8/14/2019 Subject: Environmental Studies Department: It Semester: V Roll No: 08-188

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 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESDEPARTMENT: IT

SEMESTER: VROLL 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. Theactivities 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 societiesand 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 period1906-2005. 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

R adiative 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, andcompact 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 aninsulating 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 toturn 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/

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