Climate Change
DEFINITIONS
These two concepts may seem the same, and they may even be used interchangeably, but there are some key differences.
Mitigation refers to “human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases” (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). These are actions targeted at the cause of climate change, to reduce its rate of acceleration by lowering the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere.
These actions can include:
reducing fossil fuel dependency and thus reducing emissions
transitioning to renewable energy sources
using electric vehicles instead of traditional combustion engines
conserving forests and replanting degraded areas
retrofitting existing building and factories to be more energy efficient
using energy-efficient appliances
reducing methane emissions from landfills, or reusing it as biofuel
Adaptation, on the other hand, refers to “the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects” (IPCC). These actions cannot address the causes of climate change, but instead prepare us to deal with the effects.
These actions include:
building (or rebuilding) more storm-resistant buildings
planting mangroves or building sea walls for coastal protection
investing in desalination plants for saltwater intruded areas
recycling water during periods of drought
planting drought-tolerant crops
“Basically, in a leaking, sinking boat, adaptation is bailing the water out so that you stay afloat; mitigation is fixing the hole to stop the leak. With a global crisis like climate change, both are necessary. ”
Both approaches to climate change are critical, due to the time delay between producing greenhouse gases and feeling the effects. Even if we reached net zero emissions today, we would still be grappling with the effects of the gases already in the atmosphere for years to come.
There are different implications to the two approaches however, especially from a global responsibility and “climate justice” perspective. That is covered thoroughly here and here.