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ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah (AP) -- Visitors to Zion National Park can soon take home more than just breathtaking photos and memories of epic hikes.
The park is one of 15 in the country participating in a a program urging visitors to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions at home and thereby reduce the risk of adverse effects from global warming at national parks.
The "Do Your Part for Climate Friendly Parks" program launched Monday.
Each of the participating parks has set a target for reducing emissions and drawn up a plan including steps such as recycling, energy efficiency and using biofuels in park vehicles.
Parks also point visitors to a Web site where they can measure their "carbon footprint" based on calculations provided by the Environmental Protection Agency.
A list of options for reducing greenhouse gases are also offered to participants including purchasing more environment-friendly sources of power, buying efficient appliances and reducing driving.
The program is a part of a joint effort between the National Park Service and the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit that advocates for parks.
"The nearly 300 million people who visit America's national park's annually could be a tremendous force in combating global warming," the NPCA's Mark Wenzler said in a statement.
Park officials at Zion say that even if a fraction of their 2.7 million visitors a year make a few of the suggested changes, "the effect would be enormous."
Participants' reductions are recorded on the Web site and can be applied to meet goals set by each national park.
At Zion, officials are hoping to reduce greenhouse gases by 9 million pounds this year.
Other participating parks include Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Yosemite, Bandelier, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Golden Gate.
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Information from: The Spectrum
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
