L8 - Mitigation and adaptation

• mitigation

  strategies which deal with the cause of the problem
• adaptation

  responding to the impacts, trying to make people less vulnerable by changing something
• even if mitigation strategies stopped the cause now, adaptation would still be needed to manage the impacts of natural climate change
• alternative energy production

  as world population and incomes grow, the demand for energy also increases. the energy needed around the world causes a huge challenge in mitigating climate change
• alternative energy production

  renewable energy sources offer a solution to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change
• alternative energy production

  renewable energy sources are more expensive than fossil fuels but are becoming cheaper and more competitive
• carbon capture mitigation

  technological advances can replicate the way the earth stores carbon dioxide in a process known as carbon capture and storage
• carbon capture mitigation

  works by capturing CO2 from emission sources and safely storing it by removing it from the open atmosphere
• carbon capture mitigation

  CO2 can be stored by converting it to a liquid and injected into sedimentary rock
• carbon capture mitigation

  unfortunately it is expensive and we are unsure whether the CO2 would be stored long term
• planting trees mitigation

  deforestation is a major problem and the main driver of climate change. reforestation could increase forest carbon storage by 28 percent
• planting trees mitigation

  the UK has a 24.8 million pound project to reduce deforestation and increase forest reforestation
• international agreements mitigation

  the UN negotiated a new international climate agreement to reduce global emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2050
• change in agricultural systems adaptation

  include:

  • moving production to another location due to changing temperatures and extreme weather
  • increasing irrigation
  • changing the crops and varieties grown
• managing water supply adaptation

  include:

  • reducing demand by using water efficient devices
  • increasing supply by using reverse osmosis
• reducing risk from rising sea levels adaptation

  include:

  • the thames barrier to stop tidal surges entering central london
• you cannot deal with only mitigation as there have already been effects of climate change
• you cannot deal with only effects of the problem because the effects will keep getting worse until we cant do anything anymore
• we need both mitigation and adaptation to prevent effects of climate change for the best protection in the future