According to the announcements of environmental experts in the country, we are facing numbers higher than 150 in the unhealthy range in terms of air pollution in the capital and cities where air pollution monitoring is being carried out. These unhealthy air days have worsened and increased year after year for the country, with almost over 100 days per year affected. Not only has proper management based on the Clean Air Act not been implemented, but new pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and ozone have also been added to the usual pollutants.

Recently, a report titled “Polluted National Parks and Declared Failure in Protecting Them” has been published in America regarding the management of air pollution and climate change. This report is interesting for the writer for four reasons: First, it has been published by the non-partisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). This environmental civil society organization or environmental NGO has always been a leading voice in protecting America’s most iconic and inspiring protected areas, with 1.3 million members and supporters working to protect them for future generations. Unfortunately, we rarely see such reports from environmental NGOs in our country. Second, the title of this national and specialized report acknowledges failure. Third, given the critical conditions of air pollution in our country, it is necessary for environmental NGOs, activists, and experts in natural and human environments in our managed areas to address this issue. And fourth, this report was produced during the Trump administration and explicitly states that Trump is doing the most damage to the implementation of the Clean Air

Executive Summary.

National parks, like all living beings, need clean air and a healthy climate to thrive. The effects of air pollution and climate change are not limited to human societies, but also encompass our national parks. To understand the impact of pollution on over 400 national parks in the United States and the more than 300 million visitors each year, a report has been prepared evaluating four categories: “Unhealthy Air,” “Damage to Nature,” “Hazy Skies,” and “Climate Change.”

The key finding of this report is that ninety-six percent of the four hundred and seventeen national parks evaluated are facing significant air pollution issues in at least one of the four categories. We have found that eighty-five percent of national parks have unhealthy air, and nearly ninety percent of parks are affected by haze pollution (smoke from land or forest fires that can have harmful effects on human health, damage to living resources and ecosystems, and disrupt normal environmental uses). Eighty-eight percent of parks have air pollution that also affects the soil and water, causing damage to sensitive habitats. We have also found that climate change is a significant concern for eighty percent of our national parks, although all parks are impacted to some degree.

In addition to scientific analysis, in this report we also present experience-based stories of a social activist, a young conservationist, an organizer and tour guide of historical and recreational landscapes, facing the effects of air and climate pollution. These five stories demonstrate a common issue: pollution problems are affecting the health of local people and our parks, and fossil fuels and air pollution from industrial activities are the main causes of these problems. Fortunately, there are clear and feasible solutions: reducing pollution and transitioning to clean energy. To achieve this, we need policies that are supported by all levels of government to properly protect the air, parks, and climate.

Some parts of the text translation.

Almost every national park is affected by air pollution and climate change. Climate change intensifies floods, droughts, forest fires, and smog, which hide scenic views. Unhealthy air causes asthma attacks in sensitive populations and healthy adults who exercise outdoors, and it leads to the destruction of sensitive waterways and wildlife habitats. While the Clean Air Act has continuously reduced pollution over the past five decades, only two years of Trump administration policies have helped reverse this trend. Today, air pollution is on the rise and executive actions against polluters have decreased by eighty-five percent. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pushing an anti-science agenda and the United States is in the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and other global climate treaties.

A study conducted in 2018 by two researchers from Harvard University conservatively estimates that recent rollbacks by the Environmental Protection Agency have resulted in the deaths of over eighty thousand people every decade from public health and environmental protection consequences. As a result, our national parks continue to suffer from air pollution and instead of the promised aid through the Clean Air Act to protect our most symbolic lands, Congress is promising increased pressure and worsening conditions.

In 2018, three parks (Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Parks, and Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve) had over two months of unhealthy air for most visitors and park rangers – mostly in the summer months. These are among the most polluted national parks in our country. Most of the air pollution in these parks is caused by vehicles and agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley (one of the most polluted areas in the country), where residents are often exposed to unhealthy air.

We have learned that eighty-five percent of national parks (three hundred and fifty-four parks) have air quality that is sometimes unhealthy. In eighty-seven parks, ozone levels are a significant concern, and in two hundred and seventy-seven other parks, there is a moderate level of concern.

Air pollution has a widespread impact on plants, animals, and the entire ecosystem. Ozone pollution stifles the growth of trees and crops and causes the leaves of common tree species to turn black and wither. Nitrogen and sulfur pollution, which is created through rain, snow, or fog, can lead to changes in the chemical composition of soil and water, affecting the ability of plants and animals to survive in an area.

Our findings show that air pollution is damaging to sensitive species and habitats in eighty-eight percent of national parks (three hundred and sixty-eight parks). Concern is significant in two hundred and thirty-three parks and moderate in eighty-five parks.

Ozone naturally exists in the atmosphere, but human pollutants that produce ozone at ground level are very harmful to plants, slowing their growth and increasing their vulnerability to diseases and insect damage. When nitrogen and sulfur settle on the ground, they are washed away by rain, snow, and other precipitation. High concentrations of these pollutants can cause acidification, excessive fertilization, and other chemical changes in soil and water. These processes have the ability to alter the number and types of plants and animals that can survive in a given area.

In Rocky Mountain National Park, flowering plants are being replaced by weeds. The high altitude environment of the park is very vulnerable to nitrogen due to shallow soils and short growing seasons, and the increase in nitrogen caused by pollution from oil and gas development in the region can alter the types of plants that grow in the tundra. As nitrogen levels increase, weeds take over the habitat of alpine flowers and reduce the habitat of some animals in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Visible pollution or smog is formed from tiny particles and gases in the air that make it difficult to see distant objects. Smog reduces visibility and clarity of landscapes in national parks. Our analysis has shown that in eighty percent of parks (three hundred and seventy parks), there is a moderate to significant concern for impaired visibility (four hundred and sixty-six parks). On average, visitors to national parks lose visibility of landscapes from fifty miles due to air pollution; equivalent to the length of the Island River.

When the air in the national park is not clean, the visit decreases by at least eight percent, which damages the local economy and shows that the air quality directly affects public use and enjoyment of national parks. Yosemite, Oregon, Acadia, and Joshua Tree National Parks are four of the largest wildlife areas in our country that experience widespread effects of air pollution; even if they don’t always appear polluted. National parks and desert areas should have clear air, but unfortunately many are struggling with hazy skies. Many protected areas are still centuries away from achieving natural clean air quality.

The effects of climate change are different in national parks and in different geographical regions; for example, coastal areas are affected by increasing oceans and powerful storms, high mountain ranges witness extensive melting of glaciers and snow, and local communities experience floods and landslides. In these conditions, from microorganisms to large mammals, wildlife species are struggling to adapt.

National parks are vulnerable to various risks such as drought, floods, wildfires, invasive species, and the sensitivity of plants and animals (and sometimes their limited ability to adapt to new habitats), water, glaciers, and historical and cultural resources due to their sensitive natural environments. In analyzing scientific studies, we have found that climate change is a significant concern for eighty percent of our national parks (three hundred and fifty-five parks). These parks experience extreme temperature changes, precipitation, or early spring onset due to climate change.

Many unique and sensitive species of wildlife are facing severe population decline and potential extinction, as they struggle to adapt to the rapid pace of change. For example, the Everglades National Park is a unique semi-tropical wetland environment that relies on freshwater to support a diverse array of life. As the depth of water is crucial for a healthy and thriving ecosystem, even a slight increase in sea levels – just a few centimeters – can flood freshwater habitats and lead to the decline of these wetlands. As a result, orchids, rare tropical plants, pine forests, and freshwater marshes are all at risk, which in turn support a multitude of wildlife species, birds, and mammals.

The melting of the natural glaciers in Nisqually, Mt. Rainier National Park, directly contributes to infrastructure damage along the historic Nisqually road. The retreat of the glaciers and rocks leaves behind sediment and debris that is easily washed down during storms, causing extensive destruction to the river banks.

Achieving solutions for clean air and sustainable climate requires the participation of all of us. Some of the actions that national parks take are listed here:

1- The National Park Service continuously monitors air quality in over 350 national parks. Using various monitoring devices, the agency tracks ozone, sulfur and nitrogen concentrations in water and soil, as well as visibility conditions; it also controls other pollutants such as mercury and other toxins. Air monitoring is crucial in understanding the impact of pollution on parks and visitors.

2- National park services study the economic, environmental, scenic, human health, and pollution effects of national parks and turn their findings into usable and beneficial information for the general public. For example, the health agency tweets about air quality recommendations for certain parks and explains how animals show signs of exposure to toxic mercury.

3- National park services, with the increase of public transportation options, are making strong efforts in collaboration with national park conservation associations and urban transportation agencies to improve public access for communities in the Gulf of Jamaica and in New York to the recreational area of Gitoi National Park, and support it, which in turn will lead to a decrease in single-occupancy vehicles.

4- In the historic Thomas Edison National Park, the National Park Service, with the help of the National Park Foundation, has installed charging stations for electric vehicles for visitors to use.

5- The local community and the park collaborated in Acadia National Park to create a shuttle service within the park. This resulted in a reduction of over 22 million personal vehicle trips in the park and prevented the emission of more than 23,000 tons of greenhouse gases since 1999.

6- Three experimental programs are currently underway in Grand Teton, Yosemite, and Denali National Parks to significantly reduce the amount of landfill waste. Since 2017, the parks and their owners have offset over nine million tons of greenhouse gas emissions through recycling, composting, and recovery efforts.

7- In Florida, the National Park Service collaborated with the “Power and Light” program to create “Solar Innovation in Everglades”, where solar panels were installed at the visitor center in Everglades National Park.

Achieving solutions for clean air and sustainable climate requires the participation of all of us. Here are ten actions you can take to protect national parks:

1- Write a letter to Congress and tell them to align our national policies with regards to air and climate and to hold the Environmental Protection Agency accountable for their mission to protect public health and the environment.

2- Ask local, state, and federal government representatives to adhere to the principles of the Paris Agreement and accelerate the transition from coal and gas to renewable energy sources.

3- Contact the governor of New Mexico to encourage their state’s efforts in reducing methane pollution from oil and gas development, and ask the governor of Utah to join the list of states addressing this climate issue.

4- Send written comments about the proposed state and federal laws. Talk about protecting parks, clean air, and a healthy climate. Join the National Parks Conservation Association email list to learn about opportunities.

5- Give testimony in a public session about a state or federal law and tell your story about why clean air and a healthy climate are important to you. Follow the National Parks Conservation Association on social media to stay informed about opportunities.

6- Write a letter or note to the editor-in-chief and ask for the agency’s protection of the environment by disregarding backwardness and enforcing clean air laws and promoting regulations to prevent the worst climate changes in service of the environment and public health.

7- Look for opportunities in your daily life to walk or ride a bike instead of driving a car, or take the bus and train.

8- Consider installing solar panels in your home and supporting the National Parks Conservation Association at the same time.

9- Get involved by participating in a civil voice workshop with the National Parks Conservation Association, and don’t forget to join or volunteer with us.

10- Give your vote!

Notes:

1- Polluted parks, how America fails in protecting our national parks, people, and planet from pollution.

National Parks Conservation Society..

2. Pollution of nitrogen and sulfur in parks.

National Park Services Website.

3- Evaluation of levels, sources, and risks of Piyacha waste in soil and plants of urban parks in northwest China.

Website Nature.

December 12, 2022.

4- Park groups reported that ninety-six percent of national parks are affected by air pollution.

The website of the National Parks Conservation Society.

May 17, 2019.

5- Pollution of Poland’s national parks with heavy metals.

National Drug Library website.

August 13, 2011.

6- Reports say that pollution is a specific issue in 401 national parks.

Website “Feiz”.

, May 30, 2019.

7- Waste in National Parks: How this phenomenon leads to various forms of pollution.

Protect our parks.

October 10, 2020.

8- Rodriguez Eugenio, Natalia, McLaughlin, Michael, Pinak, Daniel, Soil Pollution: A Hidden Reality.

FAO Organization Website.

2018.

9- Korsniowska, Joanna, the contents of heavy metals in the soils of Tatra National Park near the Morskie Oko and Wierch Kasprol Wairsh lakes, a case study.

Kharkiv University Geography Institute.،

2020.

10- Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in surface layers of forest soils in Rostoksehi National Park, Poland, using pollution indices.

ScienceDirect website.

February 2017.