Mitigation and Adaptation in Motion

Even though mitigation should be our priority, adaptation is another extremely important strategy to combat climate change.  At this point, our planet will feel some of the effects of climate change, even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases today!  In order to adapt to the effects of climate change, there are many things we, as humans, can do.  Adaptation means preparing for the effects of climate change, like extreme weather events, sea level rise, and food shortages.  Read on for tips on how you can help adapt to climate change!

• Create more greenspace – greenspaces such as forests, wetlands and even gardens, help suck up carbon from the atmosphere, but also absorb water (which is important in the case of extreme rainfall to prevent floods), and provide a cooling effect through shade and something called evapotranspiration. Evapotranspiration is a process completed by all plants; water is pulled from the soil by a plant’s roots, and used by the plant for various functions. A portion of this water intake is then transpired through the leaves of the plant, into the atmosphere. This process is crucial to balancing microclimates, and the water cycle – it generates much of the world’s precipitation!
• Be mindful of water usage – save water within your household where possible, and harvest rainwater using a rain barrel for other purposes, such as watering your gardens and lawn (you can even make one yourself by following along with the H₂O Harvester Mission  on the Earth Rangers App!).
• Save energy by turning off lights when you leave a room, lower your thermostat a bit and opt for a sweater instead, and unplug unused electric appliances!

Climate change is certainly a large issue, but we can all still do our part to mitigate and adapt to its effects.  Never give up, every bit counts!  If you want to learn more about climate change, and what else you can personally do to mitigate and adapt to climate change, accept the H2O Harvester Mission on the Earth Rangers App.