Posted on 07/14/2011 7:35:57 AM PDT by Thebaddog
Some of the Great Lakes' treasured national parks are showing ill effects of climate change that are likely to worsen in coming decades, from shoreline erosion to decline of certain wildlife and plant species, a former park system administrator said Wednesday.
Without changes in public policies and personal habits that pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the parks could lose qualities that attract visitors and support unique ecosystems, Stephen Saunders, former deputy assistant secretary of the Interior Department, said in a report released by two advocacy groups.
"Human disruption of the climate is the greatest threat ever to America's national parks," Saunders said. "Threads are being pulled out of the tapestry of these parks and the parks are beginning to lose their luster."
The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council helped produce Saunders' report, which focused on five parks or lakeshores in the region: Indiana Dunes in Indiana; Isle Royale, Sleeping Bear and Pictured Rocks in Michigan; and Apostle Islands in Wisconsin. Together, they drew more than 4 million visitors in 2010.
Using federal temperature data and previous scientific studies, Saunders and colleagues said climate change was at least partially responsible for a series of unfavorable developments in the parks, which can serve as early warning systems for the wider environment.
The decade that ended last year was the hottest on record at Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan, where records from a nearby weather station showed the average temperature from 2001-2010 was 1.6 degrees above the average for the 20th century, the report said. At Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior, the average from the most recent decade was 2.7 degrees higher than for the last century.
The worldwide average for the decade was 1.5 degrees above the average for the 20th century.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
It seems that this last nugget is provable, or not.
Of course there is no actual scientific study to prove this...Yawn
Given that those who actually know the data say that we’ve cooled during the past decade, it sounds like the Chicago MSM is spouting their normal bull-Obama.
Science and math are not friends of the MSM...after all, why the heck do you think they were driven into such a sleazy occupation?
Nobody will have the money to visit any national park in several years.
I am from Michigan and this is such BS. The Dunes have been moving for ever (erosion). It actually has been cooler here in the past few years.
I was in that area during the Summer of ‘88. The temperature was up around 100 every day for two months. That was in the 20th. century last time I checked. It has not been as hot there any time since.
/johnny
I am from the other side of Lake Michigan and can say that the level of the lake is coming up, but still lower than average for the last 30 years. The beaches are extending farther out into the lake than 20 years ago so erosion is not an issue.
If the Lake levels rise, then erosion of bluffs will be a problem, but that is not due to climate change, just higher water levels.
As an aside, I was born in Michigan and loved going to Traverse City area and sleeping bear dunes as a kid.
This summer has been especially cooler than usual.
Just creating some good real estate down there in Antarctica. Let’s go claim it.
If the Great Lakes water levels are rising, why do they have lawn watering restrictions in areas that draw water from the lake?
If the greenie kooks get their way, they’d reduce the earth’s population from 6 billion to a half billion. Then the parks and all of earth would as pristine as the day God made Adam. Of course, there would be nobody to visit the parks, but what the heck - sacrifices must be made for the good of Gaia.
The worldwide average for the decade APPEARS TO BE 1.5 degrees above the average for the 20th century BECAUSE OF SHUTTING DOWN ANY TEMP GATHERING STATIONS THAT SHOWED COOLING AND KEEPING TEMP GATHERING STATIONS NEAR AIRPORTS AND INCINERATORS.
There. Fixed it.
Don't believe the hype.
I love T.C. I have a time share there. Great place for sure
According to IPCC analysis of GISS data, the total alleged temperature increase from 1850 – 1899 to 2001 – 2005 is 0.76°C. Any ecosystem that can’t handle a temperature swing that small was dying anyways. Frankly it’s like the reports of polar bears drowning because they can’t swim - I can’t bring myself to care about animals that are not fit to live.
Great Lakes Czar, Cameron Davis is also a special advisor to the EPA. He’s another Chitown bud of Obammy and former head of the Alliance for the great lakes. (A group that wants to remove all great lakes watershed dams and create buffer zones around all wetlands in the region.)
Back in 1970 I tried to take a swim in Lake Michigan in June. I did not quite wade in deep enough to get my knees wet before my legs were aching from the cold. FOR-GET IT!
Let me know when the water temperature gets up to 80-85 degrees and I’ll try it again.
http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/twomichigans.html
Nothing but ****ing lies from ****ing liars.
LLS
It's funny that he's not worried about the 20 ft rising sea level that he predicted. (his mentor predicted 80 feet, but he changed it to 20 because he thought that even the Climate Alarmists wouldn't believe a whopper that big).
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