SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT: IT

SEMESTER: V
ROLL NO: 08-188

TITLE: GLOBAL WARMING

&
CLIMATIC CHANGE

• INTRODUCTION

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 Global warming is a phenomenon that has been discussed widely
nowadays and global warming causes are one of the most studied subjects
presently in the world. Through out the world many governments, institutes
and universities are trying to find out.

The earth, the 3rd planet of our solar system, the planet brimming with
life and beautiful landscape, is on the verge of getting destroyed. The main
reason is global warming.
Global warming is the slow and steady increase in the temperature of
earth and its atmosphere. The increase in the temperature of earth has caused
many effects like the melting of ice in Polar Regions, increase in disease
occurrences, drastic climatic changes including rainfall and dry periods.

One of the major causes for global warming can be attributed to the
activities of man. The man which thinks of himself as the most intelligent
thing on earth is knowingly or unknowingly destroying its own habitat. The
activities of man has lead to an increase in the so called greenhouse gases
which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide etc. the gases have
created an effect of green house on the earths surface which prevents the
reflection of the rays from sun and thus causes the increase in temperature.

Carbon dioxide concentration in the air has increased due to the

emissions from cars, airplanes, power plants, industries etc. another reason
for it is the deforestation. Forests have been cut down paying way for

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agriculture, industries and cities. The trees were natural regulators of carbon
dioxide which used to control its level’s in the atmosphere.
Another is the CFC which is used in refrigerators, in fire extinguisher’s
which destroys the natural ozone layer.
Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's
near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected
continuation. Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ±
0.32 °F) during the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) concludes that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations
resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation
caused most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the
20th century. The IPCC also concludes that variations in natural phenomena
such as solar radiation and volcanoes produced most of the warming from
pre-industrial times to 1950 and had a small cooling effect afterward. These
basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 45 scientific societies
and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science
of the major industrialized countries. A small number of scientists dispute
the consensus view.

Temperature changes:

The most commonly discussed measure of global warming is the

trend in globally averaged temperature near the Earth's surface. Expressed as
a linear trend, this temperature rose by 0.74°C ±0.18°C over the period
1906-2005. The rate of warming over the last 50 years of that period was
almost double that for the period as a whole (0.13°C ±0.03°C per decade,
versus 0.07°C ± 0.02°C per decade).

The urban heat island effect is estimated to account for about 0.002 °C of
warming per decade since 1900. Temperatures in the lower troposphere have
increased between 0.12 and 0.22 °C

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(0.22 and 0.4 °F) per decade since 1979, according to satellite
temperature measurements. Temperature is believed to have been relatively
stable over the one or two thousand years before 1850, with
regionally-varying fluctuations such as the Medieval Warm Period or the
Little Ice Age.

Greenhouse gases:
Greenhouse effect schematic showing energy flows between
the atmosphere, space, and earth's surface. Energy exchanges are expressed
in watts per square meter (W/m2).
Recent atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) increases. Monthly CO2
measurements display seasonal oscillations in overall yearly uptrend; each
year's maximum occurs during the Northern Hemisphere's late spring, and
declines during its growing season as plants remove some atmospheric CO2

Radiative forcing:
External forcing is a term used in climate science for processes
external to the climate system. Climate
responds to several types of external forcing, such as changes in greenhouse
gas concentrations, changes in solar luminosity, volcanic eruptions, and
variations in Earth's orbit around the Sun.[2] Attribution of recent climate
change focuses on the first three types of forcing. Orbital cycles vary slowly
over tens of thousands of years and thus are too gradual to have caused the
temperature changes observed in the past century.

EFFECTS:
 The global warming has led to increase in mean earth surface
temperature and thus melting of polar ice.

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  The effect of global warming can be felt on seasons too. There is shift
in season cycle, as the summers are getting longer than the winters
 The global warming is also responsible for the introduction of some
new diseases.
 Global warming is also effecting the crop production, as the crops are
getting destroyed by the sudden change in temperatures or sudden on
set of rains
 As a matter of fact, because of global warming, the earth’s
atmosphere is getting more unpredictable with heavy rains in the
areas, which have scanty rainfall or drought in the areas, which
received good annual rainfall. The months of rainfall has also getting
affected.
 But there are some people on the other side of the wall also, they
believe that the global warming is a natural process and cannot disturb
our ecosystem. The earth’s surface mean temperature was even higher
a long time ago, and the ecosystem has evolved from that temperature
to this. So it can evolve further. But the changes that are happening
now are rather fast compared to earlier times.

STEPS TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING:

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of
disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the
economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And
whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum
cans. If there isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your
community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household
waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

2. Buy Energy-Efficient Products

When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage.
Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and
compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light
while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic
and other packaging that can't be recycled. If you reduce your household

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garbage by 10 percent, you can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide
annually.

3. Use Less Hot Water

Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an
insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads
to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your
clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy
required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of
carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings
on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

4. Use the "Off" Switch

Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you
leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to
turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not
using them.

5. Plant a Tree
If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis,
trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are
an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but
there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide
caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A
single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its
lifetime.

Bibliography
1. www.wikipedia.org/

2. trcs.wikispaces.com

3. bluemarble4us.com

4. ttp://www.ok4me2.net/wordpress/wp-content/