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Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Climate Change: Merging Mitigation and Adaptation

Most ‘Deniers’ generally accept that our biosphere is warming, yet don’t accept the validity of the greenhouse effect. This, necessarily, eliminates most of their support for mitigation efforts — however, the secondary benefits of such (environmental improvements that improve the quality of life, etcetera) does attract some good Will from them.

Adaptation, however, is beginning to become more necessary (for some more than others).

“The distinction between mitigation and adaptation to climate change is somewhat artificial, and if we are to address the problem of climate change we need to start thinking of mitigation and adaptation in tandem – in one common box instead of two separate boxes, as we tend to do.... we are already locked into a certain degree of global warming and even very stringent mitigation action today will not be enough to stop the impacts of climate change for several decades (in the best case scenario); hence human society will have to adapt. However, we will reach certain tipping points beyond which adaptation will not be possible; so we have to mitigate NOW. Since mitigation reduces the rate and magnitude of warming, it also increases the time available for adaptation, potentially by several decades.”

“....the intersection of mitigation and adaptation with other societal goals can strengthen the basis for climate action. With a focus on meeting multiple objectives, increased co-benefits, and reduced adverse side effects, climate action can become much easier to undertake... the costs of action would be insignificant if one took the co-benefits into account – such as energy savings, reduced air pollution and better health, more efficient water and energy use, and job creation, among others...”

https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/merging-two-sides-climate-action-little-help-dumbledore