The State of Climate Change

The challenges we face in minimizing our impact on the climate, environment, and wildlife of our planet is nothing new, nor is our love for nature and the animals who call it home. With industrial expansion taking place across the globe, it’s become a greater challenge than ever to see the negative impacts on our society first hand – so let’s explore some numbers. 

Throughout history (meaning before cars, humans, and Amazon) the environment was largely self-sustainable and carbon dioxide presence in the atmosphere usually fluctuated in a natural cycle reaching a record high of about 300 particles per million (a science term that’s kind of like percent, but out of a million instead of a hundred). The carbon dioxide ppm has been over 300 since 1950, and has almost doubled in the last 60 years to 500 ppm, dwarfing previously recorded findings. This increase in CO2 can trap heat in our atmosphere, leading to more extreme weather patterns, increases in average temperatures, and a rise in sea levels.

These impacts of climate change are widely known and mentioned frequently in the media, but how can we help protect the outdoors we love and what does this mean for sportsmen? Change in our environment is forcing animals to find new habitats and causing forest fires to be more frequent and destructive rather than helpful.  With the declining health of forests and water in the United States, conservation matters more than ever which could impact where, when, and how you continue your outdoor traditions. 

Well, the great news is continuing to enjoy hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities are actually a great way to help, since funds from many hunting licenses & registrations now fund conservation efforts for our parks. This balance creates a positive relationship between the environment and sportsmen who cherish it. You can also help by contacting lawmakers, donating to conservation funds, and limiting your own use of greenhouse gasses and CO2 emissions. 

If you’d like to learn more, visit the National Park Service at www.nps.gov for additional information on conservation efforts within State & Federal Parks to ensure our outdoors remain to be enjoyed for generations to come. Another great option is to donate to private Wildlife and Conservation groups. We’re big fans of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, but maybe that’s just because Alaska is the one state in the US where MuskOx Roam Free.