climate change & i

8/6/2019 Climate Change & I

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&

I

ClimateChange



This booklet is part of a Series of 6 Booklets on

Environmental Sustainability with a special focus

on Climate Change. Each booklet aims to motivate

individuals to take action to mitigate global warming

by providing basic information in an easy tounderstand manner.



ClimateChange

& I



Copyright © 2008

Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE)

ISBN 978-81-902018-4-1

PUBLISHER - Centre for Environmental Research

and Education (CERE)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may becopied, transmitted or reproduced in a retrieval

system in any form or by any means without prior

permission of the Publisher.

This booklet is printed using environmentally-friendly

materials. The inks used are vegetable oil-based inks and

the paper is wood-free and chlorine-free.



3

CLIMATE CHANGE?

Imagine a world where temperatures

regularly reach 50 °C, where NewYork, Venice, Mumbai and Hong Kong

have disappeared under the sea; where

malaria is rampant in Canada; where

rice is scarce in India; where the

Ganga and Yamuna have dried upand the Himalayas have no snow left.

Impossible? Think again…

this is the world of climate change and

it’s beginning to happen right now.



4

Everything I do...

I am RESPONSIBLEfor Climate Change...

Use anAC

Drive towork

Leave the

lights on

Leave thetap running

Litter

Use paper

Eat meat

Fly fora holiday



5

...impacts the climate!

...and so are YOU!

Risingsea levels

Melting

ice caps

Spread of diseases

Dryingrivers

Frequentfloods

Frequentdroughts

Increasing

temperature

Impact onagriculture



6

WHAT IS

CLIMATE CHANGE?

Climate change is a symptom of a sick

earth. Our planet is suffering because of

the way human activities are destroying

and changing the surface of the earth.

One of the biggest reasons for climate

change and the one many scientists and

environmentalists are worried about

today is global warming.



7

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is a natural phenomenon that

has been happening for millions of years. The

Earth’s atmosphere has gases calledgreenhouse gases (GHG) like carbon dioxide

and water vapour that act like the glass of a

greenhouse. They trap the sun’s energy within

the atmosphere, making our planet warmer -

this is the natural greenhouse effect.

Some radiation

is reflected by

the earth and the

atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases trap

solar radiation within

the earth’s atmosphere,

heating it.

Some radiation is

absorbed by the earth’s

surface, warming it.

Solar radiation

passes through

the atmosphere.

The natural greenhouse effect keeps the Earth’saverage surface temperature at a comfortable 15 °C,

without the GHGs the temperature would be -19 °C. D I D Y

O U KNOW...



8

Since the

I n d u s t r i a l

Revo lu t ionthe amounts

of GHGs

in the

atmosphere

have been increasing at an alarming pace because of human activities. Waste

production, burning of fossil fuels,

deforestation and agriculture have all led to

increases in the three main GHGs: carbon

dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous

oxide (N2O). This has led to an average

temperature increase of 0.7 °C. This is called

the Anthropogenic (man-made)

Greenhouse Effect.

CO2 levels in the atmospherehave increased from 280 parts per million (ppm) in pre-industrial times to 379 ppm in 2005, largely due to burning of fossil fuels.

FAC T

carbon dioxide

concentration

CO2 (ppm) Radiative forcing (wm-2)

1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

360

340320

300

280

260

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

S o u r c e :

w w w . i p c c . c

h



9

The man-made greenhouse effect leads to

global warming, which in turn drives

climate change. This is already having animpact on our world and will have even

more serious implications in the years to

come.

TEASE SBRainR

I t i s n o t h i g h - t e c h J a p a n o r i n d u s t r i a l G e r m a n y , b u t I n d o n e s i a , w h i c h e m i t s 3 . 3 b i l l i o n t o n n e s o f C O 2 a n n u a l l y - a l m o s t e n t i r e l y f r o m d e f o r e s t a t i o n .

After China and USA, which country emits thegreatest quantity of greenhouse gases per year?



10

HOW WILL GLOBAL

WARMING CHANGE EARTH’S

CLIMATE & CONDITIONS?

2002 and 2003 saw some of the hottestsummers in Andhra Pradesh in India. These

heat waves caused the deaths of thousands of

people and even destroyed crops and farmland.

D I D Y

O U KNOW...

Twelve of the last 13 years(1995-2007) rank amongthe warmest years in therecord of global surface

temperature since 1850.

FACT

Temperature Rise:

Temperatures on

Earth have already

increased by 0.7 °C.

If global warming

continues the way it is right now,

temperatures could climb even higher. In

fact, global mean temperatures are expected

to rise by about 4 °C in the next 100 years.



11

Sea Level Rise: As

temperatures increase, sea

levels will rise as warmer

waters in the oceans expand

and melting polar ice

increase water volumes.

Global sea levels have risen

by nearly 200 cm over thelast century.

Low lying coastal areas willsink if sea levels rise, leading

to the displacement of about634 million people who livein these areas. About 75% of them live in Asia.

FA C T

In 2002, an ice shelf (Larsen B) the size of thestate of Goa, broke off from the AntarcticPolar Ice, shattered and drifted out to sea.

Most scientists believe that if globalwarming continues larger and larger bodiesof ice will break off from the polar ice caps,

melt and raise sea levels around the world.

D I D Y

O

U KNOW...

J o h n

M c C o n n i c o



12

Extreme Weather

Patterns: As the

planet heats up, it

will witness changes

in climate and

weather patterns.

Rainfall is expected

to increase in the temperate zones but decreasein the tropics and sub-tropics. These changes

will lead to stronger and more prevalent

storms, droughts and floods.

Storms along the coast of West Bengal andBangladesh, for example, have become a

recurrent feature over the past couple of years.

Every year thousands of lives are lost and crores

of rupees worth of property damaged.

More intense and longer droughts have been observed since the 1970s, particularly in the

tropics and subtropics. D I D Y

O U KNOW...



13

HOW DO MY ACTIONS LEAD

TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

Global warming and climate change are

‘global problems’but are caused by each and

every one of us. Things that we do on a daily

basis lead to the production of GHGs that are

the main cause of global warming.

When I bathe, use electricity, travel to work or

school, use resources or even when I eat, I am

indirectly producing GHGs. GHGs like CH4

and N2

O are mostly produced from landfills

and agriculture, while CO2 is produced by the

burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

TEASE SBRainR

A L L o f t h e m !

Which activities contribute to Climate Change? Cutting down a tree Flying for a holiday Eating imported fruits Playing golf Washing clothes Watching a movie

Working on my computer



14

THE IMPLICATIONS OF

CLIMATE CHANGE

Sea level rise

PrecipitationTemperature



15

Healthimpacts

Agricultureimpacts

Forestimpacts

Water resourcesimpacts

Impacts oncoastal areas

Species andnatural areas

Weather related

infectious diseasesAir-quality and

respiratory illnesses

Crop yields

Irrigationdemands

Forest composition

Geographicrange of trees

Forest health and productivity

Water supply

Water quality

Competition for water

Erosion of

beaches

Inundation of coastal lands

Additional costs

to protect coastalcommunities

Loss of habitat

and species



16

HOW DOES

CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT

THE ENVIRONMENT?

Marine Habitats: As water

temperatures increase,

particularly in oceans and

seas, habitats are adversely

impacted. This is due to a

host of reasons such as

increases in acidity, salinity

and decreased oxygen; each

of which affect marine plantand animal life.

O v e

H o e g h - G u l d b e r g

If climate change is not stopped,coral bleaching - ‘the whitening’ of coral

colonies due to environmental stress - willsteadily increase in frequency and intensity

around the world, until it occurs annually by2030 - 2070. This would devastate coral reefs

to such an extent that they could be eliminated

from most areas of the world by 2100.

D I D Y

O U KNOW...



17

Terrestrial Habitats:

Many land-based

habitats/ecosystemsare also threatened by

climate change. As

land is lost to rising

ocean levels and temperatures rise, habitats

will need to change, adapt or move withchanging climatic conditions. Today

however, with all the human roadblocks

these changes will be much harder to make

and many ecosystems may disappear

altogether. The evergreen forests of theHimalayas are likely to be some of the first

victims of global warming.

During the last ice age, evergreen forestsmoved further south at a rate of 100 feet

per year. This helped them survive the harsh pre-historic conditions prevalent more than 14,000

years ago. Scientists predict that to keep up withthe changes brought on by climate change thesevery same forests may need to move as fast as

1,000 feet per year.While this may not seem very

fast, it’s ‘speeding’ for a forest.

D I D Y

O U KNOW...



18

HOW WILL CLIMATE CHANGE

AFFECT BIODIVERSITY?

Australia’s

Boyd Forest Dragon

South Africa’s

King Protea

Asia’s

Snow Leopard

What do they have in common?

The threat of EXTINCTION!

Separated by geographical, biological and

meteorological barriers, it’s difficult to

recognise that these species and many others

are threatened by climate change.

D i d i e r B .



19

The extinction of theGolden Toad of

Costa Rica is directlylinked to the effects of global warming.

FA CT

Extinction: Climate change poses many

threats to biodiversity and species. It causes

the loss of habitats, it forces animals and

plants to change their lifecycles and migrate

to more suitable climates. Ultimately, if

species are unable to adapt, it will cause their

extinction.

The Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat is aunique ecosystem in India. The vast area of

seasonal salt lakes supports huge populations of flamingoes and is the onlyremaining habitat for 2,000 Asiatic Wild Asses.The area is likely to become inundated by sea

level rise, thus destroying the habitat andthreatening all the species within it.

D I D

Y O U KNOW...



20

In 2003 a massive heat wave hit large parts of western and central Europe.

Temperatures, especially in France, rose to5 - 10 °C above their summer average. The

heat wave resulted in the death of over 35,000 people, mostly the elderly and

young children.

D I D Y

O U KNOW...

HOW DOES CLIMATE

CHANGE AFFECT ME?

Human Health:

Climate change directly

affects human beings

through the impact of

extreme temperatures

and weather patterns.

The most common

cause of death and the

most serious illness directly related to heat is

heatstroke, a condition in which the bodytemperature is greater than 40.6 °C.



21

Modelling of climate change effects onmalaria indicate that the global population

at risk of malaria would increase by an

extra 260-320 million people in the 2080s.

D I D Y

O U KNOW...

Rising temperatures also leads to anincreased prevalence of diseases like malaria

and dengue as vectors like mosquitoes move

to previously unaffected cooler regions.

Climate change can also indirectly affecthuman health and cause injuries and deaths

from extreme events like droughts, storms

and flooding. Water-borne diseases like

cholera, gastro-enteritis, typhoid and jaundice

will also increase in disaster affected areas.



22

Water resources:

The impact of

climate change onwater is complex and

differs from place to

place. Areas like

Europe and Canada

will see morerainfall, while Africa

and the Indian subcontinent will see

decreases in rainfall. The repercussions

include droughts, spread of water-borne

diseases, rivers drying up and even flooding.

The availability of water in the rivers of India,Africa, Southern America, Europe & the MiddleEast is expected to decrease over the years.In fact by 2030, the Ganga could dry out asthe water supply in the mountains runs low.

This will endanger the lives of about400 million people who depend upon it for

their supply of water.

D I D

Y O U KNOW...



23

Agriculture: Climate change

will dramatically alter cropping

patterns across the globe.Farmers in different parts of the

world will not be able to produce

the crops they have been growing

for centuries due to variations in

weather conditions like prolonged summers,unseasonal rainfall and shorter winters.

Change in weather conditions also increase the

pest susceptibility of crops.

It has been predicted that wheat will nolonger grow in Punjab.

The 2001 IPCC Third AssessmentReport concluded that the poorest countries would be hardest hit, with reductions in crop yields in

most tropical and sub-tropical regions due todecreased water availability, and new or changed

insect pest incidence. Falls in agriculturalproductivity of upto 30% over the 21st century

are projected.

D I D

Y O U KNOW...



24

D i s p l a c e m e n t :

Christian Aid recently

released a report, Human Tide: The

Real Migration Crisis

that suggests that between 2007 and 2050 a

quarter of a billion people across the world,

will be “ permanently displaced by climatechange-related phenomena such as floods,

droughts, famines & hurricanes.”

Forced migration is likely to fuel existing

conflicts and generate new ones in thoseareas of the world where resources are

most scarce.



25

India will suffer an estimated 5% lossof GDP due to climate change with a

change of 2.5 °C. This is twice the cost tothe EU, and over 1% higher than the cost to

Africa. If temperatures increase by over 6 °C our GDP losses can be as high as 15%.

D I D Y

O U

KNOW...

Economy: Global

warming and climate

change havenumerous impacts on

human society,

natural resources and

biodiversity. Some of

these changes are beneficial, while most areharmful to the environment and human

populations.

These impacts also have economic

implications. While the costs of mitigation of climate change are high, the costs of looking

the other way are even higher…



26

CLIMATE CHANGE...

DrowningPolar Bears Arctic, since 1970s

HurricaneKatrina

New Orleans, 2005

RetreatingGlaciers

Patagonia

Arctic

USA

Argentina



27

...IS ALREADY HERE

FloodingVenice, 2003

Desertification

Sahel Grasslands

Drought andHeat Waves

Andhra Pradesh,2002-2003Italy

India

Africa



28

It is the little things we doeveryday that leads to the

accumulation of GHGs like CO2.

It is the little things that we can change

to lower our carbon footprint.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT

GLOBAL WARMING?

A Carbon Footprint measuresthe impact of your activitieson the environment in termsof the amount of greenhousegases produced in units of carbon dioxide.

FA C T



29

3%Financialservices

12%Share of publicservices

15%Gas, oil& coal

12%

Electricity

10%Private

Transport

3%Public

transport

6%

Flights

5%Food

4%Clothes &Personaleffects

7% in car

manufacture

14%Recreation& leisure

9%House

& furniture

A typical person’s Carbon Footprint

S o u r c e : c a r b o n f o o t p r i n t . c o m



30

Reduce your carbon footprint: Reducing

your carbon foot print can involve anything

from changing the way you travel to thelighting in your house. It can involve eating

less meat, recycling your dry waste and even

the way you dress. In fact, anything that you

can do to reduce the amount of ‘energy’ you

use (and that does not mean only electricity)

will help you reduce your carbon footprint.

The best place to start is calculating your

carbon footprint - figuring out how many

resources you consume, how this compares to

the Earth’s ability to sustain you andidentifying areas where you produce a lot of

GHGs.

You can calculate your own carbon footprint by going to

any of the following websites:

1. BT’s Carbon calculator:http://www.btplc.com/ClimateChange/CarbonCalculator/i

ndex.cfm

2. Time for Change - Offline Carbon calculator:

http://timeforchange.org/offline-carbon-footprint-calculator

3. EnergyRace - Calculate and reduce your carbon

footprint:: http://energyrace.com/



31

HANDY TIPS

This section has some down-to-earth

and practical tips to reduce your

carbon footprint that each of us can

easily adopt in our everyday lives.



32

TURN OFF APPLIANCES

Turn off your appliances when not in use -

turn them off from the mains and even pullout the plug. Stand-by appliances still

consume energy.

Appliance Stand-by (watts) On (watts)

Stereo 12 22

TV 10 100

Video recorder 1 13

DVD Player 7 12

PC+peripherals 15 130

PC monitor 11 70

Laptop 2 29

Broadband

modem14 14

Cell phone

charger 1 5

Digital TV

top box5 6

S o u r c e : T h e S u s t a i n a b l e G i r t o n P r o j e c t



33

AT YOUR HOME

Turn the AC thermostat up by 1-2 °C,

or if you’re comfortable, use the fan.

Fact: Adjusting your ACthermostat’s setting up by 1 to 2 °C can save 3

to 4 % on cooling costs. FA CT

Run your dish washer and washing machine

at full load - it saves water and electricity.

Eat less meat! Producing, processing andtransporting meat uses up a lot more energy

than growing vegetables.

Switch to energy efficient CFL bulbs. They

may cost a little more but are 75% more

efficient, last for years instead of months and

save you money on your electricity bill aswell.

Grow some plants - they look nice,

produce oxygen and absorb CO2.

Recycle! Everything you recycle saves

energy and earns you some money too.



34

The Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change

2500 + scientific reviewers

800 + contributing authors

450 + lead authors from

130 + partnering countries.

Six years of work and four volumes compiled

into one report called ‘Climate Change 2007’.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

and the World Meteorological Organization

(WMO) formed the Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988.

The IPCC has atmospheric scientists,

oceanographers, ice specialists, economists and

other experts. It is now recognized as the world’s

scientific authority on global warming and

climate change after being declared the joint

winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007.

Mr. Pauchari, Chairman of IPCC rightly

remarked, “We face a true planetary emergency.

The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a

moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.”

SUCCESS STORY



35

WHEN SHOPPING

Do your weekly shopping in a single trip

instead of making 5 different trips for 5

different things.

Buy products made from recycled material.

Buy local fruits and vegetables, or eventry growing your own.

Try to buy products made locally, for example, buy clothes that are made in

India and not in China.

Don’t buy products with excess packaging.

Plastic: 1.4 tonnes of GHG saved for

every tonne recycled.Glass: Each recycled tonne avoids the use of atonne of raw materials and saves another 300kg of

GHGs. Paper & cardboard: Every tonnerecycled saves over 2 tonnes of GHG emissionsMetals: Recycling just one tonne of aluminium

will save 14 tonnes of GHGs.

D I

D Y

O U KNOW...



36

AT SCHOOL

Use as little paper as possible, ask your

teacher if you can hand in your homework

on either recycled paper or paper that is

only used on one side.

Re-use your old note books or give them tounderprivileged children.

Take the school bus or form a car pool toget to school.

Turn off the lights and fans when you leaveyour classroom.

Bring fresh lunch with you from home in

a re-usable lunch box and even carry your water with you in a bottle.

WHILE TRAVELLING

Use public transport, walk or ride a bike.

Use a fuel efficient car if you have to drive. Restrict your air-travel whenever possible

and have video conferencing instead.



37

Al Gore

Al Gore has been speaking

about Climate Change for

more than 30 years and

has become synonymous

with Climate Change,

working tirelessly to capture the world’s

attention and winning numerous awards in the

process. Gore’s Oscar winning documentaryfilm An Inconvenient Truth has changed

people’s perception of Climate Change and the

subject is now being taken more seriously.

Gore says, “The struggle to save the global

environment is in one way much more difficult than the struggle to vanquish Hitler, for this

time the war is with ourselves. We are the

enemy, just as we have only ourselves as allies.

In a war such as this, then, what is victory and

how will we recognize it?”

In 2007, Al Gore was declared a joint winner of

the Nobel Peace Prize, which catapulted both

Gore and Climate Change onto the centre stage

and singled out Climate Change as the most

important issue of this century.

SUCCESS STORY



38

AT WORK

Create a paper-less office. Communicate

via phone and e-mail whenever possible.

See if your employer will let you work fromhome once in a while, especially if you don’t

have to go into the office.

Spread the message of climate change

amongst your co-workers and encouragethem to change their lifestyles as well.



39

REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS:

LESSONS FOR OUR LEADERS

Sector (Selected) Key mitigation

technologies and practices

currently commercially

available.

Energy Supply Efficiency; fuel switching; nuclear

power; renewable energy

(hydropower, solar, wind,

geothermal, bioenergy); combined

heat and power; early applications

of CO2; capture and storage.

Transport More fuel efficient vehicles;hybrid vehicles; biofuels; modal

shifts from road transport to rail

and public transport systems;

cycling, walking; land-use

planning.

Buildings Efficient lighting; efficientappliances; improved insulation;

solar heating and cooling;

alternatives for fluorinated gases

in insulation and appliances.

S o u r c e : I P C C



40

Sector (Selected) Key mitigation

technologies and practices

currently commercially available.

Industry More efficient electrical equipment;

heat and power recovery; material

recycling; control of non-CO2 gas

emissions.

Agriculture Land management to increase soilcarbon storage; restoration of

degraded lands; improved rice

cultivation techniques; improved

nitrogen fertilizer application;

dedicated energy crops.

Forests Afforestation; reforestation; forestmanagement; reduced deforestation;

use of forestry products for

bioenergy.

Waste Landfill methane recovery;

composting; recycling and wasteminimisation.



41

INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION

Kyoto Protocol (1997): The Kyoto Protocol

came into effect in 2005. It is an agreement

made under the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

It has been ratified by 174 countries. After

the Australian ratification on 3 December

2007, the only notable exception is theUnited States of America.

The objective of the protocol is to get

countries to reduce their emissions of carbon

dioxide and other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain

or increase emissions of these gases.

India and China have ratifiedthis protocol but are not

required to reduce their CO2

emissions under the currentagreement - which must changeif any real progress is to bemade. FACT

IMPORTANT RESOURCES



42

IMPORTANT RESOURCES

WEBSITES:http://www.ipcc.ch

An informative website for any thing related to climatechange.

http://envfor.nic.in/cc/adapt.htm

The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests’Climate

Change website.

http://www.realclimate.org

It is discussion forum dedicated to climate change issuesand members include scientists and lay people.

http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/index.cfm The NGO Environmental Defense’s website that coversthe basics of climate change and also has a carbon foot

print calculator.

http://www.unep.org/themes/climatechange/

The United Nations Environment Programme’s webiste

on climate change.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES



43

IMPORTANT RESOURCES

ORGANISATIONS:Advocacy: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

Tel: +91-11 29955124/125; 29956394

Fax: +91-11 29955870; 29955879

E-mail: [email protected] financial services cocerning

Website: http://www.cseindia.org

facturer of wind power equipment.

Carbon Credit: CARBONyatraTel: 91-022-26246021

Website: http://www.carbonyatra.comdian news portal

about carbon emissions.

Financial Services: CantorCO2e

email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.cantorco2e.com

Awareness: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

Tel: +91 80 2535 6590 (5 lines)

Fax +91 80 2535 6589

E-mail [email protected]

Website: http://www.teriin.org

For information, contact:

Centre for Environmental Research and Education

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.cere-india.org



The Centre for Environmental Research and

Education (CERE) is a Mumbai-based non-profit

organisation that works to promote environmental

sustainability.

This Series of 6 Information Booklets on

Environmental Sustainability includes the titles:

Waste & I

Water & I

Energy & I

Biodiversity & I

Citizenship & I

Climate Change & I



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