Climate change and resilience deal with two aspects — reduction of sources of non-renewable energy resources and reducing vulnerability of climate change aspects. The terms 'mitigation' and 'adaptation' are used to refer to these aspects, respectively. Which of the following assertions is best supported by the above information? A. Mitigation deals with consequences of climate change B. Adaptation deals with causes of climate change C. Mitigation deals with actions taken to reduce the use of fossil fuels D. Adaptation deals with actions taken to combat green-house gas emissions

GATE 2020 · General Aptitude · Verbal Reasoning · medium

Answer: Option C. Mitigation = reducing non-renewable (fossil fuel) energy use matches the passage definition exactly.

1. Recall passage definitions: Mitigation = reducing non-renewable energy sources (addressing causes). Adaptation = reducing vulnerability to climate change (addressing consequences).
2. Evaluate Option A: A says mitigation deals with consequences. But the passage assigns consequences to adaptation, not mitigation. A is wrong.
3. Evaluate Option B: B says adaptation deals with causes. But the passage assigns causes (sources reduction) to mitigation. B is wrong.
4. Evaluate Option C: C says mitigation deals with actions to reduce fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. Reducing them is exactly what mitigation does per the passage. C is correct.
5. Evaluate Option D: D says adaptation deals with combating greenhouse gas emissions. But greenhouse gas emissions are a cause, while adaptation deals with consequences/vulnerability. D is wrong.