Climate Education
10 Personal Solutions to Climate Change and Global Warming
How to Prioritize Adaptation Strategies
Because global warming is happening today and some amount of additional warming is inevitable, adapting to higher temperatures is now a necessary complement to reducing emissions. Adaptation requires careful integration of climate risks into both near- and long-term planning, so that vulnerable people, places, sectors, and ecosystems are better able to cope with unavoidable change.
The various strategies with which states, business sectors, and communities can prepare for climate change must be considered on a case-by-case basis. Each constituency is unique in the challenges it faces and its ability to adapt. However, the following principles can help set priorities:
Monitor the changing environment.
Decision makers and resource managers must keep informed about the specific consequences of global warming for their region and areas of oversight. In particular, improved monitoring of both the climate and the condition of natural systems can give decision makers clearer signals about the need for action and more time to formulate appropriate adaptation strategies.
Track indicators of vulnerability and adaptation.
Monitoring both the progress of specific adaptation strategies and the social factors that limit a community’s ability to adapt can enable decision makers to modify adaptation strategies and improve outcomes.
Take the long view.
Decisions with long-term implications (e.g., investments in infrastructure and capital-intensive equipment, irreversible land-use choices) must be considered in the context of climate projections.
Consider the most vulnerable first.
Climate-sensitive species, ecosystems, economic sectors, communities, and populations that are already heavily stressed for non-climatic reasons should be given high priority in policy and management decisions.
Build on and strengthen social networks.
Ties between trusted individuals and organizations are an asset for adaptation at the community level and within business sectors. Strong leaders can inspire organizations in times of difficult change, and well-connected and well-informed individuals can disseminate information that may be critical for effective adaptation.
Put regional assets to work.
The enormous wealth of scientific and technological expertise at universities and businesses can be harnessed to improve our understanding of adaptation opportunities and challenges.
Improve public communication.
Regular, effective communication with and engagement of the public on climate change helps build our regional capacity to adapt.
Act swiftly to reduce emissions.
Strong, immediate action to reduce emissions can slow climate change, limit its consequences, and give our society and ecosystems a better chance to successfully adapt to those changes we cannot avoid.
Adopted from: Union of Concerned Scientists http://www.ucsusa.org/
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