Adaptation Is the World’s Unheralded Tool to Deal With Climate Change
Learning how to live with a warming world doesn’t get as much attention as cutting emissions. That doesn’t make it any less vital.
A CalFire firefighter uses a drip torch during a prescribed burn in Groveland, California. Controlled blazes are just one of the many ways the world can adapt to climate change.
Photographer: Michaela Vatcheva/BloombergReducing greenhouse gas emissions is a cut-and-dry way to stop climate change. But how the world responds to the impacts already taking place is a whole other can of worms — a large can, and one that can seem incomprehensible.
Dubbed climate adaptation, the field doesn’t rely on a handful of solutions such as installing wind turbines and manufacturing batteries. Building a seawall, wearing clothes that keep you cool, and even relocating an entire community are all forms of climate adaptation. Adaptation looks different for every community, based on the climate threats they face now and in the future.