"When we protect our lands, it helps us protect the climate of the future," said President
Image credit: ABC News
Those were the words uttered by the President of the United States, Barrack Obama, in Sierra Nevada when speaking about a link between conservation efforts and ending global warming. He also showed how federal and local governments can effectively team up to address a local environmental concern, such as the iconic Lake Tahoe which straddles California and Nevada.
According to a report by ABC News, President Obama kickstarted his 11 day tour across the USA and Asia by raising the issue of climate change and conservation. This would be his final tour as President of the United States.
"A changing climate threatens even the best conservation efforts. Keep in mind, 2014 was the warmest year on record until, you guessed it, 2015. And now 2016 is on pace to be even hotter. For 14 months in a row now, the Earth has broken global temperature records. And because climate and conservation are challenges that go hand in hand, our conservation mission is more urgent than ever," said the President, pointing out the effects on climate change on global temperatures.
Scientists believe that an array of factors such as storm-water runoff, car traffic and nearby construction have fueled the loss of clarity in the alpine Lake Tahoe, leading to major investments over the last 20 years by Congress, private groups, local authorities and the states of California and Nevada to preserve what's left of it. The latest threat to the lake — warming temperatures that have altered the underwater physics — dovetails with Obama's emphasis on how America's most treasured natural wonders are already suffering the consequences of climate change.
Unveiling modest new steps to preserve the lake and its region, the White House said the Interior Department would spend nearly $30 million on wildfire prevention in the area, while other agencies would work on storm-water management, algae monitoring and geothermal energy exploration.
The US Presidents also said, "You don't have to be a scientist; you have to read or listen to scientists to know that the overwhelming body of science shows us that climate change is caused by human activity."
Lake Tahoe might be far away from Malaysia, but the issues that affect it are very much the same as the ones that threaten Malaysia's lakes and forests. As President Obama said, it is now more important than ever for everyone to step up and get involved in conservation.
