Climate change could result in the loss of Pennsylvania’s state tree, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Pennsylvania’s winter temperatures can check the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid, an insect that feeds on hemlock trees, including the eastern hemlock, the official tree for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Warmer winters, however, could enable the pest to thrive to a greater degree in Pennsylvania and spread farther north, putting hemlock trees of all varieties in jeopardy.

How will climate change affect our quality of life?

From walkers striding across a carpet of leaves on the trails in Schenley Park in fall and ice skaters gliding across the rink at PPG Plaza in winter to the sunbathers each spring at Flagstaff Hill and the thousands who jam Point State Park for summertime activities, Pittsburgh residents embrace their region’s seasonal cycle.

Pittsburgh’s ecosystem plays a significant role in the city’s quality of life, which is regarded as one of the nation’s best.

The continued growth of greenhouse gases, however, has the potential to drive further global warming and upset the climactic pattern that helps to define life in Pittsburgh.