If It Warms Up, Who's Going to Pay? |
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December 6, 2009
As the most important environmental conference in more than a decade gets under way in Copenhagen this week, much of the talk, as usual, is on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. But there's another issue that needs to be addressed—one that is crucial for reaching an overall agreement, but doesn't get nearly as much attention. That issue is adaptation.
As the most important environmental conference in more than a decade gets under way in Copenhagen this week, much of the talk, as usual, is on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
But there's another issue that needs to be addressed—one that is crucial for reaching an overall agreement, but doesn't get nearly as much attention.
That issue is adaptation.
Without a deal on how to cope with the possible effects of climate change, there will be no agreement in Copenhagen—or at any future conference, for that matter. That's because developing countries, which likely will suffer some of the worst impact of any significant warming, have made it clear that they will not agree to an emissions-reduction package without substantial help in coping with the increased flooding, drought and disease that many scientists say will result from a warming planet.
Reaching such a deal won't be easy. But the good news is that it's a lot more doable than it was just a few years ago, when just talking about adaptation was thought to mean giving up on reducing emissions. By contrast, a growing number of people now believe that some adaptation is unavoidable.
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