Glacial retreat is evident in these photos of Glacier National Park in Montana. A photo of the Boulder Glacier taken in July, 1932, left, contrasts with a photo taken from the same vantage point in July, 2005, right. Photos courtesy T.J. Hileman, Glacier National Park Archives (left) and Greg Pederson, U.S. Geological Survey (right).
Members of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics care about the outdoors. Sure, we like to read the latest issue of Forest Magazine while curled up in front of a gas fireplace or relaxing in our air–conditioned homes, but when it’s time to get out, we want somewhere to go: a fabulous trail that leads us through the wilderness, a camping spot by a pristine stream or an unsullied mountain to ski down. That’s why we support organizations that are working to protect those natural landscapes, because we know we can’t take them for granted.
But while we’ve been worrying, and rightly so, about public land issues such as wilderness protection, sustainable forests and clean water, our government has been ignoring scientific evidence that could have a profound effect on our ability to enjoy our forests in the future. The world is getting warmer, and if temperatures rise on a predicted scale—or even if they rise less dramatically—the changes to our forests and our national lands will be monumental.
In the following pages, we tackle some of the complex issues regarding climate change, from politics and policy to how it will impact our national forests. Baton Rouge Advocate reporter Mike Dunne examines how politics and corporate public spin have played a major role in keeping the public confused about global warming. He also looks at what some state and municipal agencies are doing about it, despite the lack of national leadership (“A Disturbing Silence)”.
There’s no blanket prescription for on–the–ground forest management plans that anticipate the effect of climate change on our public lands. It’s a given that different regions will face different problems, but one impact global warming will have on most forests is larger, more sweeping fires. Earlier snowmelt will decrease moisture in many western forests, and longer summers will intensify the dry season. Valerie Brown examines whether the U.S. Forest Service is prepared to deal with the effects of climate change on fire management (“Smoke Alarm”).
Many researchers are already taking note of forest changes in their areas, or are anticipating changes that may come with rising temperatures. We take a look at some of the changes you might see in forests near you in the future, and we examine Alaska’s boreal forests, where researcher Glenn Juday says that the effects of climate change are already evident (“Northern Exposure”).
And finally, Bill McKibben, who tackled the subject of global warming almost two decades ago in his book The End of Nature, talks about the dire consequences if we don’t take action to mitigate climate change (“Signs of the Times”). He calls for a movement to force the government to adopt policies that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other gases that contribute to global warming. Our government is slow to recognize that climate change is a reality, he writes, but those who care about our environment must be more passionate than ever in their efforts to preserve it.