General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsClimate change. Mitigation or Adaptation?
A big debate in the Climate Change community.
https://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/climate-adaptation-vs-mitigation-why-does-it-matter
Here's the summary:
Mitigation is buying a Tesla Model 3 with the hope of reducing CO2 emissions.
Adaptation is building more Electric power generating plants and building new sea walls.
There are arguments for each. Mitigation tends to be the flavor of the day with Polyanna groups chest beating about small changes in emissions or lifestyle habits while other nations expand their CO2 emissions greatly.
In my opinion, we need to be 80% Adaptation and 20% Mitigation because... and I hate to say it, but it's too late.
We need to look ahead to a Climate Changing world and HOW the USA can prosper and thrive.
Knowing that the Earth IS warming, accepting that fact will allow one to think from an Engineers point of view and work on solutions.
Is it wise to allow States like California, Arizona and Texas to build and expand? Florida, too?
Should more infrastructure be built in the Northern USA? Could the Dakotas and Wyoming be the next bread basket?
As we lose agricultural land, where can we start farming? How do you take advantage of geographical regions that will BENEFIT from global temperatures rising? Like the Asian taiga? Canada?
The future world will see wars for land and water, just like 1000's of years ago. It's going to get messy.
cilla4progress
(24,585 posts)We better start adapting, or we will die out. Maybe going to happen anyway. I don't really have a lot of confidence in most of our species.
Thanks for sharing.
Loki Liesmith
(4,602 posts)Theres no plausible scenario where that happens. We do stand to suffer considerably, particularly poorer and more vulnerable populations.
WarGamer
(12,103 posts)Look at a map and draw a line 500 miles north and south of the equator.
That area might not be inhabitable.
Where do those populations go?
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,145 posts)Mitigation is buying a Tesla Model 3 with the hope of reducing CO2 emissions.
Adaptation is building more Electric power generating plants and building new sea walls.
One of these is an individual action. The other is a collective action. Whether we go with mitigation or adaptation (and we'll need mobth), we'll also need much more collective actions than individual actions -- and even the individual actions will need collective backing (grants for individuals to mitigate their personal property, etc.).
crickets
(25,896 posts)Elessar Zappa
(13,649 posts)We need to do what we can but at the same time recognize that we need to be looking into ways to cope with inevitable large scale climate changes.
joetheman
(1,450 posts)WarGamer
(12,103 posts)The biggest mistake is to wait until it's a full-blown crisis.
luv2fly
(2,475 posts)I don't disagree with your thoughts but who leads the charge? It's not going to happen any time soon... I don't see the world coalescing around any group of nations and specific leaders with actionable plans, not in any meaningful way. Some day maybe but likely only after life here is unbearable and half or likely more of the population has died.
I need a drink.