ES-600 (Assignment -1) Sumit Kumar

173020035

1) Climate change myth or reality (Less than 1000 words) (15 marks)
 Define climate change and the possible reasons
 Climate change and global warming relations
 Green-house gases on earth, sources and their percentage contribution
 Percentage contribution from different GHG from manmade activities
 Myth or reality
2) Radiofrequency radiation from cellphones and its relation with brain cancer (less
than 350 words) ( 5 marks)

Definition of climate change – A long term change in earth temperature, due to increment
in the earth temperature globally called climate change. Climate change occurred mainly
due to human activities. People burn fossil fuel and capture the forest land for agriculture.
Due to the industrial revolution, the available green area is decreasing over the years. The
term "climate change" is often used to refer specifically to anthropogenic climate change
(known as global warming). The effects of climate change are a rise in the sea level, drought,
heavy rainfall, and cyclone. Anthropogenic activities are rapidly changing the climate than
natural activities.
Possible reason for the climate change – The main phenomena of climate change is called
green-house gas effect. The green-houses gases mainly are carbon dioxide, water vapour,
chlorofluorocarbon, nitrous oxide, methane. When the sun light enters in the earth
atmosphere, all the green-house gasses trapped the heat that should escape from the earth
atmosphere. Due to this phenomena, the earth temperature is continuously rising over the
years. The Burning of fossil fuel increases a vast amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Climate change and global warming relations – Global warming is directly related to the
increase in the earth temperature, but the climate change refer to change in the
temperature, wind speed, sea level, ice mass loss in a particular location. The earth
temperature is increased about 10C in last century. The sea level rise in the last decade is
doubled than last century. The glacier of Antarctica and Arctic are also melting rapidly in the
last decade. The word “climate change’’ is less frightening than global warming for a general
public.
Green-house gases on earth, sources and their percentage contribution – The green-house
gasses emitted by human activities are-
1) Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) – The main source of the CO2 is fossil fuels. CO2 emission can
also occur due to deforestation, degradation of solids. The amount of CO2 can reduce in the
atmosphere by reforestation and improvement in the soil quality.
2) Methane (CH4) – The primary source of the methane is biomass and waste produced by
the plants.
3) Nitrous Oxide (N2O) – Mainly produced by agriculture activities and during the
combustion process. When the temperature increases, the air nitrogen formed the thermal
NOx that comes in the list of greenhouse gases.
4) Water Vapour- Water vapor which creates clouds. The majority of clouds occurred due
to evaporation of water that trapped the escaped heat.
5) Ozone – Ozone is highly reactive and involved in many reactions. Only 10% of the ozone
exists in the troposphere and the other 90% present in the stratosphere. Ozone level should
be reduced in the atmosphere because it creates respiration problems
6) Chlorofluorocarbon – fluorine emitted by industries and refrigeration cycles.
% of green-house gasses- CO2 - 9-26 %
Methane - 4 -9 %
Nitrous oxide- 0.5 - 1 %
Water vapor – 36-72 %
Ozone – 3 -7 %
Chlorofluorocarbon - 1 - 2 %

Percentage contribution from different GHG - Green-house gas emission started in the
early 90s due to the industrial revolution. Many greenhouse gas emitting activities are an
essential part of human life and the global economy. There are many reasons for the
emission of greenhouse gasses like the burning of fossil fuel, deforestation for agriculture
which release carbon dioxide through increased biomass decay.
The Manmade reason for the Greenhouse Gasses –
1) Transportation - Some part of the air pollution has produced by burning of diesel and
petrol in the trucks, buses, ships, and aircraft. Nowadays electric vehicles are used as a
replacement of diesel vehicles.
2) Industry – There are a lot of chemical reactions happening in the petroleum and other
chemical industries which are the leading cause of air pollution and the increment in the
earth temperature.
3) Electricity production – In India most of the electricity is produced by coal and coal has
the high content of carbon which produces a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide. Indian
government set the target plan to produce 100 GW from solar power, 60 GW from wind, 10
GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydropower, according to the Union ministry of
new and renewable energy at the end of 2022. It will be a good initiative towards the
sustainable environment.
4) Land use for forest – Land is the sources and emitter of the greenhouse gasses. Due to
urbanization and industrial development, most of the forest land has captured.
5) Agriculture – Greenhouse gas emission from agriculture comes from the low quality of
soil and high use of pesticides.
6) Commercial and Residential – not correctly handle the waste produced in houses.

Manmade reason % contribution

Transportation 28
Industry 22
Electricity production 28
Agriculture 9
Commercial and Residential 11

Q2) Radiofrequency radiation from cellphones and its relation with brain cancer –
Cellphones are instruments that are used to communicate with people over the world in
just a few seconds. Cellphone was the most significant discovery of human life in the early
80s. Cellphone is an integral part of human life in recent years. The effect of mobile phone
radiation on human health is a subject of interest and a worldwide study because of the
enormous use of the cellphone. Mobile phone uses electromagnetic radiation in the
microwave range. WHO is continuously studying the effect of a cellphone on human health.
Some laboratory experiment showed that more prolonged use of cellphone would create
cancer and other health effects. These include brain cancer, lower sperm count, headache,
anxiety, tumors of the acoustic nerve.
Radio Frequency is the form of electromagnetic radiation. There are two types of
electromagnetic radiation – 1) ionization radiation 2) non-ionization radiation
Ionizing radiation contains x-rays, radon and, cosmic rays. Non-ionizing rays include radio
frequency and low power frequencies. Electromagnetic radiation frequency has measured in
Hertz. X-rays and other cosmic rays have high power, and low wavelength compares to the
radio frequency. Therefore x-rays are more responsible for cancer and different brain-
related problems. The frequency of the radio waves vary from 30 kHz to 300 GHz. Radio
waves heat the body parts where the cellphone is kept. It will not increase body
temperature much. The long term effect of cellphone will create a severe threat. Nowadays,
most of the cellphone company has radiation warning content inside the setting.
The separate study has done on the children, and they found that it will cause cancer. Their
nervous system is still developing, and the exposure area for the radiation is large than the
adult. The FDA has suggested some steps that can reduce the exposure of radiation
1) Use the cell phone for a smaller time when the landline phone is not there.
2) Use the wired headsets and which make the distance between the head and the
cellphones.
Brain cancer is increased with age. In recent years, the number of patients of brain cancers
declined