2023/11/30 05:10 Weather News
Weather News has covered it from various angles so far, but once again, Weather News Forecast, which serves as an explanation for Weather News LiVE’s “Earth Weather Forecast”, will discuss “What are the challenges now and what should be done?” Would you like to think about this together with center member Seiki Morita (hereinafter referred to as Morita)?
Two keywords: “mitigation” and “adaptation”
However, the current abnormal weather conditions are the result of human production activities and environmental destruction, and have already reached a level where it is no longer possible to rely on Earth’s homeostasis to resolve the issue.
For this reason, universal efforts have begun to protect the global environment and our lives. The framework is “mitigation” and “adaptation.” (Morita)
“Let’s use the analogy of a frog taking a bath.Let’s assume that the bathtub is the earth, the frog in the bathtub is a human, and the heat source of the bathtub is a greenhouse gas.If the heat source gets hotter and hotter in this state, the frog will boil ( Yu) I’ll put it away.
The problem can be solved by getting out of the bath and being exposed to the cool breeze, but since the bathtub is the earth, there is no way to escape. You can reduce the heat source to low heat, but the heat source, which is assumed to be a greenhouse gas, cannot be weakened immediately.
As a result, they continue to take baths, pouring water into the bath to lower the temperature, and wearing heat-resistant suits to withstand the heat. Eventually, though, you’ll need to taper off the heat source. Because the frog will die.
In this analogy, gradually weakening the heat source is “relaxation,” and “symptomatic treatment,” which lowers the temperature by pouring water on it, is “adaptation.” (Morita)
“Mitigation measures”: Reduce greenhouse gases, “Adaptation measures”: Prepare for the negative effects of global warming
“That’s right. Simply put, they are “mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gases” and “adaptation measures to prepare for the negative effects of global warming.” Since global warming cannot be stopped suddenly, we need to take countermeasures and “adapt” to it.” (Morita)
[Example of mitigation measures]
▼Energy saving and use of eco-cars
▼ Utilization of renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, and solar power
▼Reduce the use of single-use plastics as much as possible (use your own bags, bottles, etc.)
▼Promoting green carbon (CO2 absorption through photosynthesis in forests) and blue carbon (CO2 absorption through photosynthesis in sea and freshwater algae)
Such
“There is a wide range of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, from creating systems and improving technology to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to daily life-level efforts.” (Morita)
So, what kind of efforts are being taken to “adapt”?
[Example of adaptation measures]
▼Improvement of crop varieties that can withstand rising temperatures
▼Reinforcement of embankments and seawall facilities to prevent flood damage
▼Measures against heatstroke and infectious diseases due to rising temperatures
▼Measures against insect bites to prevent infectious diseases
▼Water conservation in preparation for water shortages
Such
“Although most of the measures are taken by the national and local governments, there are also adaptations that can be made by individuals.To take it to the extreme, a change in the mindset of an individual who wants to take the first step after watching a special feature on Weather News is also a great example of adaptation. I think it will be.” (Morita)
“Mitigation” and “adaptation” are two wheels of a car
In 2020, Japan adopted the “2050 Carbon Neutrality Declaration” and the “Climate Emergency Declaration.” The following year, the Act on the Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures was revised. This will spur efforts to realize a decarbonized society, and it has been confirmed that the country, local governments, individuals, organizations, and even industry will work together to promote this.
At Weathernews, we have been improving the accuracy of our weather forecasts year by year with the cooperation of our supporters (feedback from the app, etc.). Thanks to this, we can predict tomorrow’s weather, but no matter how accurate we are, we cannot change tomorrow’s weather.
On the other hand, although it is difficult to predict future weather, future weather can be changed through efforts such as “mitigation” and “adaptation.”
Therefore, from now on, together with all of our supporters, we would like to create not just the weather tomorrow, but the climate of the future.” (Morita)
Practicing “mitigation” and “adaptation” on a daily basis in our daily lives will help protect the earth and our lives in the future. In order to stop the rapid progress of climate change, why not do what we can to stop the rapid progress of climate change and think about the future of the earth together?
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2023-11-29 20:10:00
#approaches #climate #change #countermeasures #mitigation #adaptation
