Endangered: Landmarks of human history: what do old neighborhoods in New Orleans, an Inuit site in Canada, and a 13th-century mosque in Mauritania have in common?[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the World Monuments Fund The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a New York-based private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites worldwide through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training. (WMF (filename extension) wmf - The filename extension for a Windows Metafile. ), these and other landmarks of human history are threatened by the effects of global warming
The predicted effects of global warming on the environment and for human life are numerous and varied. It is generally difficult to attribute specific natural phenomena to long-term causes, but some effects of . "Cultural heritage from West Africa West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. to South Asia to the base of the Andes in South America is in danger," Michelle Berenfeld, a program manager at the WMF, told JS. Every two years, the WMF releases a Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. Its 2008 list spotlights places of historical importance in 59 countries, including 7 in the United States. For the first time, climate change has joined war and other human activity as a prime threat to these landmarks. At the Inuit site on Herschel Island, in the Yukon territory of Canada, the danger is caused by melting permafrost permafrost, permanently frozen soil, subsoil, or other deposit, characteristic of arctic and some subarctic regions; similar conditions are also found at very high altitudes in mountain ranges. and an eroding coastline. A spreading Sahara desert threatens Chinguetti (shin-GET-ee), Mauritania, considered one of the seven holy cities of Islam. In New Orleans, the 18th- and 19th-century architecture remains at risk from rising ocean levels as well as hurricanes like Katrina. All of these are contributing to the growing awareness of climate change around the world, Berenfeld said, "and WMF realizes that this is just the beginning." "What We Are" Since its founding in 1965, the WMF has helped save more than 450 structures in 90 countries. Besides sponsoring projects itself, the group collaborates with UNESCO UNESCO: see United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCO in full United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other cultural organizations. In Istanbul, Turkey, WMF projects have helped restore some of the mosaics of Hagia Sophia, a cathedral dating from the 6th century. The group has also been working in New Orleans since 2005 to preserve historic buildings in the Holy Cross neighborhood. Such landmarks of "human aspiration and achievement ... tell us what we are," said Bonnie Burnham, president of the WMF. "To lose any of them would diminish us all." To learn about other endangered sites, go to wmf.org. Words to Know * Islam: the religious faith of Muslims, including belief in one God, called Allah in Arabic, and in Muhammad as his prophet. * permafrost: a permanently frozen layer below the surface in frigid regions of a planet, such as Earth. |
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