Technical Report on Global

Warming

Mechanical Engineering
BatchBatch-20132013-17
NIT SILCHAR
1

CONTENTS
Topic

Page No.

Acknowledgement
Abstract
History of Global Warming
Five common sense solutions
Solutions to Global warming
Role of United Nations
Ozone Success Story
Summary
Innovative Ideas
Global Warming Story
Team Members

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4
6
20
29
33
40
41
42
44
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We have taken efforts in this technical report. However, it would
not have been possible without the kind support and help of many
individuals and organizations. We would like to extend our sincere
thanks to all of them.
We are highly indebted to Prof. R.D. Misra for his guidance and
constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information
regarding the technical report & also for his support in completing
the technical report.
We would like to express our gratitude towards our parents &
members of our group for their kind co-operation and
encouragement which helped us in completion of this technical
report.

ABSTRACT
Since the Industrial Revolution, man has introduced tremendous
amounts of carbon dioxide into the earth's atmosphere. While some
of this CO2 is assimilated into natural reservoirs, approximately
50% remains airborne. This increase in CO2 concentration causes
what is commonly known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse
effect is a result of the absorption of infrared radiation by the
surface of the earth. This absorption causes an increase in the
atmospheric temperature. Increasing the earth's temperature in turn
increases the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Since water
vapor is also a strong absorber of infrared radiation, a positive
feedback mechanism is created, leading to further infraredradiation absorption. As temperatures increase, atmospheric
circulation patterns are altered which will change local weather
patterns.
These changes could have an enormous impact on agricultural
production. Attendant to a rise in the mean global temperature is a
melting of small but significant portion of the polar ice caps. This
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will result in a rise in sea level which would flood coastal areas
including major population centers. The problem of the greenhouse
effect might be remedied by a reduction in the use of fossil fuel,
large scale reforestation to increase the capacity of the biotic sink,
and development of alternate energy sources such as solar and
nuclear fusion.

History Of The Greenhouse Effect And Global

Warming
Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927) was a Swedish scientist that was the first to
claim in 1896 that fossil fuel combustion may eventually result in enhanced
global warming. He proposed a relation between atmospheric carbon
dioxide concentrations and temperature. He found that the average surface
temperature of the earth is about 15oC because of the infrared absorption
capacity of water vapor and carbon dioxide. This is called the natural
greenhouse effect. Arrhenius suggested a doubling of the CO2 concentration
would lead to a 5oC temperature rise. He and Thomas Chamberlin
calculated that human activities could warm the earth by adding carbon
dioxide to the atmosphere. This research was a by-product of research of
whether carbon dioxide would explain the causes of the great Ice Ages.
This was not actually verified until 1987.
After the discoveries of Arrhenius and Chamberlin the topic was forgotten
for a very long time. At that time it was thought than human influences
were insignificant compared to natural forces, such as solar activity and
ocean circulation. It was also believed that the oceans were such great
carbon sinks that they would automatically cancel out our pollution. Water
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vapor was seen as a much more influential greenhouse gas.

In the 1940's there were developments in infrared spectroscopy for
measuring long-wave radiation. At that time it was proven that increasing
the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide resulted in more absorption of
infrared radiation. It was also discovered that water vapor absorbed totally
different types of radiation than carbon dioxide. Gilbert Plass summarized
these results in 1955. He concluded that adding more carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere would intercept infrared radiation that is otherwise lost to
space, warming the earth.
The argument that the oceans would absorb most carbon dioxide was still
intact. However, in the 1950's evidence was found that carbon dioxide has
an atmospheric lifetime of approximately 10 years. Moreover, it was not yet
known what would happen to a carbon dioxide molecule after it would
eventually dissolve in the ocean. Perhaps the carbon dioxide holding
capacity of oceans was limited, or carbon dioxide could be transferred back
to the atmosphere after some time. Research showed that the ocean could
never be the complete sink for all atmospheric CO2. It is thought that only
nearly a third of anthropogenic CO2 is absorbed by oceans.
In the late 1950's and early 1960's Charles Keeling used the most modern
technologies available to produce concentration curves for atmospheric
CO2 in Antarctica and Mauna Loa. These curves have become one of the
major icons of global warming. The curves showed a downward trend of
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global annual temperature from the 1940's to the 1970's. At the same time
ocean sediment research showed that there had been no less than 32 coldwarm cycles in the last 2,5 million years, rather than only 4. Therefore, fear
began to develop that a new ice age might be near. The media and many
scientists ignored scientific data of the 1950's and 1960's in favor of global
cooling.
In the 1980's, finally, the global annual mean temperature curve started to
rise. People began to question the theory of an upcoming new ice age. In the
late 1980's the curve began to increase so steeply that the global warming
theory began to win terrain fast. Environmental NGO's (Non-Governmental
Organizations) started to advocate global environmental protection to
prevent further global warming. The press also gained an interest in global
warming. It soon became a hot news topic that was repeated on a global
scale. Pictures of smoke stags were put next to pictures of melting ice caps
and flood events. A complete media circus evolved that convinced many
people we are on the edge of a significant climate change that has
many negative impacts on our world today. Stephen Schneider had first
predicted global warming in 1976. This made him one of the world's
leading global warming experts.
In 1988 it was finally acknowledged that climate was warmer than any
period since 1880. The greenhouse effect theory was named and
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded by the
United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological
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Organization. This organization tries to predict the impact of the

greenhouse effect according to existing climate models and literature
information. The Panel consists of more than 2500 scientific and technical
experts from more than 60 countries all over the world. The scientists are
from widely divergent research fields including climatology, ecology,
economics, medicine, and oceanography. The IPCC is referred to as the
largest peer-reviewed scientific cooperation project in history. The IPCC
released climate change reports in 1992 and 1996, and the latest revised
version in 2001.
In the 1990's scientists started to question the greenhouse effect theory,
because of major uncertainties in the data sets and model outcomes. They
protested the basis of the theory, which was data of global annual mean
temperatures. They believed that the measurements were not carried out
correctly and that data from oceans was missing. Cooling trends were not
explained by the global warming data and satellites showed completely
different temperature records from the initial ones. The idea began to grow
that global warming models had overestimated the warming trend of the
past 100 years. This caused the IPCC to review their initial data on global
warming, but this did not make them reconsider whether the trend actually
exists. We now know that 1998 was globally the warmest year on record,
followed by 2002, 2003, 2001 and 1997. The 10 warmest years on record
have all occurred since 1990.
The climate records of the IPCC are still contested by many other scientists,
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causing new research and frequent responses to skeptics by the IPCC.

This global warming discussion is still continuing today and data is
constantly checked and renewed. Models are also updated and adjusted to
new discoveries and new theory.
So far not many measures have been taken to do something about climate
change. This is largely caused by the major uncertainties still surrounding
the theory. But climate change is also a global problem that is hard to solve
by single countries. Therefore in 1998 the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in
Kyoto, Japan. It requires participating countries to reduce their
anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, and
SF6) by at least 5% below 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008 to
2012. The Kyoto Protocol was eventually signed in Bonn in 2001 by 186
countries. Several countries such as the United States and Australia have
retreated.
From 1998 onwards the terminology on the greenhouse effect started to
change as a result of media influences. The greenhouse effect as a term was
used fewer and fewer and people started to refer to the theory as either
global warming or climate change.
Source: Maslin, M., Global Warming, a very short introduction. Oxford
University Press, Oxford 2004

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GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL!

The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is
very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in
the past 1,300 years. Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and
Tropical Mountain glaciers show that the Earths climate responds to
changes in greenhouse gas levels. They also show that in the past, large
changes in climate have happened very quickly, geologically-speaking: in
tens of years, not in millions or even thousands.
The evidence for rapid climate change is compelling:
Global temperature rise
All three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that Earth
has warmed since 1880. Averaged over all land and ocean surfaces, global
mean temperatures have increased by approximately 1.33 degrees
Fahrenheit (0.74 degrees Celsius) over the past century. Most of this
warming has occurred since the 1970s, with the 20 warmest years having
occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the
past 12 years. The 10 warmest years in the 134-year record all have
occurred since 1998, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest years on
record. The time series below shows the five-year average variation of
global surface temperatures from 1884 to 2013.
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Sea level rise

Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming:
the added water coming from the melting of land ice and the expansion of
sea water as it warms. Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7
inches) in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly
double that of the last century. The first chart tracks the change in sea level
since 1993 as observed by satellites which for itself speaks that the issue of
global warming is alarming.

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Shrinking ice sheets

Evidence is mounting that Greenland - the second-largest ice sheet in the
world after Antarctica - is losing mass at an accelerating rate. The
Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from
NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost
150 to 250 cubic kilometers (36 to 60 cubic miles) of ice per year between
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2002 and 2006, while Antarctica lost about 152 cubic kilometers (36 cubic
miles) of ice between 2002 and 2005. The rate of ice loss is increasing so
rapidly that just ten years ago it was extrapolated that total ice sheet
dissipation would happen in 22,000 years. The figure below shows the
depletion of Ice at Antarctica from 2003 to 2013.

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Warming oceans
The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700
meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees
Fahrenheit since 1969. One way the ocean affects the climate in places like
Europe is by carrying heat to the north in the Atlantic Ocean. Way up north,
cold water in the North Atlantic Ocean sinks very deep and spreads out all
around the world. The sinking water is replaced by warm water near the
surface that moves to the north. Scientists call this the Great Ocean
Conveyor Belt. The heat carried north helps keep the Atlantic Ocean
warmer in the winter time, which warms the nearby countries as well. The
image below depicts the formation of an Ocean conveyor belt

Ice sheet forcing (sea level)2/3

GHGs = CO2 + CH4 + N2O (0.15 forcing of CO2 + CH4

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Five Common Sense Solutions That Can Be

Implemented At Both The Individual And
Nationwide Levels:
1)Produce and purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles.
2)Modernize electricity generation to include renewable resources (wind,
geothermal, solar, and biomass).
3)Increase energy efficiency in both homes and businesses.
4)Protect threatened tropical rainforests by purchasing sustainably
harvested timber and planting trees.
5)Support research and development efforts to produce renewable energy
sources and improve energy efficiency (e.g. hydrogen fuel cells).

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For now, Silicon Valley has focused on the search for a relatively cheap,
reliable clean energy solution that can slow down the planets consumption
of fossil fuels and by extension, slow down the impact of global climate
change. Venture capitalists are still investing hundreds of millions of dollars
in cleantech companies. Some of the leading minds such as Elon
Musk and Bill Gates are backing innovative projects and companies to
make clean energy mainstream. Innovative companies like Google are
looking into ways to power themselves with the sun and the wind. The
hope, of course, is that one of the most popular clean energy options solar,
wind or nuclear can ultimately become a cheap, reliable source of carbonfree power that will wean humanity off fossil fuels.

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Carbon Recycling: Mining the Air for Fuel

A solar energy collector towers over Rich Diver, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia
National Laboratories. The lab's "Sunshine to Petrol" project aims to recycle carbon dioxide into fuel with
renewable energy.

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If only it were as easy to collect and reuse carbon dioxidethat greenhouse

gas waste product that the world is generating in huge volume each day by
burning fossil fuels.
In fact, a handful of start-up companies and researchers are aiming to do
just that.
Recycling carbon dioxide is a great deal more involved than setting out
separate bins for glass, aluminum, and paper. But many scientists believe
that it is not only worth the effort, but a crucial endeavor. The climate
change threat to the planet is now so great, they argue, that any effort to
address the problem will have to include so-called "carbon negative"
technologies. That means actually sucking the greenhouse gas out of the
atmosphere and doing something productive with it.
The idea of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal power plants or oil
facilities and storing it underground has gotten plenty of attention. Several
pilot projects are operating or under construction, although a major project
in West Virginia was abandoned last month due to cost concerns.
There has been less focus on the idea of actually reusing or recycling CO2.
But science has long known that its possible to recombine carbon from
CO2 with hydrogen from water to make hydrocarbonsin other words, to

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make familiar fuels such as gasoline. The problem, ironically, has been
that the process requires a lot of energy.
But pioneering researchers and entrepreneurs argue the technology is close
at hand for recycling CO2 back into fuel for use in todays engines. It might
even involve technology to absorb carbon dioxide directly out of the air,
instead of out of coal plant flue gas.
Instead of drilling for oil to power cars and trucks, they say, we could be
pulling the ingredients to make hydrocarbons out of thin air.
Peter Eisenberger, a physicist who founded the Earth Institute at Columbia
University, is cofounder of Global Thermostat, a company that is working
on technology to capture carbon dioxide from air with the aim of recycling,
not storage, in mind. "In my opinion, closing the carbon cycle and having
the technology to combine CO2 and hydrogen is a wonderful future,"
Eisenberger says. "Imagine a future where the major inputs for fuel are
water and CO2."
Energy In, Energy Out
Of course, the oil drilled and pumped from underground holds the energy of
eons' worth of sunlight energy collected by plants and stored as organic
matter. Over millions of years of heat and pressure, the energy in that
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organic matter has been further concentrated to yield hydrocarbons such as

oil, natural gas, and coal.
Anyone who wants to create hydrocarbon fuel above ground will have to
supply the energy to isolate the hydrogen and carbon atoms and put them
together. "Theres no free lunch," says Hans Ziock, a technical staff
member at the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Los Alamos National
Laboratory, coauthor of a white paper on carbon capture from air.
"You have to put energy in to re-create the fuel," he explains. "And because
re-creation is never 100 percent efficient, you end up putting more energy
in than you get out." Due to the "energy penalty" of creating hydrocarbon
fuel indirectly, he says, it has always made more sense for society to use the
liquid fuels made directly from crude oil as long as crude oil is available. "If
nature has done this for you for free, why not use it?" says Ziock.
However, in a world that is now pumping its crude oil from ultra-deep
water, squeezing it from tar sands, and looking for it beneath Arctic
frontiers, the time may be ripe for alternatives. Ziock says he believes the
hope for greater domestic self-sufficiency for fuel alone makes research into
carbon dioxide recycling worthwhile. But he warns that as a means to
reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the benefits of this approach will
be limited unless the energy to create the hydrocarbon fuel comes from a
source other than the burning of more fossil fuel.

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Thats why the focus of the "Sunshine to Petrol" project at U.S.

DOEsSandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and
Livermore, California, has been on creating a high-efficiency chemical heat
engine based on concentrated solar energy to power its process for making
fuel.
"Hydrocarbon fuel has a lot of energy packed in," says Ellen Stechel, who
manages the Sandia project. "All the energy came from the sun, and must
again come from the sunjust faster and with greater efficiency." To create
hydrocarbon fuel, she says it is possible to use solar energy, just as nature
does. "But we need to collect it from a wide area to pack it into something
very dense," she explains. "People say the sun is free, and thats true, but
the collectors to collect all that sun are not free."
The prototype solar reactor that the Sandia researchers have developed is
designed to use a huge array of mirrors to collect and concentrate the
sunlight into a very strong beam that is funneled onto metal oxide rings
inside each reactor. The rings rotate in and out of the sunlight, heating to a
temperature of more than 2,550F (1,400C), and then cooling to less than
2,010F (1,100C). These rings are then exposed either to carbon dioxide
or to water. At the high temperature, the metal oxide rings release some
oxygen and at the lower temperature the rings steal oxygen atoms from
either the CO2 or the H2O molecules. That thermochemical reaction leaves
behind carbon monoxide or hydrogen gas (the mixture is often called
"syngas")the building blocks of hydrocarbon fuel.
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The Sandia prototypes solar collector has an area of about 20 square meters
(215 square feet) for a reactor the size of a beer keg, Stechel says. About
300,000 acres (121,400 hectares) of mirrors would be required to collect
enough sunshine to make the equivalent of 1 million barrels of oil per day,
she says. (The world currently consumes about 86 million barrels per day of
petroleum and other liquid fuels, including biofuels.)
Stechel says that durability of the hardware remains an issue, and the
researchers are continuing to work on making the system as efficient as
possible so it can be commercially successful and used on a large scale.
Eltons firm, Carbon Sciences, focuses on the post-collection phase: turning
carbon into fuel. It does this by combining CO2 with natural gas in the
presence of a proprietary metallic catalyst it has developed and licensed.
(The company says it is made of the common metals, nickel and cobalt,
supported by aluminum and magnesium.)
Carbon Sciences says its test facility is successfully melding CO2 with
methane (the primary constituent of natural gas) to produce a syngas that
can be converted into ordinary fuels.
The process of turning syngas into transportation fuel is a well-established
technology, and there are already commercial gas-to-liquids facilities in the
world. But those processes rely on steam or oxidation to produce the
syngas. Carbon Sciences argues that its processCO2 reforming, or dry
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reforming, of natural gaswould be a game changer because it would

produce fuel while using up waste CO2 that otherwise would be emitted to
the atmosphere. Also, says Elton, using readily available CO2 as a reactant
should make capital and operating costs significantly lower than current
commercial approaches that use oxygen, since thats expensive and capitalintensive.
In the United Kingdom, Air Fuel Synthesis aims to use atmospheric CO2
and wind energy to produce aviation fuels in a concept demonstration at an
initial rate of 1 liter (about one-quarter gallon) per day. and creating liquid
fuels through carbon recycling could be important in the long run for a
society that aims to reduce its dependence on oil. Although theres been
much excitement about electric cars, the report noted that electric batteries
still cant provide the needed range for aviation and long-haul sea and road
transport. The recycling of CO2 could be the path for putting renewable
energy into the fuel tanks of ordinary combustion engines, the report said.

References
1)http://www.news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/08/110811turning-carbon-emissions-into-fuel/
2)http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/04/01/howtechnology-is-fighting-to-prevent-a-climate-change-apocalypse/

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Solutions To Global Warming

There is no single solution to global warming, which is primarily a problem
of too much heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide
in the atmosphere. The technologies and approaches outlined below are all
needed to bring down the emissions of these gases by at least 80 percent by
mid-century.

1)Boosting energy efficiency: The energy used to power, heat, and

cool our homes, businesses, and industries is the single largest contributor
to global warming. Energy efficiency technologies allow us to use less
energy to get the sameor higherlevel of production, service, and
comfort. This approach has vast potential to save both energy and money,
and can be deployed quickly.

2)Greening transportation: The transportation sector's emissions have

increased at a faster rate than any other energy-using sector over the past
decade. A variety of solutions are at hand, including improving efficiency
(miles per gallon) in all modes of transport, switching to low-carbon fuels,
and reducing vehicle miles traveled through smart growth and more
efficient mass transportation systems.

3)Revving up renewables: Renewable energy sources such as solar,

wind, geothermal and bioenergy are available around the world. Multiple
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studies have shown that renewable energy has the technical potential to
meet the vast majority of our energy needs. Renewable technologies can be
deployed quickly, are increasingly cost-effective, and create jobs while
reducing pollution.

4)Phasing out fossil fuel electricity: Dramatically reducing our use of

fossil fuelsespecially carbon-intensive coalis essential to tackle climate
change. There are many ways to begin this process. Key action steps
include: not building any new coal-burning power plants, initiating a phased
shutdown of coal plants starting with the oldest and dirtiest, and capturing
and storing carbon emissions from power plants. While it may sound like
science fiction, the technology exists to store carbon emissions
underground. The technology has not been deployed on a large scale or
proven to be safe and permanent, but it has been demonstrated in other
contexts such as oil and natural gas recovery.

5)Managing forests and agriculture: Taken together, tropical

deforestation and emissions from agriculture represent nearly 30 percent of
the world's heat-trapping emissions. We can fight global warming by
reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and by
making our food production practices more sustainable.

6)Exploring nuclear: Because nuclear power results in few global

warming emissions, an increased share of nuclear power in the energy mix
could help reduce global warmingbut nuclear technology poses serious
threats to our security and, as the accident at the Fukushima Diaichi plant
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in Japan illustrates to our health and the environment as well. The question
remains: can the safety, proliferation, waste disposal, and cost barriers of
nuclear power be overcome?

7)Developing and deploying new low-carbon and zero-carbon

technologies: Research into and development of the next generation of
low-carbon technologies will be critical to deep mid-century reductions in
global emissions. Current research on battery technology, new materials for
solar cells, harnessing energy from novel sources like bacteria and algae,
and other innovative areas could provide important breakthroughs.

8)Ensuring sustainable development: The countries of the world

from the most to the least developedvary dramatically in their
contributions to the problem of climate change and in their responsibilities
and capacities to confront it. A successful global compact on climate
change must include financial assistance from richer countries to poorer
countries to help make the transition to low-carbon development pathways
and to help adapt to the impacts of climate change.

9)Adapting to changes already underway: As the Climate Hot Map

demonstrates, the impacts of a warming world are already being felt by
people around the globe. If climate change continues unchecked, these
impacts are almost certain to get worse. From sea level rise to heat waves,
from extreme weather to disease outbreaks, each unique challenge requires
locally-suitable solutions to prepare for and respond to the impacts of global
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warming. Unfortunately, those who will be hit hardest and first by the
impacts of a changing climate are likely to be the poor and vulnerable,
especially those in the least developed countries. Developed countries must
take a leadership role in providing financial and technical help for
adaptation.

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Role Of United Nations

By the middle of the 20th century, it was becoming clear that human action had significantly
increased the production of these gases, and the process of global warming was accelerating.
Today, nearly all scientists agree that we must stop and reverse this process now or face a
devastating cascade of natural disasters that will change life on earth as we know it.
The UN family is in the forefront of the effort to save our planet. In 1992, its Earth Summit
produced the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a first
step in tackling the problem. In 1998, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) to provide an objective source of scientific information. And the Conventions
1997 Kyoto Protocol, which set emission reduction targets for industrialized countries, has
already helped stabilize and in some cases reduce emissions in several countries.
"We must limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees. We are far from there, and even that is
enough to cause dire consequences. If we continue along the current path, we are close to a 6
degree increase".
"Too many leaders seem content to keep climate change at arms length, and in its policy
silo. Too few grasp the need to bring the threat to the centre of global security, economic and
financial management. It is time to move beyond spending enormous sums addressing the
damage, and to make the investments that will repay themselves many times over".

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations (February 2013)
Current world population is 7.2 billion. It is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2043, placing high
demands on the Earths resources.
There is alarming evidence that important tipping points, leading to irreversible changes in major
ecosystems and the planetary climate system, may already have been reached or passed.
Ecosystems as diverse as the Amazon rainforest and the Arctic tundra, may be approaching
thresholds of dramatic change through warming and drying. Mountain glaciers are in alarming
retreat and the downstream effects of reduced water supply in the driest months will have
repercussions that transcend generations.
In December 2012, after two weeks of negotiations at Doha conference, nations moved forward
on climate change and extended the Kyoto Protocol. The renewal will keep existing climate
targets until a new international agreement comes into effect in 2020, pending a new pact to be
decided on by 2015.

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35

36

kyr Before Present

Date

SST in Pacific Warm Pool (ODP site 806B, 0N, 160E) in past millennium. Time scale
expanded in recent periods. Data after 1880 is 5-year mean.
Source: Medina-Elizalde and Lea, ScienceExpress, 13 October 2005;data for 1880-1981 based on
Rayner et al., JGR, 108, 2003, after 1981 on Reynolds and Smith, J. Climate, 7, 1994.

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Surface Melt on Greenland

Melt
descending
into a moulin,
a vertical shaft
carrying water to
ice sheet base.

Source:Roger
Braithwaite,
University
of Manchester (UK)

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Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA)

140-page synthesis report released in

November 2004.
Main science report imminent (chapters
available electronically at www.acia.uaf.edu).
Concerns over wide-ranging changes in the
Arctic.
Rising temperatures
Rising river flows
Declining snow cover
Increasing precipitation
Thawing permafrost
Diminishing late and river ice
Melting glaciers
Melting Greenland Ice Sheet
Retreating summer sea ice
Rising sea level
Ocean salinity changes
Species at risk include polar bears, seals,
walruses, Arctic fox, snowy owl, and many
species of mosses and lichens

Sources: Claire Parkinson and Robert

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Ozone Success Story

_1. Scientists : Clear warning
_2. Media: Transmitted the message well
_3. Special Interests : Initial skepticism, but forsook disinformation, pursued advanced technologies
_4. Public: quick response; spray cans replaced; no additional CFC infrastructure built
_5. Government: U.S./Europe leadership; allow delay & technical assistance for developing countries

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SUMMARY
Carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere is the most dangerous pollution problem today. This
excess of CO2 will cause an increase in the mean global temperature which should be detectable
shortly before the end of this century. This warming is caused by the greenhouse effect. CO2 allows
incoming radiation from the sun to enter the atmosphere. The heat from the earth's surface, which must
radiate in the infrared region of the spectrum, is absorbed by CO2 and water vapor, thereby raising the
atmospheric temperature. The greenhouse water-vapor coupling provides a strong positive feedback
mechanism. Fossil-fuel use increases at an exponential rate of 4.3% annually. This should cause a
doubling of CO2 concentrations by between the year 2020 and the year 2075. This doubling of
atmospheric CO2 will cause an increase in the mean global temperature of about 30 to 50 C.
Warmer temperatures will cause a shift in atmospheric circulation patterns. This will cause local
weather patterns to change. The results for the United States could be intensive drought, increased
tropical storm activity, and a rise in the sea level caused by melting of the polar ice caps. To lessen the
severity of the problem, fossil fuel consumption must be curtailed and alternate energy sources
developed. Also, a global reforestation program should be undertaken to provide a large biotic sink for
CO2 in the new few decades.

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SOME INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO COMBAT GLOBAL

WARMING
First Idea
A ball like structure [due to large surface area] can be charge positively and it will attract ve charge
cl- ion and same type of other molecules but we need to careful about that it dont break the ozone
molecules. In stratosphere due to uv rays chlorine molecules breaks into chlorine ions we need to just
react or attract them before they react with ozone.
Or we can make chemical spray so if we spray it in stratosphere then chlorine ions and compound can
form a new type of compound which is inactive in nature and make these chlorine compound to break
harder or difficult by uv rays.

Second idea
Plasma rays with positive charge can be consume co2, CFCs, CHFs and all electronegative molecules
and make it dust. This system can be install in the exhaust of factories. its cage like structure so gases
can easily pass through this system.

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Third idea
It has some steps to understand. These are.
Step 1: first neutral air pass through 1st coil, which is positively charge so it attracts negatively charge
ion and allow to pass positively charge ion.
Step 2: second coil now become positively charge coil by induction now 2nd coil is connected to 3rd
coil so 3rd coil now also become positively charge coil. Now 2nd and 3rd coil attract negatively charge
ions and molecules.
Step 3: now 3rd coil allows to pass negatively charged ions so now 4th coil face only remaining
negatively charged ions and 4th coil is attached to 1st coil so it will also become positively charge.

43

Global Warming Story

_1. Scientists : Fail to make clear distinction between climate change & BAU = A Different Planet
_2. Media: False balance, and leap to hopelessness
_3. Special Interests : Disinformation campaigns, emphasis on short -term profits
_4. Public: understandably confused , disinterested
_5. Government: Seems affected by special interests; fails to lead

44

List Of Team Members

SL.NO.

NAME

SCHOLAR NO.

Dinesh Divakar

13-1-2-026

Dhruba Jyoti Nath

13-1-2-005

Ayan Chakraborty

13-1-2-084

Sudheer Kumar Rai

13-1-2-095

Ghufran Alam Siddiqui

13-1-2-116

Somnath Pal

13-1-2-112

Rahul

13-1-2-060

Vishal Kumar

13-1-2-032

Abhijit Gope

13-1-2-021

10

Pankaj Kumar Kushwaha

13-1-2-024

11

Abhishek Das

13-1-2-007

12

Rajib Roy

13-1-2-020

13

Soumyajit Dutta

13-1-2-006

45