Adaptation vs. Mitigation
Environmental Management for a High-Carbon World
The primary debate in climate strategy today centers on two pathways: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (adjusting to the environmental changes that result from these emissions). Political groups often differ on which of these approaches deserves the most urgent attention, but the reality is that mitigation alone will take decades, if not much longer, to deliver manageable climate stabilization, while ambitious adaptation strategies offer a much faster, actionable path that can also yield significant economic benefits.
Additionally, rather than attempting to force a highly sensitive and complex global climate system to reverse course (which many scientists believe is impossible anyways), we should instead look toward strategies that prepare the Earth for a period of sustained higher emissions — potentially reaching levels as high as 600 to 800 or even 1000 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, akin to conditions during the Jurassic period. By embracing a model of environmental management that accepts the possibility of such a world, we open up opportunities to enhance natural systems, learn from ancient climates and ecosystems, and ultimately cultivate an environment where species and systems can survive and thrive despite persistent and often rapidly changing conditions.
The Jurassic period, which occurred approximately 200 million years ago, was marked by an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, with concentrations estimated to have been as high as 1,000 to 2,000 ppm. During this era, the Earth supported lush, tropical plant life, had minimal or no polar ice, and a climate that was, in many ways, warmer and more stable across regions. Tropical forests flourished, creating vibrant ecosystems, and an extensive variety of plant species adapted to the high levels of CO₂. This suggests that high levels of carbon in the atmosphere can indeed support abundant plant life and, by extension, complex ecosystems on land and in water.
The Jurassic climate also came with serious challenges: the ocean was more acidic and more hostile to marine life, coral reefs were new and not yet pervasive, storms were likely more severe, and the sea levels were higher with large shallow inland seas providing habitat for numerous species.
Adaptation-focused geoengineering in today’s context could draw on Jurassic-period insights, aiming to prepare terrestrial environments to handle high-CO₂ conditions while seeking to buffer the most sensitive systems, such as oceanic and polar regions. By directing efforts toward developing climate-resilient plant species, restoring carbon-capturing forests, and even geo-engineering urban, suburban, and rural landscapes to handle and even benefit from extreme weather, we can adapt to a warmer, carbon-rich atmosphere in ways that create immediate, tangible improvements and economic and ecological co-benefits.
One of the promising aspects of adapting to a higher carbon world is the potential for agriculture and plant life. As atmospheric CO₂ levels rise, many plants benefit from more abundant carbon, which fuels photosynthesis, leading to faster growth and greater, if less nutrient-dense, biomass production. Longer growing seasons due to warmer temperatures can extend the time available for crop production, offering multiple harvests in regions that previously had shorter seasons. This extended growing season also opens doors to a diverse range of crops that might not have thrived before, allowing for agricultural diversity and the possibility of cultivating high-yield, nutrient-dense varieties.
The impact of heightened CO₂ and warmer climates can extend beyond food production to revitalizing natural landscapes. Just as lush, carbon-rich environments supported diverse ecosystems during periods like the Jurassic, today’s climate offers a chance to restore and design anew biodiverse forests, grasslands, and wetlands. As plant life becomes more abundant and green spaces flourish, ecosystems can thrive, supporting greater biodiversity, soil health, and the overall vibrancy of the planet.
In drought-prone regions like parts of sub-Saharan Africa, innovative landscape modifications offer a path to restore agricultural productivity and build resilient ecosystems. By creating inland seas, artificial lakes, and managed green corridors, we can replenish soil moisture, recharge groundwater, and create humid microclimates that enable crops to flourish faster. Techniques such as agroforestry, carbon enrichment, and the cultivation of drought-resistant crops allow for the growth of sustainable, nutrient-rich plants even in harsh conditions. These strategies provide local communities with food security, economic stability, and a re-greened landscape, while creating biodiversity corridors and restoring ecosystems to their former richness. This vision of adaptation moves beyond mere survival to a world where stable, restored landscapes support both thriving human societies and vibrant natural systems.
Mitigation remains an essential long-term goal, yet the timeline for effective mitigation is extraordinarily slow compared to the pace of climate change itself. Reducing global emissions enough to slow climate change will require decades of commitment, international cooperation, and technological breakthroughs. Meanwhile, temperatures continue to rise, and ecosystems — from coral reefs to Arctic permafrost — face immediate threats. Adaptation, in contrast, can be implemented right now and adapted iteratively, focusing on pressing needs while still allowing room for mitigation efforts to take shape over the coming decades.
Adaptation also has a natural synergy with economic growth. By investing ambitiously in adaptation, we can stimulate job creation, build resilient infrastructure, and foster innovation in green technology sectors. For example, projects like planting drought-resistant, high carbon adapted crops, reforesting degraded lands, and retrofitting cities for climate resilience can bring immediate economic benefits to communities while safeguarding them against future climate impacts.
Given the complexities of global climate, attempting to directly geoengineer the atmosphere presents significant risks with an unknowable end game. Small miscalculations could lead to unintended consequences, potentially disrupting weather patterns, reducing biodiversity, or affecting global food security. Instead, we should focus on geoengineering the Earth’s surface to prepare for a sustained period of higher CO₂ levels. This means modifying and enhancing specific environments in ways that support resilience under high-carbon conditions.
To adapt effectively, we need to become masters of environmental stewardship — not just on a single, isolated ecosystem, but in a way that fosters environmental health across systems, from forests and wetlands to urban centers and coastal areas. By continue to increase the ethical deployment of technology to monitor environmental changes and anticipate needs, we can carefully guide adaptation efforts and help species survive in rapidly shifting conditions. Unlike the gradual evolutionary adaptation of species in the Jurassic period, modern climate change is unfolding on a time scale too rapid for many species to keep up. Active stewardship allows us to intervene on behalf of vulnerable species, helping them adapt more quickly than natural evolution allows.
This approach to stewardship isn’t simply about conservation; it’s an exciting opportunity to ambitiously rebuild ecosystems to their former glory and even beyond. Using insights from past climates, we can restore ancient forests, reintroduce species suited to warmer climates, and cultivate biodiversity that reflects both the Earth’s natural history and our modern commitment to responsible development and environmental management. Advanced tools, from genetic research in climate-resilient crops to transparent satellite monitoring of ecosystems, empower us to enhance the planet in ways that are proactive, strategic, and respectful of ecological balance, while also create jobs, innovation, and new economic opportunities.
Thus, adaptation offers a proactive, multifaceted approach to managing climate change’s immediate effects, while acknowledging the long, challenging path toward mitigation and stabilization. By taking cues from ancient epochs like the Jurassic period, we can envision an Earth where lush ecosystems and resilient landscapes flourish even in a high-CO₂ world. Rather than attempting to rapidly reverse or alter the course of climate change in ways that are uncertain and risky, we can focus on geoengineering Earth itself to be resilient and even thrive under new conditions, thereby benefiting the earth, humans, and human economic activity alike.