Before It's Too Late — Sarina Benoit

Before It’s Too Late

Done in the style of old-school WPA-era National Parks posters, my posters display the possible grim future of our national parks. They depict four of our beloved parks in shambles; wrecked and almost completely unrecognizable. These posters and their depictions are based on the most recent research on how climate change will affect our parks.

Ironically, the original WPA posters were meant to attract people to America's parks—these posters flip that idea on its head with the reality that this is what our parks are soon becoming. At first glance these posters may seem pretty, but if you look a bit closer the terrifying truth is clear.

Great Smoky Mountains

Air pollution is the main threat to the Smokies, and it is already a problem. Sulfate concentrations increased by 27% from 1984-1999, and ozone levels in the park are up to two times higher than in Knoxville and Atlanta.
Joshua Tree

The warming, drying climate is not good news for the Joshua trees. To make matters worse, recent years wildfires fueled by invasive grass have roared through the park, killing many of its slow-growing yuccas.
Everglades

Rising sea levels threaten this great marsh, as the salty sea water would destroy the organisms living here. The low elevation means very slight changes can affect the Everglades for the worst.
Yellowstone

Wildfires more intense than before can wreck Yellowstone with ease, while less snow melt means drier land than ever. The warmer weather also means longer seasons for beetles that eat the trees, which means less food for grizzlies.