Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
GO VEGETARIAN & REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING
"GO VEGETARIAN & REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING
A recent study by the German Institute of Ecological Economy Research revealed that people eating a vegetarian diet produces only about 50 % of green house gases in a year as compared to those eating meat. A person consuming vegetarian diet produces in an year green house gases equivalent to that generated by driving a mid-size car for 2427 kilometers. A diet with meat for 12 months produces emissions equivalent that produced by driving the car for 4758 kilometers. This calculation has taken into account the methane produced by the animals, emissions from manufacturing feed and fertilizer, and that produced by the use of the farmland. If the vegetarian food is organically produced, then the carbon foot print is reduced to almost a 17th of that of a meat diet. The study also showed that producing beef, which is the most environmentally unfriendly, releases almost 3 times as much emission as that released in producing pork. Hence encouraging a diet with as little beef and milk products will reduce the global warming significantly. This study is thus a strong supporter of a vegetarian diet has been widely acclaimed as a healthier one in this age of diabetes and cardio-vascular diseases.
(Source: AFP, Berlin, as quoted by The Economic Times, August 29, 08)"
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
India's climate change action plan- Editorials-Opinion-The Economic Times
India's climate change action plan- Editorials-Opinion-The Economic Times
Comments
P. P. Sangal comments on India's National action plan on climate change (NAPCC) stating that the plan is vague and not amenable to any assessment as it does not set any quantitative targets. It also does not clearly allocate responsibility to do the required work under its 8 missions. Moreover, the plan may not satisfy the international community because of its lack of emission control targets.
Sangal then suggests that nuclear energy and wind energy should also be included in targetting reduced share of fossil fuel energy in the overall energy mix.
gblogger
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Food shortage, Bio-fuels & Climate change
Dr. R. K. Pachauri, Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on June 30th that he had hoped that the G-8 summit in Japan would address the issue of bio-fuel policies, including subsidy, which was contributing to the rising food prices, which could push an additional 100 million people into poverty. Subsidies on grain and oil seed bio-fuels were making farmers shift from growing food grains to bio-fuel plantation. According to him unbalanced policies disproportionately burden the poor and the G-8 should tackle the interconnected challenges of climate change, food prices and development. Not only food was being converted into fuel, but also forests were being cleared for growing crops to produce bio-fuels like ethanol and palm oil. Dr. Pachauri also wished for a clearer statement from the developed countries on emission reduction and their willingness to take action. He expected them to divert resources allocated to subsidies for bio-fuels for implementing use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind etc which will cut down on gas emissions and reduce climate change.
Greenspace has called upon the G-8 nations to take action on climate change by adopting binding emission reduction targets and investing in an energy revolution based on renewable energy and massive increases in efficiency, and give a constructive response to rocketing oil prices.
(Source: The Hindu, July 9, 2008)
G-8 Nations set goal for gas emissions
The group of eight leading industrial nations constituting the G-8, USA, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Italy, meeting at the picturesque lakeside resort of Toyako in northern Japan, declared on July 1, 08 their agreement to reduce the global green house gas emissions to half by the year 2050. No base-year has, however, been mentioned. They called on all major economies to join in the fight against global warming. G-8 had been under pressure to secure commitments by wealthy nations to push forward halted UN-lead talks on a new agreement on global warming to take the place of the Kyoto Protocol which ends in 2012. The present declaration falls short of these expectations and merely reiterates the decision made by them last year. No tough, near-term measures have been agreed upon.
(Source: The Economic Times, July 9, 2008)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
INDIA UNVEILS ITS ACTION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh unveiled the National Action Plan on Climate Change on June 30, 2008. This plan seeks to promote sustainable development through the use of clean technologies. Though it does not set targets for reduction of green house gas emissions, it expects to develop multi-pronged long-term integrated strategies for achieving key goals in the field of climate change. The plan categorically states that India’s per capita green house gas emissions will at no point exceed that of developed countries. India plans to engage actively in multilateral negotiations in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner with the objective of establishing an effective co-operative and equitable global approach based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and relative capabilities enshrined in the UNFCC. The plan states that the success of its efforts would be enhanced if the developed nations fulfill their commitments under UNFCC to transfer additional financial resources and climate-friendly technologies to the developing countries.
India’s action plan will be implemented through eight missions. These missions focus their attention on; 1) increasing share of solar energy in the total energy mix, 2) implementation of energy efficiency measures, 3) launching sustainable habitats, 4) effective water resource management, 5) safeguarding Himalayan glacier and mountain eco-system, 6) enhance eco-system services, 7) making agriculture more resilient to climate change, and 8) establishing a strategic knowledge mission for focused research in the area.
The action plan will be institutionalized by the respective ministries of the government of India. Various inter-sect oral groups will be set up with experts from industry, academia and civil society. Action plans for the next 5-10 years will be finalized by December 2008.
( SOURCE: The Economic Times, June 1, 08)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY-2008
Today all over the world, the World Environment Day is being observed. This year’s slogan for the day, “Kick the habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy” strongly urges every one of us to get rid of our bad habits of energy wastage in order to save our environment. Our habits do influence the world energy consumption, carbon emission and the consequent global warming and climate change. The penchant for using motor bikes or cars even for moving two or three kilometers, the belief that owning more number of cars or bikes is progress, and distaste for using public transportation are all bad habits and must be changed. Each one of us must resolve today to conserve energy, to reduce pollution, and to plant trees to make world greener. We must cultivate the habit of shutting of lights and fans when not needed, not keeping television, music systems or VCR on hold when not used, using more energy efficient CFL instead of ordinary incandescent lamps, using pressure cookers and smokeless ‘chulhas’ for cooking, and adopting solar powered lights, water heaters and cooking devices. In highly crowded cities, private vehicles should be discouraged and people should use public transportation.
The steep hikes in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas declared by the government of
June 5, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
DOI Decision on Polar Bears Wrong on Science and Reality
NCPA Expert Says Ruling Reflects Concern for Politics, Not Polar Bears
DALLAS, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A decision today by the Bush Administration to list the polar bear as a threatened species is not based upon the best available science, according to NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett. The U.S. Interior Department's decision, delivered a day before a court-imposed deadline, cites the decline in Arctic sea ice as the reason.
"Secretary Kempthorne's decision to list the polar bear as threatened is not based on the best available science," Burnett said, "nor does it conform to direct observation of polar bear populations."
Kempthorne noted that the Interior Department will cite studies by its own scientists, based on computer models showing that the decline in Arctic sea ice could lead to the demise of two-thirds of the polar bear population by 2050, even though the computer predictions don't match the current census of polar bears.
"Basing such a serious decision on computer models that still cannot accurately portray present climate conditions and have not met objective standards established by forecasting experts is foolish," Burnett added. "Sea ice has actually grown back this year and polar bear populations, as a whole, are healthy, growing and not endangered or threatened."
Research shows, for example, that Alaska's polar bear population is stable and Canada's polar bear population has increased 25 percent during the past decade. Where polar bears are declining scientists think the reason may be due to too many bears competing for food, rather than a decline in sea ice.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Threat to polar bears
Recently the U. S. Administration listed polar bears as a threatened species due to a reducing Arctic sea ice, caused by global warming. However, the government refuses to change its stand on Kyoto Protocol on climate change nor has it any plans to halt oil drilling in the bears’ habitat.
(Source: The Hindu, May 16, 2008)
World CO2 levels highest for 650,000 years
David Abraham of Guardian Newspapers reports that CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has reached a record high of 357 parts per million (ppm), the highest figure for the past 650,000 years. The data published by the US National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration confirm that CO2 , the chief green house gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than what was expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14 ppm. From 1970 to 2000 the concentration rose by about 1.5 ppm each year, but since 2000 the annul rate had increased to an average of 2.1 ppm.
(Source: The Hindu, May 14, 2008)
“Global warming—the answer is the tree”
The Departments of forest and education of the Kerala government are launching a joint programme this year to spread greenery in Kerala. Last year they had run a campaign called ‘my tree’ which saw school children planting and taking care of more than 2.5 million saplings in school compounds, public lots and home back yards. This year’s campaign named ‘our tree’ will start on June 5, the World Environment Day with higher secondary / college students planting at least one million saplings of rain trees across the state. School children will also participate with fresh supply of saplings. It is heartening to note that many school teachers, public personalities, academics, and poets like Mrs. Sugatha Kumari are active participants in greening of Kerala with the purpose of slowing down global warming.
(Source: The Hindu, May 17, 2008)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Politics of Global warming
Rich States failing to lead on emissions
The Hindu of April 15, 2008 reported that according to top U N climate officials, developing countries, including China and India are unwilling to sign up to a new global climate change pact to replace the Kyoto protocol in 2012, because the rich world had failed to set a clear example in cutting carbon emissions. Dr. R. K. Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is of the view that too many rich countries including the U.S. A. had failed to take steps to convince the developing nations to sign up to a deal in Copenhagen next year that could help stabilize global emissions. He doubts whether any of the developing countries will make any commitments before they have seen the developed countries take a specific stand. In this matter, Germany has set a good example with significant investment in renewable energy, and U. K. is on track to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions as required under Kyoto. Analysts say that a new global deal needs to be agreed at the Copenhagen meeting for it to come into force by 2012 after ratification by the nations.
Bush revises strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions
Economic Times of April 17, 08 quoted unnamed White House officials to report that President George Bush of U. S. A. is revising his stance on global warming and will propose a new target for stopping the growth of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. While not outlining a specific proposal, he will lay out a strategy for ‘realistic’ emission reduction targets, and ‘principles’ congress should follow in crafting global warming legislation. The new goal for curtailing greenhouse gas emissions is an attempt to avoid potential regulatory frameworks in the future which will involve heavy costs to industry and the economy. Bush administration has been a staunch opponent of a mandatory approach to reducing greenhouse gases, and prefers largely voluntary measures to address global warming.
India’s Gas Emission Estimates
India along with many other countries submitted their estimates of gas emissions to the United Nation’s Conference on Climate Change recently concluded at Bangkok. According to its report, India emitted 1,228,540 Gigagrams (Gg) or about 1228 million tonnes of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG). The CO2 emissions amounted to 817,023 Gg, about 65 % of the total GHG. Transportation sector alone contributed 79,880 Gg and land use changes including forestry contributed 37,675 Gg of CO2. The per capita GHG emission in India was 1.3 tonnes, far lower than the figures for U. S. A. and other developed countries.
U N Climate Change Conference, Bangkok
The recently concluded UN Climate change conference gas made it clear that market-oriented arrangements such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and emission trading instituted by Kyoto Protocol will continue beyond 2012. Some scientists have challenged the effectiveness of these measures and the emission estimates that have been put forth. The main point of contention was that UN policies have stressed the supply side of energy in developing countries, especially India and China. It was argued that while developing countries like US has done a lot to cut energy intensity (a unit of production/ amount of energy spent to produce it), India and China have not done enough and they must be brought on board and their emission limits capped. Demands were also made to increase investment in R & D, impose penalties like carbon tax, and delineate poverty reduction from the issue of controlling carbon emissions. (Source: The Hindu, Editorial, April 14, 2008)
17-4-08
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Welcome
I welcome you all to my new blog on Global warming.
Global warming-the slow rise in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere-is becoming a matter of great concern for all of us. Increase in earth's temperature causes the melting of polar ice, rise in sea level, and unpredictable climate changes. Rising sea levels submerge low lying areas,and climate changes lead to loss of crops,draughts,floods, and increase in vector-borne diseases.
Global warming is essentially man-made. Burning of fossil fuels raises the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere which causes scattering of sun's heat in the atmosphere,and raises its temperature. Industrial gases sent into the atmosphere also leads to global warming.
To prevent the damages expected from global warming, we have to restrict carbon dioxide and other gas emissions to the atmosphere.Lowered electricity consumption, and use of alternate and 'clean' sources of power will lead to lower global warming.
I intend to collect information on global warming effects and new efforts on controlling this menace.
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