Responding to Global Climate Change

adaptation strategies depend on…

financial & technological resources

examples of adaptation strategies

• flood defenses

• vaccination programs

• desalination plants

• planting of crops in previously unsuitable climates

examples of mitigation strategies

• green infrastructure

• carbon sinks/storage

• renewable energy use

• investing in sustainable transport

description of cap-and-trade

• Government sets a limit on the amount of CO2 that can be emitted by an industry, and splits this into permits.

  • These permits are either given/sold to firms.

  • A company that doesn’t use all of its permits can buy permits from those with spares.

  • The cap gets stricter yearly, and the permits become more expensive.

  • Companies pay a fine for each tonne of CO2 it emits without a permit.

description of carbon offsetting

• requires businesses to sponsor activities/projects to reduce carbon

• doesn’t directly mitigate carbon; indirectly encourages

• difficult to determine the exact offsetting required

definition of geo-engineering

large scale manipulation of the planetary environmnet to counteract anthropogenic climate change

description of solar radiation management

• reflects sunlight back into space

• ejection of aerosols, brightening of clouds

• could be effective & inexpensive

• unintended consequences like precipitation pattern changes

description of ocean fertilisation

• adding nutrients to ocean to stimulate phytoplankton growth

• enhance marine ecosystems, sequester lots of carbon

• disrupt primary productivity, harmful algae blooms, hypoxia

disadvantages of geoengineering

• Only reduce temperatures over a very long-time scale (due to slow accumulation of CO2)

• Security & governance challenges

• Only reduce some of the effects of climate change

description of CCS

• captures CO2 emissions from sources like power plants and stores it underground to prevent it from entering the atmosphere

• compatible with other technologies like fossil fuel extraction

• expensive & untested

examples of vulnerable groups

• children

• elderly

• disabled people

• poor people

• minority groups

• mothers

• caregivers

• single parent households

• indigenous people

vulnerability depends on…

exposure, potential harm, and mitigation strategies.

richer people will suffer due to…

• increased food prices & scarcity

• increased insurance premiums

• reduced water availability but increase in cost

role of civil society

• not-for-profit, voluntary community-base groups

• push for new laws/programs/strategies/policies

• hold governments accountable

example of a corporate strategy - Google

• Carbon neutral in 2007, free data centres by 2023

• Created 12,000 jobs over 5 years

• Offsets focused on CCSS at pig farms/landfill

• Use of AI to calculate carbon footprint

• Engagement with supply chain

example of a corporate strategy - Brewdog

• Switch to green energy; local wind turbines

• 2200 acres of CCSS forests across Scotland

• CO2 fermentation to carbonate drinks

example of a civil society - Extinction Rebellion

• non-violent civil disobedience

• 3 demands - tell the truth, act now, beyond politics

• net zero by 2025

• mass mobilisation = roots worldwide

example of a civil society - Brac

• reaches 120m

• provides 500 boats as classrooms & transport

• reaches 15,000 children

• promotes climate resilient crops & patterns

• introduces loan schemes

example of a civil society - CREWSNET

• Climate Resilience Early Warning System Network

• combines socio-economic analysis with climate forecasting

• aims to minimise loss of life, livelihood, and property

• used in tandem with others like Brac

description of UNREDD+

• initiative on reducing emissions from deforestation/forest degradation in LICS

• carbon capture & sequestration

  • capture CO2 at the site of production; stored underground

  • direct air capture of CO2: allow it to enter the air then remove it

• ocean fertilisation

  • increase in marine food production removes CO2 from the atmosphere

• carbon taxes increases price of fossil fuels compared to renewables

• carbon trading

• carbon offset schemes

  • credits from projects that plant trees

description of the Montreal Protocol

• 1987

• signed by all UN member states

• phases out ozone-depleting substances like CFCs through

  • alternatives such as roll on deodorants

  • financial assistance & technology transfer

• prevented millions of deaths

description of the UNFCC

• 1992

• Encouraged HICs to lead the way due to tech, cost, historic emissions

• USA didn’t sign, many others didn’t implement it

description of the Kyoto Protocol

• 1997

• 183 countries

• focus on stabilising GHGs & set up COP

• had to be extended by 10 years

description of the Paris Agreement

• 2016

• 174 countries

• limit global warming to 2 degrees

• no country specific targets/penalties