Mitigation
If climate change continues at its current pace, more communities will experience what the Marshall Islands are experiencing today. But if people find ways to mitigate climate change, fewer communities will suffer the most extreme consequences.
The current period of climate change is driven by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, mitigating climate change requires shifting away from fossil fuels—including coal, oil, and natural gas—to alternative sources of energy that do not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Watch This!
Watch this video to learn about existing technologies that can help reduce CO2 emissions. As you watch, think about ways your community could—or already does—use these technologies. After you watch, study the maps below and answer the questions in the notes boxes that follow.
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NARRATOR: But there is a way to avoid the worst impacts of climate change in the first place. The more we mitigate—or limit how much our climate changes—the less we will have to adapt. That will require shifting our economies away from burning fossil fuels. The good news is technology is moving so fast, there are many alternatives.
STEPHEN PACALA, Princeton University: The scientific toolkit finally got big enough to crack this thing. Wind and solar are much further ahead than anybody ever thought they would be 10 years ago. They’re growing impossibly rapidly.
Taking Action
Mitigation solutions don’t have to involve new technologies. Any action that reduces fossil fuel use mitigates climate change. Turning off the lights, walking instead of driving, and recycling are simple things that, when added up, can make a difference.
Small actions are worth taking because every little bit helps. However, large-scale use of alternative energy technologies is critical to efforts to mitigate climate change.
Wind Energy Potential
This map shows average wind speeds in the United States on land and offshore, measured at 100 meters above the surface. Purple and red indicate high average wind speeds. Yellows and greens represent lower wind speeds. Wind turbines operate in a range of wind speeds. In general, the greater the wind speed, the more power a wind turbine can generate.
Click to enlarge the map.
- Identify the region that has the most potential for generating wind energy in the United States.
- Is your community a good place to generate wind energy? Justify your answer by estimating the potential for wind energy in the region where you live.
Solar Energy Potential
Photovoltaic solar resource data reveals the amount of electricity that could be produced by a solar panel installation in given areas across the United States. Colors correspond to the level of solar intensity reaching Earth’s surface. The darker the red, the greater the solar intensity and the more electricity that could be generated.
Click to enlarge the map.
- Identify the region that has the most potential for generating solar energy in the United States.
- Is your community a good place to generate solar energy? Justify your answer by estimating the potential for solar energy in the region where you live.
