Content:
Greenhouse effect: Effects
Global Warming & Climate Change: causes and impact
Air Quality Standard
Ambient Air Quality Standard: effects of poor air quality
Steps taken to control Air Pollution by Indian Government
Climate Change Case Study in Uttarakhand, India
2. Greenhous
e Effect
• Greenhouse Gases keep the
earth warm through a process
called “Greenhouse Effect”.
• The greenhouse effect is the
natural process by which the
atmosphere traps some of the
Sun's energy, warming the Earth
enough to support life.
• These gases include carbon
dioxide, emitted by fossil fuel
burning and deforestation, and
methane, released from rice
paddies and landfill sites.
3. Effects of increased greenhouse
gas levels
Global warming: is the gradual heating of Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere.
Scientists have documented the rise in average temperatures worldwide since the late
1800s.
• Ocean Acidification: is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans,
caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (C02) from the atmosphere.
• Changes to plant growth and nutrition levels: Higher levels of carbon dioxide
makes carbon more available, but plants also need other nutrients (like nitrogen,
phosphorus, etc.) to grow and survive. Without increases in those nutrients as well, the
nutritional quality of many plants will decrease.
4. Smog and ozone pollution:
• Over the last century, ozone concentrations have become 2 times larger
mainly due to increases in methane and nitrogen oxides caused by human
emissions.
• Long-term ozone exposure has also been shown to reduce life expectancy.
• Recent studies estimate that the global yields of key staple crops, like
soybean, corn, and wheat, are being reduced by 2-15% due to present-day
ozone exposure.
Ozone layer depletion: Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related
phenomena observed since the late 1970s, they are
• A steady decline of about 4% in Earth’s stratosphere (the ozone layer), and
• a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone around Earth’s
polar regions.
5. Global warming
and climate
change
• Global warming and climate change refer
to an increase in average global
temperatures.
• Natural events and human activities are
believed to be contributing to an increase
in average global temperatures.
• This is caused primarily by increases in
“greenhouse” gases such as Carbon
Dioxide (CO2).
6. Causes of Climate Change
o Natural Causes
Continental drift
Volcanoes
The Earth’s Tilt
Ocean Currents
o Human Causes
Greenhouse and their sources
How we all contribute all day
7. Impacts of Global warming and
Climate change
• Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles.
• Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adélie penguins on
Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000
in 30 years.
• Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
• Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher,
cooler areas.
• Rain and snowfall has increased across the globe, on average.
• Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm
summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.
8. If Global warming continues…
• Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches.
• Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
• Species that depend on one another may become out of sync.
• Floods and droughts will become more common.
• Less fresh water will be available.
• Ecosystems will change.
9. Air Quality Standards
• Effects of Air Pollution
• What’s in the Air???
• Where does all this pollution come from??
• Example
10. Effects of Poor Air Quality
Standards
• Irritation in the throat, nose, lungs and eyes.
• Contaminated air reduces the body’s defences.
• People afflicted with heart disease, children and older people are more sensitive to air
pollution.
• Smog causes harmful health effects in humans and animals.
• Acid rain can damage trees, crops, harm marine animals and induce corrosion in metals.
• Risk of cardiovascular disease.
11.
12. National Ambient Air Quality
Standards
The ambient air quality standards limits provide a legal framework for the control of air
pollution and the protection of public health.
The objectives are:
• To advise the Central Government on any matter concerning the improvement of the
quality the air.
• To plan and cause to be executed a nation-wide programme.
• To provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Pollution Control Board.
• To carry out and sponsor investigations and research.
• To collect, compile and publish technical and statistical data related to air pollution.
• To lay down and annual standards for the quality of air.
13.
14. Initiatives to control Air Pollution
Measures taken to Reduce Vehicular Pollution:
• Bharat Stage IV standards have been implemented for two and three wheelers and all categories of
new four wheelers in more than 29 cities from 1st October, 2010.
• Fuel Quality Specifications in 13 mega cities, for petrol lead content is reduced and benzene
content is maximum of 1%. For diesel the sulphur content is reduced.
• New PUC auditing systems introduced all over the country and new PUC norms have been
proposed for both gasoline and diesel vehicles.
• Various traffic management options have been adopted by many cities.
• Road-infrastructure development, management and by-passing of inter- state vehicles, parking
restrictions, etc. are other measures being adopted in the cities.
• The Delhi metro line has been extended to various stretches of Delhi for catering more people.
• Switching over to clean alternate fuels like CNG, LPG & Bio-fuels.
15. Measures taken to Reduce Industrial Pollution:
• Environmental audit in the form of environmental statement has been made
mandatory for all polluting industries.
• Switching over to clean technologies.
• Using clean fuels.
• Installation of Pollution control Devices.
• 43 critically polluted areas have been identified. Action Plan have been formulated
for restoration of environmental quality in these areas.
• Involving public hearing/ NGO participation.
• Power plants (coal based) are required to use low ash content coal (not exceeding
34%)
Measures taken to Reduce Domestic Pollution:
• Ban on open burning of garbage, biomass, etc.
• Augmentation on supply of LPG as cooking fuel, etc.
17. Climate Change Study in
Uttarakhand - India
• The rivers in the region originated from the Himalayan glaciers. Between 2006 and 2008 a series
of floods and droughts were experienced with change in the rainfall pattern in the area, that
effected crops, animals and people’s livelihoods extensively.
• Such unpredictable situations are clear indications of major shift in the climatic conditions in
Uttarakhand.
• It has been observed that the seasonal rainfall pattern has been disturbed greatly in past few
years.
• Winter season seems to be reduced, while spring season appears to be shifted about a month
earlier.
• 755 persons living in 165 villages in the Garhwal area were interviewed and their evidences were
recorded. According the people in the villages most of the springs have dried in the years 2001,
2006, 2007 and 2009.
18. How the problem was solved?
• Information related to impacts of climate change on village ecosystem such as
water resources, agriculture, forest, animal husbandry etc. were collected.
• The villagers were also asked about the kind of mitigation and adaptation plan they
would recommend for their village keeping in view the changing climatic scenario
and their expectation from government and non- governmental organizations
working in their area.
• The plan was prepared after several brainstorming sessions, which was finally
presented in the state level conference.
• These plans were then consolidated into a People's Charter on Climate Change for
Garhwal Himalaya and presented to the Union Minister of Forest and Environment.
Results
Organic farming, restoring biodiversity by identifying the flora and fauna that was
available in the region and training farmers have been undertaken by Navdanya team
in the area.