Mark Phillips reported an international study that said climate change could threaten the $662 billion international tourism industry – because rising sea levels and humidity will supposedly destroy monuments and sites like the Tower of London, the Eiffel Tower, the Parthenon and so on.
“[G]lobal warming may hasten the destruction of some of the world’s most treasured buildings and heritage sites,” warned Phillips.
Of course, Phillip neglected to tell viewers that some of the sites have already survived at least two changes in climate and a couple world wars.
The doom and gloom message of the CBS report was, “see them now” because “within 50 to 100 years, treasures that have lasted for centuries may look very different or not be there at all.”
Phillips even brought on an expert, May Cassar who argued that people will have to decide which monuments to save:
“The notion that we can save everything for all time is, I think, one that we have to seriously think about because it’s unrealistic – we cannot,” said May Cassar, director of the Centre for Sustainable Heritage.
Some of these structures that have been around since the 6th century B.C. and have survived the Medieval Optimum and the Little Ice Age as well as the two bloodiest wars in recorded civilization – World Wars I and II.
Yet, CBS worried they might not make it past the year 2100 because the earth is reportedly turning a bit warmer.
