Frank´s Vocabulary of Climate Change (v1.0, 2010)

This is an essay into the vocabulary of climate change, as far as I know the first of its kind in the world, that of communicating about this modern threat to mankind, starting with the absolutes and the assumptions. An initial effort, Version 1.0, it is meant to motivate minds into discussing what has been taken for granted: that we understand each other when we talk about climate change. Talk is cheap is we don't understand each other.

The 2 most important concepts in climate change are adaptation and mitigation, hence the theme as well as slogan of this essay is derived from those 2 words: "Adapt to Triumph, Mitigate to Endure" - the image insinuates how one necessarily results from the other.

By design, this essay is itself an adaptation, to be followed if necessary by mitigation. Indeed, this is an attempt to adapt to the unnatural disaster of science failing in the use of the mass media to serve the people, that is to say, failing to talk in the language of the man on the street; if there be error in any entry, I shall be careful to mitigate any damage by reducing the error of my ways.

MANILA - On 31 May 2010, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) elevated the name of Albay Governor Joey Salceda into a Senior Champion of climate change, that is to say, in terms of both climate change adaptation, CCA, and disaster risk reduction, DRR (ANN, 09 June, malaya.com.ph). A cause for national celebration. Salceda is very knowledgeable, and very witty, when it comes to talking - and the UN honor tells us he walks his talks. May his tribe increase!

As I see it, based on an intense 4-day bodily incursion into the Albay Experience in championing climate change by us, a dozen or so members of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists, the PNEJ being headed by Imelda Abaño (BusinessMirror), our visit courtesy of the provincial government, care of the Centre for Initiatives and Research in Climate Action headed by Nong Rangasa, we must know and understand more about what we ought to do about climate change even as climate change is going about doing whatever things to us. (For some more details on our Albay sojourn 04-08 August 2010, see my "Salceda in excelsis. ´The NPAs are part of my forest," 06 August, American Chronicle).

Now then, by way of vocabulary, first I have 2 things to say about CCA and DRR, the intellectual world of Joey Sarte Salceda:

On one hand, may I recognize the United Nations for respecting the achievements of Albay under the insightful leadership of Salceda, a fellow Filipino? An honor we can´t refuse.

On the other hand, may I remind the UN that they are not making things easier even for the English-educated human race to understand what is going on by talking about climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction under the same breath as if they were a simple pair like bread and butter (as American as apple pie), or rice and fish (as Filipino as can be)? Like I said in an earlier essay that´s not even remotely connected to climate change, "You can´t explain anything by being technical" ("Charice´s Glee. Amid the noise & haste of Belo´s Botox," 01 August, American Chronicle).

Technically, you can´t explain. As a science editor for the last 35 years, I know science cannot explain itself; to explain to the layman, your language must be that of a layman. Layman, as in zero knowledge, or zero understanding, or zero awareness - or none of the above.

With its experience in championing climate change, Albay now has the technical, difficult-to-understand vocabulary, but I must say that its mantra of Zero Casualty is simple yet dramatic, compelling and fulfilling. "Albay is the one-stop shop for natural disasters," says Salceda. Zero casualty for landslide? Check. Zero casualty for Mayon Volcano eruption? Check. Zero casualty for earthquake? Check. Zero casualty for typhoon? Check. Zero casualty for flood? Check. Zero casualty for landslide? Check. (Zero casualty for maternity? Will check on that.)

With all that, you can only begin to appreciate how the whole province of Albay moves to educate, warn, announce, assist, and provide access to resources to the Albayanons in times when they need it most, not to mention even before they need it. Stories of triumph and survival abound around here. As a writer, I´d like to live in Albay so I could dig out enough details of those stories. A writer triumphs when he shares.

Meanwhile I have this project that I have hardly begun; note that this is Version 1.0. The secret of writing, Rudolf Flesch likes to remind those who care to listen, lies in rewriting. That is tantamount to saying the secret of learning is learning from your mistakes.

A vocabulary like this is meant to make the fuzzy clear, not obfuscate the issue. So, if you happen to disagree with any statement I make here, I hope that with it at least you understand what you are disagreeing with. Note further that this is a vocabulary, not a dictionary, so if you´re looking for alphabetization, there´s some assembly required.

Also required: Some reassembly of technical words into non-technical language. Now then, why do we continue to talk about climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction when what the people want is what they can stomach, and that is only bite-size, like zero casualty? Since the people have to eat climate change morning, noon, evening and snack time, we might as well educate them in the language that they can appreciate: their own, or at least at their own level of knowledge. And since they can appreciate zero casualty, let´s make zero casualty a mantra for serving the people the complete science of climate change. We need to explain more, because zero casualty is only a part of climate change action and reaction.

Let me point out 2 assumptions here: One is that science is the answer to the question. Two is that faith is the answer to the question that science cannot answer. Let us then consider both.

Science & Faith

Even science and faith have to be explained in layman´s terms. I´ll volunteer this:

Science is assumption, certainty, knowledge, analysis or conclusion reached after experimentation, or after several experiences, or after much observation, after communication back and forth. Science is subject to further inquiry; it is verifiable.

Faith is expectation, supposition or anticipation not supported by clear proof or evidence, with little or no experience at all, based on personal revelation of the benevolence of a Supreme Being. Faith is in another dimension and is not subject to any inquiry by science.

While scientists may believe in science more, the people may believe in God more, and these have to be made to complement each other for science to be able to serve the people.

A flash flood after heavy rains is knowledge; the wrath of God in the form of a flash flood is not. Death and destruction after a volcanic eruption is firm fact; a singular escape from a lava flow is faith in the mercy of God. Careful, because that singular escape may become the mode of thinking of the people. "Bahala na, may awa ang Dios." Come what may, God is merciful. That can be a very powerful habit of thought. Habits of thoughts are either enemies or friends.

Climate Change, Global Warming & Global Cooling

To understand climate change, first you have to understand what makes climate, and that is weather. Weather is the combined behavior (or lack of it) of several factors: rain, wind, cloud, humidity, temperature, sunlight, air pressure, and fronts. Climate is the average of the observable weather over weeks or months. Climate change is any relatively rapid change in climate compared to past years based on recorded data.

There are 2 very dramatic climatic changes observable so far: global warming and global cooling. Today, when it´s hot, it´s very hot; when it´s cold, it´s very cold, not unlike before.

Global warming: UN scientists have determined that there has been a relatively rapid increase in sea water temperature in the last 100 years due to activities of man such as burning fossil fuel, which results in the emission of greenhouse gases that traps the heat of the Earth from escaping into outer space. There has also been a relatively rapid increase in air temperature on land. If you don´t believe in global warming, you must have lived your entire life somewhere in and have just come out of Africa.

Global cooling: The same scientists have determined that considering the cold or rainy seasons over the years, there has been a relatively rapid decrease in temperatures everywhere. If you don´t believe in global cooling, you must have lived your entire life and has just emerged from hibernation.

Greenhouse Effect & Greenhouse Gases

Focusing on carbon dioxide, it is classified as a greenhouse gas because of its greenhouse effect, that which happens when the layer of carbon dioxide above Earth traps the heat coming from our planet and reflects it back, causing it to warm up, exactly as the plastic or glass roof works in a greenhouse.

From the continuous carbon dioxide emissions coming from the combustion of fossil fuels by earthly vehicles, for example, the carbon dioxide layer above Earth continues to increase in dimension and contribute to the warming of the globe. Thus, carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas.

The other important greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Without such gases, according to Wikipedia, Earth would be cooler than it is now.

When you drive a car, you are burning gasoline, which gives off among other things, carbon dioxide. Your vehicles are greenhouse gas givers. They make global warming worse than it already is. Animals such as we are give off carbon dioxide; plants absorb our carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, which we need to breath. That makes plants greenhouse gas receivers. Thus, in the climate change sense, it is more blessed to receive than to give.

Natural Disasters

By design, climate change action is what Albay is known for all over the world. Its attention is focused on natural disasters that can be triggered as well as exacerbated by climate change: landslides, flash floods, typhoons, tsunamis, windstorms, heat waves, cold waves, droughts, famines, pestilences, and epidemics. By necessity, it has to pay attention to natural disasters not related to climate change: earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

A natural disaster is always bad; it can be made badder by climate change, like the flash flood brought by the extreme rains of Typhoon Ondoy that drowned the town of Marikina in September 2009: too much water too soon. In June 2008, because of the deluge brought by Typhoon Frank, San Roque Dam collected too much water too soon it had to release huge volumes of it to prevent the dam from reaching the breaking point - the accelerated release of tons and tons of water destroyed properties and drowned people and animals downstream, including in the town of Asingan in Pangasinan, my hometown, and that´s how I came to know. The flash flood was man-made but it was triggered by climate change, and it was no less destructive.

Adaptation and Mitigation

I always like to simplify, so I´m not going to the extent of explaining how adaptation and mitigation differ on spatial, temporal and socio-economic scales in reducing climate change risks. I will explain otherwise.

To adapt is to adjust in reference to the cause of a disaster; to mitigate is to adjust in reference to the effect of a disaster. It so happens that with that, I have the opposite view when it comes to the meaning of the terms adaptation and mitigation, so reader beware. The website that calls itself Global Greenhouse Warming emphatically states:

Our present age has proactive options (mitigation), and must also plan to live with the consequences (adaptation) of global warming.

Quite the opposite of that is my view that adaptation is proactive and mitigation is reactive. To adapt is to make do with what you have to prevent potential damage or destruction. To mitigate is to lessen, reduce, or decrease actual damage or destruction to that which has already been done by a natural disaster.

Accepting the reality of climate change, you adapt by making the new rules to confront an impending disaster; you mitigate by following the new rules of the game brought about by the disaster at hand, to minimize further damage or destruction.

Climate change adaptation is any preventive action that aims to avoid the damage and destruction that can occur in the event of a natural disaster such as a flash flood or heat wave. In the city, adaptation can take the form of turning garbage into compost; doing that, you prevent the generation of methane in a garbage pile or trash mountain like Payatas - know that methane as a greenhouse gas is even deadlier than carbon dioxide. In the farm, adaptation can take the form of changing a water-hungry crop like rice to a drought-resistant crop like sweet sorghum.

Climate change mitigation is any minimizing action on further damage and destruction after a natural disaster. In the city, mitigation can take the form of well-prepared evacuation centers with complete goods, services and personnel to handle maximum occupancy. In the countryside, mitigation can take the form of news seeds and new technologies to replace the ones lost to a flood or invasion of insect pests.

To explain by example, to adapt is to reduce the potential impact of, say, a coming drought brought about by El Niño; to mitigate is to reduce the actual impact of the drought that has already been brought about by El Niño. If you plant a drought-resistant crop like sweet sorghum, that is adaptation - you may be richly rewarded. But if you plant a water-hungry crop like rice and irrigate with a cost subsidy from government, that is mitigation, but for the good of one at the expense of many others: you are lessening the impact on you as farmer but not on society from which the taxes come from to pay your water bills.

To differentiate further adaptation from mitigation, let me point out that even if you say both are for reduction of the adverse effects of climate change, adaptation is the Before and mitigation is the After.

Another way of differentiating the two is that adaptation is working around any of the factors of climate change and averting disaster, while mitigation is waiting for disaster to happen and then rescuing people and salvaging properties.

For instance, too much cultivation of the soil has resulted in massive soil erosion that has impoverished the soil, which explains the felt need to add more and more fertilizer to the land every year. In this case, adaptation would be to decrease the disturbance of the soil and increase its organic matter content; mitigation would be to build embankments and ripraps to physically stop the soil from running off the land.

Adaptation may be less costly but it´s entirely an option; mitigation may be more costly but it´s entirely necessary.

Disaster Risk Reduction

Where is disaster risk reduction in all that? I note that the Albay Governor always writes it this way: CCA / DRR. I have no objection with (almost) equating adaptation with risk reduction; that is one way of looking at their relationships. But I want to point out a more liberal approach, to include climate change mitigation, CCM. DRR is applicable in both cases of CCA and CCM, I can write it as CCA / DRR and CCM / DRR. In CCA, you want to reduce the risk of potential danger; in CCM, you want to reduce the risk of actual or imminent danger.

Example: Long before any flooding occurs as expected in a season, a CCA action is to build a safe house in a higher location, or to add an upper story to the current structure; a CCM action is to relocate the people to safer places when the flood is already there, or even when flooding is imminent and all signs lead to that conclusion.

Adaptation is dealing today with tomorrow´s risk of disaster, while mitigation is dealing today with today´s disaster.

Planning for Adaptation and Mitigation

Why have I gone into great length to distinguish which is adaptation and which is mitigation? So you can plan and budget accordingly.

In either practical or business sense, we need both, but if you asked me, I would allocate funds to CCA more than I think is necessary; funds for CCM are on demand and may be difficult to predict. CCA is investment, adjustable and therefore can be very productive; CCM is cost, actual and not adjustable, and therefore much less productive. A roomful of climate-ready seeds of crops is CCA; a roomful of canned goods is CCM.

With CCA, you go forth and multiply; with CCM, you go forth and divide!

Salceda likes to say, "DRR is not a cost; rather, it´s an investment." By my explanation above, more DRR for CCA is advisable; the earnings or the savings generated by DRR for CCA can offset the cost of CCM, or generate even more resources. Whether the DRR is for CCA or CCM, all things considered, if you practice DRR, you improve business and increase returns on investment.

Creative capitalism

I have high respect for innovators who are risk takers. Perhaps assuming as a given Bill Gates´ idea of creative capitalism, the creative capitalistic mind of Salceda has produced a global model of a province in climate change action and reaction. In natural disasters, Albay has been proactive as well as reactive, preventing destruction as well as restoring to normal as much as possible. Albay is climate change action seen as necessary by a creative capitalist.

For your actual climate lessons, go see Albay and talk to Governor Joey Salceda. For creative capitalism, go see Bill Gates; meanwhile, you may want to see my 2-year old essay, "The Little People. Creative capitalism calls for new risk takers in science" (27 November 2008, American Chronicle).

Climate Change Academy

So I take a happy note that Salceda has proposed that, among other things, a Climate Change Academy be set up by the Philippine government to address the needs of local government units, LGUs, for them to learn from The Albay Experience and the LGUs themselves to plan and provide climate change goods, systems and services to their people. In fact, what the Climate Change Academy really will do is teach those of us who are not in Albay one singular lesson:

What Albay can, we can. In fact, if we learn what she has learned and avoid making the same mistakes, we can do better.

v1.0 frankvocc, 11-12 August 2010, Frank A Hilario