About our climate

2. EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment
Legislation in India
EIA in India was first started in 1977-78 with
evaluation of river valley projects
Only in January 1994, the Ministry of
Environment & Forests (MoEF) issued a
Notification on EIA of Development Projects.
In EIA 1994 the Project proponent was
required to consult the State Pollution
Control Board (SPCB) for approval of the
identified site. If the site came under any
special notification such as forest land,
coastal zone, ecologically sensitive area, etc.,
then clearance for the site was to be obtained
from Ministry of Environment & Forests
(MEF) which functions under the control of
the Central Government.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MoEF) uses Environmental Impact
Assessment Notification 2006 as a major tool
for minimizing the adverse impact of rapid
industrialization on environment and for
reversing those trends which may lead to
climate change in long run

3. Global and local environmental issues
'Global Environmental Issues' is a phrase that refers to the effect on
the climate of human actions, in particular the on fire of fossil fuels
(coal, oil and gas) and large-scale deforestation, which cause
emissions to the atmosphere of large amounts of 'greenhouse
gases', of which the most important is carbon dioxide.
Such gases take up infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface
and act as blankets over the surface keeping it warmer than it
would otherwise be. Connected with this warming are changes of
climate. The basic science of the 'greenhouse effect' that leads to
the warming is well implicit.
These include heavy pressure on land, land degradation, forests,
habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity.
Changing consumption pattern has led to rising demand for energy.
The final outcomes of this are global warming, climate change, loss
of biodiversity, air pollution, water scarcity and water pollution

4. Climate change
Climate change is any significant long-term change in the expected patterns of average weather of a region (or the whole
Earth) over a significant period of time.
Examples of climate change include increases in global surface temperature (global warming), changes in rainfall patterns,
and changes in the frequency of extreme weather events.
Anthropogenic climate change
The Earth's climate has changed many times, during the planet's history, with events ranging from ice ages to long periods
of warmth.
until the last century, humans have been accelerating the rate at which the Earth’s climate changes and this is known as
anthropogenic climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change state that:
‘Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the
observed increase in anthropogenic (produced by humans) greenhouse gas emissions’
Examples of human activities contributing to climate change include;
*Carbon dioxide emissions through burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas and peat
*Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture
*Emissions through land use changes such as deforestation, reforestation, urbanization, desertification, etc

5. Global warming
Global warming is a steady rise in
Earth's surface temperature.
Temperatures today are about 1 °C
(1.8 °F) higher than 150 years ago.
Scientists have determined that the
major factors causing the current
climate change are greenhouse
gases, land use changes, and
aerosols and soot
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
A greenhouse gas (abbreviated
GHG) is a gas that absorbs and
emits radiant energy within the
thermal infrared range.
Greenhouse gases cause the
GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
The primary greenhouse gases in
Earth's atmosphere are water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide and ozone.

6. Carbon footprint
The term “Carbon Footprint” means the amount of Carbon Dioxide that an individual, group, or organization lets into the
atmosphere in a certain time frame. It is important because of the greenhouse affect, witch is caused by Carbon Dioxide
released into the atmosphere as gas.

7. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life
on Earth.
Biodiversity is typically a measure of variation at the
genetic, species, and ecosystem level.
Terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater near the
equator, which is the result of the warm climate and
high primary productivity.
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Habitat destruction is a major cause for biodiversity
loss.
Habitat loss is caused by deforestation,
overpopulation, pollution and global warming.
Species which are physically large and those living
in forests or oceans are more affected by habitat
reduction.
Urban heat island
An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban area or
metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its
surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The
temperature difference is usually larger at night than
during the day, and is most apparent when winds
are weak.