All of us have felt the impact of global warming. Winters are colder, and summers are more brutal. Season durations have also changed. Through multilingual news and expert analysis, The Third Pole captures how these changes unfold in India, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.
In India, climate change is already affecting human health, food production, clean water access, and the economy. Some countries have aimed for net zero emissions by 2060. India has also committed to counter global warming at various international meets. That’s why it is important to understand climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Helplocal – trusted for discovering environment NGOs in India – brings a detailed guide on climate change and mitigation to help the youth understand the concept of global warming and share what can be done to counter it. Let’s start.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Meaning
Adaptation and mitigation are the two main responses to climate change. They are the two sides of the same coin; mitigation addresses the causes of climate change and adaptation addresses its impacts.
Climate change mitigation means avoiding and reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to prevent the planet from warming up.
Climate change adaptation means altering our behavior, systems, and – in some cases – ways of life to protect our families, our economies, and the environment in which we live.
Tips for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Climate change is affecting everyone and everywhere. Extreme weather events are more frequent and intense, sea levels are rising and many species are being driven to extinction. Thankfully, there are ways we can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Here are some tips and recommendations:
Switch to heat pumps
Switch to the heat pump for heating and cooling your home. Heat pumps run on electricity instead of burning fossil fuels, and they are highly energy efficient.
Go for clean energy
In fossil-fuel-obsessed economies, using energy leads to greenhouse gas emissions. Even low-carbon, clean energy sources cause some environmental degradation. We must find ways to use less energy.
Travelling
Travel has beneficial and cultural exchanges that come from national and international travel. They are important for building goodwill and cooperation. We need those things to solve the climate crisis and changes happen in our lives.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy, referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources that are constantly replenished. Like, sunlight and wind. Renewable energy is also used for electricity generation, heating, and cooling.
Water conversation
Water conversation leads to energy conservation. The clean water that flows out of the faucet needs energy in many stages of processing and transport before it gets to the tap. So, conduct regular repairs to check water wastage
Switch to an electric vehicle
In earlier times, bicycles were the only transportation that did not harm the environment but now, electric vehicles are coming to the rescue as well. Cut back on harmful carbon monoxide emissions by switching to green transportation options.
Speak up
Your voice can bring big change. Make people around you aware of climate change and how we collectively should work toward the goal of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Plant trees
Forests are crucial for the existence of life on Earth since they are major reservoirs of carbon dioxide. Plant trees around you to improve the green cover and minimize the impact of climate change. If you have barren land around you, plant seedlings on it!
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Endnotes
We have covered all the major points of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and also share tips on how to get started with it. While we have covered most of the important details of climate change, here’s a recommended reading on environmental and global warming
In India, millions of people have come across the impact of climate change. Your efforts in climate change mitigation and adaptation can make a difference in some of these lives. So if you want to help, we recommend working with your nearest disaster recovery NGOs
Here are some other blogs you can check out if you want to fight climate change.
Wonderful blog on Environment & Global Warming