Climate change adaptation continues to receive increasing attention both in international and domestic contexts. In these discussions, we are continuously told that humanity was more-or-less sufficiently adapted to the historical climate, but now, the rapid and unprecedented rate of climate change is the primary motivation to invest in increased societal resilience to weather and climate hazards.
We are also told that climate change adaptation is not going well, since the climate is changing much faster than we are adapting to it.
Both of these points are seriously flawed. Humanity has never been close to sufficiently adapted to any climate. Our historical climate, far from being benign and nurturing, was indifferent and often hostile to our well-being, and this is why history is rife with examples of devastating climate impacts on society.
At the same time, humanity has had
tremendous success strengthening our defences against the climate’s
inherent hostility faster than negative impacts from climate change have materialised. This climate adaptation (as opposed to climate change adaptation) is not a new phenomenon related to United Nations reports or initiatives of local governments.
Rather, it is a continuation of humanity’s inexorable impetus to reduce
our vulnerability to our environment, driven largely by economic
development and technological progress...<<<Read More>>>...