GLOBAL WARMING

• 6.1.1 Describe the role of greenhouse gases

in maintaining global temperatures
 What is Global Warming?
• A gradual increase in the overall temperature
of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed
to the greenhouse effect caused by increased
levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other
pollutants..

• Global warming is sometimes known as

anthropogenic global warming.
• 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
 Green House Gases
Greenhouse gases include -
• Water vapor
• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Ozone
• Halocarbons
• Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse
effect. Increased concentrations of them
can lead to global warming.
• The long-wave radiation warms the planet.
• The greenhouse effect is a normal and
necessary condition for life on Earth.
 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.
 What is Propellants?
• In rockets and aircraft, propellants are used
to produce a gas that can be directed through
a nozzle, thereby producing thrust
• In rockets, rocket propellant produces an
exhaust, and the exhausted material is usually
expelled under pressure through a nozzle.
• The exhaust material may be a gas, liquid
&plasma,
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);
• Current changes in carbon dioxide levels
• Levels of carbon dioxide are currently rising
and the increase is thought to be mainly due to
human activities.

• Carbon dioxide levels have risen from 280

ppm in 1850 to over 400 ppm today.

• This is a significant rise in 160 years.

Atmospheric temperatures have been rising
over this same period.
 RECAP
• What is Global Warming?
• What is Green house Gases?
• What is Halocarbons?
• 6.1.2 Describe how human activities add to
greenhouse gases
How does deforestation cause global
warming?
• 1) the "slash and burn" technique used to
clear the forest releases carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere, and

• 2) Destruction of living trees reduces the

amount of photosynthesis, a process that
removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
and stores it in the plants as carbon.
Human activity 1: Carbon dioxide production
• The increase in carbon dioxide levels is due
to human activities – burning fossil fuels
(coal, oil, and natural gas) and
deforestation.

• Deforestation of the tropical rainforest is a

double blow – not only does it increase
atmospheric CO levels, it removes the trees
that convert CO2 into oxygen.
 List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions-2013
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
What is Anaerobic decomposition?
• Anaerobic digestion is a collection of
processes by which microorganisms break
down biodegradable material in the absence
of oxygen.

• The process is used for industrial or

domestic purposes to manage waste and/or
to produce fuels
 Wetland methane emissions
• Wetlands are characterized by water-logged soils
and distinctive communities of plant and animal
species that have evolved and adapted to the
constant presence of water.

• Due to this high level of water as well as warm

weather, wetlands are one of the most significant
natural sources of atmospheric methane.

• Wetlands are the ideal anaerobic, or oxygen poor,

environments for fermentation which releases
the methane from the bacteria
• Rice is grown very widely and rates of
methane emission may vary greatly between
different areas.
• Differences in average temperature, water
depth and the length of time that the rice
paddy soil is waterlogged can all result in big
regional variations.
• On average, the rice paddy soil is only fully
waterlogged for about 4 months each year.
• lant material breaks down in anaerobic
(without oxygen) conditions (such as in a
submerged paddy field), CH4 (methane) is
produced rather than CO2. Indeed, not much
CO2 can be produced because oxygen (say,
from the atmosphere) is needed for its
production.
 Human activity 2: Methane production

• Methane is the second largest contributor to global

warming, and is increasing at a rate of 1 per cent per
annum.
• It is estimated that cattle convert up to 10 per cent of
the food they eat into methane, and emit 100 million
tonnes of methane into the atmosphere each year.
• Natural wetland and paddy fields are another
important source – paddy fields emit up to 150
million tonnes of methane annually.
• As global warming increases, bogs trapped in
permafrost will melt and release vast quantities of
methane.
 , bogs
an area of wet muddy ground that is too soft to support a heavy body.
a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing
point throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions
Reasons for the changes in levels of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

• There are various explanations for the trend

of temperature increase of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere
• Industrialization and the pollution from
fossil fuels that release, among other gases,
• Carbon dioxide
• Deforestation of rainforest areas •
• Volcanic activity
• Sunspot activity.
6.1.3 Discuss qualitatively the potential effects
of increased mean 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
• There are many potential impacts of increased
mean global temperature.

• These include some impacts on the natural

environment and some impacts on the human
environment.
• Potential effects on the natural environment
include the distribution of biomes and changes
to weather patterns.
• Potential effects on the human environment
include changes to global agriculture and the
spread of tropical diseases.
1. Changes in biotic components of
ecosystems
2. Changes in location of crop-growing areas
3. Coastal flooding
4. The impact on human health
5. Changes in weather patterns
• One impact of increased mean global
temperatures is biome shifting. This means
that biomes could shift by latitude or by
altitude
• Alpine (mountain) species are particularly at
risk, because altitude boundaries of various
zones may move up the mountain.
• There may be some loss of species diversity
as species unable to adapt or with limited
scope for shifting may become extinct.
• Animals can migrate but plants shift their
range more slowly.
 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.
Changes in location of crop-growing areas

• There may be an increase in primary

productivity in some areas as a result of
global warming.

• Shifting biomes mean crop-growing areas

will shift. Scientists project a northward
shift of wheat-growing areas in North
America
• As some areas become warmer and drier,
the increased temperature could affect crop
production, hence affecting food supply,
leading to increased conflict over water or
food
 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.
 Coastal flooding

• Coastal flooding will occur as global

warming leads to thermal expansion of
water and melting of glacier and ice cap
sheets.

• These effects contribute to a rise in sea

level. This rise could have many impacts,
such as increased coastal erosion.
• The harmful presence of rising amounts of
salt water could cause the contamination of
soils and the fall of agricultural production
• Ecosystems could also be affected.
• Coastal flooding could cause a reduction in
the area of mangrove forests.
• It could also prevent coral reefs from
obtaining enough light
 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.
 The impact on human health
• Global warming can have different impacts on
human health.
• More mosquitoes may cause diseases due to an
increase in temperature allowing the
mosquitoes’ range to increase.
• Changes in distribution of organisms may cause
new diseases to occur in an area.
• The risk of heat stroke will increase in a warmer
world. The harmful presence of rising amounts
of salt water and a fall in food production could
lead to hunger and malnutrition.
 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.
WHO Headquarters in Geneva
 Changes in weather patterns

• Researchers have considered the effect of a

doubling of CO from the 270 ppm in pre-industrial
times to 540 ppm.
• They believe this will lead to an increase of
temperatures by about 2°C. Increased warming is
likely to be greater at the poles rather than at the
Equator.
• There are also likely to be changes to prevailing
winds and to precipitation patterns. Continental
areas will become drier
• Changes in biotic components of ecosystems
• Changes in location of crop-growing areas
• Coastal flooding
• The impact on human health
• Changes in weather patterns
• 6.1.4 Discuss the feedback mechanisms that
would be associated with an increase in
mean global temperature
 3 RULES
• Full concentration
• Need to understand the concept
• Hold on your doubts
 What is FEEDBACK?
• Feedback occurs when part of the output from
a system returns as input , in order to influence
later outputs.
• This is also called FEEDBACK LOOP

FEEDBACK

PROCESS OUTPUT
INPUT
Positive and Negative
Feedback
 Negative feedback systems
Walking in hot sun, temperature rises

ONE ACTION IS INCREASING

Body will lose heat

ONE ACTION IS DECREASING

 Negative feedback systems
• Negative feedback systems include a sequence
of events that will cause an effect that is in the
opposite direction to the original stimulus and
thereby brings the system back to its
equilibrium position.
POSTIVE FEEDBACK
poverty
Positive feedback

Poor standards of education

Absence of family planning

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.
 What is 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. 
 2 concepts
1. Thawing(melting) Permafrost

2. Albedo
Concept 1
• What is thawing(melting) Permafrost?
• Permafrost refers to a layer of soil or rock that is frozen
all year round.
• Permafrost is found throughout much of Alaska, parts of
Canada, and other countries in the far north.
• You might think a place with permafrost would be
barren, but plants can still grow in the soil at the
surface, which is not frozen during warmer parts of the
year.
• However, there may be a thick layer of permafrost
underneath.
• As air temperature rises, so does the temperature of the
ground, which can cause permafrost to thaw (or melt).
 Why does it matter?
• When permafrost melts, the land above it
sinks or changes shape.
• Sinking land can damage buildings and
infrastructure such as roads, airports, and
water and sewer pipes.
• It also affects ecosystems.
A thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing
point throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions
Concept 2
 What is Albedo effect?
• Albedo is a measure of the reflectivity of a
surface.

• The albedo effect when applied to the Earth

is a measure of how much of the Sun's
energy is reflected back into space
 ALBEDO & GLOBAL WARMING
• Albedo is the fraction of solar energy (shortwave
radiation) reflected from the Earth back into
space.
• 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.
• The ice-albedo feedback.
• Surface of the Earth has less snow/ice as it
warms, leading to less reflection and greater
absorption of incoming solar radiation: a
Positive Feedback
 EXAMPLES OF POSTIVE FEEDBACK IN
GLOBAL WARMING
• Example -1- Increased thawing of
permafrost.

• Example-2 :- Warmer atmosphere will melt

ice.

• Example 3- Increases the surface water to

evaporate
• Example -1
• In contrast, positive feedback may involve
increased thawing of permafrost, leading to
an increase in methane gas levels, which
increases the mean global temperature.

• As methane is a greenhouse gas, it has the

potential to increase temperatures, thereby
reinforcing the rise in temperature
• Example-2 :

• A warmer atmosphere will melt ice and this

changes the albedo which further warms the
atmosphere.
Less sunlight reflect back to
the space
• Example 3-
• One of the positive feedback mechanisms already affecting
global warming is due to the fact that when the atmosphere is
warm, it increases the surface water to evaporate and 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
Any doubts?
• 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
 Negative feedback systems
• Negative feedback systems include a sequence
of events that will cause an effect that is in the
opposite direction to the original stimulus and
thereby brings the system back to its
equilibrium position.
 2 concept
• Tropical latitudes

• Low clouds
 What is tropical latitudes ?
• The tropics is a region of the Earth
surrounding the Equator.
• It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of
Cancer in the northern hemisphere and the
Tropic of Capricorn in the southern
hemisphere.
 What is Low clouds?
• Low-level clouds - cumulus, cumulonimbus,
stratocumulus and stratus.

• The bases of these clouds are usually found

at below 2000-6,500 ft.

• It has high reflectivity

•  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:
a Negative Feedback
• Warmer atmosphere produces more low
clouds.
• The primary impact of low clouds is to
reflect more radiation out to space: a
Negative Feedback
Not required---What is Negative Feedback?

• Negative feedback may involve increased

evaporation in tropical latitudes leading to
increased snowfall on the polar ice caps.
• The surface of snow and ice is very reflective,
so the albedo is increased.
• Increased reflectivity reduces the amount of
solar radiation received and so lowers
temperatures. This is shown in the diagram
below
 Increase in temperature

An increase in evaporation in the tropics

To increase in water vapour in atmosphere

Increase snow melting at the poles

Increase in temperature of the earth

 Negative feedback
• Negative feedback—increased evaporation in tropical
latitudes leading to increased snowfall on the polar ice
caps, which increases the mean global temperature
• 6.1.5 Describe and evaluate pollution-
management strategies to address the issue
of global warming
 Strategy 1: 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.
 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.
 Strategy 2: Carbon taxes
• Some countries have introduced carbon
taxes to encourage producers to reduce
emissions of carbon dioxide.
• These tax the burning of fossil fuels in
proportion to how much carbon they
contain. Britain has a tax on emissions.
• It is one of the few EU countries where
carbon emissions have fallen and the
country should meet its target of a 20 per
cent cut in emissions
CARBON TAXES:
• Require emitters to pay a fee for every tone of
GHG emitted.
• Already implemented in several countries e.g.
Sweden and India
 Strategy 3: Carbon trading

• Carbon trading is an attempt to create a market

in which permits issued by governments to emit
carbon dioxide can be traded.
• Governments set targets for the amount of
carbon dioxide that can be emitted by industries.
• Companies that go over the limit are forced to
buy permits from others that do not. It is
working, but not very well. Critics argue that the
targets are too generous.
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
 Strategy 4: Alternative energy sources

• The use of alternative energy sources would reduce

emissions of carbon dioxide.
• These sources include hydroelectric power and
solar power.
• They do not produce carbon dioxide when they are
operating, although carbon dioxide is released
when building the facilities.
• Alternative energy sources cannot be built
everywhere, but require the right climate and
topography.
Strategy 5: Individuals’ reductions in
greenhouse gases
• Choose energy-efficient products (for
example, energy-saving light bulbs) •
• Reduce their heating – weather-proof their
homes
• Unplug appliances when not in use
• Turn off lights where electricity is
generated by fossil-fuel combustion reduce
the use of air conditioning and refrigerants
•  Use public transport
• Eat lower down the food chain (vegetables
rather than meat) •
• Buy organic food (not produced using
harmful chemicals).
 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.
• 6.1.6 Outline the arguments
surrounding global warming
• Global warming-

• Many people believe that scientific data proves that the

climate is warming.
• They state that scientific data shows that carbon dioxide
levels and greenhouse gas levels are increasing.
• Moreover, data from a wide variety of sources and times
indicates warming.
• They stress that human activities and/or fossil fuel
combustion are known to increase carbon dioxide levels.
• The rapid rate of increase in carbon dioxide since
industrialization implies a human link.
• They also argue that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases are known to impact global temperatures. Therefore it
is likely that human activities are resulting in global climate
change.
 Global warming sceptics
• Some people sceptically claim that natural fluctuations
occur so that the current increase in temperature
could be due to short-term changes.
• They claim that the only technologically verifiable data
we have has been collected over a short period of time.
• Moreover, they also state that other aspects of climate
change are not all fully understood.
• Current carbon dioxide levels and global temperature
fluctuations are moderate compared to geologic
history. Therefore it is not conclusive that humans are
causing global climate change.
 Global dimming
• Global dimming refers to a reduction in global
temperatures as a result of pollution. Aerosols
are highly reflective and reflect solar energy.
• This blocks some of the solar energy from entering
the lower atmosphere, which has a cooling effect.
• Air pollution has a similar impact.
• It is possible that global dimming has slowed
down global warming.
• Scientists showed that from the 1950s to the early
1990s, the level of solar energy reaching the
Earth’s surface had dropped due to high levels of
pollution at that time.
 IA Count Down Begins
Last 9 Days left………………………….

k.kumar@pathways.in
• 6.1.7 Evaluate contrasting human
perceptions of the issue of global warming
 3 VIEWS
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 Perceptions of global warming issues

• Some parts of the world will experience more rainfall, which

will improve farming.
• Trade may benefit from new routes opening up as ice sheets
melt, for example the north-west passage between the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
• Tourist revenue from warmer locations may increase.
• Most scientists are now convinced that there is a causal link
between carbon dioxide levels and global temperature
change.
• Some still argue that relationships are more complex and that
the effects of global warming remain unclear. Some claim that
current changes are part of wider patterns of natural
fluctuation.
 Advantages of Global Warming
• Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia, and other frozen
regions of earth may experience more plant
growth.
• Less ice in the polar regions has opened up
the possibility of oil and mineral extraction
• Less need for energy consumption to warm
cold places.
• Fewer deaths or injuries due to cold weather
• Increased Interest in Alternative Energy
• Increased wildlife habitat, provided migratory
pathways to new locations
• Increased agricultural productivity & land
(more rain)
• Some crop species grow better in warmer
conditions and this has raised productivity
yields. 

•  Warmer temperatures are more conducive to

certain species of plants and animals 
• Refer notes for more information
 Who is Al Gore?
• "Al" Gore, Jr is an American politician,
advocate and philanthropist, who
served as the 45th Vice President of the
United States (1993–2001), under
President Bill Clinton.
 Why Al gore is famous?
• Gore won the Academy Award-winning
(2007) documentary An Inconvenient
Truth in 2006
• Gore has received a number of awards
including the Nobel Peace Prize (joint award
with the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change) (2007), a Grammy Award
for Best Spoken Word Album (2009) for his
book An Inconvenient Truth.
 An Inconvenient Truth
• An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 Academy
Award winning documentary film directed
by Davis Guggenheim about former United
States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to
educate citizens about global warming via a
comprehensive slide show that, by his own
estimate made in the film, he has given more
than a thousand times.
Contrasting perceptions of global
warming
• The former US Vice President Al Gore won
the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize ‘for efforts to
build up and disseminate greater knowledge
about man-made climate change’. In his
book, An Inconvenient Truth, he states:
• Our climate crisis may at times appear to be happening
slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly – and has
become a true planetary emergency. T
• he Chinese expression for crisis consists of two
characters.
• The first is a symbol for danger; the second is a symbol
for opportunity.
• In order to face down the danger that is stalking us and
move through it, we first have to recognize that we are
facing a crisis.
 Who is Bjørn Lomborg?

• Bjørn Lomborg is the director of the

Copenhagen Consensus Centre and a former
director of the Environmental Assessment
Institute in Copenhagen.
• He became internationally known for his
best-selling and controversial book The
Skeptical Environmentalist (2001).
What is Copenhagen Consensus?
• Copenhagen Consensus is a project that
seeks to establish priorities for advancing
global welfare using methodologies based
on the theory of welfare economics.
 What is The Skeptical Environmentalist book?
• The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State
of the World is a book by Danish environmentalist author
Bjørn Lomborg, controversial for its claims that
overpopulation,
• Declining energy resources,
• Deforestation,
• Species loss,
• Water shortages,
• Certain aspects of global warming,
• and an assortment of other global environmental issues
are unsupported by analysis of the relevant data.
• It was first published in Danish in 1998
 Bjørn Lomborg-Point of view

• He argues that many of the problems are localized and related

to poverty rather than being of global proportions.
• He accepts that human activity has added to global temperature
increases.
• He outlines a number of uncertainties and some weaknesses in
the collection of data worldwide.
• He also believes that the Kyoto Protocol and various carbon
taxes are among the least efficient ways of dealing with global
warming.
• Instead, he argues that a global cost–benefit analysis should be
carried out before deciding on how to deal with global
warming.
 What is Stern Report?

• The Stern Review on the Economics of

Climate Change is a 700-page report
released for the British government on 30
October 2006 by economist Nicholas Stern
• The report by Sir Nicholas Stern analysing
the financial implications of climate change
has a simple message:
• Climate change is changing the planet.

• The risks that exist from not taking any

action are high • time is running out
• The report states that climate change is a
threat to the world economy and it will be
cheaper to address the problem than to deal
with the consequences.

• The global warming argument had seemed

to be a straight disagreement between the
scientific case to act and the economic case
not to.
 The main points of the Stern Report

• Carbon emissions have already increased global

temperatures by more than 0.5°C
• With no action to cut greenhouse gases, the world
will warm by 2–3°C within 50 years
• Temperature rise will change the physical
geography of the planet and the way humans live
• Natural hazards and water shortages will become
more frequent The poorest countries will suffer
earliest and most.
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
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.