Climate change mitigation
"Mitigating" climate change describes actions being taken to limit emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which result from human activities. Examples of climate change mitigation include: producing energy from renewable rather than fossil fuel sources; planting trees to absorb and store carbon dioxide; and changing people's working patterns to reduce the need to travel.
Climate change adaptation
"Adapting" to climate change describes actions we need to take to prepare ourselves for those impacts of climate change which can not now be avoided, such as more frequent and severe flooding, storms and heat. Examples of climate change adaptation include: strengthening flood defences; planting trees in urban areas to provide shade; and helping farmers and hospitals learn to cope with extreme temperatures and new diseases. These actions don't necessarily help to prevent greenhouse gases from being emitted (in fact, some adaptation measures may cause additional emissions) but they are necessary to make sure that we are prepared for the consequences of unavoidable climate change in the near future.
Three choices
John Holdren, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says:- "We basically have three choices - mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. We're going to do some of each. the question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required, and the less suffering there will be."
