Encyclopaedia of global warming Vol. 1

349 Pages·2008·15.417 MB·English

by  Syed, M. H., Khan, M. M.

ENCYCLOPAEDIA
OF
GLOBAL WARMING
(Vol. 1)
Editors
M.H. SYED
M.M.KHAN
Himalaya Books Pvt. Ltd.
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purpose whatsoever without prior permission of the publisher in writing. .
First Edition : 2008
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Contents
1. Fundamental Elements of Global Warming 1
Challenging Nature • Capacity of Adaptation • Criteria of
Finding for Adaptation • Climatic Change in India • Fight for
Development • Absorption of Carbon on Land • Other
Strategies • Emissions of Carbon Dioxide • Emissions of
Methane • Emissions of Nitrous Oxide • Carbon Sinks and
Lowdown • Helpless India • Inevitable Adaptation • Further
Little Steps • Protective Stand • Action taken by India
• Energy Rotation • Role of Geothermal Renewable Energy
• Starting Reliable Dataset • Connections of Policy
2. Significant Aspects of Global Warming 35
Climate Change • Impact of Global Warming • Developments
in Science • Further Challenges • Tenific Weather • Effects
of Global Warming • Looking Forward • Excessive Heat
• Role of Hunicanes • Climatic Approach • Significant
Achievements
3. Characteristics of Global Warming 67
Models of the Climate • Sensitivity of the Climate • Predicted
and Attributed Impacts • Value of Loss • Decrease and
Reconcile • Past Position • Potential Effects • Arguments and
Political Method • Concerned Issues of Climate • Significance
of the Policies • Temperature and Natural Changes
• Motivational Geneses • Various Causes • Solar Conversion
4. Basic Issues of Global Warming 99
Role of Greenhouse Gases • Role of Greenhouse Effect
• Effects of Global Warming • Ice Ages and Warming: a Brief
History • Climate Change: Theory of Astronomy • Global
Warming as a Hot Stuff
5. Important Features of Global Warming 125
Climatic Change Sensitivity • Movements of Tectonic Land
• Significance of Atmospheric Pressure • ForthcomingChanges
in Sea-level • Changes in Regional Sea-level • Connections
for Coastal Regions • Approach for Understanding • Climatic
Change Projections • Solar Stimulations to Earth • Response
of Earth • Solar Radiation Changes • Various Models of
Ensemble • Checking of Realities • Liability Question • Scares
of Global Climate • Climatic Change: Various Causes
• Temperature's Role • Downfall and Natural Process • Effects
of Extra-tropical Storms • Role of Tropical Cyclones
• Alteration in Sea-level • Thermal Expansion Pattern
• Temperature Change and Sensitivity • Precipitation Change
and Sensitivity • Development of Area • Study of Mass Balance
• Modelling Numerically • Methods of Climate Change in
Future • Contributing Factors to Response • Significance of
Climate Sensitivity • Changes in Thermohaline Circulation
• Significance of Surface Fluxes • Timings of Response
• Variability Changes • Variable Intra-season • Methods of
Circulation • Importance of Monsoon • Extreme Events
Change
6. Causes of Global Warming 241
Causes by Nature • Causes by Man • Global Warming: Genetic
Impact • Significance of Ozone Gas • Effects of Methane
• Sources of Nitrous Oxide • Results of Deforestation
• Gridlock of Cities
7. Financial Hazards 275
Energy Policy and Global Warming • Importance of Kyoto
Protocol • Diseases and Financial Hazards • Agriculture and
Financial Hazards • Monetary Chances • Significance of
Extreme Weather • Results of Natural Catastrophes
• Hazardous Transfer Arrangements
8. New Trends 307
Analysis of Sensitivity • Interpretation of Climate Scenario
• Precipitation Change • Soil Moisture Change • Ecosystems
vs. Climate • Ideal Project • Technological Changes
• Observation of Climatic Trends • Models of Climate
• Future Scenario
Bibliography 327

Fundamental Elements of
Global Wanning
Challenging Nature
Many a challenge posed by global climate change, from increased
temperatures and extreme weather events to rises in sea-level, are now
widely recognised in both scientific and policy circles. So far, the main
response at both national and international levels has been to focus on
initiatives aimed at mitigating-i.e. reducing the potential size of-these
effects. Most industrialised countries, for example, have sought to do this
by committing themselves, through signing the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, to
stabilise or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance carbon sinks.
But the lag times in the global climate system mean that no mitigation
effort, however rigorous, is going to prevent climate change from happening
in the next few decades. The warming now being experienced is the result
of emissions that took place decades ago. Indeed'the first impacts of
climate change on natural systems are already being observed, for example
on the life cycles of birds, butterflies, amphibians, alpine herbs and trees.
It is therefore, increasingly evident that, in addition to policies aimed
at mitigation, it is also now necessary to encourage those focused on
adaptation to the effects of climate change. By adaptation in this context,
2 Encyclopaedia of Global Warming (Vol. 1)
we refer to any adjustment in natural or human systems that takes place
in response to actual or expected impacts of climate change, and intended
either to moderate harm, or to exploit beneficial opportunities.
Of course, relying on adaptation alone without taking steps to mitigate
climate change could well lead to a situation in which adaptation can only
be effectively achieved at high social and economic costs. IIi. other words,
adaptation to climate change is not-and should not be seen as-an
alternative to mitigation. Nevertheless, both are essential in order to reduce
the threats that climate change presents to the social and economic growth
of developing countries.
JJ1Iat is Adaptation?
Adaptation initiatives can be categorised in various ways. One useful
distinction is between 'planned' and 'autonomous' adaptation. Planned
adaptation describes the result of decisions that are based on an awareness
that conditions have changed - or are about to change-and that some
type of action is required to achieve, maintain, or return to a desired state.
This could, for example, mean building sea walls in anticipation of a rise
in sea-level.
In contrast, autonomous adaptation refers to the changes that natural
and (most) human systems undergo in response to changing conditions
in their immediate environment, irrespective of any broader plan or policy
based decisions. Such changes, for example, can be triggered by observed
changes in weather patterns that result in shifting market signals or welfare
changes (such as the price of crops and the occurrence of diseases).
Examples of autonomous adaptations might include changes in farming
practices, the purchase of air-conditioning devices, insurance policies taken
out by individuals and private companies, and changes in recreational and
tourist behaviour.
Many of the actions taken by individuals, communities and companies
as they adapt to climate change are likely to be autonomous (i.e. not
requiring external intervention), particularly as such autonomous action
has, in the past, been taken in response to variations in climate that have
been' natural', rather than human-induced. Indeed there is currently much
interest in whether society can rely on autonomous adaptation to reduce
the potential impacts of climate change to an acceptable level, particularly
since such initiatives do not require government intervention.
In many parts of the world, however, the future impacts of climate
change are likely to be significantly greater than those that have been
Fundamental Elements of Global Warming
experienced in the past as a result of natural climatic variability alone.
Such impacts may be more than many of those affected are able to handle
effectively with autonomous adaptation, particularly given additional
constraints such as limited information, inadequate knowledge, and
insufficient access to resources.
As a result, it is now widely acknowledged that there is a need to
implement policies for planned adaptation aimed at preparing for the
impacts of climate change, and at facilitating and complementing
autonomous adaptation initiatives.
Some of the forms that such planned adaptation could take are:
• Increasing the Ability of Physical Infrastructure to Withstand the Impacts
of Climate Change: One approach, for example, would be to extend
the temperature or rainfall range that a system can withstand;
another would be to modify a system's tolerance to loss or failure
(for example by building higher sea walls as a defence against a
rise in sea-level);
• Increasing the Flexibility of Potentially Vulnerable Systems that are
Managed by Humans: For example, the capacity of a water reservoir
might be increased to deal with fluctuations in rainfall;
• Enhancing the Adaptabilih} of Vulnerable Natural Systems: This could
involve reducing stresses due to non-climatic effects, or removing
barriers to the migration of plants or animals (for example, by
enabling mangrove ecosystems to migrate towards land in order
to adapt to rising sea-levels);
• Reversing Trends that Increase Vulnerability: For example by reducing
human activity in vulnerable areas such as floodplains and coastal
zones;
• Improving Public Awareness and Preparedness: This can include
informing the public about the risks and possible consequences
of climate change, as well as setting up early-warning systems for
extreme weather events.
Capacity of Adaptation
In order for a particular country both to draw up an adaptation
strategy, and to prioritise the actions that need to be taken within this
strategy, it is necessary to start with an idea about the potential impacts
of climate change on that country. This, in turn requires an understanding
of the ways in which both its natural and human systems are vulnerable
to the potentially adverse impacts of climate change.