NPR Series: Adaptation http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12385465&ft=1&f=12385465 Adapt, flee or die. That's how humans have responded to climate change over the eons. NPR explores the fate of past civilizations facing climate change, and adaptation and survival strategies currently at work. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Adaptation http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12385465&ft=1&f=12385465 Floating Architecture for a Changing Climate Architect Koen Olthuis believes the best way to live <em>with</em> water is to live <em>on</em> water. In a Climate Connections video, Olthius explains why he wants to lead Holland &mdash; and the world &mdash; toward an amphibious future. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89771102&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89771102&ft=1&f=12385465 Architect Koen Olthuis believes the best way to live with water is to live on water. In a Climate Connections video, Olthius explains why he wants to lead Holland — and the world — toward an amphibious future.

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]]> The Pioneer Who Died for the South Pole A century ago, British Naval Officer Robert Falcon Scott sought to lead the first team to the South Pole. He lost the race by five weeks, but collected scientific data on the Antarctic climate that scientists still use today. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89220433&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89220433&ft=1&f=12385465 A century ago, British Naval Officer Robert Falcon Scott sought to lead the first team to the South Pole. He lost the race by five weeks, but collected scientific data on the Antarctic climate that scientists still use today.

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]]> Watching Peru's Oceans for Cholera Cues Warming oceans were behind Peru's cholera outbreaks in the 1990s, and global warming may cause future outbreaks. Some scientists in Peru are closely watching microscopic marine life, hoping to catch an outbreak before it begins. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19344123&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19344123&ft=1&f=12385465 Warming oceans were behind Peru's cholera outbreaks in the 1990s, and global warming may cause future outbreaks. Some scientists in Peru are closely watching microscopic marine life, hoping to catch an outbreak before it begins.

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]]> With Climate Swing, a Culture Bloomed in Americas Along the coast of Peru, a mysterious civilization sprang up about 5,000 years ago. A team of archaeologists believe a climate change led to the rise of this civilization of mound builders, which eventually spread across South America. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:18:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18888119&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18888119&ft=1&f=12385465 Along the coast of Peru, a mysterious civilization sprang up about 5,000 years ago. A team of archaeologists believe a climate change led to the rise of this civilization of mound builders, which eventually spread across South America.

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]]> Rainfall Shortages Threaten Costa Rica Power Costa Rica's efforts to minimize global warming have made it especially vulnerable to climate changes. Because it relies on hydroelectric power, even a tiny shift in rainfall patterns could leave the country without enough water to meet its growing demand for electricity. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18832252&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18832252&ft=1&f=12385465 Costa Rica's efforts to minimize global warming have made it especially vulnerable to climate changes. Because it relies on hydroelectric power, even a tiny shift in rainfall patterns could leave the country without enough water to meet its growing demand for electricity.

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]]> Farming the Amazon with a Machete and Mulch On jungle land at the mouth of the Amazon River, one resourceful female farmer has become a master of adaptation in a landscape of constant change. Her story offers an example of how individuals might face the challenges of climate change. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18656632&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18656632&ft=1&f=12385465 On jungle land at the mouth of the Amazon River, one resourceful female farmer has become a master of adaptation in a landscape of constant change. Her story offers an example of how individuals might face the challenges of climate change.

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]]> Dutch Architects Plan for a Floating Future Architects in Holland are showing the rest of the world a way of turning adversity into opportunity. Instead of building around rising waters, they ask, why not build on water? Floating houses, gardens, even villages are the future vision of some Dutch planners. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:55:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18480769&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18480769&ft=1&f=12385465 Architects in Holland are showing the rest of the world a way of turning adversity into opportunity. Instead of building around rising waters, they ask, why not build on water? Floating houses, gardens, even villages are the future vision of some Dutch planners.

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]]> Climate Change Fuels Debate over Hurricane Threat Members of the American Meteorological Society are meeting in New Orleans. There is a debate over whether warmer water, caused by climate change, will cause more destructive hurricanes like Katrina. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18292843&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18292843&ft=1&f=12385465 Members of the American Meteorological Society are meeting in New Orleans. There is a debate over whether warmer water, caused by climate change, will cause more destructive hurricanes like Katrina.

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]]> Insurers Try to Calculate Risks of Climate Change Before Hurricane Katrina came along, U.S. insurers didn't consider climate change when they assessed the risk of events like floods. Now they're factoring in a changing world, and it's costing consumers in places like New Orleans. Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18288195&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18288195&ft=1&f=12385465 Before Hurricane Katrina came along, U.S. insurers didn't consider climate change when they assessed the risk of events like floods. Now they're factoring in a changing world, and it's costing consumers in places like New Orleans.

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]]> Crucial California Delta Faces a Salty Future Rising sea levels from global warming threaten to turn California's Sacramento Delta into a salty marsh. But the delta provides drinking water for millions, and locals fear competing interest groups are blocking solutions. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:38:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18031391&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18031391&ft=1&f=12385465 Rising sea levels from global warming threaten to turn California's Sacramento Delta into a salty marsh. But the delta provides drinking water for millions, and locals fear competing interest groups are blocking solutions.

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]]> Venice Offers Lessons on Coping with Rising Seas As the Earth warms up, rising sea levels will increase the threat of storm surges and flooding. In some places, that will make exisiting problems worse. Venice, Italy, offers a glimpse at what may lie ahead. A major engineering project aims to protect it from the rising sea, but most Venetians seem to take high water in stride. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17910734&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17910734&ft=1&f=12385465 As the Earth warms up, rising sea levels will increase the threat of storm surges and flooding. In some places, that will make exisiting problems worse. Venice, Italy, offers a glimpse at what may lie ahead. A major engineering project aims to protect it from the rising sea, but most Venetians seem to take high water in stride.

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]]> MOSE Project Aims to Part Venice Floods Over the last century, the 1,300-year-old island-city of Venice has been subject to a growing number of high-water tides, due to climate change. The city's graceful buildings are threatened. Now an ambitious project to block the tides is under way. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17855145&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17855145&ft=1&f=12385465 Over the last century, the 1,300-year-old island-city of Venice has been subject to a growing number of high-water tides, due to climate change. The city's graceful buildings are threatened. Now an ambitious project to block the tides is under way.

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]]> Viking Farms Tell Cautionary Climate Tale When Vikings arrived in Iceland around 874 A.D., they met with a warmer island rich with birch forests and trout-filled rivers. But as the Vikings changed the landscape &mdash; chopping down nearly all the trees &mdash; they also became more vulnerable to climate swings. Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16835101&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16835101&ft=1&f=12385465 When Vikings arrived in Iceland around 874 A.D., they met with a warmer island rich with birch forests and trout-filled rivers. But as the Vikings changed the landscape — chopping down nearly all the trees — they also became more vulnerable to climate swings.

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]]> To Slow Amazon Fires, Scientists Light Their Own A few months ago, a team of scientists walked into a stretch of Amazon forest and purposely burned it. The researchers want to understand how burning forests contribute to climate change &mdash; and they want to know how to slow or stop the fires. Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:14:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16024346&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16024346&ft=1&f=12385465 A few months ago, a team of scientists walked into a stretch of Amazon forest and purposely burned it. The researchers want to understand how burning forests contribute to climate change — and they want to know how to slow or stop the fires.

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]]> Will a Warmer World Have Enough Food? Your most direct link to global warming may be the food you eat. The bounty of your local grocery store depends on natural cycles of rain and heat in far-flung parts of the world. Now those cycles are shifting and the effects on agriculture may be profound. Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:24:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15737145&ft=1&f=12385465 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15737145&ft=1&f=12385465 Your most direct link to global warming may be the food you eat. The bounty of your local grocery store depends on natural cycles of rain and heat in far-flung parts of the world. Now those cycles are shifting and the effects on agriculture may be profound.

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