Climate change – impact on people,
communities and well being
Dr Shelby Gull Laird
@shelbygulllaird
#AWCCC
research for a sustainable future
Institute for Land, Water and Society
Assumptions
• Community members can be experts on their
own wants, needs, neighbourhoods and
environment.
• Climate change is real and happening now.
• Climate change adaptation is ongoing, as
individuals, communities, companies and
governments are increasingly acknowledging
and adapting to CC events.
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A History of Adaptation
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Mitigation vs. Adaptation
Mitigation
•Trying to prevent
further change or
damage
•For CC this means
reducing emissions
• Solar panels, reduced
energy consumption,
reduced “food miles”
Adaptation
•Working around
changes as they
happen or anticipating
new challenges and
changing behaviours
accordingly
• Changing planting
dates, food security
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How are people adapting if CC is slow?
• CC events are the
everyday examples we
experience of climate
changing…
• Include extreme weather
events: drought, flooding,
heat waves (bushfires),
warmer winters (extended
growing seasons)
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Adaptations to Events
•Natural Disaster Preparedness
•Heat Wave Adaptations
• Air conditioning, checking on neighbours
• Farming
• Breeding cycles
• Hot Chickens
• Growing Season
•Building Community
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People also adapt by...
•Preparing for possible
future problems that
may not be apparent
just yet
• Fuel shortages, food
shortages, etc.
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Adaptations to Longer-term Problems
•Community-supported Agriculture
•Food sharing events
•Rising popularity in homesteading activities
• Canning, pickling
•“Off the Grid” energy independence
•Building Community
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How to Build Community?
•Talk to each other, connect and support when you
can
•Value differences
•Value traditional knowledge as well as academic
knowledge
•Realize most people you know want a healthy
environment that will benefit their
children/grandchildren and future generations –
Overall most folks have the same goals
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Ways to Connect Locally
•WATCH climate impacts database
•http://watch.id.au
How have you begun adapting to climate change?
Institute for Land, Water and Society