Global Warming Triggers Climate Change

1. Global Warming Triggers Climate Change Presenter: Bangalore University, Bangalore, Karnataka

2. Average rise of 0.74ºC on earth in the last 100yrs CO2, methane, nitrous oxide & chloro-flurocarbons Green house effect, a burning issue, across the world has turned the climate topsy-turvy.

4. THE HEAT IS ON AS ICE MELTS & ISLANDS VANISH; Global problems already set in: • INDIA: Lohacharain Bay of Bengal, submerged by rising sea levels, was the first inhabited island to be wiped out by global warming. • UK: Britainnotched up its highest average temperature since 1659. • EUROPE: The skiing industry in the Alps looks bleak after the warmest successive period for 500 years. • AFRICA: The Sahara desert continues to expand, turning farmland into sand and fuelling civil war in Darfur, Sudan. • US VIRGIN ISLANDS: The Caribbean island group lost nearly half the coral reefs in study sites. • GREENLAND: Glaciersmelting, with a 300 % loss of ice.

5. Consequences & impacts of climate change GREENLAND ICE SHEET MELT 1992 TO 2002 • Melting of highly reflective Arctic snow and ice revealed by Rachel Courtland • The area of Arctic land covered by snow is expected to decrease by 10 to 20%. Absence of glacier result water scarcity • Darker land and ocean surfaces, increasing Sun’s heat absorption, Sea-surface temperatures,reflecting less solar radiation further warming the planet. • Glacial melt as Himalayan Glaciers at Gangotri & Greenland iceincreases river runoff adding more freshwater to the ocean, raising global sea level and slowing the ocean circulation that brings heat from the tropics to the poles, Earth's axis to tilt at an annual rate of about 2.6 centimetres.

6. Disruptive to catastrophic changes Release of Methane- “TimeBomb” • An abrupt release of methane, powerful greenhouse gas, about 635 million years ago from ice sheets caused a dramatic shift in climate, • Triggering a series of events that resulted in global warming and ended the last "snowball" ice age, a UC riverside-led reports. • Today Methane clathrates in the Arctic permafrost & below sea level at the continental margins of the ocean, remain dormant until triggered by warming. • Unzippering the methane reservoircould potentiallywarm the Earth tens of degrees, and the mechanism could be geologically veryrapid.

7. In the ALPS, some plant species have been migrating upward by 1 to 4 m per decade, and plants previously found only on mountaintops have disappeared. • In EUROPE, mating and egg-laying of some bird species has occurred earlier in the season. • Butterflies, dragonflies, moths, beetles, and other insects are now living at higher latitudes and altitudes, where previously it was too cold to survive. • A global climate change pact to reducegreenhouse gases could boost economic growth and create 10 million jobs worldwide by 2020, - a study by former British PM Tony Blair.

8. Report by National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder • Since 1978 the Arctic areashrunksignificantly declining 11.7% per decade. The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf is cracking, the ice is thinning & breaking. Threatening extinction of polar bears and seals. • The Concern: An influx of fresh water into the North Atlantic could disruptlarge-scale ocean currents worldwide, and alter weather patterns that could slow, or shutdown the great ocean conveyor system, that would ultimately lead to the'snowball earth'effect. • Ice could be completely gone during the summer by 2040. We are 30yrs ahead of what models show. Contd.

9. The average annual temperatures to rise by 3 to 7°C (5 to 13°F), with the greatest warming occurring in the winters • Precipitation is projected to increase by roughly 20%. • Change in monsoon pattern in peninsula region, India, results loss of agricultural production, drought, floods, etc as Flooding of Rajasthan desert area viz., Barmer (2008). • Rise of Sea level cause floods in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives & low lying areas. • River flow declining – Ganga (India), Yellow river (N.China), Niger (W. Africa)& Colorado (US). • Annual flow in Indian Ocean dropped by 3% but raised in Arctic Ocean by 10%. • Migratory shore birds, horseshoe crab eggs todecline due to high tides on Delaware Bay. • Fish play imp. role in marine carbon cycle (produce CaCo3 in guts to get rid of Ca ingested from seawater–40 to 110million tons Contd.

10. Concern & Consequences ALPS THEN NOW Rhone Glacier 1859 Rhone Glacier 2001 Contd.

11. Consequencesof Climate change show impacts that could …..cause… Hurricane Alex, a category 3 storm at its strongest, traveled north along east coast of N.America in Aug. 2004 causing flooding, strong waves, and rip tides along the coast. IPCC –said a doubling of CO2 between 2000-2100 –cause Northpole of Earth Spin Axis to shift 1.5cm/year (as detected in Alaska and Hawaii)

12. TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT & GLOBAL WARMING • In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meterological Organization (WMO) • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),signed by over 150 countries at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and Kyoto Protocol (1997, w.e.f. 2005). • 100 world leaders, where India will be represented by External Affairs MinisterS M Krishnaand Environment MinisterJairam Ramesh have met at United Nations and Group 20 meeting in Pittsburg to discuss ways to curb climate change without affecting economic growth. • Debate on climate change final round held in December 2009 in Copenhagen beforethe Kyoto protocol is renewed in 2012.

13. To protect the environment & global warming • India against US trade barrier for climate policy. • India, the G-77 countries and China together madeanother submission on technology cooperation & joining forces to fight carbon tariffs from US and EU. • Indiaamong top 10 emitters of CO2, per capita emissions is still one sixth of the global average. • New Delhi has a well defined goal of conventional and renewable energy and economic development, to improve environmental quality and limit human health hazards from air pollution. • A citizen of a developing nation emits approximately 5.5 tons of carbon per year, against the rate of 0.25 tons by that of an Indian. • White house tied new gas mileage standards to global warming (250 g of CO2/mile; 35.5m.p.g)

14. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said, global warming will exacerbate the conditions and could lead to conflicts and war. • The decision on climate change mitigation at Copenhagen Summit gridlocked; Clash among mitigation priorities of the developed and developing countries. • IPCC –said a doubling of CO2 between 2000-2100 –cause Northpole of Earth Spin Axis to shift 1.5cm/year (as detected in Alaska and Hawaii). • CO2 emmission to be 2.3 tonnes per capita / year. USA & Canada emit 20 tonnes / head. • The Spence Solution mitigation to be taken by the advanced countries in the form of Carbon Credit Trading System. Contd.

15. Be it; Beijing in China or Bangalore in India as the city expands nature becomes a casualty . SOLUTION ? ? developing E C O C I T I E S.

16. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) celebrates the World Environment Day 5th June every year For the awareness of the Day following have been distributed • Objectives and importance of WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY • Pocket Guides/ Booklets on: • Hazardous Waste Management, Handling & • Transboundary Movement Rules; • Environmentally Sound Management of E-Waste;Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS);UNEP’s Global Green New Deal • Cloth Banner, poster and sticker on environmental related issues and Pollution Under Control (PUC) Check