Newswise — National Wildlife Federation Study Delivers Warning on Warming
The National Wildlife Federation will release its new report, "Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest," on Tuesday July 24 at 10:00am in Seattle's Golden Gardens Park. The report takes an unprecedented look at global warming's dramatic impact on the coastal habitats of Washington and Oregon.
WHAT: Release of NWF Report, "Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest"
WHEN: Tuesday July 24, 2007 at 10:00am
WHERE: Golden Gardens Park Bathhouse, 3199 Northwest 85th Street, Seattle, WA
WHO: Patty Glick, Global Warming Specialist, National Wildlife Federation's Northwestern Natural Resources Center
LeeAnne Beres, Executive Director, Earth Ministry
Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director, People for Puget Sound
BACKGROUND:
Global warming is contributing to a significant increase in the rate of global sea-level rise due to the thermal expansion of ocean waters and melting glaciers and ice fields. Given the vast expanse of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and in Puget Sound and the critical role that vulnerable coastal habitats such as marshes, tidal flats, and beaches play in the region's ecology and economy, sea-level rise is likely to have a profound impact on the Pacific Northwest.
The report analyzes a range of sea-level rise scenarios detailed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), from a three inch rise in global average sea level by 2025 to more than two feet by 2100. The study also models a rise of up to six and a half feet by 2100 to accommodate for recent studies that suggest sea level rise will occur much more rapidly this century than the IPCC models have predicted. Overall, the region is likely to see a dramatic shift in the extent and diversity of coastal habitats, with potentially devastating consequences for the fish and wildlife that depend on them. Contact:
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