Book contents
- Reviews
- Pandora’s Toolbox
- Pandora’s Toolbox
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Prologue
- Acknowledgments
- Section I Climate Introduction
- Section II Responses to Climate Change
- 6 The Energy Transition
- 7 Other Mitigation
- 8 Adaptation
- 9 Our Descendants Will Demand Climate Intervention
- Section III Carbon Dioxide Removal
- Section IV Solar Radiation Management
- Section V Social Ramifications of Climate Intervention
- Section VI The Path Forward
- Acronyms
- Appendix: Detail in respect of Figures 9.4–9.8
- Notes
- Index
8 - Adaptation
from Section II - Responses to Climate Change
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 February 2022
- Reviews
- Pandora’s Toolbox
- Pandora’s Toolbox
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Prologue
- Acknowledgments
- Section I Climate Introduction
- Section II Responses to Climate Change
- 6 The Energy Transition
- 7 Other Mitigation
- 8 Adaptation
- 9 Our Descendants Will Demand Climate Intervention
- Section III Carbon Dioxide Removal
- Section IV Solar Radiation Management
- Section V Social Ramifications of Climate Intervention
- Section VI The Path Forward
- Acronyms
- Appendix: Detail in respect of Figures 9.4–9.8
- Notes
- Index
Summary
If the incentives to undertake drastic mitigation remain inordinately weak, those in favor of transformational adaptation to climate change will prove very strong, so humanity will spend vast sums of effort and money in this arena. These will range from the personal (buy another air conditioner) to the national (strengthen emergency response capabilities). Agricultural and food systems will need to transform to remain productive in a warmer world. More human intervention including “assisted evolution” will be required to protect natural systems that may increasingly struggle to protect themselves. Cities will need to become more resilient to resist and rapidly recover from the stresses that a changed climate will bring. Infrastructure to hold back rising seas such as the mighty Dutch Delta Works will become common all over the globe. However, over the longer run, humanity will need to surrender lesser value portions of coastline to the waves and execute a broad and painful retreat.
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- Information
- Pandora's ToolboxThe Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention, pp. 114 - 129Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022