US national landmarks face critical climate threat – report

Study from Union of Concerned Scientists cites State of Liberty, Alaska’s permafrost and NASA’s coast facilities at risk

By Ed King

The Statue of Liberty, Boston’s iconic Long Wharf and Fort Monroe in Chesapeake Bay are among hundreds of historic monuments under threat from climate change.

That’s the finding of a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, highlighting areas of the US at risk from flooding, wildfires and other extreme weather events.

Released two weeks before President Obama embarks on the most ambitious of his climate policies – new emission standards for power plants – it illustrates how the US is likely to be affected by changing weather patterns.

“We must begin now to prepare our threatened landmarks to face worsening climate impacts; climate resilience must become a national priority and we must allocate the necessary resources,” it says.

Read the full study here, or check some of the sites likely to be hit below, downloaded from the UCSA photostream on flickr.