Global Warming

INTRODUCTION

Global Warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Globe . The average temperature of the globe has increased more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900 and the speed of warming has been almost three folds the century long average since 1970.

Scientists studying the climate of the world are of the opinion that human actions mainly responsible for the increase in the world’s temperature mainly the discharge of greenhouse gases from smokestacks, vehicles and burning forests . The gases append to the planet's normal greenhouse effect, permitting sunlight in, but stopping some of the ensuing heat from radiating back to space. Based on the study on past climate shifts, notes of current situations, and computer simulations, many climate scientists say that due to lack of big curbs in greenhouse gas discharges, the 21st century might see temperatures rise of about 3 to 8 degrees, climate patterns piercingly shift, ice sheets contract and seas rise several feet.

Some of these gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide . These greenhouse gases trap heat .

Causes of greenhouse gases – Cattle Bio-diversity Smoke

1) Cattle :- As cows digest grass in their complex stomachs, they produce methane, a greenhouse gas twenty-five times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Methane emissions also come from coal mines, landfills, dams, rice paddies, and wetlands, but almost half of all global methane emissions come from belching livestock. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, cattle farming is responsible for almost one fifth of man-made global warming.

2) Destruction of bio-diversity :- Biodiversity and various ecosystems act as a natural defenses against the impacts of climate change.One of the quickest ways to destroy biodiversity is deforestation. Cutting down forests also accounts for about 20 percent of all man-made carbon dioxide emissions, so slowing down the rate of deforestation could help contain runaway climate change and preserve ecosystems vital to the earth's carbon cycle. Scientists have also found that once a forest has been cut down, precipitation decreases dramatically. Reforestation helps to stabilize the natural water cycle and subtract CO2 from the atmosphere, but once a virgin forest is destroyed, it can never return to its original splendor.

3) Smoke – Smoke produced from burning forests, smoke produced by vehicles and burning of stacks also result in production of carbon di oxide due to which results in Global warming are taking place .

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases.

The Kyoto Protocol now covers more than 170 countries globally and more than 60% of countries in terms of global greenhouse gas emissions. As of December 2007, the US and Kazakhstan are the only signatory nations not to have ratified the act. This treaty expires in 2012, and international talks began in May 2007 on a future treaty to succeed the current one.

The Kyoto Protocol divides countries into two categories: developed countries, referred to as Annex I countries (who have accepted greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations and must submit an annual greenhouse gas inventory); and developing countries, referred to as Non-Annex I countries (who have no greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations but may participate in the Clean Development Mechanism)

The Kyoto Protocol establishes the following principles :-

1) Any Annex I country that fails to meet its Kyoto obligation will be penalized by having to submit 1.3 emission allowances in a second commitment period for every ton of greenhouse gas emissions they exceed their cap in the first commitment period (i.e., 2008-2012);

2) By 2008-2012, Annex I countries have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by a collective average of 5% below their 1990 levels (for many countries, such as the European Union member states, this corresponds to some 15% below their expected greenhouse gas emissions in 2008). While the average emissions reduction is 5%, national limitations range from an 8% average reduction across the EU to a 10% emissions increase for Iceland; but since the EU's member states each have individual obligations, much larger increases (up to 27%) are allowed for some of the less developed EU countries

3) Kyoto includes "flexible mechanisms" which allow Annex I economies to meet their greenhouse gas emission limitation by purchasing GHG emission reductions from elsewhere. These can be bought either from financial exchanges, from projects which reduce emissions in non-Annex I economies under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), from other Annex 1 countries under the Joint Implementation (JI), or from Annex I countries with excess allowances. Only CDM Executive Board-accredited Certified Emission Reductions (CER) can be bought and sold in this manner. Under the aegis of the UN, Kyoto established this Bonn-based Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board to assess and approve projects ("CDM Projects") in Non-Annex I economies prior to awarding CERs. (A similar scheme called "Joint Implementation" or "JI" applies in transitional economies mainly covering the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe).
What this means in practice is that Non-Annex I economies have no GHG emission restrictions, but when a greenhouse gas emission reduction project (a "Greenhouse Gas Project") is implemented in these countries, that Greenhouse Gas Project will receive Carbon Credit which can be sold to Annex I buyers.

Bali Talks on Climate Change

The United Nations talks on Climate Change on threshing a successor to the Kyoto Protocol took place at Bali in Indonesia on 16.12.2007.

The result of the talks were that 190 countries including the U.S. agreed on a road map to finalise an agreement by 2009 to succeed the Kyoto protocol which expires in 2012 .
However the real disappointment is that the meet had to drop the proposal, put forth by the European Union and backed by the developing countries, stipulating 25 to 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the industrialised nations by 2020.

CONCLUSION :- Unless the world is able to find a consensus on cutting down emissions and its implementation, instead of a reduction in Global Warming it may result in an increase of the same as almost all countries had increased their carbon emissions after the Kyoto Protocol .