ESS 6.3

​MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION
Guiding question
• How can human societies address the causes and consequences of climate change?

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​CLIMATE CHANGE

​The Oxford English Dictionary defines mitigation as reducing the severity of something - making it less bad. In the context of climate change, mitigation involves the reduction and/or stabilization of GHG emissions and their removal from the atmosphere.

Reduction, Stabilization and removal

​MITIGATION

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​MITIGATION STRATEGIES to reduce GHG

• ​Reduction of energy consumption

• ​Reduction of emission of N2O and Methane from agriculture

• Use of alternative energy sources

• ​Geo engineering

​MITIGATION STRATEGIES to remove CO2

• UNREDD

• Using biomass

• CCS

• Fertilize oceans

​Adaptation strategies are designed to reduce the adverse affects of climate change and to maximize any positive effects. Adaptation is the adjustment of natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which either moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.


Reduce the negative effects and maximize the positive ones.

​ADAPTATION

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​EXAMPLES OF ADAPTATION to climate change

• Flood defences

• Vaccination programs

• Desalination plants

• Drought-resistant crops

• Movable infrastructure

Multiple Choice

All of the following are known as heat-trapping gases, EXCEPT:

• Carbon Dioxide

• Methane

• Nitrous Oxide

• Oxygen

Multiple Choice

The Greenhouse Effect __________________________.

• Traps all of the heat from the Sun

• Repels sunlight away from the atmosphere

• Traps some heat and releases some heat back to space

• only works in the summer months

Multiple Choice

Building sea walls and levees

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Reforestation

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Melting glaciers are causing ___________ to rise around the world.

• Carbon Dioxide

• Greenhouse Effect

• greenhouse gases

• sea levels

Multiple Choice

Natural causes of climate change include all of the following except:

• movement of the continents

• major volcanic eruptions

• the Sun's energy output

• human activity

Multiple Choice

As oceans absorb more heat and ice caps melt, the water becomes less salty. What does this do to ocean currents?

• stronger currents from more dense water

• weaker currents from less dense water

• no changes and the currents stay the same

• scattered results

Multiple Choice

Ice Core samples taken over the past 60+ years show an increase in:

• Oxygen (O2)

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• Dihydrogen Oxide (H2O)

• Homework

Multiple Choice

Capturing and re-using rainwater

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Planting crops at different times of the year

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Switching from coal to nuclear electricity-generation

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Mandating more fuel-efficient vehicle

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Reducing overall energy use

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Identify the following as mitigation or adaptation: Cooler uniforms are given to the staff working outside in the summer.

• mitigation

• adaptation

Multiple Choice

Relocating people away from coasts

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Making vehicle and industrial equipment more energy-efficient

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Generating electricity from solar panels

• adaptation
• mitigation

Multiple Choice

Identify the following as mitigation or adaptation: Lake Geneva is hosting a community tree planting day.

• mitigation

• adaptation

Multiple Choice

Identify the following as mitigation or adaptation: The City of New York bans drive-thru lanes at fast-food restaurants.

• Mitigation

• Adaptation

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STUDENTS TASK​

Group 1 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12LrlwfcBwbBsua3Dd-G4GWd9H-yvr9NIk9N4jP8OQ80/edit?usp=sharing​

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​Group 2

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Fk3N4oo-lMrJ5wSbT4TGj8pr05tyj4ytgNkXvbjDxcU/edit?usp=sharing​

​Round table event.

Students rank these strategies according to the following criteria, cost, ease, effectiveness.

Write a response to the following question: "Justify two mitigation/adaptation strategies which you believe would be most effective in a named society". In your response you should also consider mitigation/adaptation strategies which would be less effective in that society and explain why.

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https://www.thinkib.net/ess/page/20831/73-climate-change-mitigation-and-adaptation

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