Goenka College of Commerce

and Business Administration

Environmental Studies Project

Topic : Climate Change

By - Khushnuma Praveen
Roll no. - 415
Introduction

Climate describes the weather conditions that are expected in a region at a

particular time of year. A region’s climate is determined by observing its
weather over a period of many years—generally 30 years or more.
Climate change describes a change in the average conditions — such as
temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long period of time. Global
climate change refers to the average long-term changes over the entire
Earth. For example, 20,000 years ago, much of the United States was
covered in glaciers. In the United States today, we have a warmer climate
and fewer glaciers.

Earth’s climate has constantly been changing — even long before humans
came into the picture. However, scientists have observed unusual changes
recently. For example, Earth’s average temperature has been increasing
much more quickly than they would expect over the past 150 years.

There are lots of factors that contribute to Earth’s climate. However,

scientists agree that Earth has been getting warmer in the past 50 to 100
years due to human activities - such as burning fuel to power factories,
cars and buses - are changing the natural greenhouse. These changes cause
the atmosphere to trap more heat than it used to, leading to a warmer
Earth.

It has led to extreme polar and glacial ice melt, rising sea levels,
widespread reduction in biodiversity, and changes in extreme weather
events like fires, flooding, storms and heat waves.

Over the past decades, climate change has caused a variety of effects on
human and natural systems on all continents; as global warming increases,
over the next few years other impacts are expected in the short term. Many
terrestrial, freshwater and marine species have shifted their geographic
ranges and migratory habits in response to climate change.
The speed of current climate change is higher than in the past, making it
more difficult for species to adapt; for this reason it is expected that global
warming will be a very important element in the increasing extinction rate
of living species.
In many regions of the planet, changes in rainfall, snowfall or the
consistency of alpine glaciers are causing changes to the hydrological
systems, impacting on the quality and quantity of water resources. Glaciers
have shrunk across almost the entire planet while the seasonal summer
decline of Arctic sea ice is increasing.
For human societies, the impact of climate change generally worsens
existing critical situations (poverty, lack of food, poor land management,
migration due to wars, etc.), affecting the poorest and most vulnerable
people in particular.
Specifically, extreme events such as heat waves, droughts and storms have
already shown a direct impact on living conditions, through floods, forest
fires, the decrease in agricultural yields and the destruction of housing and
infrastructure.
However, other more indirect consequences include rising food prices and
migration. Further global warming increases the likelihood of severe,
widespread and irreversible effects. Given the officially acknowledged
increase in global temperature (on average approximately 1°C higher than
pre-industrial levels) other consequences are inevitable, with the
temperature predicted to rise by an additional degree in the medium term,
i.e. over the next few decades.
Without serious action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the global
average temperature may rise by 4°C or more, resulting in severe and
widespread impacts on the most fragile ecosystems, a substantial reduction
of biodiversity, and significant threats to global food security in many
densely populated regions. The combined effect of high temperatures and
humidity can make it difficult to carry out many normal human activities,
such as working outdoors, in some areas and seasons.
The future impact of climate change will vary greatly depending on the
region; effects will not be distributed equally or uniformly due to a number
of different factors, one example being that some low coastal areas and
small islands in the Pacific will suffer greater effects from rising sea levels.
However, it isn’t just a question of geography; richer countries will be less
vulnerable to damage and better able to take advantage of any potential
benefits, because these areas are typically less densely populated and have
more resources to invest in prevention and adaptation. In contrast, the
poorest countries will be hit harder, since they rely more directly on local
agricultural production and are therefore more vulnerable to the effects of
changing temperatures and hydrological cycles.

The above graph shows global temperatures from 1860 to 2015. The data
used came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).
The basic science is straightforward. Climate researchers have shown that
gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and others can trap heat in the
Earth’s atmosphere – a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect.
Human activities such as industry, transport, energy generation and
deforestation all produce these greenhouse gases. The total concentration
of these gases has risen greatly since the start of the Industrial Revolution
in Europe and the average global temperature has also risen over that time
period.
Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also
extreme weather reliefs, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising
sea level, and a range of other impacts.
Global Warming :
Global warming is the slow increase in the average temperature of the
earth’s atmosphere because an increased amount of the energy (heat)
striking the earth from the sun is being trapped in the atmosphere and not
radiated out into space.

Global warming is the temperature of Earth's surface, oceans and

atmosphere going up over tens of years. Average temperatures today are
about 1 °C (1.8 °F) higher than before the Industrial Revolution, which
started around 1750. But in some parts of the world it is less than this and
some more. Natural events and human activities are believed to be
contributing to an increase in average global temperatures. This is caused
primarily by increases in greenhouse gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2).

Ten indicators for a warming world, NOAA, July 28, 2010

 • Cause of Global Warming:
Global warming is an aspect of climate change, referring to the long-term
rise of the planet's temperatures. It is caused by increased concentrations of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly from human activities such as
burning fossil fuels, and farming.

1. Burning fossil fuels -

When we burn fossil fuels like coal, and gas to create electricity or power
our cars, we release CO2 pollution into the atmosphere. CO2 is a
greenhouse gas which absorbs heat, resulting in temperature rise.

2. Deforestation & Tree-Clearing -

Plants and trees play an important role in regulating the climate because
they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back into it.
Forests and bushland act as carbon sinks.
But humans clear vast areas of vegetation around the world for
farming,urban and infrastructure development or to sell tree products such
as timber and palm oil. When vegetation is removed or burnt, CO2 is not
absorbed anymore, resulting in increase in its concentration in atmosphere.

3. Agriculture & Farming -

Animals, livestock like sheep and cattle, produce methane, a greenhouse
gas. When livestock grazed at a large scale, the amount of methane
produced is a big contributor to global warming.
Some fertilisers that farmers use also release nitrous oxide, which is
another greenhouse gas.
 • Impact of Global Warming :
Global warming will effect the environment and human lives in several
ways, few of them are listed below:

Increase in average temperatures and temperature extremes -

One of the most immediate and obvious effects of global warming is the
increase in temperatures around the world. The average global temperature
has increased by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over
the past 100 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA).

Extreme weather events

Extreme weather is another effect of global warming. While experiencing
some of the hottest summers on record, much of the United States has also
been experiencing colder-than-normal winters.
Lightening is another weather feature that is being affected by global
warming. The researchers of the study found a 12 percent increase in
lightning activity for every 1.8 degree F (1 degree C) of warming in the
atmosphere.

Melting Ice - Projections suggest climate change impacts within the next
100 years, if not sooner, the world’s glaciers will have disappeared, as will
the Polar ice cap, and the huge Antarctic ice shelf, Greenland may be green
again, and snow will have become a rare phenomenon at what are now the
world’s most popular ski resorts.

Increasing Sea levels -

In general, as ice melts, sea levels rise. In 2014, the World Meteorological
Organization reported that sea-level rise accelerated 0.12 inches (3
millimetres) per year on average worldwide. If current trends continue,
many coastal areas, where roughly half of the Earth's human population
lives, will be inundated.
Ocean Acidification -
As levels of CO2 increase, the oceans absorb some of that gas, which
increases the acidity of seawater. Werne explains it this way: "When you
dissolved CO2 in water, you get carbonic acid. This is the same exact thing
that happens in cans of soda.”

Effect on Plants and animals -

Many species of plants and animals are already moving their range
northward or to higher altitudes as a result of warming temperatures,
according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences.
Additionally, migratory birds and insects are now arriving in their summer
feeding and nesting grounds several days or weeks earlier than they did in
the 20th century.
Warmer temperatures will also expand the range of many disease-causing
pathogens that were once confined to tropical and subtropical areas, killing
off plant and animal species that formerly were protected from disease.
 • Measures to control Global Warming :
Global warming is caused due to increase in the atmospheric concentration
of Greenhouse gases. Therefore, the measures to control global warming
revolve around reducing the concentration of these gases in atmosphere.
Several steps can be taken to control global warming. Few of them are
listed here -

1. Recycle more
The aim is to cut down the amount of carbon dioxide released in the
environment. If you even recycle half of the waste produced at home, you
can save up to 2000 pounds of CO2 every year.

2.Plant trees
Deforestation plays an important role in global warming and climatic
changes. Planting trees is helpful as they absorb carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and regulate the climate. Hence, there is a dire need to plant
more trees because a single tree can absorb one ton of CO2 in its lifetime.

3.Switch to renewable energy

One of the most effective ways to prevent global warming is to start using
renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, wind and biomass,
and stop using fossil fuels.
Huge amount of fossil fuels are burnt every year to produce electricity, to
drive cars and other machinery. Burning of fossil fuels produces large
amount of greenhouse gases.
Renewable sources of energy does not require fossil fuels to produce
energy and neither releases harmful gases to atmosphere.
4. Use energy-efficient devices
By investing in energy-efficient devices such as bulbs, LED lights or solar-
powered shower system, you can reduce the energy consumption and help
in the production of clean energy. It is not only the cheapest way to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions but it also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide
released in the atmosphere.
Green House Effect :

Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation, and are in significant
enough quantity, can force the climate system. These type of gas molecules
are called greenhouse gases. Many of these greenhouse gases are actually
life-enabling, for without them, heat would escape back into space and the
Earth’s average temperature would be a lot colder.
Greenhouse effect, a warming of Earth’s surface and troposhere (the
lowest layer of the atmosphere) caused by the presence of water vapour,
carbon dioxide, methane, and certain other gases in the air. Of those gases,
known as greenhouse gases, water vapour has the largest effect.

Figure showing greenhouse effect on Earth

However, if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, then more heat gets
trapped than needed, and the Earth might become less habitable for
humans, plants and animals.
Our atmosphere consists of many gases. Some of these gases, such as
carbon dioxide and water vapour, naturally absorb long-wave radiation that
is emitted from the earth's surface. Short-wave solar radiation enters the
earth's atmosphere and is absorbed by the earth's surface. This radiation is
then recycled and emitted as long wave terrestrial radiation. Gases such as
water vapour and carbon dioxide absorb this radiation, hold it in the
atmosphere, and keep the temperature of the earth warmer than it would
otherwise be if there wasn't an atmosphere. This is what meteorologists
refer to as the "natural greenhouse effect".
The other Greenhouse gases are : methane(CH4), chlorofloro
carbons(CFCs), nitrous oxide(N2O), aerosols, ozone(O3), and carbon
dioxide(CO2).

Carbon Dioxide is considered the trace gas of greatest importance

because of the substantial increase in its atmospheric concentration as well
as its probable continued rise due to global consumption of fossil fuels.
Observations of carbon dioxide concentrations are available for several
locations. Over the period of 1973 to 1982, the atmospheric concentrations
of carbon dioxide in Barrow, Alaska rose steadily from 332.6 parts per
million (ppm) to 342.8 parts per million. It is produced any time something
is burned. It is the most common GHG, constituting by some measures
almost 55% of total long-term GHGs.

Methane is produced in many combustion processes and also by anaerobic

decomposition, for example, in flooded rice paddies, pig and cow
stomachs, and pig manure ponds. Methane breaks down in approximately
10 years, but is a precursor of ozone, itself an important GHG.

Nitrous oxide in laughing gas, NO/N2O or simply NOx is a by product of

fertilizer production and use, other industrial processes and the combustion
of certain materials. Nitrous oxide lasts a very long time in the atmosphere.
 Atmospheric Composition of GHGs
(Source: US Environmental Protection Agency )

• Sources of GHGs:
1. Fossil fuel and related uses of coal and petroleum are the most important
sources of GHGs and black carbon (power generation, industry,
transportation, buildings).

2. Agriculture is the second most important source (animals – cows and

pigs), feed production, chemical intensive food production, and flooded
paddy rice production, as well as deforestation driven by the desire to
expand cultivated areas.

3. Natural sources of GHGs and black carbon include forest fires, savanna
fires and volcanos.
 Contribution of sources producing GHGs
(Source: US Environmental Protection Agency )

• Causes of Green House Effect

The principal cause of Green-House effect is the increase in the quantity of
green house gases like CO2 in the atmosphere. The naturally occurring
"Green House gases", including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
and water vapor, keep ground temperature at a global average of 15 0
Celsius. without this natural blanked earth's surface would be about 30 0
Celsius colder than it is today, making the planet a freezing barren, lifeless
place similar to Mars. The green house gases keep the surface warm
because as incoming solar radiation strikes earths, the surface gives off
infrared radiation or heat, that the gases temporarily trap and keep near
ground level.
 • Greenhouse gases and global warming
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases act like a blanket,
absorbing IR radiation and preventing it from escaping into outer space.
The net effect is the gradual heating of Earth's atmosphere and surface, a
process known as global warming.

The greenhouse effect, combined with increasing levels of greenhouse

gases, results global warming.
 • Urban Impact :

Urbanization is a process that leads to the growth of cities due to

industrialization and economic development.
Urbanization refers to general increase in population and the amount of
industrialization of an area. It includes increase in the number and extent
of cities. It symbolizes the movement of people from rural to urban areas.
Urbanization happens because of the increase in the extent and density of
urban areas. Due to uncontrolled urbanization in India,
environmental degradation has been occurring very rapidly and causing
many problems like land insecurity, worsening water quality, excessive air
pollution, noise and the problems of waste disposal.

• CAUSES OF URBANIZATION

As per data available, about 50% of total world population is residing in

urban areas in the beginning of 21st Century. The increasing trend of urban
population is due to:
•Better employment facilities, medical facilities,
•Better facilities for trade and commerce,
•Better facilities for higher education,
•Facilities for entertainment, sports & games,
•Proximity to administration and important government offices.

Due to these reasons, such an increase in urban population induces a

number of environmental problems.
 Table 1: Pattern and Trend of Urbanization in India, 1901 – 2001.

• IMPACTS OF URBANISATION ON ENVIRONMENT

The sheer magnitude of the urban population, haphazard and unplanned
growth of urban areas, and a desperate lack of infrastructure are the main
causes of such a situation. The rapid growth of urban population both
natural and through migration, has put heavy pressure on public utilities
like housing, sanitation, transport, water, housing, sanitation, transport,
water, electricity, health, education, and so on.

Some important environmental problems are discussed below:

A. Over Exploitation of Natural Resources

Due to high population density and expensive life style, the rate of
consumption of natural resources (e.g. water, energy, fossil fuel, forest
products etc.) is very high in urban areas. There is also misuse of natural
resources whose immediate compensation becomes difficult. Few acute
problems of urban areas are scarcity of drinking water especially the
ground water, scarcity of forest products, power cut due to excessive use of
electricity etc.
B. Air Pollution
The air of urban areas get polluted due to a lot of anthropogenic activities,
flying of large number of automobiles, industries etc. These activities
release pollutants like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of
nitrogen, oxides of sulphur, hydrocarbons, vapours of organic compounds,
particulates, and toxic metals etc. which are capable of including a number
of health hazards.

C. Noise Pollution
The noise produced from automobiles, vehicles, social functions,
industries etc. cause noise pollution in urban areas which causes
psychological and physical ailments.

D. Unusual Rise in Temperature

The unplanned construction of large buildings in urban areas absorbs solar
radiation and in the afternoon, these emit heat radiations increasing the
climatic pressure. As a result year 2015 was the hottest year from last
years. Cities often receive more rain than the surrounding countryside
since dust can provoke the condensation of water vapor into rain droplets.

E. Management of Solid Waste

Thickly populated urban area consumes large quantities of material and
simultaneously releases a lot of solid wastes. The solid wastes include
municipal wastes, industrial wastes, hazardous wastes etc. The solid
wasteproduction increases with an increase in population foul smell and
poisonous gases and become breeding grand’s of vectors of different
diseases. The gases produced cause air pollution, surface run-off from the
wastes causes water pollution and vector causes different diseases.