The strange looking, U2-album-inspiring Joshua tree is in trouble. Its range has been in decline for millennia, and at least one scientist says it'll be extinct in 50 to 100 years thanks to global climate change. That doesn't bode well for Joshua Tree National Park in California.
One park ranger admits he and his colleagues are worried about the situation:
One of the questions we talk about at least internally and on an informal basis is, "What do you have here as a national park without Joshua trees?"
Good question. As one couple visiting the park asks an NPR reporter, why would you want to visit a vacant desert devoid of all life?
Related Stories:
· Outlook Bleak for Joshua Trees [NPR]
· Joshua Tree National Park [Official Site]
· Maldives Preparing for Global Warming Apocalypse [Jaunted]
· Tuvalu Slowly Sinking Under the Sea [Jaunted]
[Photo: ChuckThePhotographer]]]>