LOCALadk Magazine

18 Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Increased rainfall from Hurricane Irene caused a landslide on Colden Slide The words are heavy and real, and sometimes too much for the human brain to process. The enormity of this threat is not to be underestimated, but the size of the challenge is not a reason to look the other way, either. In fact, the Adirondacks possess some of the greatest assets to mitigate and adapt to climate change in New York State. The Adirondack Park is a unique patchwork of public and private lands that provides clean air, water and food for its human and natural communities. Ecologically, the region has some of the most globally significant un-fragment- ed, interconnected forestlands, which are havens for the flora and fauna that comprise its diverse ecosystems. The Park's millions of acres of conser ved and well-managed private lands all contribute to it thriving in the face of climate change. Designated "Forever Wild" by the New York State Legisla- ture in the late 1800s, the Adirondack Park is one of only a few places in the world that has constitutionally protect- ed lands. This legal protection essen- tially means that no trees on Forest Preser ve lands can be "sold, removed, or destroyed." The Basics Climate is the average weather patterns of a region over several years. Climate change is a disruption to these aver- age weather patterns, on a global scale, due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmo- sphere resulting from human activities. Accelerated rates of GHG emissions began with the Industrial Revolution, when coal was burned on a mass scale for power generation. The presence of high levels of GHGs in the atmosphere triggers the greenhouse effect by al- lowing sunlight in, but not allowing its heat back out. Essentially, GHGs act as a blanket over the Earth. While carbon dioxide is one of the most abundant GHGs in the atmosphere, it is not the only emission we need to reduce. For example, methane emitted from fossil fuel–burning operations, as well as ag- ricultural and solid waste landfills, has intense heat-trapping qualities at much lower concentrations. With the release and increased concentration of GHGs, warming temperatures are changing global climate patterns. The impact of these changes is seen through extreme and more frequent weather events. For ex- The Reality of Climate Change Climate change: the human-made crisis that is anticipated to reshape our world at its most fundamental levels. By Jackie Bowen Photos by Carl Heilman II

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