Finding mitigation strategies to climate change

Introduction:
There are lots of examined effects due to climate change, for example glaciers around the world are continuously diminishing, the arctic ice now has diminished more than 40 % since 1979 and still going on, this is quite bad and effects us all globally around the world , but especially those living on the coast. It is estimated that the water level will rise by roughly an inch per year. The other thing is that ice reflects the radiation and heat and sends it back into space - therefore serves to cool our planet . Furthermore, it is estimated that the peatery contained in the permafrost soil contains about 50 million tons of methane per year, which is equivalent to 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide - leading to further heating of our planet.

Effects:
I am lucky to live in a region that is not too much exposed to climate change (in western germany), however I have experienced a lot more tempests in this summer than in the previous years , but the weather is often quite balanced between rain, snow and good weather (sun) and tempests but that doesnt mean it could stay so forever. But climate change can cause higher rainfall in some regions, and drought in other regions. This is due to a higher rate of evaporation , and at the same time an increase in water vapour capacity inthe atmosphere. Estimations go to 7% of increase in water vapour capacity per degree celcius. As a consequence of warming and change of climate, plants and animals will have to adapt to the situation, that means certain species could vanish and biodiversity will change. Can honeybees do their work in extreme conditions as good as they do in moderate climate ? I don't know.. For germany, it is estimated that the temperature will rise 3 degrees until 2100. Furthermore, I live in a river region, if rainfall is very high, rivers will trespass their borders and cause floods. But if it gets warmer , some animals considered as "dangerous" - just like the anopheles mosquitoe - could spread in this region (especially in flooded regions) , when they otherwise are estimated to only survive in warmer regions like in Africa. But not only mosquitoes, also tropical diseases, bacterias and worms that are only known in Africa have better chances to spread. Due to the high concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere and burning fossil fuels (CO2 reacts in water, making carbonic acid) , water acidification in the ocean and sometimes in the rain will progress and coral reefs and other chalk based organisms will die.

Mitigation strategies that apply for me in my area:

Mobility: My carbon footprint that I calculated is about the equivalent of 15.3 carbon tons per
year, or 2.4 "planets". I travel about 15000 km a year which makes 2430 kg of CO2 emmisions per year. Because there are no public means of transport to travel over the border of France to Germany and back, I could organise / built up some kind of "car sharing agency" in my neighbourhood. Or just use the train or bus when I passed the border.

Energy: Furthermore, I exchanged all the older lightbulbs with 30kW/h or more and exchanged
them with energy saving bulbs ( 1kw/h) . With 20 light bulbs in the house, this could save me 580kw/h .

Water: I have installed a central rainwater supply for the toilets and for irrigating plants, saving up
the time and money for establishing piped water. Meat: I am already trying to reduce consumption of domestic animals and red meat, I heard that for each kilogram of red meat, there will be needed 15.500 liters of water. Going for substitutes for red meat, like soy proteins or trying to launch "meat-free" days once or twice a week. There are also good tasting meet substitutes like tofu, which is hardly to differentiate from real meet if you prepare it correct.

In my Community: However, I have to say that in my local community, there is no special effort or special projects that could apply for a climate mitigation strategy and that counts for the whole community. But, as I have seen, most of the local residents have already installed solar panels on their home rooftops, this is a common phenomenon, as Solar panels are now easier to purchase while being subsidized from the local government. There are also plans to install wind turbines. I think other communities are as well capable of installing those mitigation strategies described above, on an individual level as well as on a collective level.

Ressources : Floods and Heavy rain: http://wiki.bildungsserver.de/klimawandel/index.php/Starkniederschlge_und_Hochwasser Consequences of Climate Change: Melting glaciers, Acid Rain, Ocean, Ecosystems : http://www.oekosystem-erde.de/html/klimawandel-02.html Your own carbon Footprint: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/home/calculator_complete ; http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm Climate change in germany : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folgen_der_globalen_Erwrmung_in_Deutschland Fuel consumption: http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/transport/fuelguide/environment.html How much water for 1 kg of beef : http://www.enorm-magazin.de/blog/2011/07/26/wir-wustenmacherwie-viel-wasser-wirklich-in-produkten-steckt-teil-1/