ABSTRACT
Climate change, brought about by the warming of the earth's atmosphere, poses the single greatest threat to the global environment. Local planning for climate adaptation begins with an assessment of the community's vulnerability to climate change and particular risks to both natural and man-made environments. The threat of catastrophic climate change has spurred many people to think about their carbon footprint: the amount of carbon released in certain actions, such as flying in an airplane and driving a car, or embodied in certain products, such as imported food rather than locally grown food. The impacts of climate change are not fully known, but the evidence is growing, and climate-related alterations to environments and ecosystems are expected to increase. Environmentalists cite the precautionary principle and the mounting evidence of climate change as reasons to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to plan for adapting to climate change.
