California

Study Eyes Climate Change Impact on National Parks

Emissions are leading to the increase in wildfire burn zones and the melting of glaciers, according to the study

Focusing on the effects of climate change on national parks across the United States, researchers behind a new study released Monday indicated that over the past century average temperatures are increasing at twice the rate compared to the rest of the nation and yearly rainfall is decreasing.

Emissions from cars, power plants and deforestation are leading to the increase in wildfire burn zones, the melting of glaciers as well as shifting vegetation, according to the study, which was conducted by University of California, Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

At the current rate, temperatures could soar by as much as 9 or 16 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, according to the study.

But authors of the study claim that if states stick to the Paris Agreement, which calls on a reduction of emissions starting in 2020, average temperatures at national parks will rise between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius. If states don't stick to the agreement, average temperatures could increase between 5 and 7 degrees Celsius.

Those behind the study note that even if there is strong "mitigation" of emissions, the national parks are still expected to see a 2-degree temperature change.

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