“Climate change, more commonly known as global warming…is changing distributions of plants and animals, population sizes, growth rates, timing of plant flowering, and timing of animal migration...the intensity and frequency of storms, droughts and fire, raising the level of the oceans, and melting glaciers.” The Nature Conservancy
Many of these changes have affected, or soon will affect, the health and sustainability of the Appalachian Trail. Potential impacts include:
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“Bicknell’s thrush may not be as iconic as a polar bear, but it’s just as much at risk from climate change. The summer home of this endangered song bird is the high mountains of New England and 25% of its breeding range lies within a mile of the A.T. If climate changes in the ways that scientists predict, it’s possible that in the next 50 years, Bicknell’s thrush may have no place in the U.S. left to breed. While the disappearance of one song bird may not change the A.T. experience for most hikers, other impacts of climate change will.”
Read the complete article on climate change and the Trail by Lenny Bernstein from A.T. Journeys.
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- More frequent droughts, which would cause the backcountry water sources hikers depend on to dry up,
- More heavy rainfall and severe storms, which would cause increased treadway erosion and blowdown obstructions,
- Increased risk of forest fires,
- Increased invasion of exotic-invasive species, and
- Changes in the timing of the seasons, which will alter and compromise the “Walking with Spring” trail experience.
As part of its advocacy for the important and diverse ecosystems along the 2,175 mile Trail and its surrounding 250,000 acres of protected land, ATC’s Board of Directors adopted a climate change resolution in November 2008 which commits ATC to:
- Reduce its own carbon emissions by implementing cost-effective energy technology and behavior changes in its own operations;
- Educate ATC members and Trail visitors on climate and climate change (PDF) and its wide-ranging effects on the A. T.;
- Share information on the availability of mass-transit and other low-carbon transportation alternative for travel to trailheads, and promote mass transit accessibility to trailheads;
- Monitor climate change indicators and collect climate-relevant data through the A.T. MEGA-Transect and other environmental monitoring programs;
- Recognize the value of A.T. forest lands for carbon sequestration, climate modification, and as a corridor to allow wildlife to adapt to climate change;
- Support policies of energy conservation and renewable energy technology where consistent with ATC’s other policies; and
- Work with like-minded organizations to promote carbon-reducing efforts and climate change education programs.
MORE INFORMATION
ATC’s Resolution on Climate Change
An Introduction to Climate Change (PDF) includes these topics:
Topic 1 – An Introduction to the Climate System and Climate Change
Topic 2 – Has Climate Changed Over the Last 50 Years?
Topic 3 – Have Humans Caused the Climate Change of the Last 50 Years?
Topic 4 – How Might Climate Change in the Future?
Topic 5 – What are the Impacts of Past and Projected Future Climate Change?
Topic 6 – Does Everyone Agree with the Projections for Climate Change?
Projected Climate Change and the Appalachian Trail (PDF) includes these topics:
Topic 7 – What Impacts Will Projected Climate Change have on the A.T.?
Topic 8 – How is ATC Responding to the Threat Climate Change Poses to the A.T.?
Topic 9 – More Information RECENT ACTIONSOn November 17, 2009, ATC presented a paper at the 19th Annual SAMAB (Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere) Conference describing the potential impacts of climate change on the A.T.
On June 19, 2009, ATC wrote to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in support of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), which recognizes the need to safeguard natural resources from climate change and sets goals for reducing carbon emissions. The bill was passed by the House on June 26 by a narrow margin and now goes to the Senate. ATC will be reviewing the text of the Senate version and the final bill.
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