More than 96 Percent of National Parks Across U.S. Affected by Air Pollution

“Yosemite” by edward stojakovic licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: Grist

According to a new report from the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), 96 percent of National Parks in the U.S. were found to have significant air pollution.

Perhaps more devastating, researchers found that 33 percent of national parks were “as polluted as our 20 largest cities.”

“Nearly every single one of our more than 400 national parks is plagued by air pollution. If we don’t take immediate action to combat this, the results will be devastating and irreversible,” said CEO of the NPCA, Theresa Pierno.

For the most part, the majority of the pollution found in the national parks was “blowing in” from elsewhere, with air pollution from cars and burning fossil fuels.

Researchers reported that in 88 percent of national parks, wildlife and habitats are being heavily impacted.

Read Full Story: Grist

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