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 Warming describes a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere. This is permanently changing the Earths climate forever. The primary cause of global warming is from humans, mostly burning of fossil fuels to drive cars, generating electricity, and operating our homes and businesses. Global Warming is very real, and it is occurring every day.

The changes are small, so far, but they are expected to grow and speed up. Within the next fifty to one hundred years, the earth may be hotter than it has been in the past million years. As oceans warm and glaciers melt, land and cities along coasts may be flooded. Heat and drought may cause forests to die and food crops to fail. Global warming will affect weather everywhere, plants and animals everywhere, people everywhere.

One major cause of global warming is the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas that were formed from the remains of plant material deposited during the earth's carboniferous period. We have known for only a few thousand years that coal, oil, and natural gas can be burned to provide energy. It was not until the mid-1800s, however, that we began to burn very large quantities of these fossil fuels. The worldwide consumption of fossil fuel has increased dramatically.

Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels is not the only thing that we humans are doing to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In many parts of the world today, forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Enormous numbers of trees are being cut down, both to provide timber and to clear the land for farming or ranching. In order to clear forests for agriculture, people cut down and burn all the trees in area. When the flames die down, nothing is left but acres of blackened, lifeless countryside. The fire destroys all the plants and kills or drives off the animals. Because there has been little attempt to replant trees in deforested areas, the world's forests are disappearing very quickly.

There are a number of things that we can do to prepare for the changes that are coming. If we act now, perhaps we can "soften the blow" of the greenhouse effect. If we can reduce the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere, we probably can slow the rate of global warming and climate. In the future, the weather cold change much more dramatically from year to year than it does now. As global warming alters habitats, many kinds of animals will be on the move, but all sorts of barriers will stand between them and a new place to live. To help animals get around these barriers, it might be necessary to set up migration corridors that connect natural areas with one another. Without human intervention, many kinds of plants also may not survive as the earth's climate changes. Forests, in particular, may need our help. If climate changes come rapidly, few tree species will be able to spread into new areas fast enough to keep up with changing conditions.

Dr. Ashiq Hussain