An International School Senior Project
Local Change
The PNW is known for its beautiful outdoors. And even the heart of downtown Bellevue is filled with greenery. How has climate change affected this? And is it too late?
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is on the greener side of cities. However, even if climate change itself hasn't taken a great toll on the city, contributors to climate change have. According to a 2013 City of Bellevue report:
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Our tree canopy (basically the number of trees we have) has decreased 20% since 1986 (equates to $15 million lost in stormwater services & $68k per year in air quality removal services)
Regional salmon populations decrease every year
Greater population means more waste
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A better environment means more jobs, better health, and less costs. And don't forget, we live in an ecosystem that is interconnected meaning everything impacts one another.
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The PNW
The Pacific Northwest is known for their grand trees, snowcapped mountains, graceful waterfalls, and an atmosphere of nature. However, even the greenest environments are not immune to climate change. These are some ways the PNW has changed or may change soon:
Our Water Sources
The PNW is known for their rain, snow, and overall abundance of water. But with warmer temperatures, snow is melting quicker and could change it all. Since 1950, snowpack in the Cascade Mountains has decreased ~20%. Melting snow like this could increase stream flow earlier in the year, making less water available during the summers to power all our hydroelectric dams (which provides 40% of our nation's hydropower) and for our residents to use.
Increased Sea-Levels
Warmer climates means greater snow melt & the expansion of water, causing sea-levels to rise. Since the PNW is lined by the Pacific coast, homes, roads, & our coastal ecosystems are in danger of being damaged by flooding, erosion, & more if sea-levels were to rise. Scientists predict global sea levels will rise 1.6-3 ft. within the next century, meaning the 140,000 acres of coastal areas & low-lying regions near the Puget Sound are in danger.
Wildfires
Climate change has caused warmer weather, less precipitation, and a drier environment. For the PNW, where forests cover 50% of the region, these conditions are dangerous. In fact, in 2015, more than 1.6 million acres of PNW forests burned due to forest fires.
Need facts?
Click the tree to read more from ClimateRealityProject.