Evacuate. This is a command I never pictured myself to be a part of. And yet on July 22nd of this summer this command became reality for many around me.
This summer I worked in the heart of the West: Glacier National Park (GNP). It was an incredible summer filled with hiking, stargazing, and- at the beginning- bonfires, but as July started to wind down bonfires were no longer an option: my park, our park, was on fire.
I worked at the East entrance to GNP right off the famous Going to the Sun Road, which takes you directly through some of the park’s most famous scenery. On July 21st at 4:30pm my manager informed us that, at the time, a small fire, the Reynolds Creek Fire, had started near the major park attraction, Logan Pass. We, the employees, should know in case customers started asking about the smoke filtering into our site. Thankfully the fire was not a threat- yet.
By the next day the fire had more than doubled and out location was drenched in smoke. With a raging fire just six miles away, we could no longer see our beautiful mountain ridgeline. The sun was red and the sky was from then on ash.
My life this summer was fully submerged into the impacts of climate change. It is important to realize that forest fires are often a natural occurrence with lightning strikes being the most common cause. However, as Discover Magazine reported in late July, “more than 60% of the [West] is in severe drought.” This is not a natural cycle: rising temperatures, caused by human activity, are creating conditions that are drier, harsher.
According to the National Wildlife Federation longer fire seasons exist now because snow is melting, on average, 1 to 4 weeks earlier than it did 50 years beforehand. Furthermore, it is projected that by mid-century western North America’s temperature rates are expected to rise 3.6 to 9 degrees more by mid-century and it is projected that 11 western states (including Montana) will double in amount of forest fires per year.
Our nation has reached a schism between those who believe climate change is both real
and caused by human activity and those who do not – the latter is unfortunately where much of the evangelical community falls.
It is here that I ask: How can so many still stay in the dark? As reported last year by one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Houghton’s guest speaker climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, 97 % of climate scientists believe that climate change is both real and anthropogenic (caused by humans).
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of today, September 3rd, the U.S.A. has a reported 59 large fires with 14 of them located in this state I have come to love. So far in 2015 over 8.4 million acres in the USA have burned, a number shockingly greater than the 5.6 million acres burned in the past ten years – combined.
I recognize that statistics can only do so much for a reader. But this article is not just a statistic. It was a reality for me this summer and is still a reality for all.
Daily, tourists of GNP innocently ask why no glaciers are visible driving down Highway 89. My gut reaction each time is to laugh- as if, glaciers were simply plastered to the side of each mountain for tourists to casually view out of a car window. However, truth be told, the glaciers once were much more visible. Before coming here, countless friends and family asked if I was going to GNP to see the glaciers before they melted since as the National Park Service reports GNP houses 25 glaciers presently compared to the over 150 glaciers once here in 1850.
Furthermore, this year GNP has had far less snowfall and rain than ever before. The rafting water I went down this year barely reached Class 2 rapids instead of the normal Class 4 rapids. A favorite hiking destination, Iceberg Lake, was home to only two icebergs instead of tens. I only slid down snow shoots during June when usually the snow is far more abundant.
My summer here will be remembered as one clouded in smoke. This summer five fires have burned in GNP and neighboring areas. Most mornings I wake up in a haze.
As I reflect on my Montana experience, I also look back on my summer I am reminded of summer’s beginning. Before I came to GNP I attended my family reunion in Ohio. My family is composed of evangelical believers who, unfortunately, accurately portray the evangelical demographic when it comes to views on global warming.
We sat in the humid early June evening gathered around a campfire. As people finished their food family member repeatedly threw Styrofoam plates into the fire. My sister and I exchanged appalled looks: did our family members not realize what they were doing?
After the fifth plate was thrown, we mentioned that burning Styrofoam was extremely bad for the environment. At this comment my uncle, who loves boy scouts to bird watching, stated, “Global Warming doesn’t exist.” I was shocked. This man who grew up taking his sons to Yellowstone and Yosemite, this man whose own son was an Environmental Studies major, pointedly refused to believe the facts.
Why are so many unwilling to face the facts? Why do so many refuse to act? Our faith calls us to steward the earth. Our chance is quickly fading though to make a difference. Yet, it is not too late. As this academic year at Houghton begins I encourage all to look at the impacts we each take part in and see how you can make a difference. Personally, I recommend looking into the group Eco Reps led by Sustainability Coordinator Brian Webb here on campus.
We must all recognize the truth: climate change exists. Whether it is a forest fire in Montana or a harsh winter in New York there is clear evidence of new and detrimental shift.
