National Public Radio this morning broadcast yet another piece of depressing climate change news: the integrity of cultural heritage sites from the Tower of London to the Parthenon is being threatened by changes as diverse as desertification, heavier rainfalls, emissions, and rising sea levels.

Dubbed “Noah’s Ark,” a new study of the effects is being undertaken by the European Union. It’s found that drier air will lead to heavier, corrosive salt deposits on ancient stone and newer metal buildings, and heavier moisture in the north will lead to faster rotting of and insect damage to wooden structures.

You can read or listen to the entire piece by following the above link (there are some good photos, too), but here’s a depressing excerpt: “Experts warn that lower humidity levels in southern Europe will lead to an increase in the amount of salts deposited on marble and limestone, potentially weakening and breaking structures such as the Parthenon in Athens and the Colosseum in Rome. In northern Europe, where wood and metals are commonly used, increased moisture could also lead to fractures and rotting from insects and organic agents such as lichen and moss. Monuments like the Eiffel tower could be damaged by corrosion, according to the report.”

Related posts:

1. Finding hidden landmarks
2. The European Look
3. Latest Green Travel News
4. The Green Travel News Roundup…

This entry was posted on Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 11:18 am and is filed under Antonia projects, Europe travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.