Distinguish between climate change mitigation and adaptation with examples.

• A. Mitigation reduces vulnerability to climate impacts; adaptation reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
• B. Mitigation reduces vulnerability to climate impacts; adaptation reduces vulnerability to climate impacts.
• C. Mitigation involves adaptation strategies.
• D. Mitigation and adaptation are the same.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is to separate actions that address the causes of climate change from those that address its effects. Mitigation aims to reduce the magnitude of climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions or enhancing carbon sinks, so future warming is limited. Examples include shifting to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, electrifying transport, and protecting or restoring forests that absorb CO2. Adaptation, on the other hand, aims to lessen the harm from climate impacts by making systems more resilient and reducing vulnerability to droughts, floods, heat, and storms. Examples include building flood defenses in coastal areas, designing heat-resilient buildings and urban cooling, adopting drought-tolerant crops with better irrigation, and improving water management. Some actions can have both effects (co-benefits), but the key difference is that mitigation targets the causes of climate change, while adaptation targets its impacts.