The Daunting Climate Change: Science, Impacts, Adaptation & Mitigation Strategies, Policy Responses PDF
Preview The Daunting Climate Change: Science, Impacts, Adaptation & Mitigation Strategies, Policy Responses
The Daunting Climate Change Science, Impacts, Adaptation & Mitigation Strategies, Policy Responses The Daunting Climate Change Science, Impacts, Adaptation & Mitigation Strategies, Policy Responses Jayarama Reddy Puthalpet Former Professor of Physics & Vice-chancellor Sri Venkateswara University BS Publications A unit of BSP Books Pvt. Ltd. 4-4-309/316, Giriraj Lane, Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad - 500 095 Firstpublished2022 byCRCPress 4ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN andbyCRCPress 6000BrokenSoundParkwayNW,Suite300,BocaRaton,FL33487-2742 ©2022BSPublications CRCPressisanimprintofInformaUKLimited TherightofJayaramaReddyPuthalpettobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhasbeen assertedinaccordancewithsections77and78oftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct 1988. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedorutilisedinany formorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,nowknownorhereafterinvented, includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinanyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem, withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers. Forpermissiontophotocopyorusematerialelectronicallyfromthiswork,accesswww. copyright.comorcontacttheCopyrightClearanceCenter,Inc.(CCC),222Rosewood Drive,Danvers,MA01923,978-750-8400.ForworksthatarenotavailableonCCCplease [email protected] Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregistered trademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintenttoinfringe. PrinteditionnotforsaleinSouthAsia(India,SriLanka,Nepal,Bangladesh,Pakistanor Bhutan). BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Acatalogrecordhasbeenrequested ISBN:978-1-032-20677-6(hbk) ISBN:978-1-003-26470-5(ebk) DOI:10.1201/9781003264705 Dedicated to, SAI & My Parents FOREWORD Earth has naturally warmed up and cooled down during earlier times. Such phases have been slow occurring over geological periods, i.e., millions of years, whereas now Earth’s climate appears to be changing fast. Scientists have evidenced that the main cause of climate change has been global warming, caused by greenhouse effect. The earth’s human population on earth is increasing at an explosive rate (by a sevenfold in a century and a half – from 1 billion to 7.5), and is consuming energy at an ever-increasing rate. The day-to-day human activities that burn fossil fuels for electricity generation, industry and transport, combined with large scale deforestation, increased livestock production, increased agriculture demands and long range transportation of goods, increased production consumer goods, increased travel for work and leisure, destruction of marine systems and land use changes and so on enhance the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, causing the planet’s temperature to increase even more.The signs of climate change are all around us. The global temperature increase brings disastrous consequences on Earth’s physical and biological systems, threatening the survival of the flora and fauna and humanity. The worst climate change impacts include the melting of the polar ice mass and glaciers causing sea level rise, threatening coastal environments and the existence of small island states. Climate change also increases the likelihood of heat waves, drought, wild fires, and tropical cyclones, more frequent heavy rains contributing to flash floods, and animal and plant species’ extinction, and several others. It is not just that humans will be living in a warmer world than earlier humans have experienced. It is the fast pace of change that is threatening. Global climate change has already resulted in a wide range of impacts across all regions of the world and many sectors such as human health, agriculture and food security, water systems and supply, transportation, ecosystems, global economy and so on. These are expected to become increasingly upsetting throughout this century and beyond. Extreme heat, sea level rise, and heavy downpours are affecting infrastructure like roads, rail lines, airports and port facilities, energy infrastructure, and livelihoods. The heating of ocean combined with other stresses, such as overfishing, coastal activity and pollution, affect marine-based food production and hurt fishing communities. (vii) (viii) Foreword Understanding and predicting how climate will change in the foreseeable future is of vital importance, both for global economy and safety of the society. It is very important to note that studies have shown that climate change cannot be avoided. But, by applying small to large scale mitigation and adaptation measures, we can lessen its effects and adjust to its consequences. International community has recognized the imminent dangers and has finally arrived at an historic pact - Paris Agreement – to initiate sufficient and concrete measures to markedly decrease greenhouse gas emissions so as to restrict the global mean temperature rise to below 2oC by the end of the 21stcentury. This book discusses these aspects in a fairly detailed manner starting with an overview of climate science which is essential. The signs of warming, the impacts and consequences on several sectors relevant to society are explained coherently. The global adaptation experiences and the opportunities available for future implementation of the measures are expounded citing proper references. The mitigation strategies, being the core in minimizing the climate change effects, is dealt clearly - especially energy efficiency measures and low carbon energy sources that have to go into energy mix in the future - and including geoengineering aspects which are yet to be established as practical and sustainable. Global efforts over time to arrive at policy responses are elucidated showing how the world countries have been, by and large, serious and patiently continued formal and informal consultations for finding solutions for this complex and daunting problem of climate change. The carbon pricing, a critical economic instrument in ensuring emission reductions is explained vividly. The annexures covering a few important topics that are generally ignored are highpoint. A most attractive and useful part of the book is the huge list of references provided by the author to help a reader’s wishes to probe further deep into this most intriguing subject. Prof. Reddy has painstakingly compiled an abundance of data from a plethora of references to support his conclusions. All topics are presented with exemplary organization and crystal- clear clarity. While it is not known with certainty how the global warming trends are going to play out, it is important to take this issue seriously. Appropriate actions should be seen as challenges (not-as impediments) for adapting healthier, smarter and more active lifestyles and as opportunities for engineering ingenuity to achieve a sustainable environment. Yiannis A. Levendis, PhD College of Engineering Distinguished Professor Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 334 SN, Northeastern University 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02116, USA PREFACE Climate change is a global environmental issue as troubled impacts are felt all over the world with varying severity. The Earth is warming currently at a rate unmatched in the past 1,300 years and particularly, past fifty years have witnessed marked increase in the mean temperatures of the planet, especially in the North Polar Region. This has resulted in the melting of glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost, rising of sea levels and so on. Extreme climate events like heat waves, droughts, cyclones, heavy precipitation and floods over the last century triggered heavy damage to physical and biological systems causing enormous economic losses, human suffering and mortality. Associated risks are a threat to food production, water availability, human health, security and livelihood. Multiple evidences show human activities are responsible for disturbing the Earth’s energy balance and entering into a new era, Anthropocene. Global emissions of greenhouse gases keep rising, implying that the world is headed for a 4°C temperature rise by 2100, if current trends continue. Then the projected impacts appear much more devastating and even irreversible. The poor and least developed countries mostly in Africa and Small Island states, not answerable for the present climate change, are more at risk to the harmful consequences of climate change. Adaptation is a kind of managing the risk posed by climate change. Majority of adaptation policies are local or regional, rather than national or global. But, climate adaptation measures help to cope up with the climate change impacts as global experiences reveal. The urgency and ability to introduce adaptive measures vary across the world, and it is the poor in the world who lack most the required resources to improve their adaptive capacity. Mitigation policies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions complement adaptation plans. These are urgent and delays cost heavily. Even if significant mitigation policies are at once applied, warming and its (ix)
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