Climate Impacts Also Affect Wildlife and National Parks
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PRESS RELEASE
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| Date: | June 16, 2009 |
| Contact: | Kathleen O'Neil, Associate Director, Media Relations |
Climate Impacts Also Affect Wildlife and National Parks
Statement by Mark Wenzler, Director, Clean Air and Climate Programs, regarding the "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States" report (http://www.globalchange.gov/)
:“As the federal report released today shows, human-caused changes to our global climate are already affecting our nation’s plants and animals, in addition to humans. These effects will worsen quickly if we don’t take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gases and help ecosystems and wildlife survive in the face of these changes.
“Without action, a significant number plants and animals in our national parks will go extinct in this century. NPCA’s forthcoming report will illustrate five ways we can help safeguard wildlife in our national parks, including protecting critical habitat, developing corridors to allow animals free access to new habitat as their current ranges become unsuitable, and reducing stresses from pollution, invasive plants, and disease.
“We hope both reports will speed efforts in Congress to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which would make meaningful reductions to our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, the bill would provide needed funding to help the National Park Service and other federal agencies to protect our lands, waters, and wildlife, and ultimately, ourselves, from climate change.”
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