So what is Climate Change?

Climate change is on the news, in the newspaper and various websites but what is it and what will it mean for Lincolnshire?

First it is important to distinguish between weather and climate;

 Weather – is what you see out the window. It is the temperature, precipitation (rain, hail, sleet and snow) and wind which will change from hour to hour and day to day. It can change rapidly and may only affect a limited area.

 Climate – is the average temperature, precipitation (rain, hail, sleet and snow) and wind over a large area and taken over a longer period of time usually a 30yr average. Climate remains relatively constant over decade’s centuries or longer.

 What is the difference between Mitigation and Adaptation?

 Mitigation – The impact the council has on the world’s climate in terms of emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, which results from the delivery of its services, and the steps it proposes to reduce these emissions

 Adaptation – The impact that future projected climate will have on the county council’s ability to deliver services effectively in the coming decades and how it proposes to adapt its services to increase its resilience to these changes. This can mean making physical alterations to premises, equipment, materials, products or services.