Transcript:
For nearly a decade, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois has taken annual trips to national parks – not for vacation, but to raise awareness about how the parks are being harmed by climate change.
Quigley: “They’re so beloved. They’re the quintessential national natural treasure. And if they’re endangered, nothing is safe.”
Quigley’s climate change tours have taken him to Florida, where rising seas threaten the vulnerable wetlands of the Everglades, and to Maine, where warming temperatures are accelerating the spread of invasive species in Acadia.
He’s gone to California, where wildfires threaten giant sequoias in Yosemite, and to Alaska, where melting permafrost is increasing the risk of landslides in Denali.
On each visit, Quigley talks to researchers and park rangers about the changes they’re seeing.
He brings other members of Congress with him to help them understand these impacts, too. And he shares what he learns on social media.
Quigley: “We want to show everybody that it affects all corners of the country.”
And Congressman Quigley encourages people to get involved and push for climate action.
Quigley: “We have to continue to act. We owe it to future generations.”
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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