Endangered Wonders of the World
Climate Change Placing Our Best Loved Landmarks Under Threat
Oct 16, 2008
From the snow capped Kilimanjaro to the 18th hole at St Andrews, climate change is a very real and immediate threat to hundreds of the worlds best loved and most iconic attractions. Here are just a few wonders of the world to experience while they're still intact.
Kilimanjaro's Snowy Peak
It's Africa's highest mountain and an iconic image used to promote tourism but it is also often used as a symbol of global warming. In 2007 a study by the University of Innsbruck predicted that the mountain was on track to lose its famous white tip by 2040, sad news for the millions of tourists who head there each year to trek to the top or just admire it from below. There is now a plan in place to plant 4.8 million trees in Tanzania to curb the rate at which climate change is affecting the country.
The Netherlands
50% of this low lying country is protected by man made structures designed to stave off rising sea levels and over flowing rivers. The increasing population is also being blamed for pushing the land mass further below sea level. Amsterdam and Rotterdam are two of the country's largest cities and both sit below sea level. Unsurprisingly, The Dutch are world leaders in land drainage.
The Rockies
Glaciers in the Canadian Rocky Mountains are melting at an astonishing rate, some have lost 70% of their mass in the past 100 years which is unsurprising given that the average temperature has also rise by 1.5 degrees in the past century. The changes not only mean the landscape of the dramatic Rocky Mountains is changing quickly but the wildlife and plant life the area is famous for is also declining.
Chamonix
It's a magnet for adrenalin junkies and snow sport's enthusiasts but Chamonix is really just one giant glacier and as such it's suffering from climate change like all the other glaciers in the world. Snow levels are no longer guaranteed and as a result water levels in the summer, which allowed for white water rafting and other water pursuits, are also declining. What's more the permafrost which is an anchor for cable cars and restaurants is melting which could seriously threaten the infrastructure of the Alps. Best wax your skis and head for the slopes quick then.
St Andrew's Golf Course
The world famous golf course has recently been revealed as one of the newest attractions under threat of climate change. A report by Professor Jan Bebbington, director of the St Andrews Sustainability Institute, says the Scottish sporting venue could be submerged by water by 2050 due to coastal erosion. The institute is confident however that, being a world class golf course, St Andrews will attract plenty of investment to secure it's future but added that other coastal attractions may not be so lucky. Just in case though, better get a round in quick.
Venice
In the last century, the Adriatic Sea has risen another foot around the ankles of Venice and things don't seem to be getting much better. It's expected that water levels will rise around five feet in this century alone. The city is famous for it's watery existence but residents now claim the tide is coming in as early as 3am and flooding is a geographical hazard faced every day. Now it seems it's the environmentalists against the engineers in determining the future of the city. The environmentalists arguing for the reversal of industrialisation which has caused drainage under the city and the engineers arguing for 79 steel barriers to be constructed at the entrances to the lagoon. The debate continues.
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