The SITUATION Our Planet is presently facing Major setback - CLIMATE CHANGE

• The Climate Change is adversely affecting every living being on the surface of our Planet.

“Within 10 years the planet will become uninhabitable” - Mr. Al Gore in 2007 ( A Nobel Laureate)

“The advent of changes in global climate signals that we are now

living beyond the Earth's capacity to absorb a major waste product" -Anthony McMichael

“We are about a couple of decades away from being

ecologically and economically bankrupt because of global warming” Sam Erickson

“As you get more global warming, you should see an increase in the extremes of the hydrological cycle- droughts and floods and heavy precipitation” James E. Hansen, Director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies

What is global warming?

The changes in the surface air temperature, referred to as the global temperature, brought about by the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is induced by emissions of greenhouse gases into the air.

•Melting of Glaciers & Ice Mountains as a natural cause of the drastic increase in the atmospheric temperature will become the reason for colossal flooding of land.

1820s 1850s

The Alps

MELTING OF POLAR & GLACIARS

The POLAR Bear and GRIZZLY Bears will find difficult to survive because of HABITAT Loss.

Floods in LEH- Himalayas - INDIA

Flooding, Inundation & erosion of coastal area will be there due to the rise in the sea levels. The coastal areas may even cease to exist.

Even when the sea water recede, the land and water will become unusable as they will become saline.

Arctic summers could be ice-free by 2040, and sea levels could rise as much as 23 inches by 2100 if current warming patterns continue.- NRDC - USA

It will affect coastal agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture, fresh water sources and human Settlements  (Atmosphere Warming). some time this will end in formation of estuaries.

•Cyclones and hurricanes are becoming more furious, stronger, violent , virulent and volatile than before due to getting charged by seas which have become warmer and is expected to take heavy toll of life and property of people. (Wind Warming due to Sea Warming)

Cyclone – Laila – INDIA-2010 Hurricane –Katrina- USA -2005

•Heat Waves will destroy human, animal, sea and plant life. Heat waves  will cause heat related epidemics (Wind Warming). Due to soil warming the Ground Water level will go down.

In the summer of 2003, an intense heat wave was blamed for an estimated 35,000 deaths across large swaths of Europe

Scientists found in 2008 that poison ivy vines have grown 10 times denser near Savannah, Ga., over the last 20 years. Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes poison ivy to grow larger and produce stronger irritants.

•Frequent Forest Fires due to excess heat will lead to destruction of certain species, loss of green cover and smoke pollution

Tropical Forests & Grass Lands will disappear Cereals yields will decline, Ground water level will go down and heat will increase steeply leading to spreading of heat related diseases

• Drought will be yet another consequence of the increase in temperature. There will be steep fall in agricultural and sea food production due to Global Warming (Soil Warming & Sea Warming). Tropical Forests and Grass Lands will disappear. Barren lands will increase steeply.

Death of Rivers is another expected serious consequence. The availability of water in the rivers will decrease. The rivers which depend on for water from Ice Mountains will die.

Desertification will be continuous. While sizable land will be engulfed by sea water, there will also be a loss of usable land due to desertification. Deserts will grow due to excess heat produced by Global Warming. (Soil Warming). This will also be a cause for loss of cultivable land.

Hunger due to reduction in Agricultural and Sea Food Production will be unavoidable.

Violence and crimes will be the order of the day due to hunger and poverty

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What causes global warming? You do it, silly!

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Increases in carbon dioxide cause the earth to get warmer

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) (plus other gases like methane) in the atmosphere absorb heat radiating from the earth.

This trapped heat increases the evaporation of water from the oceans into the air to cause a greater increase in warming of the atmosphere. CO2 has a forcing effect on climate.

The combined effect of water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane controls the temperature of the earth.

How Global Warming Works

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

The Sun’s energy passes through the car’s windshield.

This energy (heat) is trapped inside the car and cannot pass back through the windshield, causing the inside of the car to warm up.

Example of the Greenhouse Effect

27Source: OSTP

What’s the difference between “global warming” and

“climate change”?

Difference

GLOBAL WARMING is the increase of the

Earth’s average surface temperature due to a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

CLIMATE CHANGE is a broader term

that refers to long-term changes in climate, including average temperature and precipitation.

Effects of Global WarmingIncreased Temperature

Habitat Damage and

Species AffectedChanges in Water Supply

Rising Sea Level

What’s the proof that global warming is taking place?

Portage Glacier

1914 2004

• Alaska

Colorado River• Arizona

June 2002 Dec 2003

Why is global warming happening?

Burning of Fossil Fuels

Pollution from coal, natural gas, and oilPollution from coal, natural gas, and oilPollution from coal, natural gas, and oil

How is global warming measured?

Ice Core Data

CO2 Measurements Before 1958 - Antarctica

CO2 Atmospheric Measurements

CO2 Measurements Since 1958 – Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Global Warming:

Shifting Gears

FACTORS and impacts of Carbon emissions

2007Reductions

in CO2

Per Year

Gig

aton

Car

bon

Billi

ons

of M

etric

Ton

s Car

bon

Our Goal

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What can we use for energy to replace carbon based fuels?

• Solar• Biofuels• Wind• Nuclear Power (may be necessary whether we

like it or not!)• Geothermal

What’s being done now to reduce our emissions?

Solar Power Wind Power

Fuel-Efficiency

What can you do to help solve the problem?

Simple Things To Do

Turn off your computer or the TV when you’re not using it.

Take shorter showers. Heating water uses energy.

Keep rooms cool by closing the blinds, shades, or curtains.

Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Use compact fluorescent bulbs.

Be Bulb Smart—Use CFLs

IncandescentCompact

Fluorescent

500 lbs. of coal

What’s the difference?

•1,430 lbs. CO2 pollution avoided •Rs.1630 saved

Simple Things To Do

Dress lightly when it’s hot instead of turning up

the air conditioning. Or use a fan.

Dress warmly when it’s cold instead of turning up the heat.

Offer to help your parents keep the air filters on your AC and furnace clean.

Walk short distances instead of asking for a ride in the car.

Plant a tree. Recycle.

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We can also use less fuel

• Higher mileage cars /bikes and other motor vehicles

• Live and work closer to home• Walk, ride bikes• Better insulated homes• Use more efficient lights (fluorescent/LED)• More energy efficient factories

How you can try to reduce global warming

Grow vegetables – dual purpose. Climate saved, cost saved