ADAPTATION

Carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping greenhouse gas that has driven recent global warming, lingers in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, and the planet (especially the oceans) takes a while to respond to warming. So even if we stopped emitting all greenhouse gases today, global warming and climate change will continue to affect future generations. In the absence of national or international climate policy direction, cities, states, local communities and corporations around the world have taken on some of the challenges. They are working to manage the increasingly extreme weather disasters, to protect coastlines from sea-level encroachment, to best manage land and forests from flooding, drought and fires, to deal with and plan for reduced water availability, to develop resilient crop varieties and to protect energy and public infrastructure.

Cities are creating early warning systems; strengthening coastal infrastructure and rezoning (including the relocation of critical services).

Find more resources at the Missouri School of Journalism’s Reporting on Climate Adaptation.

 = The most basic and urgent information

Q: How can ocean farming help us adapt?

A: It has incredible ramifications: for fishermen whose livelihoods are challenged by overfishing and climate change; for farmers for whom kelp is an organic fertilizer perfectly structured to replace chemical fertilizers; for world food resources which, as our population skyrockets, is challenged by the lack of food resources; and finally, for the health of the oceans, as growing kelp decarbonizes the oceans and reduces acidification (which among other damaging consequences, harms shellfish and coral. More at Vice News

Q: How can communities adapt to sea level rise?

A: Through sea walls, using beaches as barriers, raising roads, building stormwater pumps, upgrading sewage systems, creating natural infrastructure, slowing land sinkage, and managed retreat. Go here to read more about solutions  including timelines, and the cities that have successfully implemented them at Medium

Q: What is carbon capture and storage, and what role can it play?

A: Carbon sequestration, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is a technology that is being pursued which might allow the continued use of fossil fuels, especially coal. Unfortunately, CCS has developed more slowly than expected, and the technology is unlikely to make a major contribution to reducing carbon pollution until after the 2020s. More at The Years Project