Adapting to climate change is something we’ll all have to do. Here are some steps you can take to help mitigate climate change mitigation on a personal level.
There is no doubt that our environment is changing. As I sit and write this piece, the western United States is going through a 22-year drought, and there is no relief in sight. Aerial images show Lake Mead is a mere fraction of what it once was. Europe is on fire, and the Greenland Ice Sheet is melting at an alarming rate. So, what are we to do when it comes to adapting to climate change?
It’s simple; we must change our way of doing things and adapt to the changing world. While the answer may be simple, the application of change is not. In this article, I hope to give you some ideas on how you can make changes, how you can cope, how you can make a difference, and what I am doing to try to make things better.
Education is Key in Adapting to Climate Change.
I recently heard an environmental scientist say something to the effect, “We can’t change what has already happened, but we can change things going forward.” We can all throw up our hands, point fingers, and have a pity party, or we can do something to help mitigate climate change. I, for one, want to try to do something.
It’s easy to put all the blame on one factor, but this problem is too complex to do that. Research shows that the current situation is a combination of many factors, built up over time and coming together in a “perfect storm.” While the use of carbon-based fuels is a major factor, it’s not the only one. If you add improper land management, the use of petroleum-based fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, extensive pavement, and our throwaway society, you have what we see today. Just as there is no one cause, there is no one solution. One thing is certain: we all need to do something if we are going to start adapting to climate change, and education is the key.
There are many books on this subject, with some of the best written by Christopher Nyerges. Nyerges is a writer and lecturer based in Southern California and is considered by many to be an authority on how to live sustainably. Three of his books, The Self-Sufficient Home, Extreme Simplicity, and Urban Survival Guide, are on my bookshelf and are a wealth of information about adapting to climate change in our ever-changing world.
Another way to get educated is to visit, speak to, and learn from people who are doing something to mitigate climate change. A Pequot Elder once told me, “Nobody knows everything, but everyone knows something.” There is no way you can do this alone, so seek out the advice of others.
Dealing with drought when adapting to climate change.
Right now, New Hampshire is experiencing a severe drought. While it’s nothing compared to what the people out west are experiencing, drought of any kind is serious business. Wells are drying up, and crops are dying in the fields and gardens. According to Wayne LeClair, who owns Rocky Meadow Farm in Francistown, NH, and raises grass-fed-grass-finished Galloway cattle, “The drought has impacted the availability of fresh water and the availability of feed.” LeClair went on to say, “The grass has stopped growing, so I am supplementing with winter feed. This works, but it reduces my stockpile of hay, which I had planned for winter. I have even cut down my herd size.”
These conditions have been building for the past few years, with shorter, colder winters and no snow. Hard times now equal harder times to come this winter. This is especially true if you raise livestock.
Historically, severe drought has never been a major concern in New Hampshire, but all that has changed. With no real experience dealing with this problem, I contacted people who do. I traveled to Dewey, Arizona, where I spent the day at Mortimer Farms to see how they’re adapting to climate change. While Arizona is a far cry from New Hampshire, I learned things I could use back home.
How proper land management plays a vital role in adapting to climate change.
Mortimer Farms uses trenches between the rows to trap water close to the plant’s roots during irrigation to help mitigate climate change. They also left groves of trees between the cultivated plots to provide shade and help with water retention. Lastly, there were catch ponds around the property to trap any rainwater; all of these “fixes” can be applied no matter where you live. At the Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson, I learned how the Native people raised crops in this hostile environment. Their “trick” was to use terracing. Rocks and berms of soil would hold water runoff long enough for it to soak in, nourishing the roots of their plants.
Closer to home, Sanborn Mills Farm in Loudon, New Hampshire, has also felt the pinch from the excessive heat and drought. Helen Westergren, Head Gardener at the farm, told me that squash, pumpkins, and other water-loving crops were producing smaller fruit than normal, or not producing at all, due to the drought conditions. Sanborn Mills Farm has numerous wells on the property that provide water for the gardens and the farm buildings. One of those wells and some of the streams on the property have dried up, forcing everyone on the farm to adapt.
Helen told me, “To conserve water, we followed a strict schedule of watering every other day and only at night. We also do deep watering to strengthen the root systems of the plants.” She also said the smaller gardens are watered by hand to reduce water use. Helen stressed the importance of understanding the soil type, plant selection, and the proper use of compost and mulch to reduce water usage. Lastly, she emphasized using water catchment systems to conserve valuable drinking water.
When adapting to climate change we have to stop wasting water.
Water waste is another area we need to pay attention to. How much water is wasted by watering lawns and plants that really serve no purpose, like golf courses, business parks, and college campuses? Imagine how much water could be saved if we did away with lawns.
How about the water wasted when doing laundry, flushing toilets, and washing vehicles? Doing multiple small loads of laundry instead of a few large loads wastes water and electricity and does nothing to mitigate climate change.
The same goes for flushing the toilet. The average toilet uses about two gallons per flush, and seeing that your toilet tank fills with valuable drinking water, that is a lot of wasted water. Think about turning the water valve off and filling the tank with gray water or changing to a low-flow toilet. When washing your vehicle, do you really need to wash it every other day?
Addressing drought on the Benner Homestead.
Yes, I’ll admit I have a lawn, but my way of seeing things has changed as I’ve begun adapting to climate change. I have allowed sections to “re-wild,” giving Nature a chance to heal itself. We don’t use herbicides, fertilizers, or insecticides (unless wasps decide to build a nest around the house’s shutters). I have also turned a section of the backyard into a vegetable garden. Lastly, I have decided to slowly do away with the lawn, replacing grass with native plants that attract pollinators and other wildlife.
You may be asking, “What does all of this have to do with drought?” The simple answer is “Plenty.” Native plants, especially those that found their way naturally, don’t need to be watered, as, in many cases, they are drought-resistant. Trees provide shade and block the wind, which helps with heating, cooling, and evaporation. Many people living in the Southwest are adapting to climate change by replacing lawns with native landscaping. Using stone and native plants saves water and requires no mowing, weeding, or fertilizer.
My garden is also a water-saving measure. Growing some of the vegetables my family eats saves money, fuel because of fewer trips to the grocery store, and is good for the environment. I don’t use chemical fertilizers in my garden. Instead, I use compost and mulch. Compost and mulch add nutrients to the soil, but they also help to retain moisture, thus reducing the need to water as much.
Other ways to save water.
When I do water, I use the water I collect in a water catchment system that, when it does rain, collects the water running off my roof and stores it in a food-safe plastic barrel. I also use the water created and collected from my dehumidifiers and air conditioners. In a single day, my dehumidifiers produce three gallons of water I use in my garden (and toilet tank). You would be surprised how far little things like that can go toward helping mitigate climate change.
Gray water, the wastewater from bathing and hand-washing dishes, typically goes straight down the drain. I save this water to water the garden or to fill my toilet tank. Collecting gray water can be as simple as putting a bucket in the shower or even rerouting your current drainage system. The gray water I collect is poured into plastic gallon jugs and saved for later use. It’s a simple way to help mitigate climate change.
Electric use and climate change mitigation at the personal level.
Our world revolves around the use of electrical power. This computer I use needs electrical power. We light, heat and cool our homes with electrical power. Our primary source of this power is from power plants fueled by coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, water, solar, or wind. With the exception of wind, solar, water and nuclear, these fuels emit CO2 gases, which are part of our problem. Nuclear has its own set of problems that we need to be concerned with, but those issues are for another later article. The solution to the problem is in our own hands: 1) use less and 2) use renewable power sources.
To help mitigate climate change, we turn off lights when not needed, changed all light bulbs to LEDs, and made sure we are washing full loads when doing laundry. We have also replaced all appliances with Energy Star-rated models and unplug any appliance that is not in use. Lastly, we try to use manual versions of appliances whenever possible.
To charge my rechargeable devices, I use portable solar panels. The ones I use are small enough to carry in a backpack, but larger models are available. I have found some solar panels at RV stores that look like something that could be applied to the home, especially for those who don’t have the space or the means to invest in traditional solar systems. My daughter purchased a solar system for her home.
When you do the math, her system will provide about 60% of their electric power. Sanborn Mills Farm has taken this a step further, with most of the electric power used on the farm coming from a vast array of solar panels located on the roofs of most of the buildings, though they do have backup generators in case of a system failure.
Adapting to climate change when it comes to transportation.
In our neck of the woods, public transportation is almost non-existent. This means you need to use a vehicle to get to work and run errands. Both my daughter and I recently purchased hybrid vehicles. While pure electric would be better, just like public transportation, vehicle charging stations here are few and far between. Whenever possible, I either walk or ride a bike. The only energy being expended is my own, and it’s good for me.
Heating while trying to mitigate climate change.
I live in the northern part of the country, so we always have to consider heating our homes. There is no other option for us than to use carbon-based fuels, but some are better than others. My primary heating source is a pellet stove, though I also have an oil backup. The pellets cost less than oil or even standard wood and burn cleaner and more efficiently. The drawback is that you need electricity to run the pellet feeding system and circulation fans. To get the most out of the system and to conserve fuel, my home is fully insulated to include double-paned windows, and I use as much passive solar energy as possible.
Conclusions about adapting to climate change.
Despite the government finally stepping up, the problem we face is one that we all need to tackle. We can either sit back and put the blame on others, or we can take responsibility for our actions and do something about it to help mitigate climate change. We can’t change the past, but we can all adapt to the changes we face and do something to improve things going forward.
