- The idea of adaption to climate change until recently was considered "worse than irrelavent." What do you think were the reasons some experts felt this way? How do you feel? Is adaption or mitigation more important, or both?
- After reading this chapter, do you have a greater understanding of the urgency of climate change? What idea or fact stood out to you the most?
- A lot of what the author, Mark HertsGaard, was describing is predicted to occurr in the next 15 years. What do you think global leaders need to do "to keep climate change from getting out of hand?" As part of the climate change generation do you feel a certain responsibility to what happens environmentally over the next few decades? Do you have any personal ideas for what individuals can do to make a difference?
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Chapter 3: My Daughter's Earth
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1. Mitigation or taking action to prevent the problem is the best approach. Unfortunately, some consequences are upon us so adaptation or dealing with them is the only option.
ReplyDelete2. Scientists are all on board. I was scammed at first by a lot of smoke and mirrors by interest groups that tried to distract the public about the seriousness and realness of the problem. I think the surbges of precipitation and the increasing number of hot days in the Northeast along with the increasing numbers tornadoes, hurricanes, and massive forest fires in other parts of the country have me convinced.
3. We need to demand action from our leaders or vote them out of office. Dealing with this problem will require a gargantuan effort and we will need to really look at our stewardship of the environment.
1. I feel that the idea of relying of adaptation is a horrible idea. Obviously, it is better to work towards mitigation and prevention of the effects of climate change. Adaptation should only be used as a last resort when we have gone so far that we can no longer fix the problem, so we must learn to deal with the consequences.
ReplyDelete2. This chapter really opened my eyes to how urgent climate change is. The most frightening thing for me was that I could connect what it said in the book to the experiences I have had (the horrible thunder storms, the heat waves, the wild fires out west). The fact that stood out to me most though was the effect that climate change would have on blackouts (Page 52). I never made that connection before.
3. We must rely on our government for change because it is legislation that is ultimately going to get the ball rolling on making major changes against climate change. However, I feel like it is still important for individuals to make their small steps towards preserving the environment (buying recycled products, composting, using less in general).
1. I think adaptation is unavoidable, and I am not convinced the US government will act fast enough to install a good mitigation plan. Experts were optimistic about the willingness of people to act when the stakes were so high. They thought adaptation was giving up. Its not, its accepting the situation.
ReplyDelete3. I think the culture and moral code of the US has to change, and I do see it changing. My generation mainly just "took" and always wanted bigger, newer, things. I already see promise in your generation and a willingness to sacrifice some comfort and excess to improve the greater good of the planet. I'm an eternal optimist. I've met too many intelligent and caring people in my travels!
1. Though I am a firm believer in adaptation, I do understand why many experts may frown upon the idea. For those firm believers in mitigation, adaptation is seen as a diversion, particularly in the case of finances in which many experts strongly believe that most, if not all of the money allocated towards global climate change should be used strictly for mitigation. Moreover, many experts believe that adaptation undermines public support for mitigation. With that having been said, I still, nonetheless believe that adaptation is just as necessary as mitigation. In the battle against climate change, not only must we fight to reduce our carbon emissions, but furthermore, we must be able to protect ourselves so we don’t get wiped out in the process. If you think about it in terms of any given sport, an offense is nothing without a defense. In other words, we can mitigate all we want, but it takes one natural disaster to wipe out one of the world’s leading governments, and we could all be in some deep trouble.
ReplyDelete2. Reading this chapter really allowed me to develop a further understanding of the urgency of climate change. One interesting aspect that really stood out to me this chapter was the fact that the world’s permafrost contains 1,500 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Even more disturbing is the fact that as temperatures increase, more and more permafrost melts, releasing billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Consequently, the carbon dioxide only worsens the greenhouse effect, causing temperatures to continue rising, and inevitably, melt more of the permafrost. And so, it is an ongoing cycle, also known as a positive feedback loop, which will cause more global warming and give climate change, unfortunately, an unstoppable momentum.
3. In order to keep climate change from getting out of hand, I believe in the importance of small and large scale action. Even the smallest of changes-- whether you decide to recycle plastic or compost-- can make a difference, and therefore, I do believe that everyone should take it upon themselves to adopt some sort of sustainable lifestyle. With that having been said, individual action alone will not be enough to stop and reverse the effects of climate change. The governmental is the most powerful tool we as a society can utilize, and therefore, as Mr. Furnari said, it is very important that we are careful about which leaders we elect to office. We as the public should take it upon ourselves to make it very clear that we expect in our leaders a sense of urgency for the current state of the environment.
1) I actually don't think it's an either/or situation. I think there are MANY acts that are both adaptation and mitigation all wrapped up in one. For example: painting your roof white is adaptation in the sense that it will keep your home MUCH cooler in the summer (solar heating at our latitude is pretty negligible in the winter months so you don't have to worry that a white roof will raise heating costs), but it also reflects solar radiation BEFORE it gets converted into heat. In that way it mitigates the loss of the reflective surface of the polar ice sheets and glaciers. Another example: buying an He washing machine is an act of mitigation in that it reduces energy consumption and water consumption and thereby reduces the amount of CO2 created to run it, but it's also adaptation in the sense that as carbon based energy prices climb in the future you are (to a certain extent) shielding yourself from that by using an appliance that doesn't use much energy. Same thing when you buy a hybrid or an electric car. Mitigation against carbon emissions and adaptation to the future high prices of gasoline.
ReplyDelete2) Boy did I have a greater sense of urgency for climate change. I thought about the permafrost and what is going to happen if it gets so warm that the permafrost melts (and then rots). If that happens, our goose is cooked! I find myself trying to use as little electricity as I possibly can b/c electricity equals carbon dioxide. And I feel guilty when I fill my gas tank, like I'm helping to push humanity closer to the end one gallon at a time.
3) I'm hopeful. I think salvation lies with the current college and high school students. BIG things need to happen to change the tide. Little things are important, don't get me wrong. I'm turning out the lights in the bathrooms at Pingree now when I'm the last to leave. It's a little thing, but lots of little things add up. For the BIG things to happen, people will have to become active and vocal. They will have to start attending city and town council meetings. They will need to start asking their elected representatives tough questions. They will need to push on those representatives hard and often and they will have to VOTE. People will have to start thinking beyond changing themselves. They will have to start actively trying to change their communities and change entire systems and that takes time, commitment, and dedication. But I watched kids at Pingree last year embrace composting, I watched kids turn away from disposable cups, and I watched a LOT of kids model their commitment to their fellow students by biking to school. You guys are smart, you are passionate, you care, and you aren't afraid to act boldly when you believe it is necessary... and it is more necessary than ever!