Global Warming ABC

8/8/2019 Global Warming ABC

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INTRODUCTION:

Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperatureon Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes,

droughts and floods are getting more frequent.Over the last 100 years, the average air temperature near the Earths surfacehas risen by a little less than 1 degree Cels ius or 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Thisraise is responsible for the conspicuous increase in storms, floods and ragingforest fires we have seen in recent years, say scientists.

Their data show that an increase of one degree Celsius makes the Earth warmer

now than it has been for at least a thousand years. The top 11 warmest years onrecord have all been in the last 13 years, said NASA in 2007, and the first half of2010 has already gone down in history as the hottest ever recorded.

Projections from the UN climate change body the Inter governmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) say that global surface temperature will probably rise afurther 1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius (2.0 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit) during the

21st century. The huge range of estimates is due to the amazing complexity ofour Earths climate system and the uncertainty about whether mankind will fightthis warming or continue with business-as-usual.

A certain degree of warming is unavoidable even if we managed to reduce ourburden on the climate immediately. Oceans, for example, act as huge heat

repositories that follow changes in air temperature with a time lag of decades or

even hundreds of years. Melting ice caps reflect less sunlight than previously, soour planet absorbs more and more heat.

Exactly how these changes will influence the warming trend is unclear. All weknow for certain is that its going to be warmer and that human greenhouse gasemissions are an important reason for this.

Climate change and global warming

In a nutshell: global warming is the cause, climate change is the effect.

Scientists often prefer to speak about climate change instead of global warming,because higher global temperatures dont necessarily mean that it will be

warmer at any given time at every location on Earth.

Warming is strongest at the Earth's Poles, the Arctic and the Antarctic, and will

continue to be so. In recent years, fall air temperatures have been at a record 9

degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) above normal in the Arctic, ac cording tothe U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But changing wind

patterns could mean that a warming Arctic, for example, leads to colder wintersin continental Europe. Regional climates will change as well, but in very differentways. Some regions like parts of Northern Europe or West Africa will probably

get wetter, while other regions like the Mediterranean or Central Africa will most

likely receive less rainfall.

But it is not just about how much the Earth is warming, it is also about how fastit is warming. There have always been natural climate changes Ice Ages and

the warm intermediate times between them but those evolved over periods of50,000 to 100,000 years.


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In the past, climate change was triggered by changes in the suns energyoutput, the changing position of continental plates, or the rotating axis of theEarth itself. Many plants and animals were able to adapt to these slowly

changing climates. Even humans have changed their habitat according to thecomings and goings of glaciers.

All the natural forcing, however, have been ruled out for the warming visible

in the last 30 years. Since 1980, temperatures have risen faster than everbefore, as far as scientists can ascertain.

This radical change is leading towards a sudden loss of biodiversity, a dwindlingnumber and variety of plants and animals. Many species simply w ont be able to

adapt fast enough. According to the most recent UN assessment, 20 to 30percent of the Earth's plant and animal species face extinction if the worldwarms by between 1.5 and 2.5 degrees Celsius.

Even for humans, climate change wont be a smooth transition to a warmerworld, warns the Tipping Points Report by Allianz and WWF. Twelve regionsaround the world could be especially affected by abrupt changes, among themthe North Pole, the Amazon rainforest, and California.

Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises). It happenswhen greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and

methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earths atmosphere, whichincreases the temperature. This hurts many people, animals, and plants. Manycannot take the change, so they die.

The greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is when the temperature rises because the suns heat andlight is trapped in the earths atmosphere. This is like when heat is trapped in acar. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth. The heat and light can

get through the atmosphere, but it cant get out. As a result, the temperature

rises.

Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us. The greenhouse

effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on. Without it, the earthwould be freezing, or on the other hand it would be burning hot. I t would befreezing at night because the sun would be down. We would not get the suns

heat and light to make the night somewhat warm. During the day, especiallyduring the summer, it would be burning because the sun would be up with noatmosphere to filter it, so people, plants, and animals would be exposed to all

the light and heat.

Although the greenhouse effect makes the earth able to have people living on it,

if there gets to be too many gases, the earth can get unusually warmer, and

many plants, animals, and people will die. They would die because there would

be less food (plants like corn, wheat, and other vegetables and fruits). This

would happen because the plants would not be able to take the heat. This would

cause us to have less food to eat, but it would also limit the food that animals

have. With less food, like grass, for the animals that we need to survive (like

cows) we would even have less food. Gradually, people, plants, and animals

would all die of hunger.


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The greenhouse gasses

Greenhouse gasses are gasses are in the earths atmosphere that collect heat

and light from the sun. With too many greenhouse gasses in the air, the earths

atmosphere will trap too much heat and the earth wil l get too hot. As a result

people, animals, and plants would die because the heat would be too strong.

Impact of global warming on the environment

Global warming is affecting many parts of the world. Global warming makes the

sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands. This

is a big problem for many of the plants, animals, and people on islands. The

water covers the plants and causes some of them to die. When they die, the

animals lose a source of food, along with their habitat. This would be called a

break in the food chain, or a chain reaction, one thing happening that leads to

another and so on.

The oceans are affected by global warming in other ways, as well. Many thingsthat are happening to the ocean are linked to global warming. One thing that is

happening is warm water, caused from global warming, is harming and killing

algae in the ocean.

Algae is a producer that floating on the top of the water. This floating there is

less food for us and many animals in the sea. Global warming is doing many

things to people as well as animals and plants. It is killing algae, but it is also

destroying many huge forests. The pollution that causes global warming is

linked to acid rain. Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches.

Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out whole forests.This happens because global warming can make the earth very hot. In forests,

some plants and trees leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire.

Causes for global warming:

Our ancestors respected nature and the old because they believed nothing man -

made could come close to natures perfection. The first attempts by prehistoric

artists to create figurative sculpture were almost certainly the result of finding

animal bones, stones, and wood in which the form of the finished product was

already suggested in the found object. A work of art could be created without

excessive embellishment. Touching natural objects was also a primary part oflife for the prehistoric artist. This special primal sensory instinct is still very much

a part of modern human biology and spirit. The tactile sense is key to the finding

of found space because we cannot perceive the world through our eyes alone.

Today, earth architecture still provides a multitude of ideas and challenges for

architects and designers. Human history provides us with numerous resources to

study. Only a relatively small portion of examples of the historical use of earth


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buildings are noted here, but buildings using rammed earth, mud brick,

compressed earth, adobe, cob, straw and other techniques are becoming

increasingly important with our changing environment. Earth Architecture

represents innovative uses of this ancient building material. Buildings made with

earth (if use appropriately) are energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly,

sustainable and economical. Throughout human evolution, there has been arecurring tendency to rediscover and rejuvenate the earth sp aces. Humans find

things that previous generations have lost, and lose things their forebears found.

This continuous cycle of finding and losing is significant in both the biological and

physiological evolution of our specie

MAIN CAUSES FOR GLOBAL WARMING

1. Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide

Global GHG Emissions: 25 percent Generating power by burning fossil fuels

like natural gas, oil, and coal produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any

other human activity, accounting for about one quarter of all global emissions.In the next 5-10 years, about 40 percent of worldwide power generating

capacity will have to be replaced. Making new power plants cleaner will be

critical.

2. Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide, MethaneGlobal GHG Emissions: 20 percent. DEFORESTATION

Virgin Amazon rainforest borders an area of jungle destroyed to make way forfarms in Brazil. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for at least

20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The damage is two-fold: the world's

capacity to absorb CO2 is reduced, while large amounts of stored carbon andmethane are released into the atmosphere.

3. Road TransportGreenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide

Global GHG Emissions: 13 percent

Gridlock on the road into Beijing. Between 600 and 700 million cars, trucks, andbuses worldwide produce about 13 percent of global man-made greenhouse gasemissions, according to the UN. Passenger cars produce about on average 125

grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometer, only 5 grams less than airplanes butnearly three times as much as trains.

4. Oil & Gas ProductionGreenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide, MethaneGlobal GHG Emissions: 6.3 percent

An oil platform stands in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Extracting andrefining oil and natural gas requires huge amounts of energy while it also

releases climate-warming methane gas from underground into the air. Accordingto the World Resources Institute, oil and natural gas production is responsiblefor 6.3 percent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

5. FertilizersGreenhouse Gas (GHG): Nitrous Oxide


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Global GHG Emissions: 6 percentBags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer are stored in a warehouse inSydney. Modern agriculture relies heavily on fertilizers and pesticides, which are

manufactured from crude oil and natural gas and which release nitrous oxideinto the air, contributing to global warming. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more

potent than carbon dioxide as a warming agent. The World Resources Institute

estimates that farming is responsible for 6 percent of global man-madegreenhouse gas emissions.

6. Livestock

Greenhouse Gas (GHG): MethaneGlobal GHG Emissions: 5.1 percentArgentina has its methane emissions collected in a plastic tank. Argentine

scientists say cows could be generating thirty percent of Argentinas greenhouse

gas emissions. Almost half of all global methane emissions comes from belchinglivestock, mainly cows but also pigs, goats and sheep. Methane is twenty times

more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

7. Cement Production

Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide

Global GHG Emissions: 4 percentA laborer walks over newly made pipes at a cement plant in Yingtan, China.

There is huge demand for cement thanks to a global construction boom. Cement

production is very energy intensive, requiring first the quarrying of limestoneand then processing of that limestone at very high temperatures. The carbondioxide emitted by cement factories around the world accounts for nearly 4 per

cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World ResourcesInstitute.

8. AviationGreenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, Nitrous Oxide, AerosolGlobal GHG Emissions: 3.5 percent

A jet airliner leaves condensation trails. The trails are formed by soot and watervapor from the planes engines. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC) estimates that aircraft emissions of water vapor, nitrous oxides, aerosolsand CO2 could be 2 to 4 times stronger than emissions of CO2 alone. Aviation is

responsible for 3.5 percent of man-made global warming, says the IPCC, and it

is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases

9. Iron & Steel Manufacture

Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon DioxideGlobal GHG Emissions: 3.2 percentThe iron and steel industry has one of the largest carbon footprints of any single

industrial sector. Thats because of the sectors size and the incredibly energy -intensive processes of mining and transporting iron ore, smelting that ore intoiron in blast furnaces and then turning the iron into steel. Together they

contribute more than three percent of global man -made emissions, says theWorld Resources Institute.

10. GarbageGreenhouse Gas (GHG): Methane, Carbon Dioxide


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Global GHG Emissions: 3 percentA man scavenges for waste to recycle at a garbage dump in Linfen , China.Landfill sites like this produce greenhouse gases because rotting organic waste

emits methane. If garbage is burned, however, it emits CO2. Almost everythingwe produce, consume and throw away means greenhouse gas emissions today.

Waste and waste water accounts for about 3 per cent of man-made emissions,

says the World Resources Institute.

Architecture 2030Buildings in the U.S. are a major contributor to climate change. The operation of

buildings, heating, cooling, lighting, and hot water account for 43% of all U.S.

carbon dioxide emissions, and 76% of all U.S. electricity consumption, accordingto Architecture 2030 , a non-profit organization created by architect,Edward Mazria in 2002.

Architecture 2030 created the 2030 Challenge which calls for a 50% reductionin energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all newbuildings and major renovations by 2010. The 2030 Challenge also calls for anincreasing reduction of both GHG emissions and energy consumption in

increments every five years so all new buildings will be carbon neutral by 2030.

Every year, five billion square feet are built, five billion square feet arerenovated, and 1.75 billion square feet of buildings are demolished. Three -

quarters of buildings in the U.S. will be either new or renovated by 2038.

The 2030 Challenge serves as a guide for all cities, counties, and states in theU.S. to quickly reduce their GHG emissions and energy use through current

building codes. Part of the 2030 Challenge are "code equivalents" which are"additional reductions needed beyond the requir ements of a particular code,

standard or rating system to meet or exceed the initial 50 percent target of the2030 Challenge," according to the whitepaper called Meeting the 2030 ChallengeThrough Building Codes , released in June. The code equivalents "can be easily

incorporated into existing codes by ordinance."

Architectural Global WarmingWhen we think about the causes of "global warming," what commonly comes tomind are gas-guzzling cars and smoke-spewing industrial process. But a lion's

share of the pollutants that cause global warming are attributable to

architecture. Architect Edward Mazria ofMazria, Riskin Odems, Inc. in Santa Fe,New Mexico, has been making a case for why his profession should take greater

responsibility for the problem.

Residential and commercial buildings are conventionally thought of as

consuming 38 percent of energy in the United States. But when he adds inindustrial building operation consumption and the embodied energy of buildingmaterials, he calculates that architecture's share is actually closer to halfthe

country's total energy consumption. Similarly, architecture is responsible for 46

percent of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions.


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PerspectiveEvery 44 minutes, sufficient energy from the sun strikes the Earth to provide the

entire world's energy requirements for one year. Many of the energy sources

available to us in the forms of fossil fuels, bio-fuels, and even wind power are

derived partially or wholly from the sun. Today we have become acutely aware

of the trade offs that are associated with the burning of fossil fuels. Thecontinued success of our global society depends on the wise use of the world's

energy resources.

View from SpaceThe Tech Museum presents an amazing experience from the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Imagine watching hurricanes form or

seeing the spread of an event over a globe almost 6 feet in diameter. View from

Space appeals to anyone who ever wanted to be an astronaut!

See the beauty of the nightscape spread across the globe. Observe Earth like

you've never seen it before. This exhibit space allows you to observe complex

and detailed scientific information in an easily understandable, visuall y stunningform. Dr. Alexander MacDonald, of the NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory, was

a Laureate of The Tech Museum Awards in 2003 for developing this visualization

system.

Regenerative BrakingLearn how electric cars can recapture energy typically lost during braking. An

electric motor is used to slow down the tire, while producing electricity to charge

the batteries.

Super capacitors

Race two cars that are powered by super capacitors instead of batteries. Super

capacitors have been called "lifetime batteries" since they can survive a millioncharges before they need to be thrown away.

Sun PowerTo make solar cells more effective, many companies are experimenting with

ways to focus the sun's energy. Using mirrors, you can build a solar dish that

directs sunlight onto a solar cell, doubling its efficiency.

Glacier Studies ProjectThe Glacier Studies Project includes two active tasks: Satellite Image Atlas of

Glaciers of the World Task and a Coastal-Change and Glaciological Maps of

Antarctica Task. The two tasks are inter-discipline, inter-agency, and

international in scope and institutional involvement. Glaciers are one of the foursub elements of the cryosphere [the other three are snow cover, floating ice

(sea, lake, and river ice), and permafrost]. The cryosphere is particularly

sensitive to changes in regional and global climate. Changes in the volume of

glacier ice on land produces changes in global (eustatic) sea level. Seasonal

changes in sea ice and snow cover and decadal changes in glacier area can be

monitored regionally and globally with image and other data from Earth -orbiting

satellites. NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center), USGS (Woods Hole Science


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Center), and Icelandic National Energy Authority scientists are collaborating on

satellite remote-sensing studies of glaciers. Information pertaining to the U.S.

Geological Survey's Glacier Studies Project is presented, including links to

relevant USGS and non-USGS publications. The Glacier Studies Project is funded

by the U.S. Geological Survey's Global Change Science Program, a component of

the 13 Federal interagency U.S. Climate Change Science Program of which theU.S. Department of the Interior is a member.

Climate, Land Use, and Environmental Sensitivity (CLUES)Vegetation changes caused by climatic variations and/or land use may have

large impacts on forests, agriculture, rangelands, natural ecosystems, and

endangered species. Climate modeling studies indicate that vegetation cover, in

turn, has a strong influence on regional climates, and this must be better

understood before models can estimate future environmental conditions. To

address these issues, this project investigates vegetational response to climatic

change, and vegetation-land surface impacts on climate change. The project

involves calibration of the modern relations between the range limits of plant

species and climatic variables, relations that are then used: 1) to estimate past

climatic fluctuations from paleo botanical data for a number of time periods

within the late Quaternary; 2) to 'validate' climate model simulations of past

climates; 3) to explore the potential influences of land cover changes on climate

change; and 4) to estimate the potential future ranges of plant species under a

number of future climate scenarios. Methodologies and data developed by this

project are being used as part of the national global change assessment of

potential impacts of future climate changes.

Landscape dynamics and vegetationchange Research examines the long-term dynamics of vegetation change and the impact

of climate. A detailed history of vegetation change in the Western U.S. is being

constructed based on the paleobotanical record of pollen and plant tissues

preserved in packrat maddens and buried in sediments. Large data sets and

techniques are being developed to model and forecast the effects of possible

future climate change on vegetation at regional and glo bal scales. Models will be

enhanced in the future to include the associated soil carbon.

Fate of Carbon in Northern Landscapes-

Cold region forests (boreal ecosystems) contain large carbon reserves that aretoday highly susceptible to changes in climate. Soils and wetlands comprise

more than 2/3 of the boreal C reserves, and changes in fire and seasonal

temperatures may cause changes in ecosystem structure, permafrost recovery,nutrient cycling, and carbon exchange. Central to the fate of these C reserves is

the interaction between fire occurrence and permafrost changes in the surface

layers. Process studies and modeling are being expanded to better understandthe historic and modern interactions among climate, surface temperature and

moisture, fire, and terrestrial carbon sequestration.


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Exchanges of Greenhouse Gases, Water Vapor, and Heat at the

Earth's SurfaceAtmospheric turbulence transports greenhouse gases (notably: carbon dioxide(CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide), water vapor, and heat between Earth's land

and water surfaces and the overlying atmosphere. These exchanges influenceclimate, viability of ecosystems, distribution of biomes, and the quantity of both

surface- and ground-water. USGS researchers and their collaborators aredirectly measuring the exchanges of greenhouse gases, water vapor, and heat to

better understand interactions between Earth's surface and atmosphere.

Monitoring and Modeling Carbon Distribution and FluxCarbon plays a fundamental role in regulating the climate of the Earth system.Yet much about how carbon cycles through the environment particularly theterrestrial environmentremains poorly quantified. The USGS is applying its

expertise in satellite remote sensing, biogeochemical modeling, analysis of largespatial data sets, and geographic information systems applications to develop a

quantitative understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle. This understanding

will be the basis for tools to help policy makers and resource managers evaluatethe carbon consequences of land management options, including implications for

climate change mitigation strategies.

Indias National Action Plan on Climate Change

On 30 June 2008, the Prime Minister released Indias National Action Plan onClimate Change (NAPCC). Prepared by the specially constituted Prime MinistersCouncil on Climate Change, the document was intended to provide a concrete

road map detailing how India plans to move forward in combating climatechange.

The NAPCC then sets out eight National Missions as the way forward in

implementing the Governments strategy and achieving the National ActionPlans objective. The focus of these missions, the authors say, is on promoting

understanding of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiencyand natural resource conservation. National Solar MissionOur vision is to make Indias economic development energy -efficient. Over a

period of time, we must pioneer a graduated shift from economic activity based

on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from reliance on non-renewable and depleting sources of energy to renewable sources of energy. Inthis strategy, the sun occupies center stage, as it should, being literally the

original source of all energy

Indian Prime Minister on the release of the National Action Plan

Great importance has been given to the National Solar Mission in the NAPCC.

This is justified by the fact that India is ideally situated in the equatorial Sun Beltreceiving abundant solar radiation the year around. The average solar insulationincident over India is about 5.5 kWh/m2 per day, which means that just 1% of

Indias land can meet the countrys entire electricity requirement till 2030. [1]

The stated objective of the mission is to increase the share of solar energy and


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y Developing fiscal measures to promote energy efficiency such as taxincentives for including differential taxation on energy efficient certified

appliances.

National Mission on Sustainable HabitatThe aim of the Mission is to make habitats more sustainable through a threefold

approach that includes

y Improvements in energy efficiency of buildings in resident ial andcommercial sector

y Management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)y Promote urban public transport

The NAPCC claims that use of energy efficient options could hep achieve 30%

electricity savings in new residential buildings and 40% in new commercial

buildings. For existing buildings the corresponding savings are 20% and 30%respectively.

The authors call for a wide and diverse range of policy instruments to overcome

the barriers to adoption of energy efficient options in residential and commercialsectors, highlight the need for more a more competitive market for energyefficient products and advocate an involving all stakeholders. In addition, they

once again stress on the need for technology transfer from developed countries.With regards to MSW, the Plan suggests some policy reforms such as commonregional disposal facilities for smaller towns and villages in a particular region,

and integrated system for collection, transport, transfer, treatment and disposalfacilities.Finally, with regards to urban public transport, the NAPCC endorses mass transit

such as buses, railways and mass rapid transit systems and the use of CNG,ethanol blending in gasoline and bio-diesel. Hydrogen is something that is

mentioned for the future. In addition, the Plan proposes the promotion of costal

shipping and inland waterways, increasing attractiveness of railways, introducingappropriate transport pricing measures to influence purchase and use of vehicles

in respect of fuel efficiency and fuel choice, tightening regulatory standards infuel-economy of automobiles.As with the other Missions, the Plan emphasizes the need for R&D for all the

components of the Sustainable Habitat Mission.National Water MissionAccording to the NAPCC, out of the 4000 billion m 3 of precipitation that India

receives annually, only 1000 billion m 3 is available for use, which comes toapprox. 1000 m3 per capita per annum. Further, by 2050 it states that India is

likely to be water scarce. The National Water Mission thus aims at conserving

water, minimising wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution throughintegrated water resource management. It also aims to optimize water use

efficiency by 20% by developing a framework of regulatory mechanisms having

differential entitlements and pricing.

In addition, the Water Mission calls for strategies to tackle variability in rainfall

and river flows such as enhancing surface and underground water storage,rainwater harvesting and more efficient irrigation systems like sprinklers or drip

irrigation.


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National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan

Ecosystem

The NAPCC recognises the Himalayan ecosystem as vital to preserving the

ecological security of the country. It consists of forests; perennial rivers whichare a source of drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower; rich biodiversity; and

is a major tourist attraction. All these are in danger from climate change through

increases in temperature, changes in precipitation patterns, drought and glaciermelt.

The Plan calls for empowering local communities especially Panchayats to play agreater role in managing ecological resource s. It also reaffirms the following

measures mentioned in the National Environment Policy, 2006.

y Adopting appropriate land-use planning and water-shed managementpractices for sustainable development of mountain ecosystems

y Adopting best practices for infrastructure construction in mountain regionsto avoid or minimize damage to sensitive ecosystems and despoiling oflandscapes

y Encouraging cultivation of traditional varieties of crops and horticulture bypromoting organic farming, enabling farmers to realise a price premium

y Promoting sustainable tourism based on best practices and multi -stakeholder partnerships to enable local communities to gain betterlivelihoods

y Taking measures to regulate tourist inflows into mountain regions toensure that the carrying capacity of the mountain ecosystem is notbreached

y Developing protection strategies for certain mountain scopes with uniqueincomparable values

National Mission for a Green IndiaThis Mission aims at enhancing ecosystem services such as carbon sinks. It

builds on the Prime Ministers Green India campaign for afforestation of 6 millionhectares and the national target of increasing land area under forest cover from23% to 33%. It is to be implemented on degraded forest land through Joint

Forest Management Committees set up under State Departments of Forests.

These Committees will promote direct action by communities.

The Green India program suggests:

y Training on silvi cultural practices for fast-growing and climate-hardy treespecies

y Reducing fragmentation of forests by provision of corridors for speciesmigration, both fauna and flora

y Enhancing public and private investments for raising plantations forenhancing the cover and the density of forests


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y Revitalizing and up scaling community-based initiatives such as JointForest Management and Van Panchayat committees for forestmanagement

y Formulation of forest fire management strategiesy In-situ and ex-situ conservation of genetic resources, especially of

threatened flora and fauna

y Creation of biodiversity registers (at national, district, and local levels) fordocumenting genetic diversity and the associated traditional knowledgey Effective implementation of the Protected Area System under the Wildlife

Conservation Act and National Biodiversity Conservation Act 2001 National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

The aim is to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change byidentifying new varieties of crops, especially thermal resistant ones and

alternative cropping patterns. This is to be supported by integration of traditionalknowledge and practical systems, information technology and biotechnology, as

well as new credit and insurance mechanisms.

In particular the Mission focuses on rain-fed agricultural zones and suggests:

y Development of drought and pest resistant crop varietiesy Improving methods to conserve soil and watery Stakeholder consultations, training workshops and demonstration

exercises for farming communities, for agro-climatic information sharing

and dissemination

y Financial support to enable farmers to invest in and adopt relevanttechnologies to overcome climatic related stresses

In addition, the Mission makes suggestions for safeguarding farmersagainst increased risk due to climate change. These suggestions include,

strengthening agricultural and weather insurance; creation of web -

enabled, regional language based services for facilitation of weather-based insurance; development of GIS and remote sensing methodologies;

mapping vulnerable regions and disease hotspots; and developing andimplementing region-specific, vulnerability based contingency plans.Finally, it suggests greater access to information and use of

biotechnology.

National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate

ChangeThis Mission will strive to work with the global community in research and

technology development and collaboration through a variety of mechanisms and,

in addition, will also have its own research agenda supported by a network ofdedicated climate change related institutions and universities and a Climate

Research Fund. The Mission will also encourage private sector initiatives for

developing innovative technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

The Mission includes:

y Research in key substantive domains of climate science to improveunderstanding of key phenomena and processes


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y Global and regional climate modeling to improve the quality and accuracyof climate change projections for India

y Strengthening of observational networks and data gathering andassimilation to increase access and availability to relevant data

y Creation of essential research infrastructure, such as high performancecomputing

Other ProgrammersThe NAPCC also describes other ongoing initiatives, including

Power Generation: The government is mandating the retirement of inefficientcoal-fired power plants and supporting the research and development of IGCC

and supercritical technologies.

Renewable Energy: Under the Electricity Act 2003 and the National Tariff Policy

2006, the central and the state electricity regulatory commissions must purchasea certain percentage of grid-based power from renewable sources.

Energy Efficiency: Under the Energy Conservation Act 2001, large energy-consuming industries are required to undertake energy audits and an energy

labeling program for appliances has been introduced. ImplementationAccording to the NAPCC the 8 National Missions are to be institutionalised by

respective ministries and will be organised through inter -sectoral groupsincluding, in addition to related Ministries, Ministry of Finance and the Planning

Commission, experts from industry, academia and civil society.

Structure of Institutional Arrangement of NAPCC


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CONCLUSION:

Global warming is the biggest concern for the LIFE on EARTH. This issue needs

to be tackled with at most speed. Every country needs to have its own agenda to

speed up the process. Every country needs to deal with this problem accordingto their climatic conditions & the living conditions of the respective people.

For example poverty & illiteracy are the major problems in our country. Itbecomes a big task when it comes to implementation of any plan due to these

problems. Therefore simple solutions which are of low budget will work in INDIA.

Simple & straight forward solutions will educate the poor & illiterate.

The climatic condition in one country is differs from the others. Thereforeimplementing a similar policy (the glass buildings & the utility of solar energy) in

India may not function. To increase temperature levels using glass in the

buildings & then trying to reduce the heat later is a waste of ener gy & time.Instead the buildings in India should be made with the local sustainable

material. The solar energy could be used for power generation .

Global Warming ABC

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