Climate Prep

The effects of climate change are evident on every continent on the planet. Droughts in India, glacial lake outbursts in Nepal, forest fires in the western region of the United States, and the diminishing Arctic ice cap are some examples of the signs that our climate has changed and is continuing to do so at a rapid pace. Not only are ecosystems and wild species at risk, but the Global Humanitarian Forum estimates that 500 million people are at extreme risk. Bracing the planet for the changes that have occurred already and the ones yet to be seen is no easy task, yet the discussion of tactics for doing so is relatively limited.

Most climate change discussions, from the news to international negotiations, focus on the problems regarding our emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, etc…), which are the primary driver of climate change. Often these discussions focus on our current levels of emissions or how we can go about creating policy or inventing technologies that would reduce our emissions in this country and around the world. This is not what this blog is about.

This blog is about Adaptation. Roughly defined, climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to and anticipating emerging climate regimes. This process involves both minimizing risks, such as those posed by sea level rise, and enabling systems at all levels (government, business, local communities, etc.) to become more resilient. Changes can be made both in the climate of a particular region but also in the systems that the climate impacts.

The Climate Prep blog aims to define climate change adaptation through illustrations of on the ground adaptation projects and scientific adaptation studies, explorations of adaptation concepts, and tracking firsthand the progress of adaptation in the international policy arena.