Ecology and environment in India

Empowering Minds. Creating Opportunities.
Ecology
and
Environment

Ecology• Ecology
Study of thefactorsthat governsthedistribution and abundanceof organisms
in natural environments
The scientific analysisand study of interactionsamong organismsand their
environment, such astheinteractions organisms havewith each other and with
their abiotic environment
• Habitat
Earth’ssurfaceinhabited by life
 Terrestrial
 Aquatic
 Marine
 Freshwater
• Food chain
Sequenceof consumption for producersto consumers

What isClimateChange?
 Climateistheaverageweather at agiven point and timeof
year, over along period (typically 30 years).
 Weexpect theweather to changealot from day to day, but
weexpect theclimateto remain relatively constant.
 If theclimatedoesn’t remain constant, wecall it climate
change.
 Thekey question iswhat isasignificant change– and this
dependsupon theunderlying level of climatevariability

Evidenceof ClimateChange

Impact on India
• Thepoor and developing countriesof tropical regionsarethemost
vulnerableof theclimatechange.
• Small island countriesof Indian Ocean, like, Maldives, Mauritiusand Sri
Lanka, will migrateto Indiaasclimaterefugee. (Indiahasmadesuch
agreementswith thesecountries)
• Indian coastal citieswill facedanger of submergence.
• Erratic Rainfall, melting of Himalayan glaciers, frequent flooding,
draughts, stormsand cyclones.
• Food insecurity for largepopulation.
• New diseasesand weather patterns.

Global Warming
• Theatmosphereistheair around the
surfaceof theearth. It ismadefrom a
mixtureof gases. Weneed it for
animalsand plantsto survive.
• Someof thegasesact likeablanket,
trapping heat. These gasesarecalled
‘greenhouse gases’.
• Thisisknown asthe‘Natural
Greenhouse Effect’. Without it, the
earth would bemuch colder
Thegaseswhich trap heat makeup
lessthan 1% of theatmosphere!
They arecalled the‘greenhouse
gases’.
Themain greenhousegasesare:
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrousoxide
Ozone
Water vapour

Natural Greenhouse
effect
More heat is trapped and causes
global warming
Atmospheretraps
someheat
Someheat goes
out to space
Quite a lot of heat is trapped
and the earth is warm enough
for life.
Enhanced Greenhouse effect
Heat radiates
from theearth
Heat radiates
from theearth
Atmosphere
has more
greenhouse
gases
Atmospheretraps
moreheat
Lessheat
goesout to
space

How do humans increase carbon dioxide levels in the
atmosphere?
Burning fossil fuels releasesthecarbon
dioxidestored millionsof yearsago. Most of
theincreased carbon dioxidecomesfrom
fossil fuels
Deforestationreleasesthecarbon stored in trees.
Lesstreesalso meanslesscarbon dioxide can
beremoved from theatmosphere.

How do humans increase methane levels in the
atmosphere?
Theamount of methane in theatmosphere
hasincreased by two and ahalf timessincethe
Industrial Revolution.
Increased
rubbish in
landfillIncreased livestock farming
Increased ricegrowing
Methaneisalso
released when fossil
fuels are extracted
Methaneisproduced when bacteriarot
organic matter

TemperatureVariations
• Atmosphereretainsheat
• Solar radiation
Absorbed and turned into heat energy
Reflected
 6-10% ocean
 5-30% forest
 45-95% ice and snow

Increasing global CO2 emissionsand
changing sources

.
• It isan international treaty, to reduce greenhousegases emissions, based on thepremisethat (a) global
warming existsand (b) man-madeCO2 emissions havecaused it(currently 192 Parties )
• Kyoto protocol wantstheIndustrialised nationsto reducetheir green housegasemission by around 5.2% by
2012. (measured against 1990 levels)
• Annex meanssomeelaboration/detail given at theend of atreaty
The Kyoto Protocol - 11 December1997
Annex What?
Annex I
•List of industrialized countries and economies in transition: US, France, Japan etc.
•These countries had pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000.
Annex II
•A sub-group of Annex 1 Countries, these Annex II countries are required to give financial assistance and technology to the
developing countries (non-Annex countries).
Non Annex
•Developing countries like India, Brazil, China.
•They donot have compulsory binding targets to reduce green house gas emission, although they are encouraged to do it.
Annex A
It gives the list of 6 Green House gases that are responsible for the whole problem
1.Carbon dioxide (CO2);
2.Methane (CH4);
3.Nitrous oxide (N2O);
4.Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);
5.Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and
6.Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
Annex B
•This gives the Annex I countries (Developed countries) – compulsory binding targets to reduce green house gas emission.
•For example USA is required to cut down its emission by 7%

The Kyoto Protocol
 In Earth Summit, Rio DeJanero, Brazil, they formed atreaty called UNFCCC
 TheUNFCCC meetsevery year, on how to fix theglobal warming problem and thesemeetingsare
called Conferenceof Parties“COP”.
 In third such COPmeeting @Kyoto, Japan, they comeup with an ideaunder which
o Developed nationslikeUS, will compulsorily reducetheir green housegas(GHG) emission by
2012.
o Developing nationslikeIndia, should reduceGHG emission but not compulsory.
 Although variouscountriessigned Kyoto Protocol in 1997, it did not cameinto forceimmediately.
 Kyoto protocol cameinto forceonly after required number of Annex 1 Countriesratified it.
So thiswasachieved only in 2005.Thus, Kyoto although signed in 1997, cameinto forcein 2005.

Emissions Trading /Carbon Trading
Supposetwo Annex B partiesareJapan and Australia.
Japan wasgiven quotaof 100 unitsAnd Australia
quotaof 200 units.
But Austrialian Government isunableto maintain this
limit and Australiaemits210 unitsof green housegas,
in given year.
On theother side, JapaneseGovernment takesvery
strong stepsto control emission and hencethey only
emit 90 unitsof Green Housegas. So it hasspare10
Kyoto Units.
Now, under Emission trading system, Australiacan
buy this10 sparekyoto unitsfrom Japan and thus
remain within itslimit.
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
SupposeAnnex B country Australiaisgiven emission
quotaof 200 units, but it emits210 unitsof green
housegas.
But Australiacan financeasolar power project in
somevillageof India(Non-Annex or developing
Country) and get certificatethat thesolar plant led to
reduction of 10 unitsof green housegas. In thisway,
Australiawill remain in itsquota/limit.

INDIA ANDCARBON CREDITS
DMRC hasearned thecarbon creditsby using regenerativebraking system in itstrainsthat reduces30% electricity
consumption.
Indiahasthehighest number of CDM projectsregistered and suppliesthesecond highest number of Certified Emission
Reduction units. Hence, Indiais already astrong supplier of Carbon Creditsand can improveon it.
Multi Commodity Exchange(MCX), India’slargest commodity exchange, haslaunched futurestrading in carbon credits
IDBI hasset up adedicated Carbon Credit desk, IDBI hasentered into formal arrangementswith multi-lateral agencies and
buyersof carbon creditslikeIFC, Washington, KfW, Germany and Sumitomo Corporation, Japan and reputed domestic
technical expertslikeMITCON.
.
HDFC Bank will work with thetwo companieson awarenessbuilding, identifying and registering Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) and facilitating thebuy or sell of carbon creditsin theglobal market. Bank hassigned an agreement with
Cantor CO2E IndiaPvt Ltd and MITCON Consultancy ServicesLimited (MITCON) for providing carbon credit services.

Ozone layer
 Ozonegasin stratosphereprevents99.5% entry of UV radiation on earth
 Chlorofluorocarbons(Used in Refrigerators, spray cans, insulation foam
and propellant)
 Oncethey’rereleased in atmosphere, they reach stratosphere=> react with
UV=> releaseChlorinefreeradicals=> Ozonebroken
 1980s: Scientistsrealized Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) reach had damaged
Ozonelayer aboveAntarctica. Result?
o Skin cancer, Cataract, Sunburns
o Phytoplanktonsdie=> fish population declines.
o Soil Moisturecontent declines, plant proteinsaremutated=> plant
growth affected.
o Fibresand Wall paintsfadefaster.

Montreal Protocol -September 16, 1987
• Entered into forceon January 1, 1989, followed by afirst meeting
in Helsinki, May 1989
• 2014: CFC hasdeclined by 90%, Ozonelayer showing signsof
recovery- asper United NationsEnvironment Program (UNEP) and
theWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• Thiswill also prevented 2 million skin cancer casesper year.
• 2050: OzoneLayer will recover near mid-latitudes
• 2075: Ozonelayer will recover near Antarctic.

Sustainable Development
 “Development which meetstheneedsof current generationswithout compromising the
ability of future generationsto meet their own needs”.
 Brundtland commission on World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)
gaveabovedefinition
 Budget 2014 on sustainable Development
o 12th FYPgaveprominent focusto Sustainabledevelopment.
o Since90still now, Indiahasreduced itsCarbon dioxideemission by 20% (per unit of
GDP)
o 12% of our energy comesfrom renewablesources. (23 Gigawatts).
o National Action Plan on ClimateChange(NAPCC) and StateAction Planson Climate
Change(SAPCCs.) havebeen development

Emission cuts vs India
 Between 1850 to 2010: India’scontribution to global emissionswasonly 2.7%,
whilethat of theUSA was27%
 Indialackstheresourcesto effectively respond to sustainability and climate
challenges.
 We’venot even achieved basic minimum standardsof living for itsentire
population. 4 croreIndiansdon’t haveelectricity in their homes, 8 croreIndians
still usefirewood for cooking
 National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF)
o Budget 2014 increased coal cessto Rs.100 per tonne
o 15k crorerupeesspent from thisfund on JNNURM Solar lights, wind power projects
 But mitigation and adaptation must continue.
 We’veenacted anumber of legislationson conservation of forestsand
ecosystems, wastemanagement, and pollution control.

Climate finance Problems
 Developed countriescommitted to providing US$ 100 billion per year to developing
countriesby 2020.
 But thereisno comprehensivesystem for tracking climatefinance,proliferation of funds,
and lack of coordination
 Developed countriesproviding Technological transfer instead of granting money
 To reduceglobal temperatureby 2 Degreein 2050, weneed 44 trillion USD. No single
sourcewill besufficient for thisamount.
 Countriescan raisemoremoney viadomestic resourcemobilization (DRM). But that
dependson factorssuch asfiscal performanceof thecountry, natural resourcebase, and
sizeof tax baseetc.
 Wemust explorenew fundsfrom South-South cooperation, and privatefinance.

India’sAction
Solar Install 20GW solar power by 2022
.Energy
National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE)
by 2015, help save about 5% of our annual energy consumption, and nearly 100 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide every year
Water
National water mission. increase water use efficiency by 20%
focus on over-exploited areas, integrated water Management, awareness generation etc. fancy
stuff
Finished pilot study on Godavari and Brahmani-Baitarani basin.
Water resource ministry got ADB’s technical assistance.
Agro
National mission for sustainable agriculture to enhance agro productivity
New activities focusing on horticulture, increases fish production, warehousing and seed
processing.
Green India
(forest)
National mission for Green India
Plant additional 10 million ht. of forest lands, wastelands and community lands.
Habitat
National mission on Sustainable Habitat
Energy-efficient buildings, sewage Management, urban planning, transport, etc. six sub sector.
2009: Green Building norms
2013: Energy Conservation Building Code 2007 made mandatory for new as well as old buildings
and incorporated in the Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
Knowledge
National mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
Promote knowledge development for health, demography, migration, and livelihood of coastal
communities.
Himalayan National mission for sustaining the Himalayan Eco System

America accuses India defends
•Earlier Indiaused to import thin solar filmsfrom
outside.
• Nehru Solar mission (phaseII), Indian
government specifically madeguidelinesthat thin
solar filmsmust beprocured from desi players
violating WTO agreement.
In many statesof USA, you’realso doing thesameagainst
our solar panels. So, thisistit-for-tat.
Asper WTO’sGovernment Procurement
Agreement, you cannot “discriminate” between
desi vsforeign playerswhileprocuring
goods/servicesfor government projects.
But we’venot signed that stupid agreement!
You’rerunning avendettato hurt American
businessmen.
•Weonly want to protect Indian businessmen.
•In past we’veeven imposed anti-dumping duty on Chinese
and Indonesian solar companies.
Our solar panelsareof higher quality and cheaper
pricethan your bogusdesi products.
Our local industry will never develop,
becausethey won’t makegood profitsto invest in R&D.
Wemust attain self-reliancefor energy security.
•So even if it meansusing public money on expensivedesi
products- that’sfine.
•Public money should not beused to pay for imports- but
to develop domestic production capacity.

Tarballs
 Tar ballsarelumpsof petroleum
 How arethey formed?Oil spillagefrom tankers. Regular ships
discharging burnt-oil into sea.
 Thisoil reactswith sea-water=> tar ballsformed.
 Tar ballswerewashed ashoreduring thepre- and post-
monsoon period along theKonkan belt Goa, Karwar in
Karnatakaand south Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
 Why problem?Tar ballsharmful for marineorganism. They
havefoul smell, sticky to walk on=beach touristsdecline.

Small changes really add up
Replaceyour old
refrigerator with anew
Energy Star:
Annual savings:
700 poundsCO2
Set your thermostat down afew
degreesin thewinter
Annual savings:
1400 poundsCO2
Wash clothesin cold water only
Annual savings:
500 poundsCO2
DriveJUST 10 fewer milesper week
Annual savings:
520 poundsCO2
Reduceyour garbageby 10%
through greater recycling or reduce
packaging
Annual savings:
1200 poundsCO2

India Index
• 155/178

Ecology and environment in India

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