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Whether
you blame global warming on people or not, the irrefutable truth is that
rising sea levels, air pollution, and deforestation are causing
permanent damage. What you know the world to be and look like may be
completely different than what your grandchildren and their kids will
see.
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The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is famous for a salinity that makes swimmers especially
buoyant. You should go on a trip there while you still can, because it
is on the verge of extinction. The sea that is said to have healing
properties has been losing more than three feet per year, because
bordering countries are taking water from the River Jordan, which is the
Dead Sea’s only major water source. The sea has lost a third of its
water already and there is no solution in sight. |
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Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Kilimanjaro’s renowned northern glaciers are shrinking and could be gone
by 2030, according to researchers. The entire ice field, which holds
most of Kilimanjaro's remaining glacial ice, lost more than 140 million
cubic feet of ice in the past 13 years. The ice sheet that capped
Kilimanjaro in 2007 was 85 percent smaller than the one that covered its
plateau in 1912. |
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The Alps
The iconic European Alps are beloved by snow sports enthusiasts, but
climate change is bringing challenges for the mountain range. Alpine
glaciers are retreating and temperatures are increasing at an alarming
rate, according to the European Environment Agency. The Alps are at a
lower altitude than many other mountains which is why these changes are
so worrying. |
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The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is Australia’s natural wonder. It is larger than
the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from
space. It is set off Australia’s east coast and sprawls out over 133,000
square miles. The lavishness of the reef’s marine life is being hurt by
climate change, according to the WorldWildlife.org. Sediment and
nutrient and pesticide pollution have increased. Urban and industrial
developments continue, and illegal fishing is hurting the ecosystem. By
some estimates the reef could be irreparably changed in the next 20
years. |
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Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada
This is perhaps the most visited glacier in Canada, and you should go
before it’s too late – experts say it’s losing more than 16 feet of ice
every year and is in danger of completely disappearing within a
generation. Even with extensive snow years, the summers are warm enough
and the fall is long enough for so much snow to melt.
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Glacier National Park, Montana
This is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. Many people
try to get the last look at the receding glaciers. The park that was
shaped by once-giant glaciers is really showing the effects of climate
change, according to the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK).
The park that was once home to roughly 150 glaciers is now down to just
25, and some scientific estimates say it could lose all of its large
glaciers by 2030, if not sooner.
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Greenland
Greenland’s melting ice sheet is one of the largest contributors to sea
level rise around the globe, and the country experienced its highest
average summer temperature on record and an early melt last year. You
can see calving glaciers, giant icebergs, and Arctic landscapes
accompanied by geologist and glaciologist Sarah Aciego and professional
photographer Mindy Cambiar with Big Chill Adventures.
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Venice, Italy
As the city of canals, gondolas and hundreds of bridges, Venice, one of
the most beautiful places on the planet, is known for its waterways.
But, as it turns out, the water could be exactly what is ruining the
historic and one of the most romantic cities in the world. Venice has
been sinking for centuries, but some evidence suggests the process is
speeding up — possibly even sinking five times as fast as previously
thought.
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