Global Mitigation, Local Adaption

Sam Parker ’12

Another opportunity to talk about local action!

A global problem that effects us on a local level

I am always a huge proponent of local action over global and bottom-up actions.  I maintain my stance that local actions are important and will be the driving force to get major actions taken towards mitigating GHG emissions and combating climate change, thought I realize that local action will only take us so far on this front.  For a real difference to be made in mitigating GHG’s global actions need to be made.  When I refer to global actions, I am really referring to an international agreement, such as the Kyoto Protocol, which will result in actions taken by individual nations.  Governments have the ability to enforce and enact laws and regulations, something local communities have a much harder time doing. 

But grassroots and local actions still play a major role in global climate change.  One of the most important things that communities can be doing, with regard to climate change, is to prepare themselves.  Climate change is a globally caused issue that will effect people locally.  Every person and community will experience the effects of global climate change differently, and thus need to be able to address these complications differently and individually.  Some communities, such as Durban, South Africa, have already begun to do this.  In Debra Roberts paper Thinking globally, acting locally- institutionalizing climate change at the local government level in Durban, South Africa, she talks about how the local municipal government made the conscious decision to prepare for climate change and the adaptations that they may have to make because of it.  Durban has made some significant sets in terms of dealing with what they are going to have to do about climate change and adapting to its effects.  This is something that I think we will be seeing occur more and more through the years.

Adaptation is something that will discussed extensively in Durban during the COP 17 conference.  But as much as we would like our adaptation problems to be dealt with by national governments, it really can only be looked at on a local level because the issue will be seen on a localized level.  We need to band together, rise up and prepare our selves for the unfortunate truth that is to come; global climate change is happening, it will effect every person on this earth and we will have to change what we do and how we live.  The best things we can do now is to prepare ourselves, be ready for change and meet it head on.