There is consensus among the scientific community that anthropogenic activities are driving changes in the global climate and increasing global average temperature. Even if all greenhouse gas-emitting activities were halted immediately, the global community will still experience decades of climate impacts due to the inertia inherent in the global climate system. While climate change mitigation activities are essential to limit future global environment effects, humans face a choice between enduring the worst impacts of climate change, or pursuing adaptation measures which address risks and prepare for the inevitable impacts on physical, social, and natural systems.