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Over the last 100 years, the average air temperature near the Earth¶s surface
has risen by a little less than 1 degree Cels ius or 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit. This
raise is responsible for the conspicuous increase in storms, floods and raging
forest fires we have seen in recent years, say scientists.
Their data show that an increase of one degree Celsius makes the Earth warmer
now than it has been for at least a thousand years. The top 11 warmest years on
record have all been in the last 13 years, said NASA in 2007, and the first half of
2010 has already gone down in history as the hottest ever recorded.
Projections from the UN climate change body the Inter governmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) say that global surface temperature will probably rise a
further 1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius (2.0 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit) during the
21st century. The huge range of estimates is due to the amazing complexity of
our Earth¶s climate system and the uncertainty about whether mankind will fight
this warming or continue with business-as-usual.
A certain degree of warming is unavoidable even if we managed to reduce our
burden on the climate immediately. Oceans, for example, act as huge heat
repositories that follow changes in air temperature with a time lag of decades or
even hundreds of years. Melting ice caps reflect less sunlight than previously, so
our planet absorbs more and more heat.
Exactly how these changes will influence the warming trend is unclear. All we
know for certain is that it¶s going to be warmer and that human greenhouse gas
emissions are an important reason for this.


   

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In a nutshell: global warming is the cause, climate change is the effect.
Scientists often prefer to speak about climate change instead of global warming,
because higher global temperatures don¶t necessarily mean that it will be
warmer at any given time at every location on Earth.
Warming is strongest at the Earth's Poles, the Arctic and the Antarctic, and will
continue to be so. In recent years, fall air temperatures have been at a record 9
degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) above normal in the Arctic, ac cording to
the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But changing wind
patterns could mean that a warming Arctic, for example, leads to colder winters
in continental Europe. Regional climates will change as well, but in very different
ways. Some regions like parts of Northern Europe or West Africa will probably
get wetter, while other regions like the Mediterranean or Central A frica will most
likely receive less rainfall.
But it is not just about how much the Earth is warming, it is also about how fast
it is warming. There have always been natural climate changes ± Ice Ages and
the warm intermediate times between them ± but those evolved over periods of
50,000 to 100,000 years.
 In the past, climate change was triggered by changes in the sun¶s energy
output, the changing position of continental plates, or the rotating axis of the
Earth itself. Many plants and animals were able to adapt to these slowly
changing climates. Even humans have changed their habitat according to the
comings and goings of glaciers.
All the ³natural forcing´, however, have been ruled out for the warming visible
in the last 30 years. Since 1980, temperature s have risen faster than ever
before, as far as scientists can ascertain.
This radical change is leading towards a sudden loss of biodiversity, a dwindling
number and variety of plants and animals. Many species simply w on¶t be able to
adapt fast enough. According to the most recent UN assessment, 20 to 30
percent of the Earth's plant and animal species face extinction if the world
warms by between 1.5 and 2.5 degrees Celsius.
Even for humans, climate change won¶t be a s mooth transition to a warmer
world, warns the Tipping Points Report by Allianz and WWF. Twelve regions
around the world could be especially affected by abrupt changes, among them
the North Pole, the Amazon rainforest, and California.
Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises). It happens
when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and
methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth¶s atmosphere, which
increases the temperature. This hurts many people, animals, and plants. Many
cannot take the change, so they die.



The greenhouse effect is when the temperature rises because the sun¶s heat and
light is trapped in the earth¶s atmosphere. This is like when heat is trapped in a
car. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth. The heat and light can
get through the atmosphere, but it can¶t get out. As a result, the temperature
rises.
Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us. The greenhouse
effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on. Without it, the earth
would be freezing, or on the other hand it would be burning hot. I t would be
freezing at night because the sun would be down. We would not get the sun¶s
heat and light to make the night somewhat warm. During the day, especially
during the summer, it would be burning because the sun would be up with no
atmosphere to filter it, so people, plants, and animals would be exposed to all
the light and heat.

Although the greenhouse effect makes the earth able to have people living on it,
if there gets to be too many gases, the earth can get unusually warmer, and
many plants, animals, and people will die. They would die because there would
be less food (plants like corn, wheat, and other vegetables and fruits). This
would happen because the plants would not be able to take the heat. This would
cause us to have less food to eat, but it would also limit the food that animals
have. With less food, like grass, for the animals that we need to survive (like
cows) we would even have less food. Gradually, people, plants, and animals
would all die of hunger.

 
Greenhouse gasses are gasses are in the earth¶s atmosphere that collect heat
and light from the sun. With too many greenhouse gasses in the air, the earth¶s
atmosphere will trap too much heat and the earth wil l get too hot. As a result
people, animals, and plants would die because the heat would be too strong.

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Global warming is affecting many parts of the world. Global warming makes the
sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands. This
is a big problem for many of the plants, animals, and people on islands. The
water covers the plants and causes some of them to die. When they die, the
animals lose a source of food, along with their habitat. This would be called a
break in the food chain, or a chain reaction, one thing happening that leads to
another and so on.

The oceans are affected by global warming in other ways, as well. Many things
that are happening to the ocean are linked to global warming. One thing that is
happening is warm water, caused from global warming, is harming and killing
algae in the ocean.

Algae is a producer that floating on the top of the water. This floating there is
less food for us and many animals in the sea. Global warming is doing many
things to people as well as animals and plants. It is killing algae, but it is also
destroying many huge forests. The pollution that causes global warming is
linked to acid rain. Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches.
Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out whole forests.
This happens because global warming can make the earth very hot. In forests,
some plants and trees leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire.

 

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Our ancestors respected nature and the old because they believed nothing man -
made could come close to nature¶s perfection. The first attempts by prehistoric
artists to create figurative sculpture were almost certainly the result of finding
animal bones, stones, and wood in which the form of the finished product was
already suggested in the found object. A work of art could be created without
excessive embellishment. Touching natural objects was also a primary part of
life for the prehistoric artist. This special primal sensory instinct is still very much
a part of modern human biology and spirit. The tactile sense is key to the finding
of found space because we cannot perceive the world throu gh our eyes alone.

Today, earth architecture still provides a multitude of ideas and challenges for
architects and designers. Human history provides us with numerous resources to
study. Only a relatively small portion of examples of the historical use of earth
buildings are noted here, but buildings using rammed earth, mud brick,
compressed earth, adobe, cob, straw and other techniques are becoming
increasingly important with our changing environment. Earth Architecture
represents innovative uses of this ancient building material. Buildings made with
earth (if use appropriately) are energy -efficient, environmentally -friendly,
sustainable and economical. Throughout human evolution, there has been a
recurring tendency to rediscover and rejuvenate the earth sp aces. Humans find
things that previous generations have lost, and lose things their forebears found.
This continuous cycle of finding and losing is significant in both the biological and
physiological evolution of our specie

MAIN CAUSES FOR GLOBAL WARMING

1. Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide
Global GHG Emissions: 25 percent Generating power by burning fossil fuels
like natural gas, oil, and coal produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any
other human activity, accounting for about one quarter of all global emissions.
In the next 5-10 years, about 40 percent of worldwide power generating
capacity will have to be replaced. Making new power plants cleaner will be
critical.

2. Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide, Methane

Global GHG Emissions: 20 percent. DEFORESTATION
Virgin Amazon rainforest borders an a rea of jungle destroyed to make way for
farms in Brazil. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for at least
20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The damage is two -fold: the world's
capacity to absorb CO2 is reduced, while large amounts of stored carbon and
methane are released into the atmosphere.

3. Road Transport
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide
Global GHG Emissions: 13 percent
Gridlock on the road into Beijing. Between 600 and 700 million cars, trucks, and
buses worldwide produce about 13 percent of global man-made greenhouse gas
emissions, according to the UN. Passenger cars produce about on average 125
grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometer, only 5 grams less than airplanes but
nearly three times as much as trains.

4. Oil & Gas Production

Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide, Methane
Global GHG Emissions: 6.3 percent
An oil platform stands in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Extracting and
refining oil and natural gas requires huge amounts of energy while it also
releases climate-warming methane gas from underground into the air. According
to the World Resources Institute, oil and natural gas production is responsible
for 6.3 percent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Fertilizers
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Nitrous Oxide
Global GHG Emissions: 6 percent
Bags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer are stored in a warehouse in
Sydney. Modern agriculture relies heavily on fertilizers and pesticides, which are
manufactured from crude oil and natural gas and which release nitrous oxide
into the air, contributing to global warming. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more
potent than carbon dioxide as a warming agent. The World Resources Institute
estimates that farming is responsible for 6 percent of global man -made
greenhouse gas emissions.

6. Livestock
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Methane
Global GHG Emissions: 5.1 percent
Argentina has its methane emissions collected in a plastic tank. Argentine
scientists say cows could be generating thirty percent of Argentina¶s greenhouse
gas emissions. Almost half of all global methane emissions comes from belching
livestock, mainly cows but also pigs, goats and sheep. Methane is twenty times
more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

7. Cement Production
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide
Global GHG Emissions: 4 percent
A laborer walks over newly made pipes at a cement plant in Yingtan, China.
There is huge demand for cement thanks to a global construction boom. Cement
production is very energy intensive, requiring first the quarrying of limestone
and then processing of that limestone at very high temperatures. The carbon
dioxide emitted by cement factories around the world accounts for nearly 4 per
cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Resources
Institute.

8. Aviation
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, Nitrous Oxide, Aerosol
Global GHG Emissions: 3.5 percent
A jet airliner leaves condensation trails. The trails are formed by soot and water
vapor from the plane¶s engines. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) estimates that aircraft emissions of water vapor, nitrous oxides, aerosols
and CO2 could be 2 to 4 times stronger than emissions of CO2 alone. Aviation is
responsible for 3.5 percent of man-made global warming, says the IPCC, and it
is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases

9. Iron & Steel Manufacture

Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Carbon Dioxide
Global GHG Emissions: 3.2 percent
The iron and steel industry has one of the largest carbon footprints of any single
industrial sector. That¶s because of the sector¶s size and the incredibly energy -
intensive processes of mining and transporting iron ore, smelting that ore into
iron in blast furnaces and then turning the iron into steel. Together they
contribute more than three percent of global man -made emissions, says the
World Resources Institute.

10. Garbage
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Methane, Carbon Dioxide
Global GHG Emissions: 3 percent
A man scavenges for waste to recycle at a garbage dump in Linfen , China.
Landfill sites like this produce greenhouse gases because rotting organic waste
emits methane. If garbage is burned, however, it emits CO2. Almost everything
we produce, consume and throw away means greenhouse gas emissions today.
Waste and waste water accounts for about 3 per cent of man-made emissions,
says the World Resources Institute.

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Buildings in the U.S. are a major contributor to climate change. The operation of
buildings, heating, cooling, lighting, and hot wa ter account for 43% of all U.S.
carbon dioxide emissions, and 76% of all U.S. ele ctricity consumption, according
to Architecture 2030 , a non-profit organization created by architect,
Edward Mazria in 2002.

Architecture 2030 created the 2030 Challenge which calls for a 50 % reduction
in energy consumption and greenhous e gas (GHG) emissions from all new
buildings and major renovations by 2010. The 2030 Challenge also calls for an
increasing reduction of both GHG emissions and energy consumption in
increments every five years so all new buildings will be carbon neutral by 2030.

Every year, five billion square feet are built, five billion square feet are
renovated, and 1.75 billion square feet of buildings are demolished. Three -
quarters of buildings in the U.S. will be either new or renovated by 2038.

The 2030 Challenge ser ves as a guide for all cities, counties, and states in the
U.S. to quickly reduce their GHG emissions and energy use through current
building codes. Part of the 2030 Challenge are "code equivalents" which are
"additional reductions needed beyond the requir ements of a particular code,
standard or rating system to meet or exceed the initial 50 percent target of the
2030 Challenge," according to the whitepaper called Ö

  
  

   , released in June. The code equivalents "can be easily
incorporated into existing codes by ordinance."




 
When we think about the causes of "global warming," what commonly comes to
mind are gas-guzzling cars and smoke-spewing industrial process. But a lion's
share of the pollutants that cause global warming are attributable to
architecture. Architect Edward Mazria of Mazria, Riskin Odems, Inc. in Santa Fe,
New Mexico, has been making a case for why his profession should take greater
responsibility for the problem.

Residential and commercial buildings are conventionally thought of as

consuming 38 percent of energy in the United States. But when he adds in
industrial building operation consumption and the embodied energy of building
materials, he calculates that architecture's share is actually closer to  the
country's total energy consumption. Similarly, architecture is responsible for 46
percent of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions.
When architects design buildings and specify constructi on materials, they are
responsible for that building's energy consumption pattern for its lifetime. Rather
than depending solely on technology to bring down building energy use, Mazria
believes design strategies concerned with sitting, fenestration, and material
selection can go a long way toward energy efficiency.

Mission
Architecture 2030¶s mission is to create, and quickly respond to, opportunities
that shape the dialogue and a ddress the crisis situation surrounding the µBuilding
Sector¶ and its contribution to global warming.

The 2030 °Challenge

The µBuilding Sector¶ is the major source of demand for energy and materials
that produce by-product greenhouse gases (GHG). Stabilizing and reversing
emissions in this sector is key to keeping future global warming under one
degree Celsius (°C) above today¶s level.

To accomplish this, and avoid dangerous climate change, Architecture 2030 has
issued 'The 2030 °Challenge¶ asking the global architecture and building
community to adopt the following targets:

V All new buildings, developments and major renovations be designed

to meet a fossil fuel, greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting, energy
consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or
country) average for that building type.

V At a minimum, an amount of existing building area equal to that of

new construction be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel,
greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting, energy consumption performance
standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that
building type.

V The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings be increase d
to:

60% in 2010
70% in 2015
80% in 2020
90% in 2025
Carbon-neutral by 2030 (zero fossil-fuel, GHG emitting energy
to operate).
This may be accomplished through in novative design strategies,
application of renewable technologies and/or the purchase
(maximum 20%) of renewable energy.

(
In Green by Design you will experience the design of renewable resources,
explore how to incorporate innovative energy conservation technologies into
your life, and appreciate how these technologies are making a positive impact in
your communities and around the world. 
 Perspective
Every 44 minutes, sufficient energy from the sun strikes the Earth to provide the
entire world's energy requirements for one year. Many of the energy sources
available to us in the forms of fossil fuels, bio -fuels, and even wind power are
derived partially or wholly from the sun. Today we have become acutely aware
of the trade offs that are associated with the burning of fossil fuels. The
continued success of our global society depends on the wise use of the world's
energy resources. VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV V
View from Space
The Tech Museum presents an amazing experience from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Imagine watching hurricanes form or
seeing the spread of an event over a globe almost 6 feet in diameter. View from
Space appeals to anyone who e ver wanted to be an astronaut!
See the beauty of the nightscape spread across the globe. Observe Earth like
you've never seen it before. This exhibit space allows you to observe complex
and detailed scientific information in an easily understandable, visuall y stunning
form. Dr. Alexander MacDonald, of the NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory, was
a Laureate of The Tech Museum Awards in 2003 for developing this visualization
system.
Regenerative Braking
Learn how electric cars can recapture energy typically lost during braking. An
electric motor is used to slow down the tire, while producing electricity to charge
the batteries.
Super capacitors
Race two cars that are powered by super capacitors instead of batteries. Super
capacitors have been called "lifetime batteries" since they can survive a million
charges before they need to be thrown away.
Sun Power
To make solar cells more effective, many companies are experimenting with
ways to focus the sun's energy. Using mirrors, you can build a solar dish that
directs sunlight onto a solar cell, doubling its efficiency.
Glacier Studies Project
The Glacier Studies Project includes two active tasks: Satellite Image Atlas of
Glaciers of the World Task and a Coastal -Change and Glaciological Maps of
Antarctica Task. The two tasks are inter-discipline, inter-agency, and
international in scope and institutional involvement. Glaciers are one of the four
sub elements of the cryosphere [the other three are snow cover, floating ice
(sea, lake, and river ice), and permafrost]. The cryosphere is particularly
sensitive to changes in regional and global climate. Changes in the volume of
glacier ice on land produces changes in global (eu static) sea level. Seasonal
changes in sea ice and snow cover and decadal changes in glacier area can be
monitored regionally and globally with image and other data from Earth -orbiting
satellites. NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center), USGS (Woods Hole Scienc e
Center), and Icelandic National Energy Authority scientists are collaborating on
satellite remote-sensing studies of glaciers. Information pertaining to the U.S.
Geological Survey's Glacier Studies Project is presented, including links to
relevant USGS and non-USGS publications. The Glacier Studies Project is funded
by the U.S. Geological Survey's Global Change Science Program, a component of
the 13 Federal interagency U.S. Climate Change Science Program of which the
U.S. Department of the Interior is a member.

Climate, Land Use, and Environmental Sensitivity (CLUES)

Vegetation changes caused by climatic variations and/or land use may have
large impacts on forests, agriculture, rangelands, natural ecosystems, and
endangered species. Climate modeling studies indicate that vegetation cover, in
turn, has a strong influence on regional climates, and this must be better
understood before models can estimate future environmental conditions. To
address these issues, this project investigates vegetational response to climatic
change, and vegetation-land surface impacts on climate change. The project
involves calibration of the modern relations between the range limits of plant
species and climatic variables, relations that are then used: 1) to estimate past
climatic fluctuations from paleo botanical data for a number of time per iods
within the late Quaternary; 2) to 'validate' climate model simulations of past
climates; 3) to explore the potential influences of land cover changes on climate
change; and 4) to estimate the potential future ranges of plant species under a
number of future climate scenarios. Methodologies and data developed by this
project are being used as part of the national global change assessment of
potential impacts of future climate changes.

Landscape dynamics and vegetationchange ±

Research examines the long-term dynamics of vegetation change and the impact
of climate. A detailed history of vegetation change in the Western U.S. is being
constructed based on the paleobotanical record of pollen and plant tissues
preserved in packrat maddens and buried in sediments. Large data sets and
techniques are being developed to model and forecast the effects of possible
future climate change on vegetation at regional and glo bal scales. Models will be
enhanced in the future to include the associated soil carbon.

Fate of Carbon in Northern Landscapes-

Cold region forests (boreal ecosystems) contain large carbon reserves t hat are
today highly susceptible to changes in climate. Soils and wetlands comprise
more than 2/3 of the boreal C reserves, and changes in fire and seasonal
temperatures may cause changes in ecosystem structure, permafrost recovery,
nutrient cycling, and carbon exchange. Central to the fate of these C reserves is
the interaction between fire occurrence and permafrost changes in the surface
layers. Process studies and modeling are being expanded to better understand
the historic and modern interactions among climate, surface temperature and
moisture, fire, and terrestrial carbon sequestration.
Exchanges of Greenhouse Gases, Water Vapor, and Heat at the
Earth's Surface
Atmospheric turbulence transports greenhouse gases (notably: carbon dioxide
(CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide), water vapor, and heat between Earth's land
and water surfaces and the overlying atmosphere. These exchanges influence
climate, viability of ecosystems, distribution of biomes, and the quantity of both
surface- and ground-water. USGS researchers and their collaborators are
directly measuring the exchanges of greenhouse gases, water vapor, and heat to
better understand interactions between Earth 's surface and atmosphere.

Monitoring and Modeling Carbon Distribution and Flux

Carbon plays a fundamental role in regulating the climate of the Earth system.
Yet much about how carbon cycles through the environment ±particularly the
terrestrial environment±remains poorly quantified. The USGS is applying its
expertise in satellite remote sensing, biogeochemical modeling, analysis of large
spatial data sets, and geographic information systems applications to develop a
quantitative understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle. This understanding
will be the basis for tools to help policy makers and resource managers evaluate
the carbon consequences of land management options, including implications for
climate change mitigation strategies.

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On 30 June 2008, the Prime Minister released India¶s National Action Plan on
Climate Change (NAPCC). Prepared by the specially constituted Prime Minister¶s
Council on Climate Change, the document was intended to provide a concrete
road map detailing how India plans to move forward in combating climate
change.
The NAPCC then sets out eight ³National Missions´ as the way forward in
implementing the Government¶s strategy and achieving the National Action
Plan¶s objective. The focus of these missions, the authors say, is on ³promoting
understanding of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency
and natural resource conservation. VV
National Solar Mission
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Great importance has been given to the National Solar Mission in the NAPCC.
This is justified by the fact that India is ideally situated in the equatorial Sun Belt
receiving abundant solar radiation the year around. The average solar insulation
incident over India is about 5.5 kWh/m2 per day, which means that just 1% of
India¶s land can meet the country¶s entire electricity requirement till 2030. [1]
The stated objective of the mission is to increase the share of solar energy and
other renewable and non-fossil based energy sources in the total energy mix of
the country. This includes nuclear energy as a non -fossil option.

The mission also calls for the launch of a

research and development (R&D) program that, with the help of international
cooperation, would look into creating more cost -effective, sustainable and
convenient solar power systems.
As can be seen from the adjoining diagram renewable energy currently
comprises a very small proportion of our energy sources and solar is responsible
for even less.
The NAPCC sets the solar mission a target of delivering 80% coverage for all low
temperature (<150° C) applications of solar energy in urban areas, industries
and commercial establishments, and a target of 60% coverage for medium
temperature (150° C to 250° C) applications. The deadline for achieving this is
the duration of the 11 th and 12th five-year plans, through to 2017. In addition,
rural applications are to be pursued through public -private partnership.
The NAPCC also sets the target of 1000 MW/annum of photovoltaic production
from integrated facilities by 2017 as well as 1000 MW of Concentrating Solar
Power generation capacity.
These efforts are to be backed by R&D to ensure that India develops commercial
and near commercial solar technologies. The ultimate aim is to develop a solar
industry that is competitive against fossil fuel options within the next 20 -25
years.

National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

This Mission is basically targeted at industry, which, according to the NAPCC,
accounts for 42% of the country¶s total commercial energy use (2004-2005) and
31 % of total CO2 emissions (1994).
The Government of India already had a number of initiatives to promote energy
efficiency in place before the NAPCC such as the star labeling system and energy
conservation building code and had also passed the Energy Conservation Act of
2001. In addition to these, the NAPCC calls for:
· Mandating specific energy consumption decreases in large energy consuming
industries and creating a framework to certify excess energy savings along with
market based, mechanisms to trade these savings. This is aimed at enhancing
cost effectiveness of improvements in energy efficiency in energy -intensive
sectors.

V Innovative measures to make energy efficient appliances/products in

certain sectors more affordable.
V Creation of mechanisms to help finance demand side management
programs by capturing future energy savings and enabling public -private-
partnerships for this.
 V Developing fiscal measures to promote energy efficiency such as tax
incentives for including differential taxation on energy efficient certified
appliances.

National Mission on Sustainable Habitat

The aim of the Mission is to make habitats more sustainable through a threefold
approach that includes

V Improvements in energy efficiency of buildings in resident ial and

commercial sector
V Management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
V Promote urban public transport

The NAPCC claims that use of energy efficient options could hep achieve 30%
electricity savings in new residential buildings and 40% in new commercial
buildings. For existing buildings the corresponding savings are 20% and 30%
respectively.
The authors call for a wide and diverse range of policy instruments to overcome
the barriers to adoption of energy efficient options in residential and commercial
sectors, highlight the need for more a more competitive market for energy
efficient products and advocate an involving all stakeholders. In addition, they
once again stress on the need for technology transfer from developed countries.
With regards to MSW, the Plan suggests some policy reforms such as common
regional disposal facilities for smaller towns and villages in a particular region,
and integrated system for collection, transport, transfer, treatment and disposal
facilities.
Finally, with regards to urban public transport, the NAPCC endorses mass transit
such as buses, railways and mass rapid transit systems and the use of CNG,
ethanol blending in gasoline and bio -diesel. Hydrogen is something that is
mentioned for the future. In addition, the Plan proposes the promotion of costal
shipping and inland waterways, increasing attractiveness of railways, introducing
appropriate transport pricing measures to influence purchase and use of vehicles
in respect of fuel efficiency and fuel choice, tightening regulatory standards in
fuel-economy of automobiles.
As with the other Missions, the Plan emphasizes the need for R&D for all the
components of the Sustainable Hab itat Mission. VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
National Water Mission
According to the NAPCC, out of the 4000 billion m 3 of precipitation that India
receives annually, only 1000 billion m 3 is available for use, which comes to
approx. 1000 m 3 per capita per annum. Further, by 2050 it states that India is
likely to be water scarce. The National Water Mission thus aims at conserving
water, minimising wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution through
integrated water resource management. It also aims to optimize water use
efficiency by 20% by developing a framework of regulatory mechanisms having
differential entitlements and pricing.

In addition, the Water Mission calls for strategies to tackle variability in rainfall
and river flows such as enhancing surface and underground water storage,
rainwater harvesting and more efficient irrigation systems like sprinklers or drip
irrigation.
V
National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan
Ecosystem
The NAPCC recognises the Himalayan ecosystem as vital to preserving the
ecological security of the country. It consists of forests; perennial rivers which
are a source of drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower; rich biodiversity; and
is a major tourist attraction. All the se are in danger from climate change through
increases in temperature, changes in precipitation patterns, drought and glacier
melt.

The Plan calls for empowering local communities especially Panchayats to play a
greater role in managing ecological resource s. It also reaffirms the following
measures mentioned in the National Environment Policy, 2006.

V Adopting appropriate land -use planning and water-shed management

practices for sustainable development of mountain ecosystems
V Adopting best practices for infrastructure construction in mountain regions
to avoid or minimize damage to sensitive ecosystems and despoiling of
landscapes
V Encouraging cultivation of traditional varieties of crops and horticulture by
promoting organic farming, enabling farmers to realise a price premium
V Promoting sustainable tourism based on best practices and multi -
stakeholder partnerships to enable local communities to gain better
livelihoods
V Taking measures to regulate tourist inflows into mountain r egions to
ensure that the carrying capacity of the mountain ecosystem is not
breached
V Developing protection strategies for certain mountain scopes with unique
³incomparable values´

National Mission for a Green India

This Mission aims at enhancing ecosystem services such as carbon sinks. It
builds on the Prime Minister¶s Green India campaign for afforestation of 6 million
hectares and the national target of increasing land area under forest cover from
23% to 33%. It is to be implemented on degraded forest land through Joint
Forest Management Committees set up under State Departments of Forests.
These Committees will promote direct action by communities.

The Green India program suggests:

V Training on silvi cultural practices for fast-growing and climate-hardy tree

species
V Reducing fragmentation of forests by provision of corridors for species
migration, both fauna and flora
V Enhancing public and private investments for raising plantations for
enhancing the cover and the density of f orests
 V Revitalizing and up scaling community-based initiatives such as Joint
Forest Management and Van Panchayat committees for forest
management
V Formulation of forest fire management strategies
V In-situ and ex-situ conservation of genetic resources, especially of
threatened flora and fauna
V Creation of biodiversity registers (at national, district, and local levels) for
documenting genetic diversity and the associated traditional knowledge
V Effective implementation of the Protected Area System under the Wildlife
Conservation Act and National Biodiversity Conservation Act 2001 VV

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

The aim is to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change by
identifying new varieties of crops, especially thermal resista nt ones and
alternative cropping patterns. This is to be supported by integration of traditional
knowledge and practical systems, information technology and biotechnology, as
well as new credit and insurance mechanisms.
In particular the Mission focuses on rain-fed agricultural zones and suggests:

V Development of drought and pest resistant crop varieties

V Improving methods to conserve soil and water
V Stakeholder consultations, training workshops and demonstration
exercises for farming communities, for agro -climatic information sharing
and dissemination
V Financial support to enable farmers to invest in and adopt relevant
technologies to overcome climatic related stresses
In addition, the Mission makes suggestions for safeguarding farmers
against increased risk due to climate change. These suggestions include,
strengthening agricultural and weather insurance; creation of web -
enabled, regional language based services fo r facilitation of weather-
based insurance; development of GIS and remote sensing methodologies;
mapping vulnerable regions and disease hotspots; and developing and
implementing region-specific, vulnerability based contingency plans.
Finally, it suggests greater access to information and use of
biotechnology.

National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate

Change
This Mission will strive to work with the global community in research and
technology development and collaboration through a variety of mechanisms and,
in addition, will also have its own research agenda supported by a network of
dedicated climate change related institutions and universities and a Climate
Research Fund. The Mission will also encourage private sector initiatives for
developing innovative technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

The Mission includes:

V Research in key substantive domains of climate science to improve

understanding of key phenomena and processes
 V Global and regional climate modeling to improve the quality and accuracy
of climate change projections for India
V Strengthening of observational networks and data gathering and
assimilation to increase access and availability to relevant data
V Creation of essential research infrastructure, such as high performance
computing

Other Programmers
The NAPCC also describes other ongoing initiatives, inclu ding

$ '  
( The government is mandating the retirement of inefficient

coal-fired power plants and supporting the research and development of IGCC
and supercritical technologies.

)  ! * ( Under the Electricity Act 2003 and the National Tariff Policy
2006, the central and the state electricity regulatory commissions must purchase
a certain percentage of grid-based power from renewable sources.

* * ( Under the Energy Conservation Act 2001, large energy-
consuming industries are required to undertake energy audits and an energy
labeling program for appliances has been introduced. VV

Implementation
According to the NAPCC the 8 National Missions are to be institutionalised by
³respective ministries´ and will be organised through inter -sectoral groups
including, in addition to related Ministries, Ministry of Finance and the Planning
Commission, experts from industry, academia and civil soc iety.

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Global warming is the biggest concern for the LIFE on EARTH. This issue needs
to be tackled with at most speed. Every country needs to have its own agenda to
speed up the process. Every country needs to deal with this problem according
to their climatic conditions & the living conditions of the respective people.

For example poverty & illiteracy are the major problems in our country. It
becomes a big task when it comes to implementation of any plan due to these
problems. Therefore simple solutions which are of low budget will work in INDIA.
Simple & straight forward solutions will educate the poor & illiterate.

The climatic condition in one country is diffe rs from the others. Therefore
implementing a similar policy (the glass buildings & the utility of solar energy) in
India may not function. To increase temperature levels using glass in the
buildings & then trying to reduce the heat later is a waste of ener gy & time.
Instead the buildings in India should be made with the local sustainable
material. The solar energy could be used for power generation .

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