Environmental Issues: Wildlands

Global Warming Solutions Can Save Our Parks

Global warming is already leaving its fingerprint on our Western national parks. But it is not too late to protect these beloved landscapes from further, more serious damage. We have solutions in hand right now to drastically cut global warming pollution. Using better technology in our cars and power plants, increased efficiency and renewable energy, we can help curb the effects of global warming. (Learn more about our four-point solution for global warming here.)

We need strong leadership to encourage the widespread adoption of innovative technologies that can solve global warming. Some cities and states surrounding Western national parks are setting an example by taking action to reduce global warming pollution. For example:

• California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Montana are developing their own comprehensive actions plans to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases.



• The governors of California, Oregon and Washington have entered into a West Coast Governors' Initiative on Global Warming to cooperate regionally to reduce climate-changing pollution levels. In February 2006, the governors of Arizona and New Mexico agreed to develop a Southwest Climate Change Initiative.



• In 2004, California adopted the world's first standards to reduce global warming pollution from motor vehicles, requiring new vehicles to be 30 percent cleaner beginning in 2016. The federal Clean Air Act allows other states to adopt California's motor vehicle emission standards, and many states have done or are doing so. In fact, including Canada, a total of one third of new motor vehicles in North America would be covered under the California or similar standards.



• Many Western cities -- including Albuquerque, Denver, Missoula, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle -- are participating in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. They set targets for reducing global warming pollution, develop a local action plan to meet the targets and monitor their progress.

Much more remains to be done, but Western leaders are taking the first steps. Together with a national effort, their work will allow future generations to enjoy everything we love about our treasured national parks: to see grizzly bears in Yellowstone, hike to glaciers in Yosemite, fish for salmon in the North Cascades and walk through alpine meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park.

What You Can Do

Stopping global warming will take strong leadership as well as individual action.

• Visit NRDC's Solving Global Warming page to see an effective four-point plan and how you can support it.



• Learn about simple, everyday actions you can take to help cool the planet.