Image credit: NPS Photo Climate change is reshaping the world as we know it. Locally, the effects of climate change make conditions harsher for people and wildlife in the Seattle area. Climate change has its roots in history—including the history of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. Stories from the past can help us understand how we got to this moment of change, and how we can move forward from here. The story of climate change is not over, and the future is in our hands. The Klondike Gold Rush and its impacts in Seattle show us how much the world has changed before. Now, it’s time to do it again. How did we get here?
Image credit: NPS Photo 
This tree was shipped to Chicago for the 1893 World's Fair. When the Klondike Gold Rush came to Seattle, other trees would become timber for the growing city. NPS Photo The Klondike Gold Rush is one part of the story of how Seattle became the way it is now. When news spread about gold up in the Yukon Territory of Canada in 1896, more than 70,000 people passed through Seattle, buying goods for their journey north. That brought a lot of money and people to the city—and with them, more city buildings and urban areas. In the span of just a few years, Seattle exploded from a town to a metropolis. This matters for climate change because the rapid growth of the city converted natural areas into urban landscapes. Before the Seattle area was developed, there were wetlands, tidal flats, and forests here—all ecosystems that stored huge amounts of carbon. But as people leveled and filled the landscape to make way for buildings and infrastructure1, this carbon was released into the atmosphere. What’s more, when those areas were paved over, we lost the land’s ability to absorb and store more carbon. The expansion of Seattle was driven by the needs of the booming population. But by focusing on just those priorities, it brought long-term environmental consequences that still affect us today. This pattern was not unique to Seattle—cities around the world have grown and transformed in similar ways, all contributing to climate change. The growth of Seattle and other cities is not inherently bad. Cities are hubs of innovation and culture, and fantastic places to live. Plus, people living in urban areas tend to have smaller carbon footprints than those living in suburbs or rural areas2. But the way cities like Seattle developed, and that growth’s impact on the environment, shows us how important it is to consider the long-term impacts of choices we make today. Climate change in SeattlePeople’s greenhouse gas emissions are a major driver of climate change. When we burn fossil fuels, like coal, oil, or natural gas, we release greenhouse gases. The gases stay in the atmosphere and act like a heat-trapping blanket. The more gases we release, the thicker the blanket gets, and the planet overheats.What does climate change look like in Seattle? One way scientists measure climate change is by taking the average of all the temperatures a place experiences in a year, and comparing it to the averages from other years. In the 2020s, average yearly temperatures in Seattle are already almost 2°F warmer than they were in the 1970s3.
If we keep burning fossil fuels at a high rate, and emitting greenhouse gases, average yearly temperatures in 2100 could be up to 8.6°F warmer than they were in the 1990s. But if we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we could keep that change to 5°F or less4. That’s still a big change, but it is a lot less than the alternative!
It is hard to say if climate change will make the total amount of precipitation in Seattle go up or down. But we do know that, because of climate change, weather events become more extreme—bigger storms dropping a lot of rain at once, followed by longer, drier periods without rain5.
By 2100, scientists predict that sea levels in Seattle could rise as much as six feet, if we keep emitting greenhouse gases at a high rate. That much sea level rise would put the edges of the city underwater. But if we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we could limit that rise to 1.5 feet, or even less, by 21006.
What does this mean for people? There are lots of ways that climate change affects our health. One of them is through exposure to extreme conditions. Extreme weather, like storms, fires, or high heat, can be dangerous. People in cities like Seattle are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, since heat is most intense in places without a lot of trees or green space.
Exposure to impacts of climate change, like extreme heat, is often linked to factors like income and race. Low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to live in places without green space, exposing them to particularly high heat. Other related factors, like air quality and pollution, are also often worse in those places.
Buildings, especially historic buildings like the Cadillac Hotel (home of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park - Seattle Unit), are vulnerable to damage from climate change. Just like people, they can be hurt in extreme storms or floods. Plus, extreme temperatures put extra strain on old buildings, making them break down faster and need more maintenance.
Living with change
Image credit: NPS Photo Climate change can bring up intense emotions. It is hard to watch conditions get more difficult for people, wildlife, and places we love, and to see them being irreversibly changed in the process. For many people, it brings up feelings of grief, anger, fear, and exhaustion, among others. Finding ways to connect with those around you can help everyone feel less alone, and help you face the challenge of climate change together. National parks like Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park can provide a space to find that community. As people living in this moment in history, part of our job is to bear witness to how our world is shifting because of climate change. We can notice changes as they happen, and honor our own reactions to those shifts—whatever they may be. One way to do this is through art or other forms of expression that let you convey how you see things changing, and how that affects you. Explore how artists at Olympic National Park, Biscayne National Park, and Alaska public lands bear witness to climate change through art, and how artists of all ages around the country are using their art to respond to climate change. Looking to the futureClimate change presents a serious problem, but science shows that, by taking action, we can still make a big difference. Just like Seattle changed during the Klondike Gold Rush, things can shift again. In order to fight the climate crisis, we all have to get involved in making that change happen. One way to start is by imagining the future you want to see. 
Image credit: NPS Photo What are we doing?The National Park Service is doing our part to be sustainable, and to keep people and parks safe from the impacts of climate change. One way we are doing this is through the Climate Friendly Parks program. As Climate Friendly Parks, more than 140 NPS sites have surveyed their greenhouse gas emissions and committed to reducing them. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is in the process of becoming a Climate Friendly Park! Learn more about sustainability in the National Park Service and the city of Seattle. 
NPS/Bob Trinnes What can you do?Everyone has a role to play in response to climate change. Think about what resources you have, or what you enjoy doing. Is there a connection between those things and climate action? Here are some ways you can make a difference in your community: Talk about it!
Get involved!
Scale your impact!
Climate change in the NPS
These numbers came from the Seattle local scenario projections for the year 2100, under the “Intermediate Low” and “High” sea level rise scenarios. |
Last updated: December 18, 2024