast Regional Director John Adornato. "We have a responsibility to do all we can to protect them now."
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, Florida will see increasingly powerful hurricanes and rising sea levels, threatening Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. Global warming will also harm the plants, animals and historic sites that define Florida's national parks. Sea turtles, crocodiles, and other animals are at risk because warmer temperatures can cause all the young to develop as the same sex. In Biscayne Bay, rising, warming, and acidifying seas threaten coral reefs and sport fishing, threatening wildlife and tourism. And at Gulf Islands National Seashore, rising sea levels, increasing storm strength, and flooding threatens visitor facilities, roads, and important historic structures.
"Global climate change is a hazard to our national parks, and will cause irreversible damage if Congress doesn't put the brakes on dirty coal-fired power plants and other polluters now," said Adornato. But instead of curbing the pollutants that contribute to global warming, the Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed a rule change to allow coal-fired power plants to emit more pollution into our national parks. NPCA is urging the agency to abandon the proposal.
On the eve of Florida's Summit on Global Climate Change, NPCA praises Governor Crist on his leadership role in defeating the recently proposed Glades coal-fired power plant in Florida. There are more than 150 new coal-fired power plants proposed across the country, and if they are built, they will massively increase greenhouse gas emissions while dumping toxic mercury in our national parks that can poison wildlife such as the Florida panther and manatee.
NPCA recommends that the federal government invest in clean energy sources like solar power, and retire old, dirty coal-fired power plants. Congress and the Administration must provide adequate funding to enable the National Park Service to address the harmful affects on global climate change on national parks by keeping on top of basic maintenance and plans for storm emergencies.
"Congress and the Administration should take action now to preserve our national heritage," Adornato added. "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."
The report is available online at www.npca.org/globalwarming.
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