green planet mantra

G r e e n Planet Mantra

A GREEN EARTH REVOLUTION WITH SCHOLARS: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL

Issue: 1 Vol : 1 April-June 2016

` 150/-

2 G P M Issue - 1 Volume 1 April-June 2016

C o n t e n t s1. Overview of Climate Change ....................................................................................................4

2. Causes Responsible for Climate Change ........................................................................................6

3. Climate Change: Impacts & Consequences In India ..............................................................10

4. Global and Domestic Efforts to Combat Climate Change .............................................................15

5. Climate Change Negotiations and Agreements ..........................................................................17

6. Paris Agreement at a Glance ..................................................................................................20

7. Climate Change, Unplanned Development and Disasters in India ...............................................22

8. Climate Change in Media .............................................................................................................24

9. What you can do!!! ..............................................................................................................29

10. Green Quizz??? ..........................................................................................................................32

Editorial tEam:

Ms. Riya SinghDirector,

SRI PVT LTD

Mr. Vineet KumarResearch Scholar, CSSP,

JNU

rEviEwEd By:

Mr. Shashikant ChopdeSenior Research Associate

ISET-I

Dr. Kavita Singh Assistant Professor,

Department of Environment Science, M. S. College, University of Delhi.

Mr. Varenya MehtaEnvironmental Engineer, Dalmia Bharat Limited

dEsign, layout & PuBlishEd By:

Ms. Riya Singh, shreeranya renewable india Pvt ltd.

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3G P M Issue - 1 Volume 1 April-June 2016

About Green Planet Mantra:

“Earth Provides Enough to Satisfy Every Man’s Need, But Not Every Man’s Greed”

— Mahatma Gandhi

Green Planet Mantra (GPM) is an electronically published quarterly journal designed to imbibe responsiveness about Global Warming or Climate Change and its

effects on mother earth along with eminent solutions among the youth of India.

It has become vital for the future generations of India to understand the dangers of Global Warming and its long-term impacts on earth and its inhabitants. Now, the question arises

what is Global warming and how to protect the earth from global warming? The solution lies in “Renewable Energy, Permaculture and Natural Resource Management”. Understanding the benefits of renewable energy, renewable agriculture and the contributions it will make towards the development of the Indian economy has become the need of the hour.

In the face of significant growth of renewable energy in the country, it seems that young generation lacks appropriate understanding of this important revolution. All renewable technologies are carbon free, thus avoiding emissions, with wind and solar energy being the fastest growing segments in of the world as well as in India. The concept of renewable agriculture is also taking shape worldwide and some States across India are also adopting the renewable or sustainable agriculture technology on a large-scale.

Introducing the concept, technology and developments in the sector is a pioneering initiative to spread awareness and knowledge among the youth and the general

public. We intend to distribute the journal in all educational institutions across India. It will be available in both English and Hindi language. Going

forward, it will be published in various languages based on demand from various States. The printed version of the same will be available

at `150/- per copy on demand.


1. Overview of Climate Change

The terms climate change and global warming are interrelated. The global warming refers to the rise

in global average temperature due to the increase in the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Water Vapour, Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The climate on Earth is continuously changing through a natural cycle. Then why is the world worried about climate change? The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories - those that are due to natural causes (drift, volcanoes, ocean currents, the earth’s tilt, and comets and meteorites) and those that are created by humans. In the history of Earth, the climate change is a recurring phenomenon and has occurred many times before. There were eras when most of the earth was covered in ice and also, the warmer periods. The last ice age was existed 650,000 years ago. The previous extreme climate change episodes had taken place due to the natural factors such as volcanoes, comets, etc. For the first time in history, the changes taking place in climate are intensifying because of the human activities. It has been corroborated by the subsequent reports of UN designated body on climate change -IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change).The majority of the warming at the global scale can only be

explained by the detrimental human activities, especially by emissions from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), deforestation, increased industrialization and urbanisation, and so on. In addition to human-induced global climate change, local climate can also be affected by other human factors such as heat island effect, large-scale use of fertilizers, burning of crop residue, raising livestock, and others. The planet’s climate is going through extraordinary changes such as melting of glaciers, erratic change in the rainfall patterns, a rise in the sea level, an increase in frequency and magnitude of natural disasters and so on. The future of the human race

DO YOU KNOW: What are Tree Rings?

Each year, trees add a layer of growth between the older wood and the bark. This layer, or ring as seen in cross section, can be wide, recording a wet season, or narrow, recording a dry growing season. Tree Rings document growing season, moisture, temperature and cloud cover as they impact tree growth as well. Tree rings can also be impacted by wind, soil properties, disease, or even pollution.. This record of annual summer information is very important when we consider that certain types of trees grow slowly over hundreds and hundreds of years, and therefore contain a record of as many years of climate and climate change. Scientists have established a ring record that records climate signals for over 9,000 years into the past.


is extremely grim and in the coming 50-100 years, the future apocalyptic predictions have been made by the scientists. It is likely that the Island nations such as Maldives, Solomon Islands and others will be submerged over a period; the Himalayan glaciers are melting and retreating; monsoon rainfall has become more erratic over the Indian subcontinent. According to the latest IPCC Report (November 2014), the delay in the mitigation and adaptation practices will significantly increase the technological, economic and social costs. There will be long-lasting and irrevocable impacts on the people, society and ecosystems.The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has already crossed

400 parts per million (ppm) which was around 280 ppm in the mid-19th century. The changes in climate are being studied by scientists all over the world. They have gathered evidence of changes in climate from tree rings, pollen samples, ice cores, and sea sediments. These are just some indicators measured globally over many decades to corroborate the fact that the earth’s climate is warming. According to the latest report by IPCC, by 2100, if no measures were taken to combat global warming, then it is certain that the average global temperatures would increase to 5-6 oC which has already increased to 0.8 oC since 1850.

DO YOU KNOW: How Pollen Tells Us About Climate ?

Pollen grains are the sperm-carrying reproductive bodies of seed plants like conifers, cycads, and flowering plants. Each of these grains has its own unique shape depending on what plant it comes from, and their walls are made of a substance known as sporopollenin, which is very chemically stable and strong.By analysing pollen from well-dated sediment cores, scientists can obtain records of changes in vegetation going back hundreds of thousands, and even millions of years. Pollen records tell us about the past climate, but they can also tell us how we are impacting our climate. Comparing trends in vegetation from the last few thousand years to recent trends in vegetation can also help scientists determine whether human activities have had significant impacts on ecosystems.

DO YOU KNOW: How Ice Cores Records Climate Data?

Ice cores are cylinders of ice drilled out of an ice sheet or glacier. Most ice core records come from Antarctica and Greenland, and the longest ice cores extend to 3km in depth. The oldest continuous ice core records to date extend 123,000 years in Greenland and 800,000 years in


2. Causes Responsible for Climate Change

At domestic and international levels, climate change has been recognized as global

environmental problem. Climate change refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity (IPCC, 1990). Climate change refers to a change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods (UNFCCC, 1992). Climate change, according to subsequent reports of IPCC, is taking place due to anthropogenic factors rather than natural processes. Also, the scientists have studied that over the 20th century, the mean global surface temperature increased by 0.6°C (IPCC, 2001). Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane, Water Vapour, and Nitrous Oxide are the main greenhouse

gases in the atmosphere. Recently, the CO2 concentrations has crossed 400 ppm (parts per million) in the atmosphere. In the race to the purported development and economic growth, we have consciously increased the pace of the release of these gases into the atmosphere by

DO YOU KNOW ?

Water Vapour:- It is the most abundant greenhouse gas on the earth; however it spends just a short time in the atmosphere, and humans have some impact on the amount of water in the atmosphere, it is not considered the most important greenhouse gas.


several human activities which are explicated below:

1. Industrialization

Two centuries back, Industrial revolution began from the England which over a period unfolded across America and Europe and as a result, substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientific evidence shows that carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere have increased substantially since the onset of industrialization. This has resulted in a strengthening of the greenhouse effect, which has played a critical role in warming our planet. Another important gas, methane concentration in the atmosphere has increased approximately 150% since pre-industrial times. Industrialization has not only released greenhouse gases in atmosphere, it has also polluted water and changed land use pattern. The main industries emitting CO2 and other greenhouse gases include cement, coal, oil, iron & steel, leather, and so on.

2. Expansion of Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the most essential activities of the human as it provides the food and job and significantly contributes to the gross domestic production (GDP) of a country. Its importance can be gauged from the fact that the cultivation is taking place on more than half of India’s landmass. Due to the huge population growth

and demand, a pressure on the agricultural production has increased manifold in the last hundred years. During agricultural and related activities, a large amount of greenhouse gases is released in the atmosphere. It is primarily a source of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) emissions. According to the report by MOEF, the main sources of emissions of greenhouse gases in agriculture are the rearing of livestock, manure management, rice cultivation, agricultural soils and on field burning of crop residue. Recently, in the season of winter, Delhi people faced the onslaught of hazardous smog (a harmful combination of nasty gases) which occurred due to the crop residue burning in Punjab.

DO YOU KNOW ?

Carbon Dioxide (CO2):- It actually forms a small part of the atmosphere, but one of the important greenhouse gases. CO2 is released naturally into the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions and animal respiration but it is also released through human activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. CO2 also spends a long time in the atmosphere increasing its impact. Since the industrial revolution, humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by 30%.


3. Deforestation

When forests are cleared or burnt, stored carbon in the trees and plants is released into the atmosphere, mainly as carbon dioxide. Deforestation accounts for around 18% of all global greenhouse gas emissions due to the human activities – this is more than the global emissions from transport. The forested land is diverted to non-forest activities on a large scale such as mining, road construction, industrial set up, urbanisation and others. According to Centre for Science and Environment (2012), between the period of 2007-11, in India, nearly 2.04 lakh hectares of forest land was diverted for various projects in the name of development. Similarly, illegal mining activities have destroyed the forests of the Aravali mountain chain in the parts of Haryana and Rajasthan.

4. Rapid Urbanisation

There was never a time in the history when half of the world’s population was living in urban

areas. Now, more than 50% population has become urbanised as compared to only 15% in 1900. Urbanisation is a sign of development but there are caveats attached to it. The urban areas are resource intensive in terms of water, food, energy and others creating the additional pressures on the resources of the already-stretched earth. The phenomenon of rapid urbanisation has to be seen in the context of the cities of developing countries as they are not able to provide the necessary facilities to their citizens and hence, most of the urban people live in poor living conditions. It is estimated

DO YOU KNOW ?

Methane (CH4):- It is the second important greenhouse gas which is produced both naturally and through human activities. The most significant sources of Methane come from the decomposition of organic matter e.g. in landfills and in agriculture. Another large source is from the digestion of ruminants (cows, goats etc). Methane is a much stronger greenhouse gas than CO2 because it absorbs more heat; however it is less abundant in the atmosphere.


that over 900 million people, one-third of the global urban population, and more than 70% of urban developing-country populations, now lives in slum-like conditions. On the one hand, the urban areas are responsible for inducing global warming as they are resource guzzlers and on the other, they are amplifying the impacts of climate change on the poor people.

5. Energy Sector

Without energy, the modern society is not feasible. Humankind has never-ending appetite for energy which increased tremendously after the industrial revolution. In this, fossil fuels especially coal and oil played the key role. Coal is primarily used as a fuel in the electricity generation across the world and hence, responsible for nearly 65.4% of the total CO2 equivalent emissions. Oil is generally used in industrial activities and transportation which also emits greenhouse gases in huge quantity. Our dependence on fossil fuels has become bane for the earth’s flora and fauna. For instance, in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef – a rich reservoir of coral reefs – has started bleaching on a large scale due to the climate change. In

DO YOU KNOW ?

Nitrous Oxide (N2O):- It is a powerful greenhouse gas which is heavily produced in the agriculture sector especially in the production and use of fertilizers. It is also produced during the burning of fossil fuels.Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These man-made compounds were produced for industrial use, mainly in refrigerants and air conditioners. They are now regulated under the Montreal Protocol due to its adverse impact on the Ozone Layer.

the coming years, the greenhouse gas emissions will certainly rise as developing countries such as India, China, Brazil and others have crores of people who are still poor.


1. Agriculture and Food Security: Seasonal water scarcity or droughts, rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and intrusion of sea water affects the crop yields and annual production; thus, jeopardizing the country’s food security. Rising temperatures with lower rainfall at the end of the growing season have caused a significant loss to the crop production. Extremely high temperatures in northern India have adversely affected the wheat yields, and rising temperatures can only aggravate the situation. Major floods that used to happen only once in 100 years now take place every 10 or 20 years. Unusually high rainfall,

3. Climate Change: Impacts & Consequences In India

which many scientists agree is due to climate change, is a significant cause of floods. On the other hand, droughts are becoming longer, harder and more frequent. These are all factors affecting Agriculture and food security.

2. Energy Security: Climate-related impacts on water resources can undermine two dominant forms of power generation in India - hydropower and thermal power generation - both of which depend on adequate water supplies to function effectively. To function at optimal efficiency, thermal power plants need a constant supply of fresh water to maintain

The outcome of climate change has started influencing the ecology and socio-economic condition of our country. It poses a major risk to the human health and safety and impacts the poor people

most. India is one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world and many of its 1.2 billion people live in areas near river basins and low-lying coastal plains. These are high population density zones which are vulnerable to hazards such as floods, cyclones and droughts.


their cooling systems. The increasing variability and long-term decreases in river flows can pose a major challenge to hydropower plants and increase the risk of physical damage from landslides, flash floods, glacial lake outbursts, and other climate-related natural disasters. The decrease in the availability of water and increase in temperature will pose major risk to the thermal power generation. Because of extreme heat, the equipments used in power supply system get damaged frequently and demand of power also increases drastically in turn, affecting the energy security of the country. 3. Urban Flooding: Rapid and unplanned urbanisation combined with increase in the intensities of extreme precipitation due to climate change are causing large-scale flooding of cities. Chennai and Mumbai floods in recent past are classic examples of urban flooding. The other cities in India like Srinagar, Leh, Surat, Patna, Jamshedpur and Hyderabad are flooded in the recent past. In the cities, haphazard development and encroachment on the green sensitive areas such as river banks, ponds, lakes and tanks, and blockage of natural drainage channels exacerbated the impact of floods.

4. Water Security: Many parts of India are already experiencing water stress. Even without climate change, satisfying future demand for water will be a major challenge. Urbanization, population growth, economic development,

and increasing demand for water from agriculture and industry are likely to aggravate the situation further. An increase in variability of rainfall is expected to intensify water shortage in some areas. Studies have found that the threat to water security is very high over central India, along the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, and in India’s north-eastern states.

5. Wildlife at Risk: Rising temperatures are changing weather and vegetation patterns across the globe, forcing animal species to migrate to new, cooler areas in order to survive. Experts predict that one-fourth of Earth’s species will be headed for extinction by 2050 if the warming trend continues at its current rate. Experts estimate there are as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild, due to poaching, the loss of their habitat and depletion of the tiger’s natural prey. Hunters, traders and poor local residents use the forest for subsistence, directly competing with the tiger. Some of the largest remaining areas where tigers occur are the mangrove


forests of India. The projected rise in sea levels could cause these living spaces of the tiger to vanish altogether. An overheating world is creating a big change in climatic conditions and this can harm the delicate ecosystems in which species live. Threatened species can already be found all over the world.

6. Intense Cyclones and Tropical Storms: Cyclones and tropical storms gets energy from warm water. Because of climate change, sea surface temperatures rises leading to occurrence of tropical storms and Cyclones. Other factors such as rising sea levels, disappearing wetlands, and increased coastal development threaten to intensify the damage to coastal ecosystems and

communities caused by cyclones and tropical storms. Frequency of tropical cyclones form in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea has increased in the last many years, which bringing strong winds and heavy rains causing massive destruction of life and property in coastal states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, parts of West Bengal.

7. Health: Health systems will need to be strengthened in identified hotspots. Climate change is expected to have major health impacts on India- increasing malnutrition and related health disorders such as child growth stunting - with the poor likely to be affected most severely. Child stunting is projected to increase by 35%

by 2050 compared to a scenario without climate change. Malaria and other vector-borne diseases, along with diarrheal infections which are a major cause of child mortality, are likely to spread into areas where colder temperatures had previously limited transmission. Heat waves are likely to result in a very substantial rise in mortality and death, and injuries from


extreme weather events are likely to increase.

8. Migration and Displacement: South Asia is a hotspot for the migration of people from disaster-affected or degraded areas to other national and international regions. The Indus and the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basins are major trans-boundary rivers, and increasing demand for water is already leading to tensions among countries over water sharing. Climate change impacts on agriculture and livelihoods can increase the number of climate refugees.

9. Extreme Heat: Unusual and unprecedented spells of hot weather are occurring more frequently and cover much larger areas. The west coast and southern India are shifting to new, high-temperature climatic regimes with significant impacts on agriculture. Extreme heat in winter session also effects on grain yield like wheat, mustard, barley and chick-pea in northern India. .10. Changing Rainfall Patterns: A 2°C rise in the world’s average temperatures would make India’s monsoon highly unpredictable. An abrupt change in the monsoon precipitates a major crisis, triggering more frequent droughts as well as greater floodings in large parts of India. The Northwest coast to the south-eastern coastal region could see higher than average rainfall. El Nino is a weather condition that lasts for about a year on average. This period coincides with the warming of sea surface temperatures that affect wind patterns and trigger floods and droughts in different parts of the world. El Nino also affects monsoon rainfall pattern in India. .


11. Droughts: Droughts are being seen more frequently in some areas, especially in northwestern India, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. According to Skymet, the most prominent droughts in India, six of them, since 1871 have been El Nino triggered droughts, including the recent ones that occurred in 2002 and 2009. Data of 135 years from 1880 to 2014, about 90% of all evolving El Nino years have led to below normal rainfall and 65% of evolving El Nino years have brought droughts. All El Nino years do not lead to drought in India. The year 1997-98 is a stark reminder as it was a strong El Nino year but that did not cause drought in India, in fact, rainfall was in excess. On the other hand, a moderate El Nino in 2002 resulted in one of the worst droughts. .

12. Melting of Glacier: Himalayan glaciers have shrunk by 13% in the last 50 years and the snowline has moved 180 metres uphill. As the glaciers dwindle, the rocks and debris they carry are being exposed: the debris-covered sections of the glaciers have increased by 17% since the 1960s.

13. Sea Level Rise: Sundarban is an archipelago of 54 islands and is home to about 44 lakh people. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is hit hard by an increase in floods, storms, salinity and erosion caused by rising sea levels and globally warming water. Kolkata and Mumbai, both densely populated cities, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of sea-level rise, tropical cyclones, and riverine flooding.


International Organisations:

In 1988, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World

Meteorological Organisation (WMO) came together to set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) under the United Nations. The objective was to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge of climate change and its potential environment and socio-economic impacts. Currently, 195 countries are members of the IPCC and thousands of scientists from all over the world are contributing to its work on a voluntary basis.

At the end of 2007, the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work on climate change.

The first IPCC Assessment report of 1990 underlined the importance of climate change and urged international cooperation to tackle its consequences. This led to the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the key international treaty to reduce global warming and cope with the consequences of climate change.

4. Global and Domestic Efforts to Combat Climate Change

Conference of the Parties (COP): The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All Nation-States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.

The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the session. Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions - that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others – there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.

The twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) took place from 30th November to 11th December 2015, in Paris, France .


Countries across the globe committed to create a new international climate agreement by the conclusion of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in December 2015. In preparation, countries have agreed to voluntarily declare what post-2020 climate actions they intend to take under a new international agreement, known as their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The INDCs will largely determine whether the world achieves an ambitious 2015 agreement and is put on a path toward a low carbon and climate resilient future.

Indian Government initiatives to Combat Climate Change

The Union Government has recognised that India is an extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and significant measures have been undertaken from the year 2007 onwards. On 5th June, 2007, the Government announced the constitution of a high-level advisory group on climate change under the chairmanship of Prime Minister. As a result, on 30th June, 2008, the government released its much-awaited plan – National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) – to mitigate and adapt to the negative effects of climate change. The action plan outlines the number of steps to simultaneously advance India’s development and climate change-related objectives. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) encompasses a range of measures. It focuses on eight missions, which are as follows:1. National Solar Mission 2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy

Efficiency3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat 4. National Water Mission5. National Mission for Sustaining the

Himalayan Ecosystem6. Green India Mission

7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

In November 2014 advisory group on climate change was reconstituted with the following objectives:(i) Coordinate national action plans for

assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

(ii) Advise government on pro-active measures that can be taken by India to deal with the challenge of climate change.

(iii) Facilitate inter-ministerial coordination and guide policy in relevant areas.

Despite the developing economy with high poverty figures and having no historical participation in the CO2 emissions, India has taken a leadership position to save the planet and volunteered itself to reduce the emissions by 20-25% by 2020.

On 1st October 2015, India announced its new climate plan, also known as its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). INDC builds on its goal of installing 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity by 2022 in which 100,000 MW will be solar, 60,000 MW from wind, 10,000 MW from biomass, and 5,000 MW from small hydro. In this way, the dependence of the country on coal power plants for electricity generation will decrease significantly. India has adopted several ambitious measures for clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency in various sectors of industries, achieving lower emission intensity in the automobile and transport sector, non-fossil based electricity generation and building sector based on energy conservation. Thrust on renewable energy, promotion of clean energy, enhancing energy efficiency, developing climate resilient urban centres and sustainable green transportation network are some of the measures for achieving this goal.


Introduction

Climate change is one of the most controversial and hot-debated issue of

our modern times as it is linked with the continued existence of humanity. The world climate is said to be changing and developing into more unpredictable and irregular manner. For instance, the extreme natural disasters are occurring worldwide such as Katrina hurricane in USA (2007), extraordinary floods of Pakistan & Australia (2010), flash flood in Kedarnath (2013), flood in Chennai (2015),“white attack”, intense snow storms that paralysed life in Washington, the floods of Boulder (US), intense floods of Germany and UK) etc the point is to say that even the rich and developed countries are being affected due to climate change and hence, all the world leaders are seriously discussing the issue. The world leaders are debating this issue from last three decades at international forums (United Nations). However, no consensus has been reached on what should be done to resolve climate change which could be plausible to all the ‘stakeholder’ countries or groups of countries such as BRICS, African Union, G-7, G-77, Union of Small Islands, etc.

5. Climate Change Negotiations and Agreements

At domestic and international levels, climate change has been recognized as the global environmental problem. Ever since the Industrial Revolution began about 150 years ago, man-made activities have added significant quantities of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere. It has led to the greenhouse effect, resulting in climate change which, according to subsequent reports of IPCC, is taking place due to anthropogenic factors rather than natural processes. The Kyoto Protocol has identified six main greenhouse gases which are inducing climate change in the world: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). It represents additional stress on ecological and socio-economic systems that are already facing tremendous pressure due to rapid economic development. With climate change, the type, frequency, and intensity of extreme events, floods, and droughts are expected to increase.

India is the 4th largest emitter of GHGs after China, USA, and the European Union. India is producing 5.5% of total emissions, China 23%, USA 20% & EU 14%. India is the home of 17% of world’s total population, and if one takes per


capita wise into account, then the emissions of India will look very trivial as it is only 1/10th of US & other developed nations and 1/4th of the global average. The concentration of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere is approximately 404 ppm (parts per million) by volume as of 2016. The IPCC report has projected that the rise in temperature could range between 2 - 4.5 degree Celsius. Therefore, with all these information about climate change and its impacts available with the world leaders, they started to negotiate on how to deal with this issue which resulted in the formation of the Convention on Climate Change.

UNFCCC: A Vehicle for Negotiations

The IPCC report of 1990 outlined the climate change and its causative factors. It guided the global actions to counter the changes in the atmosphere. The UN General Assembly formally launched negotiations on climate change which produced United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It led to the different responsibilities upon developed and developing countries to fight climate change.

Kyoto Protocol: Arrival at the Station

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted after intense negotiations between countries at the 3rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. It has been ratified by 191 countries to fight global warming in which Annex 1 countries have to reduce their CO2 emissions by 5.2% during 2008-2012 over their 1990 levels. Of this, the USA was expected to reduce by 7%, Canada by 3.3%, Australia by 2.1%, Russia Federation by 17.4%, the EU by 8% and Japan by 6%. This treaty has divided the world into two groups: Annex – I

(Industrialized) countries and Non-Annex I (Developing) Countries. It is legally binding on developed countries, but the developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, etc. have got an exemption for the time being.

This treaty has been completely rejected by the USA on the pretext that emission reduction activity will hurt its economic interests and also, the countries such as China and India should also be held responsible for climate change, and they should undertake emission cuts along with developed countries which these two countries are vehemently opposing. It created a situation where treaty becomes failed and redundant.

COP: Conference of the Parties

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the “supreme body” of UNFCCC i.e. its highest decision-making authority. It is an association of all the countries that are Parties to the Convention. The COP meets every year since 1995 and 21 meetings have taken place so far. All these meetings were focused on how to deal with the monster of climate change and lessen its impacts on the coming generations.

During the 13th COP held at Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007, a conference ended in the adoption of the Bali Road Map, which consisted of the Bali Action Plan. It charted the course for a new negotiating process designed to tackle climate change, with the aim of completing this by 2009. The Bali road map charted out the clear road map of emission reduction targets, future of Kyoto Protocol and sustenance of developed & developing countries by CDM projects in the form of Bali Action Plan. The result of this meet brought out the optimism at international level. But this hope was dashed away by the outcome of next Copenhagen meet.

The 15th COP held in Copenhagen in December 2009 made some advances in the


form of the ‘Copenhagen Accord’, which reflected the political understanding reached by a select group of countries. However, this was only ‘noted’ and not adopted by the Parties to the Convention. The main agenda of this Copenhagen summit 2009 was clearly aimed at emission targets of industrialized countries, emission cuts of major developed and developing countries and financing of reduced emissions. In this meeting, there were open emission pledges by all the major countries including China, India and other developing nations – but no outline of a clear path toward a treaty with binding commitments.

The COP16 at Cancun during December 2010 resulted in a set of decisions which is called as “Cancun Agreement”. They were widely perceived as a modest, small step forward and a reaffirmation of faith in the multilateral process. The agreement represented key steps forward in capturing plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to help developing nations protect themselves from climate impacts and build their sustainable futures. The key elements of this agreement were more or less same as that of Copenhagen Accord. But this kind of outcome was necessary for the relevance of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol as it is still, able to suggest some tangible results. It helped in bridging the divide and restoring the trust between nations which was marred by the tensions and conflict in Copenhagen. It may not be a new international treaty, but it has paved the way ahead to have new legally binding treaty after 2012.

Recently, the countries in the COP21 at Paris in December 2015, have agreed to keep the temperature below 2 degree Celsius. The countries are voluntarily ready to decrease their emissions over the years and declared their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). There are no legal obligations on the countries to fulfill their promises. Also, the

developed countries would give $100 billion/year to the developing countries to mitigate the impacts of global warming. The developed countries were determined to dilute the principle of common and differentiated responsibility; however on the insistence of developing countries, this tenet has remained untouched. India has committed to reducing its emissions intensity of GDP by 35% by 2030 below 2005 levels, increase its forest cover and also enhance the share of renewables and nuclear in the total installed capacity. The Indian government has announced to increase its renewable energy capacity to 175 GW by 2022. The primary focus is on wind and solar with 60 GW and 100 GW respectively. It has also announced Green India Mission in which the emphasis is on increasing the forest and tree cover up to 33 % of India’s total geographical area.

Conclusion

The global efforts to address climate change will require a fundamental transformation of our economies and the relationship with the environment. The requirement of the time is to have concerted and cooperative efforts by individual countries, the business sector and civil society. The climate change negotiations have led to establishing the fact that the cooperation among the developed and developing countries is imperative to save the humanity on the earth. In this whole scenario, the developing world is expected to be ready to sacrifice its own developmental needs and help the developed countries in reducing the overall carbon emissions. It is called the ‘white man’s burden’ on yellow, brown and black people.


During 30th November to 12th December 2015, nearly 200 countries, representatives

gathered in Paris under CoP21 of UNFCC Negotiation, the world’s most significant agreement to address climate change since the issue first emerged as a major political priority decades ago.

Because of the seriousness of the global warming and climate change issue, this is the first time in the history both developed and developing countries including countries whose economy depends on fossil fuels also taken climate change issue seriously. The seriousness shown by around 200 countries in Paris was never seen before on the burning issue of Global warming. The Paris Agreement is beginning of the end of fossil fuels era which is dominant for more than 100 years as the primary sources of the engine in the world. Under the agreement Countries will aim to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2°C (3.6°F) by 2100 with an ideal target of keeping temperature rise below 1.5°C (2.7°F).

Leadership from India, U.S. and China also played a key role in facilitating the agreement. All three countries have acted as roadblocks in past attempts to achieve climate deals. There was conflict of interest between these three countries keeping apart they lead up to this

conference and each of them made strong commitments to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and to contribute to a positive discussion in Paris.

Marshall Islands (Small Island) also emerged as the active player of the conference. Representatives from countries in this group pushed hard for negotiators to set a more ambitious climate target and largely succeeded. A “high ambition coalition” led by the Marshall Islands gained support from more than 100 countries, including the U.S., Brazil and members of the European Union. Their efforts resulted in the inclusion of long-term targets and a lower “ideal” warming target.

The agreement gives countries considerable leeway in determining how to cut their emissions but mandates that they report transparently on those efforts. Every five years nations will be required to assess their progress towards meeting their climate commitments and submit new plans to strengthen them.

Technology and the cost of technology was the barrier of talking climate change issue by the developing countries like India and China. However, India has taken imitative and the Prime Minister of India along with President of France on 30th November, 2015 jointly

6. Paris Agreement at a Glance


announced creation of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). With the aim of a specialised platform and will contribute towards the common goal of increasing utilisation and promotion of solar energy and solar applications in its member countries. ISA is an alliance of 121 solar resource-rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. On 25th January, 2016 The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, and the President of France Mr François Hollande, today jointly laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Headquarters and inaugurated the interim Secretariat of the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gwalpahari, Gurgaon, India. The Government of India has dedicated 5 acre land in NISE campus for the ISA Headquarters and also has contributed Rs 175 crore for ISA corpus fund and also for meeting expenditure for initial five years.

ISA is part of Prime Minister’s vision to bring clean and affordable energy within the reach of all and create a sustainable world. It will be a new beginning for accelerating development and deployment of solar energy for achieving universal energy access and energy security of

the present and future generations.

The Paris declaration on ISA states that the countries share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts for reducing the cost of finance and cost of technology for immediate deployment of competitive solar generation, financial instruments to mobilise more than $1,000 billion of investments needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of affordable solar energy and to pave the way for future solar generation, storage and good technologies for countries’ individual needs.

On the same day on 30th November, 2015, the US had taken an initiative of Mission Innovation and India has become a founding member of this initiative. The primary objective of the Mission Innovation is to double government investment in clean energy innovation with new investments focused on transformational clean energy technology (four transformational clean energy technologies are: wind turbines, solar technologies, electric vehicles (EVs), and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). innovations aiming at affordable access to critical technologies.


Climate change has become a recurring phe-nomenon across the world which has increased

the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters. In India, every disaster has not occurred due to cli-mate change, but the intensity of floods, droughts, cyclones, cloud bursts, wildfires, and heat waves have risen. Moreover, the unplanned development, population pressure and encroachment on the green areas such as riverbeds, city forests and wet-lands, dried pond or tank, etc. are making our cities vulnerable to the extremes of climate change. Some of the disasters are explained below, which experts and environmentalists have somewhat linked with the climate change and global warming:

Uttarakhand, 2013: In the Himalayas, in the last few years, the frequency of cloud bursts has increased exponentially. In June 2013, in Uttarakhand, a series of cloud bursts triggered an unprecedented amount of rainfall poured all over the state causing the massive floods and landslides. More than 500 people were dead and 1,00,000 pilgrims and tourists

were trapped. In terms of economic losses, this event was a disaster for the state economy. Also, haphazard construction of hotels and houses on the river banks, road building and other reckless developmental activities aided the natural forces to increase their impact in the form of human lives within a short period.

Jammu & Kashmir, 2014: In 2013, the IPCC in its fifth assessment report clearly indicated that in India, the rainfall-related extreme events would certainly increase. In September 2014, such extreme torrential rainfall occurred over the Kashmir valley

7. Climate Change, Unplanned Development and Disasters in India


instigated the massive floods in which around 300 people died and 2600 villages were reportedly affected out of which 390 were completely submerged. In Srinagar, most of the parts were inundated due to the Jhelum River. The gravity of the floods also amplified due to the encroachment upon the lakes, wetlands and banks of Jhelum, for instance, the area of Dal Lake has reduced to 21 sq. km from the original 75 sq. km.

TamilNadu (Chennai), 2015: In December 2015, the torrential rains occurred in Chennai smashed the 100-year-old record of the heavy downpour (374 mm) in a matter of one day. More than 500 people died, millions of people were left stranded without food and water, and the economic losses to the tune of US$ 3 billion occurred. According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in the 1980s, there were 600 water bodies in Chennai and as of now, only a few of them have been left. The devastating impacts of this flood could have been negated if the

natural water bodies such as ponds, wetlands, tanks, and lakes, and drainage channels were protected and preserved. It has become a sad phenomenon that across India, the building by-laws and related rules and regulations are being formulated so that it can be violated.

Drought across India, 2016: From the last few years, some parts of India such as Marathwada and Bundelkhand are facing the continuous drought resulting in the precarious water supply and slumped agricultural growth causing the rise in the distressed suicides by farmers. In 2016, the drought along with the heat waves has hit the vast swathes of India spread across ten states such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and others. It has induced the severe water shortages and massive crop losses leading to the situation of water riots in some areas. The condition is such that the government is forced to send the water-containing trains to the drought-hit areas such as Latur, Maharashtra.


8. Climate Change in Media

Climate change can push 45 million Indians into poverty

Climate change could negate India’s economic progress by causing a drop in crop

yields, more diseases and more natural disasters, says a World Bank report. It

could effectively negate India’s economic progress, pushing 45 million Indians into

extreme poverty over the next 15 years, according to a World Bank report published

last month.

In the absence of climate change, the World Bank report sees 189 million Indians

living in poverty (i.e. on less than $1.9 or Rs 127 a day) by 2030. However, climate

change could push that number to as high as 234 million. In 2011, there were 263

million Indians living in poverty, according to recent World Bank estimates using a

revised $1.9-a-day poverty line.

The situation where 45 million become poor because of climate change is just one

of the scenarios described in the World Bank report “Shock waves: Managing the

impacts of climate change on poverty”.Source: Business Standard, December 8, 2015

Was interesting to read it. It is in simple and easily understandable language.By Shashikant Chopde, Senior Research Associate, ISET-I.

“I appreciate the effort you have taken for such a noble cause. I would love to see some very important issues to be taken up in the upcoming GPM issues like :1. El Nino & La Nina 2. SGDs & MGDs. Like you have written By Varenya Mehta, Environmental Enginner, Dalmia Bharat Limited.

ExPERTS COMMENTS:


Punjab’s Crop Residue Burning Threatens South Asian Air Quality

Bengaluru: Describing Punjab as a “burning” food basket, two renowned earth

scientists warn that the outflow of air pollution arising from burning crop residues

is not only a threat to South Asian air quality but also “can modify atmospheric

chemistry and climate dynamics globally.”

“Thick smoke aerosol plumes from the burning may significantly affect atmospheric

circulation, monsoon and El Nino-Southern Oscillation systems, precipitation

patterns, glaciology and atmospheric heating over the Tibetan Plateau,” says a report

by Ramesh Singh of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Chapman

University in California and Dimitris Kaskaoutis of the School of Natural Sciences of

Shiv Nadar University at Dadri in India.

“This creates a climatic imbalance likely centered over Punjab,” Ramesh Singh, who

was earlier a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, told IANS.

Traditionally farmers of Punjab manually harvested and ploughed the fields. The

left over crop residues mixed with soil provided nutrients for the next crop a month

later. Mechanized harvesting, adopted since the late 1980s - to save time and increase

the farmers’ profits - changed all that. Now machines cut the harvest and the stalks

are burned to quickly ready the fields for the next planting, Ramesh Singh said. For

more than two decades, farmers in Punjab, a region spanning northwestern India and

eastern Pakistan, have continued the practice of burning the crop residues.

“Each year, during October and November, this extensive agricultural burning lasts

for more than three weeks,” Ramesh Singh said, adding that weather patterns, which

are typical of the post-monsoon months, “funnel the smoke to the Indo-Gangetic

Plain”. “Health risks stem from the smoke mixing with industrial pollutants such as

diesel fumes, power plant emissions and soot to form air highly concentrated with

particulate matter breathed by close to 900 million people - one eighth of the world’s

population,” the scientists said, adding that residue burning has increased sharply

over the past decade.According to the report, the only solution for this problem is to go back to manual

harvesting. They admit the remedy may be unpopular since manual harvesting

consumes more time and cuts down grain production from a given plot. “Without

this step, crop residue burning in Punjab will continue its unchecked influence on

weather, climate, and health of the people in the Indo-Gangetic Plain,” the scientists

conclude. Source: NDTV, November 05, 2015.


Fresh forest fires in Uttarakhand destroy 180 hectares of green cover

Soaring temperatures in Uttarakhand reignited forest fires in the hill state today, with nearly 180 hectares of green cover gutted in the fresh fire incidents in

Uttarkashi district. Currently 180 hectares of forest land spread over 111 places in the district are in flames, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Shridhar Babu Addanki said.“Rangers and Divisional Forest Officers have been asked to rush to the spots where fires are active and extinguish the flames as soon as possible,” he said.DFO Barkot D K Singh and DFO Purola Sandeep Kumar said there is no dearth of funds and equipment and they expect to control the blazes soon. Uttarakhand is reeling under heat wave conditions for over a week now with most places recording temperatures which are four to five degrees above normal for this time of the year, MeT director Vikram Singh. That may be one of the factors behind the fresh forest fires in parts of the state, he said advising caution.Forest fires this season, which began in February have so far destroyed nearly 4048 hectares of land in Uttarakhand in 1857 incidents. The rising trend in temperature is likely to continue for a few days more with the temperature of Dehradun which recorded a maximum of 40.2 degrees Celsius yesterday likely to hover around 41 degrees today, he said, adding there is no respite from heat likely over the next 48 hours.

Source : The Indian Express, May 18, 2016


GPM is a great initiative, providing insight into a vital issue. Reading this journal stimulates ourself to explore the ways to protect our mother earth from ever increasing greed of humanity.Dr. Kavita Singh,

Assistant Professor, Department of Environment Science, M. S. College,University of Delhi.

Dr. Kavita Singh

Global Warming a major challenge to biodiversity: DG ICFRE

Shimla, May 28 () Global warming would pose a major challenge to biodiversity and water

conservation, affecting agriculture, horticulture and forestry but its impact would be much

more in Himalayan region, Director General of Indian Council for Forestry Research and

Education (ICFRE) Ashwani Kumar said today.

“Global warming would change the cropping pattern, conservation of water would be a major

problem and agriculture yield could drop by 15 per cent,” he said while talking to mediapersons

and called for intensive research for developing and cultivating new varieties, resilient to higher

temperature and requiring less water to grow.

The DG Indian Council of He said “global warming is a slow process and so far an increase

of 1. 75 degree has been recorded but it is a continuous process and advance preparations are

required on several fronts to mitigate its negative impact.”

Intensive research and scientific study is underway for conservation and use of biodiversity and

farmers should cultivate high altitude medicinal plants which fetch handsome returns, he said

adding that one tola (10 gram) of “agarwood oils” produced in eastern Himalays sells for Rs 6

lakh in international market. Kumar said that “organic farming” has emerged as new area where

farmers are getting 200 to 250 per cent higher returns and called for creating awareness among

farmers about benefits of organic farming and setting up a laboratory for certification organic

agri produce.

The state agriculture department should collaborate with ICFRE for this purpose so that the

authenticity of the produce is established. He said the Himalayan Forestry research Institute

was working for regeneration of biodiversity in areas where natural regeneration has stopped

and has taken up projects for regeneration of deodar and some other endangered species of

plants which are on the verge of extinction. PCL RGSource : The Times of India, May 28, 2016


NGT says no to age-old practice of straw burning

Burning of agriculture remains a serious issue contributing towards global warming and the environmental pollution

Even as the winter has set in, the pollution-ravaged Capital is now battling thick smog due to stubble burning in and around it, forcing the National Green Tribunal to direct Delhi and its neighbouring States to stop the age-old practice.A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Delhi government and the four northern States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to check the bi-annual menace, which the farmers engage in to save time between sowing of wheat and rice. The tribunal also announced a fine of Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 15,000 on farmers found indulging in straw burning.The practice is followed by farmers not only to save time under the rice-wheat crop rotation to clear the land of residue of one harvest and sow the next, it is also believed that it makes the land more fertile and kill pests. In November, farmers sow crops such as wheat and vegetables. They often set fire to their fields to clear them before planting making the atmosphere in Delhi more blinding and suffocating with the smoke moving towards the city.Every year, images captured by NASA earth observatory show numerous such fires in the northern states. “The burning of agriculture remains is a serious issue contributing towards global warming and the environmental pollution. You all are putting the life of people and children at danger and they are getting sick. You cannot allow them to suffer,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said. Delhi government’s counsel D Rajeshwar Rao said “despite the states like Punjab and Haryana banning straw burning, the habit is not dying and Delhi is bearing the brunt”.The Tribunal has also directed the District magistrates to form a committee to carry out awareness programmes for farmers and villagers so as to educate them about the ill-effects of straw burning. The Bench said they should be educated by various means such as nukkad nataks, etc and if the directions are not complied with, the chief secretaries concerned would be held liable, Mr Rao informed.It is to be noted that in September, 2014, on a separate petition filed by environmentalist Vikrant Tongad, the NGT had issued strict directions against straw burning and directed the Centre and various states to draft a national policy. The Centre had then proposed giving incentives to farmers and making promoting efficient farming practices with subsidies.On Wednesday, the Tribunal was informed that the percentage of carbon monoxide in Delhi’s air has shot up and the particulate matter in Delhi stood at 460 mg per cubic metres. “Global warming is having its own effect. The month of September has been the hottest month in 136 years. Crop burning is expected to be one of the most serious contributors to pollution and the ecology, besides vehicular emission, dust and burning of other materials,” the bench said.Meanwhile, with regard to pollution caused by non-destined vehicles entering Delhi, the Haryana government informed the Bench that on an average it is diverting 600 vehicles every day from Rohtak to Bawal.

Source: The Hindu, November 05, 2015.


A) Spread the Word About Green Living:

We need to educate people about the consequences of climate change which

is directly influencing our livelihood and health. We need to educate immediate family members, friends, colleagues and neighbours about green living tips to fight climate change and make them realize that they can reduce their dependency on fossil fuels, and also help in stopping the misuse of natural resources. Educate them to properly segregate their waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable.

B) Save Energy:

We know that our country is energy-deficient and there are still thousands of villages without

electricity. The saving of one unit is equal to the production of one unit of electricity. It will not only help others to get access to power but will also save money and environment. There are several energy conservation methods which one can adopt in his daily life. For instance, change incandescent bulbs/tube light to compact fluorescents (CFL) or LED bulbs; look for the Energy Star (*) label when buying new appliances as more stars = more energy efficient; unplug the computers, TVs and other electronic devices when not in use as it will save electricity as well as increase the life of electrical equipments. Try to use natural light as much as possible.

9. What you can do!!!


C) Use Green Energy:

Renewable energy is a green source of electricity which is an important way to fight climate change. Some of the renewable energy technologies include wind energy, solar energy, small hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy. By reducing our reliance on and usage of fossil fuels, and tapping on renewable energy, not only are we helping to reduce the release of greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere, we are also helping to ensure the sustainable and uninterrupted energy supply. Install solar photovoltaic system on the roof of the house; use solar water heater for hot water in the winters and others.

D) Hop on to Public Transport:

Automobiles such as cars (especially diesel cars), motorbikes, diesel buses and trucks, are one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases into the atmosphere. It is our responsibility to reduce our usage of personal vehicles for the longevity of clean and pure environment. The best strategy to fight climate change is to encourage the use of public transport and non-polluting vehicles such as bicycle, electric motorbike and car. Using public transport is a good option instead of using own vehicle with empty seats as it is not environment friendly and encroaches on the road space of other people. If you have to use personal vehicle, then it should be eco-

friendly and fuel efficient car, and ensure that your vehicle’s engine should be in impeccable condition.

E) Farm in Organic Way:

Sustainable and organic agriculture helps to counteract climate change by restoring soil organic matter content as well as reducing soil erosion and improving upon the soil physical structure. Organic farming does not use chemical fertilizers that release substantial nitrous oxide and methane (greenhouse gases) into the environment, and as a result, neutralize the negative impacts of global warming, while at the same time maintaining the crop yields. For instance, Sikkim is the first state in India farming organically. As an individual, how to tackle climate change through organic farming is to switch to organic products. As the demand for organically grown products increases, organic farming will become more economically viable and popular.Farmers’ burn lots of agricultural waste and residue in the open which releases harmful gases into the atmosphere; we need to educate them about the detrimental effects of this practice upon the environment and land.

F) Follow 4-R Principle:

Every item we purchase and use requires energy and resources in production, packaging,


transportation, retail, and ultimately, disposal. The greenhouse gases are emitted at each step of this process. We have to think about the way we are living our life that is it environment friendly and sustainable?

If we wish to live a sustainable and green life, and leave minimal carbon footprint throughout our life, then we need to resist the culture of ‘blind’ consumerism, and instead adopt a lifestyle guided by the 4-R principle i.e. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This principle would help us in conserving resources and energy, and reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions produced, for example in the raw material extraction and disposal processes.

G) Adopt a Tree:

After all we can’t go back to the Stone Age; in the present world, we have to accept the reality that some amount of greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere. Plants and trees, the cleanest and most efficient remover of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere actually

comes free. Unfortunately, we are not sensitive about our forests and most of the emphasis is on the reckless economic growth. The rate at which we are cutting down our trees and forests to make way for human development has greatly reduced the earth’s ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This in turn, has contributed to a faster rate of global warming and climate change.

We can do our part by contributing to the plantation and reforestation efforts. Take part in your local community’s ‘plant-a-tree’ effort. Grow an organic garden of your own.

H) Be Paperless

Paper production is one of the main causes of deforestation. But if you have to, then use recycled paper. Say no to plastic and polythene bags which damage the environment, harms the animals especially cows and chokes the drainage system (which in turn, induces urban flood).


Q1. Which of these natural events affect the climate? a) Thawing permafrost b) The path of the Earth around the sun c) Volcanic eruptions d) All of the above

Q2. Which method is used to gather evidences of change in climate? a) By collecting temperature of Water on the earth b) By collecting temperature of human and animals c) By collecting pollen samples d) By collecting temperature of soil and stones

Q3. Which of the following activities contribute the most to carbon emissions globally? a) Forestry b) Energy supply c) Transport d) Agriculture

Q4. In its 2013 report, the IPCC projected warming will likely be above 1.5°C What was the “floor” in the panel’s previous projection in 2007? a) 0.9°C b) 1.4°C c) 2°C d) 2.6°C

Q5. Which of these countries has the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions? a) United States b) India c) Saudi Arabia d) China

All ideas and contributions from students/academicians are welcome. Please send your articles, paintings, photographs or illustrations related to Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency,

Renewable Agriculture, Renewable & Natural Resources, etc to us at : [email protected].

Send the correct answer along with your name, school name and address to [email protected], we will publish in the next issue of Journal.

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