BIOLOGY, chapter 23, Nitrogen fixing, notes: This element is essential to life and is the building block of proteins. Photosynthesis and plant growth is impossible without it. The element is nitrogen. Although the Earth’s atmosphere is an abundant source, it cannot be used by plants until it is ‘fixed’...
“Himalayan glaciers have not in any way exhibited, especially in recent years, an abnormal annual retreat of the order that some glaciers in Alaska and Greenland have,said a study on glaciers,...
'Only 50/50' chance that 2C climate target will be met
By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor, in Copenhagen,Thursday, 10 December 200
Keeping the global temperature rise caused by climate change to C, which is widely regarded as the limit of what the Earth can safely stand, is going to be extremely difficult and will involve an enormous effort by the world, new research by British scientists indicates...
Global average temperature may hit record level in 2010
Forecasters predict that the annual figure for 2010 will be 14.58C (58.24F), 0.58C (1.04F) above the long-term average of 14.0C (57.2F)...
Ocean acidification rates accelerating
The world’s oceans are becoming acidic at a faster rate than at any time in the last 55m years, threatening disaster for marine life and food supplies across the globe, delegates at the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen have been warned...
Climate change sceptics and lobbyists put world at risk, says top adviser
Climate change sceptics and fossil fuel companies that have lobbied against action on greenhouse gas emissions have squandered the world's chance to avoid dangerous global warming, a key adviser to the government has said...
Controversy over Himalayan glaciers hots up
An official discussion paper on the status of Himalayan glaciers is coming under fire. The paper, issued recently by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, argued that the glaciers, which nourish several great rivers such as the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra, have not retreated abnormally. It also questioned the link between climate change and the glaciers’ decline..
Growing CO2 could cause 6 metre rise in sea level: A study
According to the study by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), temperatures in the Antarctica were increased by six degrees Celsius during the past periods when the volume of high carbon dioxide (CO2) was high in the atmosphere. This could cause a sea level rise of up six metres, threatening coastal cities like London, New York and San Francisco, it said. Louise Sime, who led the BAS study, looked at ice cores to see how temperatures changed during periods of high carbon dioxide..
World’s only mangrove island may vanish 
While there is a lot of talk and political heat on the funds flow and post-disaster relief by the government and NGOs, there is hardly any visible effort or fund to prepare the region for climatic extremes. Neither is there any ‘mission statement' in the National Action Plan for Climate Change for saving the Sunderbans - the global carbon sink - nor is there any effective ‘Integrated Coastal Management Plan’ for the world’s only mangrove island...
Slow, steady but real
Climate change is so gradual that its impact cannot be gauged and observed on a daily basis like air, water, noise and other forms of environmental pollution.
Emission of Carbon dioxide (CO2) doesn’t affect us directly.
However, CO2 traps heat on earth affecting fundamental change in the environment in the long run, may be in next 50 to 100 years.
‘Global warming will affect Earth’s tilt’
A new study has suggested that global warming may heat up oceans to the extent that it could cause Earth’s axis to tilt in the coming century.
According to a report in New Scientist, the warming effect was previously thought to be negligible, but researchers now say the shift will be large enough that it should be taken into account when interpreting how the Earth wobbles.
‘Slash and burn’ cause for emissions?
The US scientists believe that small populations released carbon emissions as they cleared large tracts of land to produce relatively meagre amounts of food.
They were much less efficient than farmers using today's agricultural practices because there were no constraints on land.
A study published online in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews by researchers at the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) said that early farmers could have cleared five or more times as much land as they used at any one time.
Climate change threats
The Hindu, 23 April 2009
Oxfam used the best-available data of 6,500 climate-related disasters since 1980 to project that the number of people affected by climatic disasters will rise by 133 million to 375 million a year on average by 2015.This does not include people hit by disasters such as wars, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.Just to deal with the higher numbers the world will need to increase its humanitarian aid spending from 2006 levels of $14.2 billion to at least $25 billion a year. Even this higher amount — the equivalent of only $50 per affected person — will still be inadequate to meet their basic needs.
Pollution 'fights global warming'
by Matt McGrath, BBC News, 23 April 2009
Air pollution may be helping the fight against global warming by enhancing the ability of plants to absorb carbon dioxide, scientists say. Since the 1960s, increased levels of atmospheric pollution have enhanced plant productivity by as much as one quarter, research has found. In terms of carbon dioxide, this means that an extra 10% has been stored in the soil.The research was published in the scientific journal, Nature.
Cyclone Aila: A grim reminder of effects of global warming?
by Prasanta Paul, Deccan Herald, 29 May 2009
Experts and NGOs familiar with growing consequences of the global warming and subsequent climate change have cautioned that the half of the 97-odd islands dotting the Sunderbans delta might meet a watery grave within less than a decade, rendering thousands of people environmental refugees, if the authorities do not embark on the task of protecting these islands on a war footing literally.
Glaciers melt as land, seas rise
by Cornelia Dean, Deccan Herald, 26 May 2009
Global Warming Sea levels would rise by about 10 feet rather than the earlier projection of 20 feet, according to a recent study, writes Andrew C Revkin. In Alaska, as the glaciers melt, land rises, points out Cornelia Dean. A new analysis halves long-standing projections of how much sea levels could rise if Antarctica’s massive western ice sheets fully disintegrated as a result of global warming. The flow of ice into the sea would probably raise sea levels about 10 feet rather than 20 feet, according to the analysis, published in the recent issue of the journal Science.
A retreat that's on from 258 yrs
by Archita Bhatta, Deccan Herald, 26 May 2009
Geology Earlier studies said the glaciers have been retreating from the last 20,000 years, but that has now been disproved. A new study says glaciers started retreating only from the lat 258 years, writes Archita Bhatta Glaciers, both in the northern and southern hemispheres, started melting in the mid-eighteenth century, triggered by climate change. Researchers from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Dehradun tracked the age of lichens (composite organisms formed by the association of fungi and algae) that develop on glacial moraines (soil and rock) and came up with this find. It contradicts previous conclusions which say that glaciers have been retreating for the last 20,000 years. R K Chaujar, the lead author of the study, traced the advance and recession of the Chorabari glacier in Uttarakhand with the help of the lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum.
Siachen glaciers shrunk by half
by Kalyan Ray, The Deccan Herald, 31 March 2009
The Risks of Other Greenhouse Gases
The mighty Siachen glacier has shrunk to half of its original length. The retreat took place over the last 8,000 years and could be an indication of a future ice age. Only more research can tell. Once the world's highest battlefield was 150 km long and the stretch was covered with 600 mt of ice. The melting started 8,000 years ago in the Holocene period (that began 11,700 years ago) and continued at different rates in different times. As a result, the glacier length now stands at only 74 km. Siachen's altitude ranges from 18,875 ft from the sea level at its source at Indira Col to 11,875 ft in the Nubra Valley in northern Ladakh. But thousands of years ago, the 150-km valley had a different look with a thick snow cover.
Global cooling to fight warming?
The Times of India, 10 April 2009
That's because global warming is happening so rapidly John Holdren said in his first interview since being confirmed last month. The concept of using technology to purposely cool the climate is called geoengineering. One option raised by Holdren and proposed by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the Sun's rays.
That's because global warming is happening so rapidly John Holdren said in his first interview since being confirmed last month. The concept of using technology to purposely cool the climate is called geoengineering. One option raised by Holdren and proposed by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the Sun's rays.
The Risks of Other Greenhouse Gases
by Janos Maté, Kert Davies, and David Kanter, Worldwatch.org, 01January 2009
As the stability of the world's climate is increasingly at risk and governments grapple with the monumental task of cutting emissions, there is a group of little known but powerful greenhouse gases that, left unchecked, could ultimately undermine the best efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Fluorocarbons, or F-gases, are the quintessential greenhouse gases, since chemical engineers designed them to trap heat and to be stable and durable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calculated that the cumulative buildup of these gases in the atmosphere was responsible for at least 17 percent of global warming due to human activities in 2005. And the use of these chemicals worldwide is on the rise, with increased consumption in developing countries like China and India.1 Several chemical cousins make up the Fgas family: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The major applications of these chemicals today are in refrigeration and air-conditioning (including in cars), which account for 80 percent of F-gas use. The chemicals are also used as solvents, as blowing agents in foams, as aerosols or propellants, and in fire extinguishers.
Geo engineering to Shade Earth
by Ken Caldeira,Worldwatch.org, 01 January 2009 Geo engineering to Shade Earth
In June 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted explosively--the biggest eruption of the twentieth century. The volcano created a column of ash and debris extending upward 40 kilometers (about 25 miles). The eruption ejected around 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, where it oxidized to form sulfate dust particles. The stratosphere is the part of the atmosphere that is higher than where jets normally fly. As a result, about 2 percent of the sunlight passing down through the stratosphere was deflected upward and back into space. The dust particles were big enough to scatter sunlight away from Earth but small enough to allow Earth's radiant heat energy to escape into space. Earth cooled about half a degree Celsius (almost 1 degree Fahrenheit) the following year, despite the continued increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. This raises an obvious question: Could we similarly put dust into the stratosphere to offset climate change?
State of the World 2009 at a Glance : Key Facts and Innovations from State of the World 2009
A recent assessment indicates that a significant number of "tipping points"-thresholds beyond which it would become difficult-to-impossible to reverse changes in the climate system-could be approached if the planet warms more than 3 degree Celsius over the preindustrial level. However, a number of tipping points-including loss of the Greenland ice sheet-could be approached at warming levels over 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. The findings of the latest IPCC assessment and more-recent studies strongly reinforce the conclusion that "safe" levels of warming lie at 2 degrees Celsius or below. Once greenhouse gas concentrations are stabilized, global mean temperature will continue to rise due to momentum in the climate system for several decades, but it will very likely also begin to stabilize after several decades.
State of the World 2009 at a Glance : Key Facts and Innovations from State of the World 2009
Worldwatch.org, 01 January 2009
A recent assessment indicates that a significant number of "tipping points"-thresholds beyond which it would become difficult-to-impossible to reverse changes in the climate system-could be approached if the planet warms more than 3 degree Celsius over the preindustrial level. However, a number of tipping points-including loss of the Greenland ice sheet-could be approached at warming levels over 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. The findings of the latest IPCC assessment and more-recent studies strongly reinforce the conclusion that "safe" levels of warming lie at 2 degrees Celsius or below. Once greenhouse gas concentrations are stabilized, global mean temperature will continue to rise due to momentum in the climate system for several decades, but it will very likely also begin to stabilize after several decades.
Carbon Capture and Storage
by Peter Viebahn, Manfred Fischedick and Daniel Vallentin, Worldwatch.org, 01 January 2009
Climate Change's Pressures on Biodiversity
Research on climate change in India is in its infancyRising oil and gas prices, insecure energy supplies, and increased energy consumption in transition economies have boosted the use of coal--the most abundant fossil fuel and one that many countries have considerable reserves of. The United States, China, and some other countries are highly dependent on coal. In the United States, coal-powered plants generate more than half the electricity, and some observers expect that expanding the use of coal will help reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil. But coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. Thus a new technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS) has recently gained considerable attention. CCS aims to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from any large point source, liquefy it, and store it underground. Because of its high costs and complex infrastructure, CCS is by necessity suited primarily for centralized, large-scale power stations or big industrial facilities like cement plants and steelworks.
Climate Change's Pressures on Biodiversity
Thomas Lovejoy, Worldwatch.org, 01January 2009
Climate change: How to report the story of the century
Glaciers are in retreat in most of the world, with those in the tropics due to disappear in 12-15 years. Some of these are important water sources for cities like La az and Quito. Others are important for the major rivers of China and the Ganges. This hydrological shift obviously has implications not only for human populations but also for the ecosystems that depend on them. The most dramatic changes are those taking place in the Arctic: the summer retreat of the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean has been accelerating, as might have been anticipated with more dark water exposed and absorbing heat from the sun. The biodiversity poster child for this situation is the Polar Bear, now listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act because the critical habitat these huge animals need in order to survive is literally disappearing beneath them.
Climate change: How to report the story of the century
by James Fahn, Internews.org, 16 March 2009
Reporting on climate change is an important but challenging task. James Fahn explains how to make your stories both accurate and engaging. Climate change could be the biggest story of the twenty first century, affecting societies, economies and individuals on a grand scale. Equally enormous are the adjustments that will have to be made to our energy and transportation systems, economies and societies, if we are to mitigate climate change. All journalists should understand the science of climate change — its causes, its controversies and its current and projected impacts. Start by doing your own research from established sources, such as reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or from local scientific experts you trust.
Global warming may be an irreversible phenomenon with catastrophic consequences on livelihoods, but research in India on climate change and its impact is in its “infancy” and scientific projection models “weak to put it mildly,” according to N.H. Ravindranath, professor at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
The Hindu, 24th March 2009
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Revealed: The cement that eats carbon dioxide
The new cement, which uses a different raw material, certainly has a vast potential market. Making the 2bn tonnes of cement used globally every year pumps out 5% of the world's CO2 emissions - more than the entire aviation industry. And the long-term trends are upwards: a recent report by the French bank Credit Agricole estimated that, by 2020, demand for cement will increase by 50% compared to today.
guardian.co.uk, 31 December 2008
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Arctic melt passes the point of no return
Scientists have found the first unequivocal evidence that the Arctic region is warming at a faster rate than the rest of the world at least a decade before it was predicted to happen.
by Steve Connor, ndependent.co.uk, 16 December 2008
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The oceans' shifting balance
The effects are already being felt. That added carbon dioxide is slowly making the oceans less alkaline and more acidic, altering the chemical balance on which much of oceanic life depends.
International Herald Tribune, Friday, December 12, 2008
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The methane time bomb
Arctic scientists discover new global warming threat as melting permafrost releases millions of tons of a gas 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.
by Steve Connor, independent.co.uk, 23 September 2008
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Arctic scientists discover new global warming threat as melting permafrost releases millions of tons of a gas 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.
by Steve Connor, independent.co.uk, 23 September 2008
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Forests losing the ability to absorb man-made carbon
Studies show the risk of fires in the boreal forests of the north has increased in recent years because of climate change. It shows that the world's temperate woodlands are beginning to lose their ability to be an overall absorber of carbon dioxide.
by Steve Connor, independent.co.uk, 01 November 2007
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Phase out coal and burn trees instead, urges leading scientist
Current targets on emissions are 'a recipe for global disaster, not salvation'. Humanity must urgently embark on a massive programme to power civilisation from wood to stave off catastrophic climate change, one of the world's top scientists
by Geoffrey Lean, independent.co.uk, 4 September 2008
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How suitable is coal based power policy for India?
While the avowed policy of the government is to reduce the GHG emissions, such huge addition of coal based power plants will seriously aggravate the total GHG emission in the country. In view of the fact that about 24% of all GHG emissions and about 42% of CO2 emissions are associated with the fossil fuel burning in Power sector, the projected scenario of having 560,000 MW of coal power capacity by 2032, will seriously jeopardise our country’s standing because of heavy contribution to Global Warming.
by Shankar Sharma
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The AR4 Synthesis Report (SYR): Summary for Policymakers (SPM)
Working Group I Report (WGI): Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.
