How should we respond?Adaptation & Mitigation
Mission
The Nobel Conference brings students, educators and members of the general public together with the leading thinkers of our time, to explore revolutionary, transformative and pressing scientific questions and the ethical issues that arise with them.
As the present and future impacts of climate change become apparent; people, institutions and governments are developing and acting on response plans. Given that rapid changes are already happening, many of our responses are about adapting to a new climate reality--institutions and infrastructure will have to change. But in light of predictions that climate change will likely get much worse, perhaps beyond our capacity to adapt, we also have to consider mitigating--taking steps to limit future climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or perhaps geo-engineering schemes extracting greenhouse gas emissions already in the atmosphere. These resources consider steps we can take to adapt or mitigate, and even some that might do both.
Solar Geoengineering Could Substantially Reduce Climate risks — A Research Hypothesis for the Next Decade
By David Keith
This article describes seven specific plausible benefits that would arise from employing solar geoengineering methods, providing evidence behind these predictions.
Geoengineering Definition of Terms
This website provides background into the different types of geoengineering and various debate topics surrounding them.
UCAR Center for Science Education
This website describes the processes of mitigation and adaptation, while providing examples of how mitigation is used today and how it can be employed by 2030 in the following sectors: energy, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management.
100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming
By Chad Frischmann
TED Talk about what would happen if we took out more greenhouse gases than we put into the atmosphere. This hypothetical scenario, known as "drawdown," is our only hope of averting climate disaster, says strategist Chad Frischmann.
United Nations - The Paris Agreement
This website highlights the missions and and goals of the UN Climate Change Regime, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. Who will be most impacted, who is vulnerable, how will they need to adapt, how could/should the vulnerable be supported (poverty levels, standards of living, sustainable lifestyles, changes at the Poles).
Better Weather? The Cultivation of the Sky
By Mike Hulme
Specifically recommended as a short pre-conference reading by Nobel Conference speaker Mike Hulme.
