GLOBAL WARMING

What is Global Warming?

• The term global warming is used to refer to the
small yet significant increase in the average
temperature of the Earth's surface as well as its
projected continuation.

• Global warming is sometimes known as

anthropogenic global warming, climate
change, or the greenhouse effect.
 Green House Gases
Greenhouse gases include -
• Water vapor
• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Ozone
• Halocarbons
• Earth's atmosphere contains certain
gases called Greenhouse Gases (mostly
water vapor and carbon dioxide) which
act to keep the lower layers of the
atmosphere warmer
 Importance of Green House Gases in
Maintaining Global Temperature.
 Greenhouse gases are needed in order to create a
life-supporting atmosphere.

 Without greenhouse gases there would be no life

on Earth.

 Most greenhouse gases occur naturally in the

atmosphere. Human activity impacts the
concentration of those gases in the atmosphere.
Water Vapor
Water vapor is the most abundant of the
greenhouse gases, and is the dominant contributor
to the natural greenhouse effect.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere
through both natural and human processes.
Natural production and absorption of carbon
dioxide is primarily through the biosphere and the
oceans via the carbon cycle.
 METHANE
 In nature, methane is released through
biological processes in low oxygen
environments, such as swamplands.

 Human activities, including growing rice, raising

cattle, using natural gas and coal mining, are
increasingly adding to the level of methane in the
atmosphere.
Nitrous Oxide

 Nitrous oxide, otherwise known as "laughing gas," is a

long-lived warming gas, persisting in the atmosphere for
approximately 120 years.
 It is produced naturally from a wide variety of
biological sources in both soil and water, particularly
microbial action in wet tropical forests.
Ozone
 Ozone is a highly reactive molecule composed of three
atoms of oxygen.
 At lower levels in the trophosphere, ozone exerts a
warming force upon the atmosphere, primarily due to
human processes.
Halocarbons

 Halocarbons are compounds of human origins

used primarily as cooling agents, propellants,
and cleaning solvents in a broad range of
applications.

 The most familiar type of halocarbons are

the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs);
 RECAP
• What is Global Warming?
• What is Green house Gases?
• What is Halocarbons?
CARBON DIOXIDE
 WHAT IS CARBONDI OXIDE?
 Carbon dioxide was the first greenhouse gas
found to be increasing in atmospheric
concentration with conclusive measurements
made in the last half of the 20th century.
Industrial carbon dioxide is produced mainly from
FIVE processes:

1. Directly from natural carbon dioxide springs, where it is

produced by the action of acidified water
on limestone .
2. As a by-product of hydrogen production plants, where
methane is converted to CO2;
3. From combustion of fossil fuels and wood
4. As a by-product of fermentation of sugar in
the brewing of beer, whisky and
other alcoholic beverages;
5. From thermal decomposition of limestone,  in the
manufacture of lime Calcium oxide
 Geological time various of Carbondi oxide
 The most widely accepted of such studies come
from a variety of Antarctic cores and indicate
that atmospheric CO2 levels were about 260 –
280 ppm immediately before industrial
emissions began and did not vary much from this
level during the preceding 10,000 years.
 List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions
Annual CO2
Rank emissions Percentage of
   Country  
(in thousands of total emissions 
metric tons)  
-
 World 28,431,741 100.0 %
1
 China 6,103,493 21.5 %
2
 United States 5,752,289 20.2 %
-
 European Union 3,914,359 13.8 %
3
 Russia 1,564,669 5.5 %
4
 India 1,510,351 5.3 %
5
 Japan 1,293,409 4.6 %
6
 Germany 805,090 2.8 %
7
 United Kingdom 568,520 2.0 %
8
 Canada 544,680 1.9 %
9
 South Korea 475,248 1.7 %
10
 Italy 474,148 11
Next topic……….
GLOBAL TEMPERATURE
 What is Global Temperature?
 The temperature over the Earth as a whole

 Climate can be contrasted to weather, which is

the present condition of these same elements
over long periods is called GLOBAL
TEMPERATURE
How Human Activities increasing the
Green Houses Gases.
 Carbon dioxide is the human-produced
greenhouse gas that contributes most of
radiative forcing from human activity.

 Carbon dioxide is produced when coal, oil, and

natural gas (fossil fuels) are burned to produce
energy used for transportation, manufacturing,
heating, cooling, electricity generation, and
other applications.
 The burning of coal, oil, and natural gas, as
well as deforestation and various agricultural
and industrial practices, are altering the
composition of the atmosphere and contributing
to climate change.

 These human activities have led to increased

atmospheric concentrations of a number of
greenhouse gases.
• Human activities have increased the
concentration of methane in the atmosphere by
about 145% above what would be present
naturally.
steam boiler
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been used in
refrigeration, air conditioning, and as solvents.
However, the production of these gases is
being eliminated under existing international
agreements because they deplete the
stratospheric ozone layer.
 Human activities, such as the burning of fossil
fuels and changes in land use, have increased
the abundance of small particles in the
atmosphere.

 These particles can change the amount of

energy that is absorbed and reflected by the
atmosphere.
 RECAP
• What is Global Temperature?
• How atmospheric concentration is
increasing
How Global temperature Affecting the
following categories
 Biomes Shifting.

 Change in location of crop growing areas

 Change in weather patterns.

 Human health
January/February
Formative February Summative

• Date : 14.02.2014
• Date : 7.02.2014
• Syllabus: Global
• Syallabus:Pollution
Warming
Management
• Marks :50
• Marks :40
• Format :Paper 1 &2
• Format :Paper 2
BIOME SHIFTING
 Shifts in plant species and biome distribution
in response to warming have been described in
past climate changes.

 The progressively warmer conditions,

complemented by the land use changes are the
apparent causes, providing a paradigmatic
example of global change affecting
distributions of plant species and biomes.
 In comparison to the present day, this history has
seen Earth as cooler, warmer, drier and wetter,
and CO concentrations have been both higher
and lower.

 These changes have been reflected by constantly

shifting vegetation.
 Increases in temperature raise the rate of many
physiological processes such as photosynthesis
in plants, to an upper limit.

 Extreme temperatures can be harmful when

beyond the physiological limits of a plant.

 Increased temperatures may allow herbivores to

expand further into alpine regions, significant
impacting the composition of alpine herbfields
 Many marine mammal species require specific
temperature ranges in which they must live.

 The warming of the ocean will cause changes in

species ranges.

 Those species that cannot relocate due to some

barrier will be forced to adapt to the increasingly
warming sea waters or else risk going extinct.
 Rises in sea level affect coastal habitat and the
species.
 Changes in temperature ranges will also change
the location of areas with high primary
productivity.
 These areas are important to marine mammals
because primary producers are the food source
of marine mammal prey or are the marine
mammal prey themselves.
 Migration of migrating marine mammals may
also be affected by the changes in primary
productivity.
Change in Location of
Crop Grown areas
 Global warming is projected to have significant
impacts on conditions affecting agriculture, including
temperature, carbon dioxide.

 The effect of climate on agriculture is related to

variability in local climates rather than in global
climate patterns.

 A study published in Science suggest that, due to

climate change, "southern Africa could lose more than
30% of its main crop, maize, by 2030. In South Asia
losses of many regional staples, such as rice, millet
and maize could top 10%
Now the Quest for you
The greenhouse effect was discovered by
Joseph Fourier in 1824.

Joseph Fourier
 In the long run, the climatic change could affect agriculture in several
ways :

 Productivity, in terms of quantity and quality of

crops
 Agricultural practices, through changes of water use
(irrigation) and agricultural inputs such as
herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers.
 Environmental effects, in particular in relation of
frequency and intensity of soil drainage (leading to
nitrogen leaching), soil erosion, reduction of crop
diversity.
 Rural space, through the loss and gain of cultivated
lands.
 Sea levels are expected to get up to one meter
higher by 2100, though this projection is
disputed.

 A rise in the sea level would result in an

agricultural land loss, in particular in areas such
as South East Asia.

 Erosion, submergence of shorelines, salinity of

the water table due to the increased sea levels
CHANGING WEATHER
PATTERN
 Changing in Weather Pattern
 Based on future projections of climate change,
the IPCC report makes a number of predictions.
It is likely that:
 Increased areas will be affected by drought
 There will be increased intense tropical cyclone
activity.
 There will be increased incidences of extreme
high sea level (excluding tsunamis) .
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a
scientific intergovernmental body tasked with reviewing and assessing the most recent
scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the
understanding of climate change
Rajendra Kumar Pachauri (born 20 August 1940) has served as the chair of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 2002
 Storm strength leading to extreme weather is
increasing, such as the power dissipation index
of hurricane intensity.

 Over the course of the 20th century, evaporation

rates have reduced worldwide this is thought by
many to be explained by global dimming.

 Scientists have found evidence that increased

evaporation could result in more extreme
weather as global warming progresses.
 According to a UN climate report, the
Himalayan glaciers that are the sources of Asia's
biggest rivers—Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra,
Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and Yellow—could
disappear by 2035 as temperatures rise.
 India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and
Myanmar could experience floods followed by
droughts in coming decades.
 In India alone, the Ganges provides water for
drinking and farming for more than 500 million
people.
Impact of Human Health
 Human Health
 Climate change currently contributes to the
burden of disease and premature deaths.
 Economic development will affect how
effective adaptation to climate change will be.
According to the IPCC report, it is likely that:
 The balance of positive and negative health
impacts will vary from one location to another.
 Adverse health impacts will be greatest in low-
income countries.
 The negative health impacts of climate change
will outweigh the benefits, especially in
developing countries.

 Some examples of negative health impacts

include increased malnutrition, increased
deaths, disease and injury due to heatwaves,
floods, storms, fires and droughts, and increased
frequency of cardiorespiratory diseases.
 Global warming may extend the favourable
zones for vectors conveying infectious disease
such as dengue fever, West Nile Virus, and
malaria.
.
 The World Health Organisation (WHO) says
global warming could lead to a major increase in
insect-borne diseases in Britain and Europe, as
northern Europe becomes warmer, ticks—which
carry encephalitis and lyme disease—and
sandflies—which carry visceral leishmaniasis—
are likely to move in.
WHO Headquarters in Geneva
• 6.1.5-Discuss the feedback mechanisms
that would be associated with an increase
in mean global temperature.
 Climate change feedback
• Climate change feedback is important in the
understanding of global warming because feedback
processes may amplify the effect of each climate
forcing, and so play an important part in determining
the overall climate sensitivity. 

• Feedback in general is the process in which changing

one quantity changes a second quantity, and the
change in the second quantity in turn changes the
first. 
What is Positive feedback Mechanism?

• A positive feedback loop or mechanism is

when an action causes a reaction, and the
reaction causes more of the action, which
in turn causes more reaction, and so forth.
 Example
• An example might be a teacher who assumes that a child is
intelligent, and so treats that child as though he is intelligent.
• The child then acts intelligently because of the way he is treated.
• This reinforces the teacher’s belief that the child is intelligent, so
she acts on this belief with even more conviction, so the child
responds even more and so fort
• Examples of positive feedback subsystems in
climatology include:

• A warmer atmosphere will melt ice and this

changes the albedo which further warms the
atmosphere.
• Methane hydrates can be unstable so that a
warming ocean could release more methane,
which is also a greenhouse gas.
 Positive feedback Mechanisms
• One of the positive feedback mechanisms already
affecting global warming is due to the fact that
when the atmosphere is warm, it holds more water
vapor, which is considered to be a greenhouse gas.
• As more water vapor is held in the atmosphere,
the temperature increases due to its influence, and
the increase in temperature allows even more
water vapor to be held in the atmosphere
• Another mechanism involves the Amazonian
Rainforest.
• As average global temperatures rise, the area
containing the forest will become more and more
vulnerable to heat waves, droughts, and ultimately
fire.
• As the forest burns, it will release carbon into the
atmosphere, causing higher temperatures and so
forth. In addition, the carbon dioxide absorbing
capacity of the trees will be lost.
• One of the more serious reasons is their role in a positive
feedback mechanism.
• Polar ice has a high “albedo”, or reflection rate, and helps
to reflect the sun’s rays back into space.
• The albedo of ocean water is much lower, so it absorbs the
rays, trapping the heat. So, the more ice that melts, the
more sea water is exposed, and the less sunlight is
reflected, causing temperatures to rise, and causing more
ice to melt.
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
 What is ALBEDO?
• Albedo is the fraction of solar energy (shortwave
radiation) reflected from the Earth back into space.
• It is a measure of the reflectivity of the earth's
surface. Ice, especially with snow on top of it, has a
high albedo: most sunlight hitting the surface
bounces back towards space.
• Water is much more absorbent and less reflective.
• So, if there is a lot of water, more solar radiation is
absorbed by the ocean than when ice dominates.
 Increase in temperature

An increase in evaporation in the tropics

To increase in water vapour in atmosphere

Increase snow fall at the poles

Increase in albedo and reflection of light & heat

Increase in temperature of the earth

•  The water vapor feedback.  Warming
atmosphere can hold larger amounts of water
vapor. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas,
this leads to further warming: a Positive
Feedback

•  Warmer atmosphere produces

more low clouds. The primary impact of low
clouds is to reflect more radiation out to space:
aNegative Feedback
 Negative feedback
• Negative feedback—increased evaporation in tropical
latitudes leading to increased snowfall on the polar ice
caps, which increases the mean global temperature
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
 Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)
 Any Special……
Related to Environment…..
 The Time magazine has come out with its list of
Heroes of the Environment that includes two Indians
Mike Pandey Dr.Bandeshwar Pathak
Scientists and Innovators
Wild life Documentary Maker
January/February
Formative February Summative

• Date : 14.02.2014
• Date : 7.02.2014
• Syllabus: Global
• Syallabus:Pollution
Warming
Management
• Marks :50
• Marks :40
• Format :Paper 1 &2
• Format :Paper 2
STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
THE
GLOBAL WARMING
• MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE
1. Mitigation
2. Geoengineering
3. Adaptation
 What is Mitigation?
• Preventive measures to reduce anthropogenic
emissions of known GHGs
CARBON TAXES:
• Require emitters to pay a fee for every tone of
GHG emitted.
• Already implemented in several countries e.g.
Sweden and India
CARBON TRADING:
• Countries or companies emitting above the
target level can buy carbon storage credits
from clean developments. Schemes exist under
Kyoto & Copenhagen accord
CAP & TRADE:
• Permits to pollute above certain levels are sol
on the free market, any organisation that is
under allocation can make profit by selling the
extra permits
LIFE STYLE CHANGES:
• Individual actions to reduce climate
change including choices of transport,
energy use and consumers goods and
services
 GEOENGINEERING
• Manipulating environmental systems on a
global scale to reduce incoming solar
radiation or the green house effect
SOLAR RADIATION MANAGEMENT:
• For example by releasing atmospheric
sulphates on a scale equivalent to large
volcanic eruption or cloud seeding using
sea water
CARBON DIOXIDE REDUCTION
• Development of technologies to extract
GHG from the atmosphere and store them
 ADAPTATION
• Changes society can make to deal
with the adverse effects of climate
change
BUILDING DESIGN:
• Improved air conditioning and circulation in
buildings in the temperature zone
EMERGING DIESEASES:
• Monitoring and control of spreading tropical
diseases
COASTAL MANAGEMENT:
• Improved sea defences or managed retreat
from low lying coastal areas
International political frameworks
United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change
 What is UNFCCC?
• The United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) is
an international environmental treaty produced
at the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED),
informally known as the Earth Summit, held in
Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.
 When it was opened?
• The UNFCCC was opened for signature at the
1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED)
conference in Rio de Janeiro (known by its
popular title, the Earth Summit).
• On June 12, 1992, 154 nations signed the
UNFCCC, that upon ratification committed
signatories' governments to a voluntary "non-
binding aim" to reduce atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases
• On June 12, 1992, 154 nations signed the
UNFCCC, that upon ratification committed
signatories' governments to a voluntary "non-
binding aim" to reduce atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases
 What is their Aim?
• The treaty is aimed at stabilizing greenhouse
gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level
that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system.
 What is Kyoto Protocol
• The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the
United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), an
international environmental treaty.
• With the goal of achieving "stabilization of
greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
climate system.
 What is the aim of Kyoto Protocol?

• The aim is the primary international policy

framework currently in existence is the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), specifically the Kyoto
Protocol, which sets emissions limits for many
of the world's most economically developed
nations.
 When was it formed?
• I t was initially adopted for use on 11
December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and which
entered into force on 16 February 2005.

• Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized

countries agreed to reduce their collective
green house gas (GHG) emissions by 5.2%
from the level in 1990.
 When it was came to force ?
• The treaty was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan in
December 1997, opened for signature on 16
March 1998, and closed on 15 March 1999.
The agreement came into force on 16 February
2005 following ratification by Russia on 18
November 2004.
• As of 14 January 2009, a total of 183 countries
and one regional economic organization have
ratified the agreement.
 What is there main focus?
• The Kyoto Protocol focus is legally binding
commitment for the reduction of four
greenhouse gases i.e. Carbon dioxide,
Methane, Nitrous oxide, Sulphur hexafluoride

• And two groups of gases i.e. Hydro

fluorocarbons and Perfluorocarbons)
 What is there Objective?
• The objective is the "stabilization and
reconstruction of greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a
level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the
climate system.
 What are their Principles?
 Commitments to reduce greenhouse gases .
 Implementation to meet the Protocol
objectives, to prepare policies and measures
which reduce greenhouse gases.
 Minimizing impacts on developing countries
by establishing an adaptation fund for climate
change.
 Accounting, reporting and review to ensure
the integrity of the Protocol.
 What is Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change?
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) is a scientific intergovernmental
body[ tasked to evaluate the risk of climate
change caused by human activity.

• The panel was established in 1988 by the World

Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the
United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), two organizations of the United Nations
 What is there AIM?
• The principles of the IPCC operation[4are
assigned by the relevant WMO Executive
Council and UNEP Governing Council
resolutions and decisions as well as on actions
in support of the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change process.
 less economically developed countries

• A country with low levels of economic

development. Indicators of lack of
development include high birth, death, and
infant mortality rates
• more than 50% of the workforce in
agriculture; and with low levels of nutrition,
• secondary schooling,
 more economically
developed countries
• A country with high levels of economic
development.
• Indicators of development include low birth,
death, and infant mortality rates
• less than 10% of the workforce in agriculture;
and high levels of nutrition,