“India is not a significant contributor to green house gas
(GHG) emissions, nor will it be so in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless in line with the principle of
“Common but differentiated responsibility”, India has taken important steps to
mitigate GHG emissions and adapt to climate change impact. India has also
strongly promoted the clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto
Protocol and has the World’s largest number of CDM projects. Nevertheless,
India is among the countries more vulnerable to climate change. Hence,
government proposes to appoint an
expert committee to study the impact of climate change in India and identify
the measures that have to be taken in future”
Finance Minister in his Budget Speech.
What is Global Warming?
The Sun’s rays pass through Earth’s
atmosphere, much of this energy is absorbed by the surface and atmosphere. Some
radiation is reflected back towards space. Reflected energy has longer wavelength
that cause molecules of greenhouse gases in the ‘Troposphere’, the lowest layer
of the atmosphere, to move more rapidly; the rapid movement of these molecules
traps heat in the troposphere, warming
the planet, creating the greenhouse effect. Trapped heat radiates back towards
Earth. What are Greenhouse gases? The gases that are affected this way are
called greenhouse gases. The main ones are carbondioxide (CO 2), water vapour,
methane and Nitrous Oxide.
The higher levels of CO 2, methane
and other greenhouse gases, accumulating
in the atmosphere increase the natural greenhouse effect, raising the global
temperature.
Climate Report
The UN Climate Panel which groups 2,500
scientists from more than 130 countries predicted more droughts, heat waves,
rains and slow gain in sea levels that could last over 1,000 years. The panel
said global warming is manmade and called for urgent government action to
prevent irreversible damage from rising temperatures.
Kyoto and Montreal Protocols
The Montreal Protocol allows
developing countries to keep increasing the production of HCPC-22, the
refrigerant used in air conditioners, until 2016. Evidence has shown that the
refrigerant harms the earth’s ozone layer and contributes to global warming.
The Montreal Protocol however, said freezing of the production should be
complete by 2040. This schedule was desired in the early 1990s.
The Kyoto Protocol, is the main plan,
for capping emissions of greenhouse gases until 2012 but it has been severely
weakened since the United States,
the top source of greenhouse gases pulled out in 2001. Emission by many backers
of Kyoto are far over target.
What should replace HCFC-22?
A big problem is that no one has agreed
what should replace HCFC-22. Perhaps switching to new commercial refrigerants
could help the environment. Air-conditioners designed for the new refrigerants
tend to be more energy efficient and often do not use as much refrigerant.
The Montreal Protocol has been in
force much longer and applies to developing and industrial nations alike,
while the Kyoto Protocol has binding limits only for industrial nations.
Steps Taken To Mitigate Gas Emissions
A number of geoscientists are proposing
system that can strip the surplus
CO2 out of the air, global programme to pollute the Stratosphere with sulphur
compounds. These would enable it to reflect more sunlight back into space
and cool the world. One suggestion was sulphur dispensers may be fitted on
to the world’s airliners so that they could mitigate carbon emissions as they
go. Launching a swarm of reflective spacecraft to hover between the Sun and
the Earth, blocking out some sunlight was another proposal. Underlying them
all, however, was a single idea, that if humanity has the collective power
to heat up the planet, then perhaps it might also find a way of cooling it
down.
Replace Traditional Bulbs
European Union has decided to replace
traditional light bulbs with more energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs
by 2009. The traditional incandescent bulbs emit a good amount of ultra violet
light but it is wasted as it is not converted into visible light. The fluorescent
bulb puts the invisible ultraviolet light to work; more energy efficient as
it does not use heat to create light.
India Concerned
India, like other countries across
the globe is equally concerned about global warming. India’s stand on the issue
is developed countries are largely responsible for harmful emissions. It
believes that Clean Development Mechanism, may pave the way for finding a lasting
solution to gas emissions. India has argued for per capita emission targets.
The Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCC) are workable international governance instruments. They have
been ineffective so far largely because of developed countries not joining in
on their commitments.
What is Needed?
The world urgently needs new
international agreement on stronger emission caps for industrialized countries,
incentives for developing countries to limit their emissions and support for
healthy adaptation methods.
*DDG( M & C), PIB,
Delhi
(Release ID :26344)