Mitigation and adaptation are the two strategies for addressing climate change. So mitigation addresses the causes of climate change (accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere), whereas adaptation addresses the impacts of climate change. Both approaches are needed.
With scientists projecting that cities and land currently home to as many as 110 million people could be underwater at high tide by 2050 if current emissions continue, it is important we act NOW!
Climate change mitigation is how we transition from powering our world with fossil fuels to using clean, renewable energy in order to make the impacts of climate change less severe by preventing or reducing the emission of GHG into the atmosphere.
Some of the mitigation measures we can take to avoid or reduce GHG pollutant emissions include:
– Practice Energy efficiency
– Greater use of renewable energy
– Electrification of industrial processes
– Efficient means of transport implementation: e.g. electric public transport, bicycle, shared cars etc.
– Carbon tax and emissions markets
Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to the current or expected effects of climate change by changing our current behaviour and systems to protect our communities, economies and the environment from its impacts. Adaptation strategies include, for example:
– More climate secure facility locations and infrastructures
– Landscape restoration (natural landscape) and reforestation
– Flexible and diverse cultivation in preparation for natural catastrophes
– Research and development on potential weather or sea level changes etc.
I hope that you have found these blogs informative – I am now taking a break until the New Year and wish you all a Merry and Green Christmas.
