Page - 179 - in Water, Energy, and Environment - A Primer

Other scientific research supports the conclusion that even if greenhouse gas emissions were to stop tomorrow we have probably locked in several feet of sea-level rise over the long-term. As a result, adaptation is the current buzzword in global warming/climate change circles, a recognition that climate change is with us and the world has no choice but to adapt or suffer serious consequences. To repeat a pointmade in an earlier chapter, an important impact that is already showing up is the impact on precipitation patterns which affect water supplies.Many people see access to cleanwater as a principal, if not the principal, 21st century environmental, public health, and evennational security issue. 10.1.5 Whatcanbedonetomitigate theonsetand potential impactsofglobalwarmingandclimate change? This of course is the ‘$64,000 question’ and a major focus of scientific and legislative policywork.Nevertheless, a number of important suggestions have been made as to how to address this question. It iswidely recognized that in the short-termvery little canbe done. The initial response to global warming in the US and Europe was ‘mitigation’, that is, reducing the amount of CO2 going into the atmosphere.Thiswasunsuccessful, asdeveloping nationswith growing economies became the principal source of atmospheric CO2. While reducing CO2 emissions is still a criticalgoal, and isbeingpursuedworldwide, considerable effort isgoing intoadaptation. Someof themitigationmeasureswecanundertake include: • Tomove, in the long term, to low- or zero-carbon fuels as replacements for hydrocarbon fuels, and restrict the release of bothCO2andother greenhousegases. Policy considerations 179