Combating Climate Change: Innovation vs. Adaptation
By Ellie Klibaner-Schiff
Innovations in clean technology are exciting. As scientists and engineers develop new, more efficient ways to produce, store and transport energy, the prospect that the world can effectively combat climate change without significantly changing habits and behaviors grows. And many new technologies have been shown to work quite well. For example, high-tech electric vehicles cut back on carbon emissions, and complex digitization systems help manage the operational needs of a growing grid. In testimony before Congress’s Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Elgie Holstein of the Environmental Defense Fund said that his approach is focused on “efforts to catalyze innovation through federally supported technology research, development, demonstration and commercialization.” A primary appeal of investing in clean technology innovation is that innovation tries to work around the issue of climate change. If gas-powered vehicles are replaced with electric vehicles, people can still drive as much as they want, while mitigating climate change. Other innovation-centered endeavors operate around the same principle: preserving current systems and structures, while minimizing harm to the environment.
Adaptation, on the other hand, takes a different approach to combating climate change. According to NASA, the goal of adaptation is “to reduce our risks from the harmful effects of climate change,” while “making the most of any potential beneficial opportunities associated with climate change.” Adaptation requires acknowledging climate change at face value, and interrogating and reconstructing societal systems around a new environmental reality. For example, after the 2008 Iowa River Floods in Iowa City, the community came together, along with state and federal organizations, to rebuild and redesign the waterfront. The plan didn’t rebuild the waterfront as it was before; rather, a flood-prone wastewater facility was decommissioned, a green buffer was built along the waterfront, and growth was redirected away from the floodplain. In some senses, adaptation can be viewed as an opportunity for communities to develop targeted, specific approaches to combat climate change while fulfilling community needs.
The line between innovation and adaptation isn’t always crystal clear. And, as with many issues, the best approach forward will require a combination of the two ideals. While the prospect of clean technology innovation certainly looks shiny and appealing on the surface, the approach isn’t perfect. Innovation takes a long time–for research, development, testing, and public rollout–and in the fight against climate change, time is the most precious resource available. Innovation also can’t account for subtle differences between communities. Overarching technological solutions can create problems while they solve others, especially when there is such strong time pressure to address an issue affecting global populations. It is in those nuanced gaps between problems and solutions that adaptation shines. Using innovation and adaptation in partnership, communities can innovate with the goal of adapting to a changing climate, seeking dynamic and resilient solutions to build a better future.