Adaptation to global warming

Description: 

"Adaptation to global warming and climate change is a response to climate change that seeks to reduce the vulnerability of biological systems to climate change effects. Even if emissions are stabilized relatively soon, climate change and its effects will last many years, and adaptation will be necessary. Climate change adaptation is especially important in developing countries since those countries are predicted to bear the brunt of the effects of climate change. That is, the capacity and potential for humans to adapt (called adaptive capacity) is unevenly distributed across different regions and populations, and developing countries generally have less capacity to adapt (Schneider et al., 2007). Adaptive capacity is closely linked to social and economic development (IPCC, 2007). The economic costs of adaptation to climate change are likely to cost billions of dollars annually for the next several decades, though the amount of money needed is unknown. Adaptation will be more difficult for larger magnitudes and higher rates of climate change. A physiological limit to adaptation is that humans cannot survive wet-bulb temperatures of above 35 degrees Celsius. This limit will be exceeded in several densely populated areas such as Eastern USA, India and the Middle East as warming reaches 7 degrees C. Other animals will have other physiological limits..."

Source/publisher: 

Wikipedia

Date of entry: 

2012-08-20

Grouping: 

  • Websites/Multiple Documents

Category: 

Language: 

English

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