Climate Change and Global Warming: The Effects so far

Perhaps one of the most intriguing topics these days is the one of climate change. It is perhaps the only thing other than the AIDS epidemic that is bringing the entire world together. The best example was set forward last week when it became a point in the agenda of the annual G8 summit held in Heiligendamm, Germany.
The climate change is mainly due to increase in the greenhouse gases emissions. Basically these greenhouse emissions are a mixture of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and oxides of sulphur. This phenomenon is termed as the greenhouse effect. Though climate change was a subject of concern previously, it has now become a subject of global concern which led to the formation of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) and IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Following the rapid changes in the environmental conditions in our country the honourable Supreme Court of India made environmental awareness education mandatory upto college level.
What is Greenhouse Effect?
Many of us have come across this term during our school or college levels. Well, the greenhouse effect is basically a natural phenomenon. It’s a known fact that the earth’s surface temperature is maintained by the energy balance of the sun’s rays that strike the earth and the heat that is radiated back by the earth into the outer space. However due to the presence of gases such as carbon dioxide etc., the radiated energy, especially the ones with longer wavelengths such as infra red (IR) rays are trapped or rather absorbed by the greenhouse gases and their exit from the earth’s atmosphere is prevented. They in turn continue to increase the surface temperature. It has been stated that for every 1oC rise in the surface temperature the polar ice caps would melt and increase the sea level by 90cm in that region. It has also been proved that for every 50% increase in co2 levels the surface temperature increases by 3oC.
The levels of greenhouse gases increase due to various natural and anthropogenic activities. But the natural activities do not play a major role, it is actually the anthropogenic activities that constitute the effect mainly.
The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, petrol etc., the irregular felling of trees are the ones that are mainly responsible for the increased activity of greenhouse effect.
Major Players: It is a well known fact that 60% of world’s energy is consumed by the United States and interestingly it also contributes the maximum when it comes to amount of carbon dioxide emissions every year. Of the world total of 27bn tones every year the US accounts for a staggering 5.9bn of them. Next is China which accounts for 4.7bn followed Russia, Japan and India. India accounts for 1.1bn tones every year.
It was proposed at the summit by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was also the host of the summit, to get the fellow leaders of G8 to reduce the global emissions by half by the year 2050. But unfortunately this proposal was met with mild response especially by the US. On June 8th, 2007 in a common statement the G8 plus five other emerging economies said the objectives would be met “in accordance with our common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities". However, no fixed targets on reducing CO2 emissions were announced. Instead leaders agreed to "stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". And they also reaffirmed their commitment towards the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). But what remains to be seen is will they really stick to the commitment or not?
Perils: Dangerous consequences are looming around us with the growing intensity in the climate change. It is not only the polar ice caps or the ice caps of various mountain ranges but also there is an augmented risk of increase in sea levels, which in turn will cause floods and storms of mammoth dimensions. Various other things such cultural and heritage sites, including both natural and cultural, for example, in north eastern Thailand, floods have damaged the 600 year-old ruins of Sukothai and the ruins of Ayutthaya, which served as the capital from the 14th to the 18th centuries. In a recent report stated by the IPCC, it was mentioned that if the greenhouse emissions are continued at the same rate a wide spread threat looms over southern and eastern Asia. It has also been stated in the report that Sunderbans Delta that houses the royal Bengal Tiger would be completely submerged owing to rising sea levels besides half of Bangladesh. Unseasonal rains, increased summers and severe winters are just some of the perils and the list goes on.
Remedies: Most importantly, the first thing required is to somehow contain the emissions. We’ll be running out of natural resources if we continue to burn fossil fuels at the same rate within a span of half a century. Usage of non-conventional sources of energy such as solar and wind energy etc., should be mooted. Its high time these things are implemented or else we would be inviting our doom sooner than expected as the live and let live policy of nature should never be compromised upon.
It is a well known fact that our economy is a very fragile one, but our environment is far more fragile than our economy.