DR. ASHIQ HUSSAIN

                      CLIMATE CHANGE

Now-a-days we listen Climate Change more often than before. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the term "Climate Change" is indeed a straightforward expression for such a complex subject. In fact, climate change has more than we can comprehend from this phrase and that is why it is quite essential to go at defining climate change in today's scenario. In the present glossary of researchers and scientists, climate modification as a term is no longer in use and effect. The reason behind this is that we have come to realize the effect of the changes we make to our environment will eventually increase the temperature in many parts of the world, but at the same time will also be decrease in temperature for few parts of the planet. This however, creates a general imbalance in the climate of the world which in turn leads us to the phrase, "Climate Change."


While wondering the effects of the climate change, the things you know of as climate modification is actually referred to as global a global phenomenon of climate change. However, with all the details and statistics we have in hand at present, we can definitely conclude that the world is unquestionably warming with the temperatures rising like never before. Climate change is a global problem with many natural disasters started taking shape; the general awareness of this factor is really low. For the better understanding of the issues associated with the climate change, we require a simple definition for climate change in relation to the warming of the planet. And this definition needs to be the one that brings us the essence of this problem without compromising the simplicities. However, the easiest and most precise definition is that climate change is the effect greenhouse gases have on the earth's overall climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane, but are not limited to these two.

More recently the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came up with this description of what climate change really means: "a change of the climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods."

There are many factors to the cause of climate change. Some of these are the natural development of weather systems and changes in the earth's atmosphere. The amount of radiation flowing from the sun can also affect the climate. Continental drift, greenhouse gasses, the Earth's orbit, and severe natural occurrences; like volcano eruptions, can all change the climate in drastic or minimal ways.

For the last twenty years scientists have battled about the human effect on climate change. Currently, the majority of the scientific community are in agreement that the human influence on the environment has increase the momentum of the current climate change. It seems that science instead of arguing to try and prove the existence of climate change and global warming and now looking for ways to prevent catastrophic and irreversible damage to the environment.

The biggest concern is the impact on greenhouse gasses. The increases are mainly caused from CO2 emissions, which come from fossil fuels, aerosols. Other factors include over using land with farming and deforestation and ozone depletion. The proof of these items being damaged by climate change is measurements of ice caps, sea level changes, and the geological measurements of glaciers.

Scientists are also able to measure the changes by watching the behaviour and survival of certain animal species; like bees. Changes in pollen have proven serious climate changes in the past and studying these levels now can give a picture as to where we are headed. This is also true in watching the behaviour of certain insects.

Creating environmental awareness is very important and the general public need to know the facts about climate change in order to appreciate how they can help.

Climate change is making the average world temperature slowly creep up to levels never experienced by humans. The difference this time (it was hotter when the dinosaurs were around) is that humans are the main cause of this climate shift and the temperature is rising much more rapidly than ever before.

The negative consequences of this trend include acidifying oceans, dying coral reefs, severe weather patterns like strong hurricanes and El Nino's, deserts that are getting bigger, and droughts. In the face of those large problems, some may believe it's too difficult to fight global warming, but actually it's quite simple to reduce your climate impact. Instead of trying to save a few sheets of toilet paper here and there, let's focus on the big wins and how you can make a dramatic difference. Switching to more environmentally friendly sources of energy is a great way for an organisation to reduce the number of CO2 gasses they create each year. Wind, water and solar power are all emerging ways of harnessing energy and switching to these methods will place a lesser strain on the earth's natural resources.

1)      Stop using so much electricity. To accomplish this, replace all of your incandescent light bulbs with CFL's. Not only do they use a fraction of the energy, but they last about ten times as long. Ready to go the extra mile? Replace your outdoor lights with solar lights or even put a solar system on your roof to generate your home's electricity.

2) Use public transportation, your bike, or just walk. The emissions from cars represent a large percentage of global warming-causing greenhouse gases. Reduce your impact by driving less. Ready to go the extra mile? Cut down on your flying every year, replace your older car with a hybrid or other fuel efficient car, or consider making your family only a one-car family.

2)      Buy less "stuff." Consumerism represents a big chunk of carbon emissions. It takes a lot of energy to mine the raw materials, manufacture, package, ship, use, and then dispose of all that stuff you buy. Consider becoming more minimalist and paying for experiences, rather than things.

By taking these steps to fight global warming, we can all reduce our climate impact and prevent the worst that's yet to come. Take action today to fight climate change. We are all part of the problem, but we can all be part of the solution.
Dr. Ashiq Hussain, Deptt. of Chemistry, Govt. P.G. College Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir

 “Global Climatic Changes & Its Effect on Agriculture

 This we know
All things are connected
like the blood
which unites one family…
Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons and daughters of the earth
Man did not weave the web of life;
he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
he does to himself - TED PERRY

Man’s relentless pursuit of material comfort and ‘happiness’ has engendered an irreversible harm to the environment – statements such as these abound environmental magazines, newspapers and the rest of the media. Hardly a day passes without us having to hear such words as “catastrophe”, “natural diseases”, “crisis”, etc. in the media. We hear of calving of ice bergs in Greenland and flash floods in the American Southwest. We also hear apocalyptic predictions made by scientists,

environmentalists and even the laymen about the coastal cities of India getting inundated by the sea.

In a country like India where seventy percent of the population is dependent on agriculture, it is imperative that the effect of such drastic changes in environment are studied. Also, it is equally important that we rely more on scientifically proven facts about global climate changes rather than mere conjectures and exaggerations.

Effect of Climate Change on Agroiculture – An introduction

It is known that climate change is affecting agriculture in many ways. A lot of studies have been carried out by agriculturalists, scientists and economists on the adverse effects of climate change.

In India, agriculture and allied activities constitute the single largest component of Grass Domestic Product (GDP) contributing nearly 25% of the total. The tremendous importance of this sector to the Indian economy can be ganged by the fact that it provides employment to to-thirds of the total workforce. The share of agricultural products in exports is also substantial, with agriculture accounting for 15% of export earnings. Agricultural growth also has a direct impact on poverty eradication, and is an important factor in employment generation.

Further, Indian agriculture is fundamentally dependent on weather for higher productivity. The proof of this has been the increasing in agricultural production, owing to good monsoons over the last few years. A few conclusions on the effect of climate change on agriculture from different studies are listed below:

• Sinha and Swaminathan (1991) – showed that an increase of 20C in temperature could decrease the rice yield by about 0.75 ton/ha (hectares) in the high yield areas; and 0.50C increase in winter temperature would reduce wheat yield by 0.45 tons/ha.

• Rao and Shina (1994)-showed that wheat yields could decrease between 28-68% without considering the CO2 fertilization effects.

• Agarwal and Sinha (1993) showed that a 20C temperature rise would decrease wheat yields in most places.

• Saseendran et al. (2000) showed that for every one degree rise in temperature the decline in rice yield would be about 6%.

The above facts emphasize the need to not only study in detail the climate change vulnerability of agriculture but also the methods of improving the adaptive capacity of agriculture to climate variability and extremes.

Climate Change

Evidence is gathering that human activities are changing the climate. This climate change could have a huge impact on our lives. Here are some grim aspects of climate change. Sea levels are expected to rise by at least 40 cm by 2100, inundating vast areas, including some of the most densely populated cities.

What has already happened?

Global temperatures has rise by 0.60C in the last 130 years. This rise in global temperatures lead to huge impacts on a wide range of climate related factor.

Levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide gases are rising, mainly as a result of human activities Carbon dioxide is being dumped in the atmosphere at an alarming rate. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been pumping out huge quantities of carbon dioxide, raising carbon dioxide concentrations by 30%. The burning of fossil fuels is partly responsible for this huge increase.

U.S, China, Russia, Japan and India are the leading emitters of carbon dioxide. Country

CO2 emissions
(in billion tonnes)

USA         5.9        

China       4.7

Russia     1.7

Japan     1.3    

India        1.1

Total world CO2 E mission = 27 bn tonnes, (Source: Energy Information Administration)

The Guardian

Similarly, methane levels in the atmosphere have increased by 145% since the industrial revolution. This increase is a result of gas produced by livestock and paddy fields.

The increase in quantity of these gases leads to what is known as the green house effect.

The Green House Effect

Under normal circumstances the sun’s rays hit the earth and are reflected back into space. However, gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide and methane form a barrier for sun light. Because of this property of these gases the reflected rays of the sun are trapped in the atmosphere. The sun rays cannot escape from the earth’s atmosphere, and the earth heats up. This is called the green house effect.

Global Warming

Global temperatures have risen by 0.50C over the 140 years, since records began. The decade 1990-2000 was the warmest for 300 years and 0.50c warmer than the mean 1961-1990 climate. Warm winters have reduced the number of frosts, and the warmer summer has included record hot spells and high sunshine totals.

How will Climate Change effect Agriculture?

Soil Processes

The potential for soils to support agriculture and distribution of land use will be influenced by changes in soil water balance.

• Increase in soil water deficits i.e. dry soils become drier, therefore increased need for irrigation but;

• Could improve soil workability in wetter regions and diminish poaching and erosion risk

Crops

The effect of increased temperature and CO2 levels on arable crops will be broadly neutral:

• Horticultural crops are more susceptible to changing conditions than arable crops

• Field vegetables will be particularly effected by temperature changes

• Water deficits will directly affect fruit and vegetable production

Grasslands and Livestocks

• Poultry and pigs could be exposed to higher incidences of heat stress influencing productivity

• Increase in disease transmission by faster growth rates of pathogens in the environment
Improving Adaptive Capability of Agriculture

The following actions could be helpful in improving the adaptive capability of agriculture:

1. Improved training and general education of populations dependent on agriculture

2. Agricultural research to develop new crop varieties

3. Identification of the present vulnerabilities of agricultural systems

4. Food programs and other social security programs to provide insurance against supply changes

5. Transportation, distribution and market integration to provide the infrastructure to supply food during crop short falls.

In addition to the above improvements, it is imperative that the developed countries and the rapidly developing countries formulate strategies to curb green house gas emissions. Countries on the fast track of economic growth should also look at adopting new energy-saving technologies and planting of more trees. The emphasis should also be laid on increasing the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. It is high time for leading emitters of CO2 to formulate national programs to address climate change. Only then the effect of climate change on agriculture can be reduced.
Prof. (Dr.) Ashiq Hussain, Deptt. of Chemistry Govt. P.G. College Bhaderwah