Go back

Did you know ?

The warming of the earth’s surface has not been uniform all over the earth – the Northern Hemisphere is warmer than the Southern Hemisphere.

Over the last 100 years global sea level has raisen by 10-12.5 cm

By 2100 AD, global temperature is expected to rise by about 2°C and consequently the sea level by an average of 50 cm from the present level.

The greenhouse gas levels increased soon after the Industrial Revolution when man’s use of fossil fuels went up dramatically. This led to a considerable rise of CO2 and other gases in the air.

The earth’s greenhouse effect is caused by (1) industries spewing out deadly gases in the air and (2) the carbon dioxide emission from a large number of cars.

Electric power generation sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in India.

Global warming could lead to freakish weather patterns such as unexpected droughts, cyclones, and sudden snowstorms.

Scientists are warning that the biggest hole in the ozone layer over the Northern Hemisphere will appear this spring. This hole could extend from the Arctic to the British Midlands. People are being advised to cover themselves well when they go out in the sun.

Scientists have identified areas on the earth, which have the capacity to take in the greenhouse gases and clean the air around us. These areas are known as the Natural Sinks. Trees i.e. forest cover, vegetation and soil to some extent, all have the ability to take in carbon dioxide, in fact soils may also provide a removal mechanism for methane. All these are some of the natural sinks.

Coral reefs act as a sink for millions of tonnes of carbon annually , thus slowing the process of global warming.

Disappearing coral reefs: It could take less than 20 years for rising sea temperatures to kill Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Reef will lose most of its coral cover by 2050 and could collapse by 2100 because of global warming, according to a study by Queensland University's Centre for Marine Studies. There may be a complete devastation of coral communities on the reef. Scientists believe that the Indian Ocean could lose most of its coral islands in the next 50 years if the sea temperatures continue to rise.

Changing lives and lifestyles: The Inuit living in the Arctic region are feeling the impact of climate change as it takes its toll on the area and threatens their existence. Increase in the thawing of permafrost (the permanent frozen layer of the earth), heavier snowfalls, and melting ice in the seas and oceans are some visible effects of climate change in this region.

Climate change and the extinction of horses Climate change, rather than hunting, may have triggered the extinction of Alaska's native horses about 12 500 years ago, say researchers. Some think hunting contributed to their disappearance but R Dale Guthrie of the University of Alaska in Fairbanks said that climate change and a shift in vegetation from grasslands to tundra were probably to blame.

Climate change and the reindeer: The reindeer could be the latest victims of climate change. Increased rainfall on snow-covered pastures is causing ice crusts to form over soil, which make it difficult for animals such as reindeers, caribou, and elks living in permafrost areas in Scandinavia, Siberia, and Alaska to feed. The animals cannot break the ice to get to food.