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President's Decision To Leave Paris Accord Draws Criticism From National Park Advocates

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President Trump's decision to withdraw the nation from the Paris Agreement on climate change drew concerns for the National Park System and speculation that more wildfires will flare up in Great Smoky Mountains National Park/NPS file photo

President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate change accord is drawing criticism from park advocates and businesses tied to national parks, as well as pledges to reduce carbon footprints and praise for states that are focused on renewable energy.

“It’s another setback, essentially. It’s just another indication of the lack of commitment towards addressing climate changes," Kristen Brengel, the vice president for government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, said Friday. "Parks are the places where people can actually see the visible impacts of climate change. In many of the policy decisions that have been made up until this point, we’re basically pulling back on proactively addressing carbon and promoting dirty energy sources like coal. Not moving forward with the Paris agreement is just another indicator for our lack of commitment for addressing climate change.”

At Vail Resorts, Inc., which manages the Grand Teton Lodge Company that manages properties in Grand Teton National Park as well as a portfolio of ski resorts, Chairman and CEO Rob Katz said the president's decision wouldn't sway the corporation from working to reduce its carbon footprint.

"We are deeply saddened by the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. As a global company, Vail Resorts believes we have a unique responsibility to protect the incredible natural landscapes and environment that surround our mountain resorts and those across our planet.," he said in a release. "Climate change is a global challenge that requires global cooperation, and it is disheartening to see the United States pull away from working with the other 194 countries that were part of the Agreement. Vail Resorts will redouble our efforts to find significant ways to minimize our carbon footprint through reducing our energy use to help address one of the most serious challenges facing our worldwide community."

At the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, President and CEO Ron Tipton took heart in that "10 of the 14 states that are home to the A.T. have set aggressive renewable energy portfolio goals and others are expected to find the need to take action in the absence of federal leadership. The ATC will continue to develop solid climate change related policy with our recently hired director of Federal and Legislative Policy."

Mr. Tipton cast a dim outlook for how continued climate change would impact the trail that stretches from Maine to Georgia and is used not only by long-distance thru-hikers but by section hikers and those out for a weekend meander or day hike.

"In the coming years visitors will likely have to cope with higher temperatures, dried-up streams and more forest fires similar to the devastating fires in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2016," he wrote in a letter to A.T. supporters. "For now, water availability isn’t a vital problem, but if those supplies dry up, it will present an entirely different and punishing challenge for those seeking to enjoy the A.T. During the 2007-2008 drought, portions of the Trail in North Carolina had to be closed — was that an unusual event or a harbinger of the future?"

Back at NPCA, Ms. Brengel said it was good to see that the National Park Service's web pages on climate change remained intact and that the agency was continuing its work to address climate change.

“But this constant pursuit by the administration to look for ways to defund climate research and reduce regulations that protect our air, it’s an extremely disappointing direction to head in and it will have dire consequences," she added. “No one should be proud that we’re pulling out of the Paris Agreement. This is disappointing and disheartening. It’s definitely a sad day for parks.”

Comments

Just because some predictions have not beared out does not mean the science is wrong

By definition the science is wrong if its predictions are not bourne out.  It has nothing to do with my "understanding".  


Kurt, Mr Heller gets his data from the same place. Its just that you fell for the same deception trick that he was desrcibing in the video. NSIDC is cleverly hiding the two million km2 ice gain which occurred prior to 1979. Had NSIDC begun their graph in 1971, it would be clear that Arctic sea ice is cyclical, not the fake linear trend they are scamming people with. 

These government agencies are cherry picking and lying to us but the "condition" that the progressives have prevents them from understanding that. 


Can't all you folks see that our friends who deny GW are proving beyond any doubt that the conspiracy theorists are right when they claim that their conspiracy theory about a climate conspiracy theory is under attack?  Remember that if you try hard enough, you can find something wrong with anything.  There are even some folks out there who deny that gravity really exists.  Science is a conspiracy theory that the conspiracy theorists are having a hard time conspiring to disprove.

Or something like that.

I guess we're gonna have to ask them to explain it.

Just one thing for everyone to remember:  There hasn't been any PROOF either way by anyone, so asking for PROOF is asking for something that doesn't exist.  Not yet, anyway.  But if a person wants to claim that whatever opinion they desire as proof, I guess it's up to them.  No point arguing with an opinion.  It's like arguing with a shadow. 

This is no different than the days in the late 1950's and early -60's when a similarly wild debate raged over something called Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift.  We know how that conspiracy theory turned out.  Someday, we'll find out how this one turns out, too.

In the meantime, enjoy the conspiracies and all their friends on FOX and The Blaze and the White House. 


Gosh Lee, seems your "condition" is getting worse. The progressives are the one of conspiracy theories.

Jun. 29, 1989 10:49 PM ET UNITED NATIONS (AP)

A senior U.N. environmental official says entire nations could be wiped off the face of the Earth by rising sea levels if the global warming trend is not reversed by the year 2000.

http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1989/U-N-Predicts-Disaster-if-Global-Warmin...

 


Lee --- just walk away. There is no possible way you will get anything admitted by these True Believers. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True-believer_syndrome]

 

Walk away. When we stop being a screen for them toi project their self-abuse against, they'll get bored and fine some other mud puddle to splash in.


Rick, I think your post is a glaring example of "Psychological projection". Your "true believer" of global warming is a "condition".

Greens are inventing elaborate fantasies of shadowy right wing conspiracies to explain President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Treaty - but still refuse to consider the possibility they are wrong about global warming.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/06/02/the-guardian-just-noticed-greens-...

 


There is little point in arguing with EC and others who get their science from youtube and Fox News and similar places. EC repeats over and over again that the climate models that ascribe warming to green house gases are wrong. That is not true. I don't have to come up with a new theory for warming, EC. There is one that works and is accepted by thousands and thousands of scientists who actually read the science journals. I get my information by reading the actual science. There is no magical unkown phenomenon that is producing a warming planet that all these scientists have been to stupid to find.


Grizz, can you please provide some "actual science"? Thousands and thousands of scientists? LOL

 


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