Lags in action: the European efforts to Adaptation to Global Warming

An important European document has just been published about climate change impacts and vulnerability on the continent, as can best be seen in this November 2012. This document recognizes that climate change is already underway, and has negative impacts on which the document is centered, abandoning the positives that are offered for European agriculture, both by increasing the temperature of the cold lands and the effect of higher fertilizer level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Climate Change Adaptation to the negative impacts is treated in two instances. One is the feeling that dominates the document sounding like a cry for the need to adapt in order to reduce the losses that are happening and, more important, what will occur if the required adjustment won't be performed. Another is the promise for some years ahead of research funding for adaptation. Still, there are no strategies presented in terms of adaptation to global warming to be applied right now. For adaptation strategies, in terms of scientific and technologic research, readers are referred to the near future:

 “It is expected that around 35 % of the Horizon 2020 budget will be climate-related expenditure, which is for both mitigation and adaptation together” (Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2012- An indicator-based report, p.245).

   

    European and american attitudes are, some times, for many brazilians, uncritically taken as paradigms.    But, the need for agriculture research to compensate the effects of the Global Warming on the equatorial region is far more stricking and urgent than for the temperate North Atlantic countries. The equatorial regions can not wait to 2020.

Mapping Hurricane Sandy’s Deadly Toll: Adaptation to Global Warming

Mapping Hurricane Sandy’s Deadly Toll is important to build lessons that help the establishement of measures of Adaptation to Climate Change.

Uma raça bovina leiteira adaptada ao Aquecimento Global

Taperoá é um município do estado da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil, bem dentro do semiárido nordestino. A região está sofrendo uma seca braba. Falta água. Mas, graças ao trabalho exitoso de criação de uma raça adaptada às condições adversas do semiárida, pode-se dizer, falta água, mas não falta leite. Lá, a foto da vaca Sindi "Adega", mesmo em época de seca, campeã leiteira, produzindo 30 litros ao dia, comprova isto.
Termina sendo, pela perspectiva de aumento das secas, um bom exemplo de Adaptação às Mudanças Climáticas.

La yuca es un instrumento de adaptación al calentamiento global

En muchas regiones del mundo, especialmente en las regiones ecuatoriales, el calentamiento global, más allá del aumento de la temperatura, puede traer muchas sequías. Entonces, como adaptación al cambio climático se necesita cultivos con buen rendimiento en las condiciones adversas de aridez.

Layuca es una de esas culturas. Su cultivo representa un fuerte instrumento de adaptación al cambio climático.

La Embrapa, el río Acre, la Adaptación no declarada

1. Adoptar buenas acciones de adaptación al calentamiento global no implica anunciarlas como medidas de adaptación.
2. Los desastres dan oportunidades para acciones que tornen las victimas dotadas de más resiliencia en el futuro
   
   
   El río Acre presentó en fines de febrero y comienzo de marzo una inundación record. O mejor, casi record. Sus aguas subieran más de 17 metros. Solo 2 centímetros menos que en la inundación record histórica, de 1997. El rio Acre tiene gran importancia para muchos brasileños de la Amazonia Oeste. Sirve de frontera entre Brasil y Peru, en seguida sirve de frontera entre Brasil y Bolivia. Después vuelve para el interior de Brasil por más de 800 km hasta llegar al río Purus, que por su turno es un de los mayores afluentes del río Amazonas. La inundación fue una catástrofe para los habitantes de esta cuenca, en el medio Acre.
   
   La unidad de investigación agrícola Embrapa Acre esta utilizando esta oportunidad para intensificar la transferencia de tecnología que propicia más resiliencia y más ganancia a los agricultores y criadores de la región justo en ese momento de reconstrucción.

Sandy, FEMA, Solidarity, Adaptation to Global Warming

No questions about. These words that come ahead could be understood as the externalization of electoral politics if they were published before the presidential election in the USA. But not after the elections as they are published.

The contentious filmmaker Michael Moore was interviewed in CNN last week, after the monster storm Sandy had hit the North American east coast. In his words “This storm should put an end to climate debate”. We, humanity, begin a new time, in which nobody can doubt the climate changes and, particularly, the higher frequency of extreme wheather events, and more strong ones. In this specific subject he agreed with Bloomberg, mayor of New York who said: “Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be -- given this week’s devastation -- should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action." We should take their words in considerations. After all, they, the worldwide known filmmaker and the worldwide known mayor, are just agreeing with the IPCC affirmations about this subject.

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Higher frequency of extreme climate events, by its time, means more frequency of distressed people, even those more prudent been hit. Its means people been hit in a more intense form.

It is time of more solidarity, those who were not affected are helping those affected. Actions like these are being necessary with higher frequency and in a more intense way. This kind of solidarity requires resources being avaiable at the right place, in the right time, in the adequate amount, and in a adequate process of being handled. A national government action, financed by the taxes that all pay, that in an great level of emergency help those distressed, is the best if not the only way to effectively process this solidarity for relief. It is an institutional form of solidarity, the only that could handle the urgent and unexpected needs of thousands and thousands of people displaced from their homes, hospitals that should be evacuated, and so on.

Given this frame, to give strength to an agency like the North American Federal Emergency Management Agency - FEMA is an action of Adaptation to Climate Change.