• SURFACE TEMPERATURE IS INCREASING !

RATE OF INCREASE IN AVERAGE SURFACE TEMPERATURE IS 20-30 FASTER THAN LAST GLACIATION (15000 YRS AGO)

COMBINED TEMPERATURE OF LAND SURFACE, SEA SURFACE AND AIR

Breakup of Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf

• An iceberg (B-15J) of size of a small United States state cracked off the Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000

• On February 1, 2007, three new icebergs were formed due to the break up of the original iceberg

NASA Earth Observatory

North America: Angangueo

• 1986: Images show Degradation of forest area

• 2001: Between 1984 and 1999, 38 per cent of forests were degraded

Hubbard Glacier advances United States

14 Aug 2002

10 Aug 2002

North America: Angangueo

• 1986: Images show Degradation of forest area

• 2001: Between 1984 and 1999, 38 per cent of forests were degraded

Retreat of Columbia Glacier, Alaska and Arapaho Glacier, Colorado, United States

NASA Earth Observatory

• Arapaho glacier has thinned by 40 meters since 1960

NUMBER OF HEAT WAVES IN INDIA

NUMBER OF COLD WAVES IN INDIA

INITIATIVES

• INTERNATIONAL LEVEL• NATIONAL LEVEL

INITIATIVES AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

• 1988 – IPCC ( WMO &UNEP)• 1992 – UNFCCC (United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change)• 1997, 2008 - KYOTO PROTOCOL• MDG 7 : “Ensure environmental sustainability”• 2009 – Copenhagen conference

United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change

Passed in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro at “Earth Summit”

• Earliest international legislation regarding climate change

• Aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in atmosphere to prevent anthropogenic climate change

• Established National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which requires nations to submit mandatory accounts of emissions

• Legally binding

The Kyoto Protocol

• Dec 11, 1997, by 3rd Conference in an attempt to rectify mistakes of UNFCCC

• Attempts to mitigate the effects of global warming• Covered 182 countries – May 2008, which translates into

60% of carbon emissions• United States: Signed but did not ratify the treaty

The Kyoto Protocol (cont.)

• Two categories:• • Annex I (developed countries):

• Includes most of Europe, North America, and Japan, among others• Required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and submit an annual report

• • Non-Annex I (developing countries):• Includes China, Brazil, and India, among others• No requirements

• Annex I countries are required on average to reduce emissions to 5% below the 1990 level by 2012

• Carbon credits will eventually be issued to all countries, and then allowed to be traded

• Failure to comply results in a country having to submit 1.3 “emissions allowances”

The Kyoto Protocol (cont.)

• Shortcomings:• Not aggressive enough• Not ratified by the United States• Large emitters including China, Brazil &India are under no obligation to reduce

emissions• Dec 2009 – Copenhagen conference

INITIATIVES AT NATIONAL LEVEL

• Mr. Shyam Saran, Special Envoy of Prime Minister for Climate Change

National Action Plan on Climate Change

• Plan has Eight broad areas for focused action, encompassing bothmitigation & adaptation.

1. National Solar Mission2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat4. National Water Mission5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem6. National Mission for a “Green India”7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

• India is increasing its forest cover and intends to raise it from the current 22% of total land area to 33%.