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Adaptation

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Yes! We should be preparing adaptation measures for this climate change that IS taking place, and has been scientifically proven with geological, sattelite, recorded data and the like. It is a fact that we are experiencing a much warmer climate, or is it that South Australia and Victoria in Australia are merely having a warm spell? It is predicted by having used the software available to scientists, that there will be more extreme weather events, as is being experienced at this very minute, from the extreme cold of Europe, to the worst floods of North Queensland, to the extreme heat waves of the Southern half of Australia.

To deny this is happening is ludicrous! The fact is, the enormous amount of CO2 in the atmosphere post the Industrial Age, has increased our temperatures, caused sea levels to rise and melt the iceburgs. It is impossible not to have a reaction on Earth to this pollution which we made. Humans may have adapted to former episodes, but none has come so quickly, and I for one, am not able to cope near as much as I did 40years ago. It is necessary to adapt our electrical systems to cope with the wet seasons which have caused grief to many of us who live in the tropics. It is necessary to adapt transport to cope with hot and wet conditions, ensuring those travelling have always the option for fresh air when foolish air-conditioners fail. It is necessary to reduce the need for road transport and adapt rail services to sustain operations during wet seasons, saving millions of dollars in lost wages, inability to transport food and emergency services to affected areas. Those otherwise stranded would not be so if there were more efficient road systems in place that don't wash out every time it rains.

The regions that experience very cold winters and very hot summers, need to adapt their homes to suit both extremes, and ensure they have plenty of water storage, do not grow large trees close to their properties, build out of durable materials with skylighting to reduce the use of electricity and heating. Having a row of louvers closer to the floor is valuable in hot areas to enable the air to flow to the roof. Cieling fans are a waste of time, as only spinn hot air as hot air rises.

We need to change our fascination with having a waterfront block. There are so many homes and resorts teetering on very unstable ground right now since pounding waves and strong winds have eroded foreshores in many coastal towns and islands. Teach our children to adapt to the heat they are inheriting, by NOT putting them in air-conditioned buildings, but give them a spray bottle of water and let nature cool them. Molly-coddling the young will do them more harm in the long run, as they will be incapable of adapting as temperatures rise.

It is fool-hardy and plain dangerous to ignore the warnings, and whether it is the CO2, Methane, Sulphurs or whatever, along with the earthquakes from shifting plates that is causing the temperature rise and melting burgs, we as humans, and the animals of the Earth, need to take adaptive measures and reduce the variables as much as possible to be responsible towards our offspring. It is noted that those who claim nothing to fear, are very near their end of life on the planet, so what do they care? Get real indeed! Adapt to the changes or suffer. IPCC scientists are voluntary highly qualified scientists who give many months each year to researching data from all levels, therefore they are NOT paid for an outcome, unlike most others.

Learn more about this author, Barbara Gibbs.
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