REPORT OF THE PROJECT

TITLED

Global Warming

Submitted By:
Sijo Jose
ENROLMENT NUMBER - 063606817

Submitted To:
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
MAIDAN GARHI
NEW DELHI.
 Programme Code- BTS
Course Code - PTS 5
Enrolment Number - 063606817
Study Centre Code - 07102
Regional Centre - 07

Global Warming

Project Report Submitted to the Indira Gandhi National Open University in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree in Bachelors in Tourism
Studies. I hereby declare that this is my original work and has not been submitted
elsewhere.

Name of the Candidate: Sijo Jose

Year: BTS (3rd year)

Signature
 INTRODUCTION

The term “Global Warming” refers to the increase in the average

temperature of the Earth in recent years and its projected continuation.
Scientists made an alarming discovery in the 1980s: The average surface
temperature on Earth is slowly increasing. This trend is known as global
warming. It is believed to be caused by an increase in the amounts of
certain gases in the atmosphere. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising,
cloud forests are drying, and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace. It's
becoming clear that humans have caused most of the past century's
warming by releasing heat-trapping gases as we power our modern lives.
Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than in the last
650,000 years. We call the result global warming, but it is causing a set of
changes to the Earth's climate, or long-term weather patterns, that varies
from place to place. As the Earth spins each day, the new heat swirls with
it, picking up moisture over the oceans, rising here, settling there. It's
changing the rhythms of climate that all living things have come to rely
upon. 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.

Earth has experienced periods of gradual warming and cooling throughout

its existence due to natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions and
variations in the Sun’s output. However, scientists have attributed the
current increase in global temperatures to human causes-primarily the
release of certain gases into the atmosphere as a result of industrial
activity. These gases-collectively termed greenhouse gases-absorb and
trap heat emitted from Earth’s surface through a phenomenon known as
the greenhouse effect. Global warming has become perhaps the most
complicated issue facing world leaders. On the one hand, warnings from
the scientific community are becoming louder, as an increasing body of
science points to rising dangers from the ongoing buildup of human-related
greenhouse gases — produced mainly by the burning of fossil fuels and
forests. On the other, the technological, economic and political issues that
have to be resolved before a concerted worldwide effort to reduce
emissions can begin have gotten no simpler, particularly in the face of a
global economic slowdown.
 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

 To study the global warming on Earth.

 To identify the causes of global warming.

 Expected effects

 Feedback
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In order to accomplish the objectives of the study, it is essential to articulate

the manner in which it is to be conducted, i.e., the research process is to be
carried-out in a certain framework. The Research Methodology, which
follows, is the backbone of the study.

Research part was divided into following steps: -

Data Sources: All the secondary data was collected from various sources
like books and Journals on Global warming.

Analysis: Collected information has been analyzed under the light of the
Survey.
 CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING

Greenhouse Gases :

The greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of

infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet's lower
atmosphere and surface. Existence of the greenhouse effect as such is not
disputed, even by those who do not agree that the recent temperature
increase is attributable to human activity. Human activity since the
Industrial Revolution has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, leading to increased radiative forcing from CO2, methane,
tropospheric ozone, CFCs and nitrous oxide. The concentrations of CO2
and methane have increased by 36% and 148% respectively since 1750. [29]
These levels are much higher than at any time during the last 650,000
years, the period for which reliable data has been extracted from ice cores.
[30][31][32]
Less direct geological evidence indicates that CO 2 values higher
than this were last seen about 20 million years ago. The destruction of
stratospheric ozone by chlorofluorocarbons is sometimes mentioned in
relation to global warming.

Aerosols and soot :

Global dimming, a gradual reduction in the amount of global direct

irradiance at the Earth's surface, has partially counteracted global warming
from 1960 to the present. The main cause of this dimming is aerosols
produced by volcanoes and pollutants. These aerosols exert a cooling
effect by increasing the reflection of incoming sunlight. In addition to their
direct effect by scattering and absorbing solar radiation, aerosols have
indirect effects on the radiation budget. Sulfate aerosols act as cloud
condensation nuclei and thus lead to clouds that have more and smaller
cloud droplets. These clouds reflect solar radiation more efficiently than
clouds with fewer and larger droplets. This effect also causes droplets to be
of more uniform size, which reduces growth of raindrops and makes the
cloud more reflective to incoming sunlight. Soot may cool or warm,
depending on whether it is airborne or deposited. Atmospheric soot
aerosols directly absorb solar radiation, which heats the atmosphere and
cools the surface. In isolated areas with high soot production, such as rural
India, as much as 50% of surface warming due to greenhouse gases may
be masked by atmospheric brown clouds. When deposited, especially on
glaciers or on ice in arctic regions, the lower surface albedo can also
directly heat the surface. The influences of aerosols, including black
carbon, are most pronounced in the tropics and sub-tropics, particularly in
Asia, while the effects of greenhouse gases are dominant in the
extratropics and southern hemisphere.

Solar Variation :

Variations in solar output have been the cause of past climate changes, but
solar forcing is generally thought to be too small to account for a significant
part of global warming in recent decades. Greenhouse gases and solar
forcing affect temperatures in different ways. While both increased solar
activity and increased greenhouse gases are expected to warm the
troposphere, an increase in solar activity should warm the stratosphere
while an increase in greenhouse gases should cool the stratosphere.
Observations show that temperatures in the stratosphere have been
cooling since 1979, when satellite measurements became available.
Radiosonde (weather balloon) data from the pre-satellite era show cooling
since 1958, though there is greater uncertainty in the early radiosonde
record.

A recent study concluded that the influence of cosmic rays on cloud cover
is about a factor of 100 lower than needed to explain the observed changes
in clouds or to be a significant contributor to present-day climate change.
 EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

a)   On the Environment and Weather Pattern- an increase in global

temperatures may in turn cause other changes, including glacial retreat and
worldwide sea level rise. Changes in the amount and pattern of
precipitation may result in flooding and drought. There may also be
changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Other
effects may include changes in agricultural yields, reduced summer stream
flows, species extinctions, and increases in the range of disease vectors.

b)  On the Economy- It is believed that the increase in frequency, intensity,

and unpredictability of Natural Disasters is due to Global Warming. The
Natural Disasters has cost the Governments of the World billions of dollars
in repair and compensation, which definitely has a negative effect on the
economy.

c) Food supply- Climate change will impact agriculture and food production
around the world due to: the effects of elevated CO 2 in the atmosphere,
higher temperatures, altered precipitation and transpiration regimes,
increased frequency of extreme events, and modified weed, pest,
and pathogen pressure.

d) Health- Human beings are exposed to climate change through changing

weather patterns (temperature, precipitation, sea-level rise and more
frequent extreme events) and indirectly through changes in water, air and
food quality and changes in ecosystems, agriculture, industry and
settlements and the economy. According to a literature assessment by
Confalonieri, the effects of climate change to date have been small, but are
projected to progressively increase in all countries and regions.

e) Water resource- In a literature assessment, Kundzewicz concluded, with

high confidence, that:
 the negative impacts of climate change on freshwater systems
outweigh the benefits. All of the regions assessed in the IPCC Fourth
Assessment Report (Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe,
Latin America, North America, Polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic), and
small islands) showed an overall net negative impact of climate change
on water resources and freshwater ecosystems.
 Semi-arid and arid areas are particularly exposed to the impacts of
climate change on freshwater. With very high confidence, it was judged
that many of these areas, e.g., the Mediterranean basin, western USA,
southern Africa, and north-eastern Brazil, would suffer a decrease in
water resources due to climate change.

f) Migration and conflict- Rising ethnic conflicts may be linked to

competition over natural resources that are increasingly scarce as a result
of climate change (Wilbanks). According to a literature assessment by
Wilbanks , other factors need to be taken into account. It was suggested
that major environmentally-influenced conflicts in Africa have more to do
with the relative abundance of resources, e.g., oil and diamonds, than with
resource scarcity. 

g) Aggregate impacts- Aggregating impacts adds up the total impact of

climate change across sectors and/or regions. The impacts of climate
change across world population will not be distributed evenly found that for
increases in global mean temperature of less than 1-3 °C above 1990
levels, some impacts were projected to produce benefits in some places
and sectors, and produce costs in other places and sectors.

h) Regions- Some regions are likely to be especially affected by climate

change :

 The Arctic, because of high rates of projected warming.

 Africa, especially in the sub-Saharan region. This is due to the
continent's low capacity to adapt to climate change and projected
impacts.
 Small islands, due to high exposure of population and infrastructure
at risk to sea-level rise and increased storm surge.
 Asian megadeltas, due to large populations and high exposure to
sea-level rise, storm surge and river flooding.
Within other areas, some people are particularly at risk, such as the poor,
young children and the elderly.

Climate Change in India

The effects of global warming on the Indian subcontinent vary from the
submergence of low-lying islands and coastal lands to the melting
of glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, threatening the volumetric flow rate of
many of the most important rivers of India and South Asia. In India, such
effects are projected to impact millions of lives. As a result of
ongoing climate change, the climate of India has become increasingly
volatile over the past several decades; this trend is expected to continue.

Greenhouse Gases in India:

Elevated carbon dioxide emissions contributed to the greenhouse effect,

causing warmer weather that lasted long after the atmospheric shroud of
dust and aerosols had cleared. Further climatic changes 20 million years
ago, long after India had crashed into the Laurasian landmass, were severe
enough to cause the extinction of many endemic Indian forms. The
formation of the Himalayas resulted in blockage of frigid Central Asian air,
preventing it from reaching India; this made its climate significantly warmer
and more tropical in character than it would otherwise have been.

Recently, the Prime Minister's Office issued directives to formulate a plan to

mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change. The plan is
being prepared on a national level. Firstly, we have to accept the fact that
India is contributing to global warming and to Green House Gas (GHG)
emissions. We have been in denial mode so that we are not forced to
reduce emissions and achieve targets. Developed countries like USA and
other European nations argue that India is the fourth largest contributor to
GHG and therefore should work to achieve emission control targets.
According to me, India is the harshest sufferer of global warming. The
government's objective is to work for coordinated efforts of all the
stakeholders to reduce GHG. Formulation of a plan to study impact and
efforts to mitigate effects of global warming and climate change has already
started.
 Climate change mitigation
Climate change mitigation are measures or actions to decrease the
intensity of radiative forcing in order to reduce global warming. Mitigation is
distinguished from adaptation, which involves acting to minimize the effects
of global warming. Most often, mitigations involve reductions in
the concentrationsof greenhouse gases, either by reducing their sources or
by increasing their sinks. Scientific consensus on global warming, together
with the precautionary principle and the fear of abrupt climate change is
leading to increased effort to develop new technologies and sciences and
carefully manage others in an attempt to mitigate global warming.
Unfortunately most means of mitigation appear effective only for preventing
further warming, not at reversing existing warming.
The Stern Review identifies several ways of mitigating climate change.
These include reducing demand for emissions-intensive goods and
services, increasing efficiency gains, increasing use and development of
low-carbon technologies, and reducing non-fossil fuel emissions.
The energy policy of the European Union has set a target of limiting the
global temperature rise to 2 °C [3.6 °F] compared to preindustrial levels, of
which 0.8 °C has already taken place and another 0.5 °C is
already committed. The 2 °C rise is typically associated in climate
models with a carbon dioxide concentration of 400-500 ppm by volume; the
current level as of January 2007 is 383 ppm by volume, and rising at 2 ppm
annually. Hence, to avoid a very likely breach of the 2 °C target, CO 2 levels
would have to be stabilised very soon; this is generally regarded as
unlikely, based on current programs in place to date. The importance of
change is illustrated by the fact that world economic energy efficiency is
presently improving at only half the rate of world economic growth.
At the core of most proposals is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
through reducing energy use and switching to cleaner energy sources.
Frequently discussed energy conservation methods include increasing
the fuel efficiency of vehicles (often through hybrid, plug-in hybrid,
and electric cars and improving conventional automobiles), individual-
lifestyle changes and changing business practices. Newly developed
technologies and currently available technologies including renewable
energy (such as solar power, tidal and ocean energy, geothermal power,
and wind power) and more controversially nuclear power and the use
of carbon sinks, carbon credits, and taxation are aimed more precisely at
countering continued greenhouse gas emissions. More radical proposals
which may be grouped with mitigation include biosequestration of
atmospheric carbon dioxide and geoengineering techniques ranging
from carbon sequestration projects such as carbon dioxide air capture,
to solar radiation management schemes such as the creation
of stratospheric sulfur aerosols. The ever-increasing global population and
the planned growth of national GDPs based on current technologies are
counter-productive to most of these proposals.

Energy efficiency and conservation:

Reducing fuel use by improvements in efficiency provides environmental

benefits and as well as net cost savings to the energy user. Building
insulation, fluorescent lighting, and public transportation are some of the
most effective means of conserving energy, and by extension, the
environment. However, Jevons paradox poses a challenge to the goal of
reducing overall energy use (and thus environmental impact) by energy
conservation methods. Improved efficiency lowers cost, which in turn
increases demand. To ensure that increases in efficiency actually reduces
energy use, a tax must be imposed to remove any cost savings from
improved efficiency.
Energy conservation is the practice of increasing the efficiency of use of
energy in order to achieve higher useful output for the same energy
consumption. This may result in increase of national security, personal
security, financial capital, human comfort and environmental value.
Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may
want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote
environmental values. Industrial and commercial users may want to
increase efficiency and maximize profit.
On a larger scale, energy conservation is an element of energy policy. The
need to increase the available supply of energy (for example, through the
creation of new power plants, or by the importation of more energy) is
lessened if societal demand for energy can be reduced, or if growth in
demand can be slowed. This makes energy conservation an important part
of the debate over climate change and the replacement of non-renewable
resources with renewable energy. Encouraging energy conservation
among consumers is often advocated as a cheaper or more
environmentally sensitive alternative to increased energy production.

The energy landscape:

Residential buildings, commercial buildings, and the transportation of
people and freight use the majority of the energy consumed by the United
States each year. Specifically, the industrial sector uses 38 percent of total
energy, closely followed by the transportation sector at 28 percent, the
residential sector at 19 percent, and the commercial sector at 16 percent.
On a community level, transportation can account for 40 to 50 percent of
total energy use, and residential buildings use another 20 to 30 percent.
In developed nations, the way of life today is completely dependent on
abundant supplies of energy. Energy is needed to heat, cool, and light
homes, fuel cars, and power offices. Energy is also critical for
manufacturing the products used every day, including the cement, concrete
and bricks that shape our communities.
While the U.S represents only five percent of the world's population, it
consumes 25 percent of its energy and generates about 25 percent of its
total greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. citizens, for example, use more
energy per capita for transportation than do citizens of any other
industrialized nation—which in part, reflects the greater distances traveled
by Americans compared with citizens of other nations.

Urban planning:
Urban planning also has an effect on energy use. Between 1982 and 1997,
the amount of land consumed for urban development in the United States
increased by 47 percent while the nation's population grew by only 17
percent. Inefficient land use development practices have increased
infrastructure costs as well as the amount of energy needed for
transportation, community services, and buildings.
At the same time, a growing number of citizens and government officials
have begun advocating a smarter approach to land use planning. These
smart growth practices include compact community development, multiple
transportation choices, mixed land uses, and practices to conserve green
space. These programs offer environmental, economic, and quality-of-life
benefits; and they also serve to reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas
emissions.
Approaches such as New Urbanism and Transit-oriented
development seek to reduce distances travelled, especially by private
vehicles, encourage public transit and make walking and cycling more
attractive options. This is achieved through medium-density, mixed-
use planning and the concentration of housing within walking distance
of town centers and transport nodes.
Smarter growth land use policies have both a direct and indirect effect on
energy consuming behavior. For example, transportation energy usage, the
number one user of petroleum fuels, could be significantly reduced through
more compact and mixed use land development patterns, which in turn
could be served by a greater variety of non-automotive based
transportation choices.

Building design:
Emissions from housing are substantial, and government-supported energy
efficiency programmes can make a difference.
New buildings can be constructed using passive solar building design, low-
energy building, or zero-energy building techniques, using renewable
heatsources. Existing buildings can be made more efficient through the use
of insulation, high-efficiency appliances (particularly hot water
heaters andfurnaces), double- or triple-glazed gas-filled windows, external
window shades, and building orientation and siting. Renewable heat
sources such asshallow geothermal and passive solar energy reduce the
amount of greenhouse gasses emitted. In addition to designing buildings
which are more energy efficient to heat, it is possible to design buildings
that are more energy efficient to cool by using lighter-coloured, more
reflective materials in the development of urban areas (e.g. by painting
roofs white) and planting trees. This saves energy because it cools
buildings and reduces the urban heat island effect thus reducing the use of
air conditioning.

Transport:
Modern energy efficient technologies, such as plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles, and development of new technologies, such as hydrogen cars,
may reduce the consumption of petroleum and emissions of carbon
dioxide.
A shift from air transport and truck transport to electric rail transport would
reduce emissions significantly.
Increased use of biofuels (such as biodiesel and biobutanol, that can be
used in 100% concentration in today's diesel and gasoline engines) could
also reduce emissions if produced environmentally efficiently, especially in
conjunction with regular hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
For electric vehicles, the reduction of carbon emissions will improve further
if the way the required electricity is generated is low-carbon
(from renewable energysources).
Effective urban planning to reduce sprawl would decrease Vehicle Miles
Travelled (VMT), lowering emissions from transportation. Increased use
of public transport can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions per
passenger kilometer.

Alternative energy sources:

 Nuclear power currently produces over 15% of the world's electricity.
Due to its low emittance of greenhouse gases (comparable to wind
power[24]) and reliability it is seen as a possible alternative to fossil
fuels, but is controversial for reasons of capital cost and
possible environmental impacts. Also, there are political impacts in
some countries.
 Life- cycle greenhouse gas emissions comparisons - Most
comparisons of life cycle analysis (LCA) of carbon dioxide emissions
show nuclear power as comparable to renewable energy sources. A
life cycle analysis centered around the Swedish Forsmark Nuclear
Power Plant estimated carbon dioxide emissions at 3.10 g/kWh and
5.05 g/kWh in 2002 for the Torness Nuclear Power Station. This
compares to 11 g/kWh for hydroelectric power, 950 g/kWh for
installed coal, 900 g/kWh for oil and 600 g/kWh for natural gas
generation in the United States in 1999. The Swedish
utility Vattenfall did a study of full life cycle emissions of nuclear,
hydro, coal, gas, solar cell, peat and wind which the utility uses to
produce electricity. The net result of the study was that nuclear power
produced 3.3 grams of carbon dioxide per KW-Hr of produced power.
This compares to 400 fornatural gas and 700 for coal (according to
this study). The study also concluded that nuclear power produced
the smallest amount of CO2 of any of their electricity sources.
 Enrichment - The bulk of CO2 emission from nuclear power plants
can be eliminated if nuclear power plants themselves generate the
electricity required during the uranium enrichment process (already
being done in France and to some extent by the Tennessee Valley
Authority's many nuclear units in the U.S.). In addition, gas
centrifuge technology has/will greatly reduced the energy required for
enrichment, thus reducing the LCA carbon emissions per kilowatt-
hour.
 Nuclear fuel reserves Current uranium production is expected to
be adequate at current consumption rates for about a century
(from uranium mining, see also peak uranium).There are a number of
alternative nuclear fission technologies, such as breeder reactors,
(see generation IV reactors) which could vastly extend fuel supplies if
successfully developed and utilized. Lower-risk thorium cycles have
been demonstrated in the past. Nuclear fusion is another variant of
providing nuclear energy, but it will not provide any immediate
mitigation to global warming as the time horizon for its commercial
deployment is expected to be after 2050.
 Renewable energy - One means of reducing carbon emissions is
the development of new technologies such as renewable energy such
as wind power. Most forms of renewable energy generate no
appreciable amounts of greenhouse gases except for biofuels derived
from biomass, as well as some biofuels derived from fossil fuel
sources. Helioculture is a newly developed process which is claimed
to be able to produce 20,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year, and
which removes carbon dioxide from the air as a feedstock for the fuel.
Generally, emissions are a fraction of fossil fuel-based electricity
generation. In some cases, notably with hydroelectric dams--once
thought to be one of the cleanest forms of energy—there are
unexpected results. One study shows that a hydroelectric dam in the
Amazon has 3.6 times larger greenhouse effect per kW·h than
electricity production from oil, due to large scale emission
of methane from decaying organic material. This effect applies in
particular to dams created by simply flooding a large area, without
first clearing it of vegetation. There are however investigations
into underwater turbines that do not require a dam. Currently
governments subsidize fossil fuels by an estimated $235 billion a
year. However, in some countries, government action has boosted
the development of renewable energy technologies—for example, a
program to put solar panels on the roofs of a million homes has
made Japan a world leader in that technology, and Denmark's
support for wind power ensured its former leadership of that sector. In
2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger promised an initiative to
install a million solar roofs in California, which became the California
Solar Initiative. n June 2005, the chief executive of BT allegedly
became the first head of a British company to admit that climate
change is already affecting his company, and affecting its business,
and announced plans to source much of its substantial energy use
from renewable sources. He noted that, "Since the beginning of the
year, the media has been showing us images of Greenland glaciers
crashing into the sea, Mount Kilimanjaro devoid of its ice cap and
Scotland reeling from floods and gales. All down to natural weather
cycles? I think not."
 Eliminating waste methane - Methane is a significantly more powerful
greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Burning one molecule of
methane generates one molecule of carbon dioxide. Accordingly,
burning methane which would otherwise be released into the
 atmosphere (such as at oil wells, landfills, coal mines, waste
treatment plants, etc.) provides a net greenhouse gas emissions
benefit. However, reducing the amount of waste methane produced in
the first place has an even greater beneficial impact, as might other
approaches to productive use of otherwise-wasted methane.In terms
of prevention, vaccines are in the works in Australia to reduce
significant global warming contributions from methane released by
livestock via flatulence and eructation.

CONCLUSION

G l o b a l w a r m i n g i s a h i g h l y c o nt r o v er s i a l d e b at e w i t h a
v a r i e t y o f d i f f e r e n t f a ct o r s i n f l ue n c i n g p eo p l e ' s t h in k i n g a n d
views on it.
C l e a r l y p a r t o f t h e a r g u m e n t i n t er m s o f g l o b a l w ar m i n g i s i n
t h e t e r m s u s e d . A n a l y s i s a p pe a r s t o s h o w t h a t wh i l e g l o b a l
w a r m i n g a s a p h e n o m e n o n i s w i de l y ( i f gr u d g i n g l y , b y s o m e )
a c c e p t e d , i t i s t h e l i n k s of g l o b a l w ar m i ng t o g l o ba l c l i m a t e
c h a n g e , a n d o f t h e e n h a n c e d gr e e nh o u s e e f f e c t t o g l ob a l
w a r m i n g , t h a t s o m e co n s i d e r t e n u o u s.

I t i s b l i n d i n g l y o b v i o u s t ha t m an y o p i n i o n s ar e i n f l ue n c e d b y
p e o p l e ' s p o s i t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g t he i r pr o f e s s i o n s , be l i e f s a n d
p e r so n a l m o r a l v i e w s o n t h e e n v ir o nm e n t , a nd i t i s t h i s t h at
c a u s e s s u ch c l i m a t e co n t r o ve r s y . O n t h e o ne h a n d , ev i d e n c e
i s m o u n t i n g t h a t t h e g r e e n ho u s e e f f e ct , g l o b a l w ar m i n g a n d
g l o b a l c l im a t e c h a n g e a r e l i n k e d , an d t h a t po t e n t i a l l o s se s
a r e i n t h e t r i l l i o n s o f p o u n t s . C o n v er s e l y , t he r e ar e m a n y
w h o a r e u n w i l l i n g t o p a y t h e co s t o f d et e r r i n g g l o b a l wa r m i ng
i n t e r m s o f l i f e st y l e a n d en e r g y us e , w h i c h cr e a t e s a g r e at
deal of conflict.

I n g l o b a l t e r m s , i t i s L E D C s t h a t ap p e a r t o l o s e ou t t h e m o s t ,
a s t h e ir v o i c e i n t h e g l o b a l co m m u n i t y i s n o t a s r e s o na n t a s
c o u n t r i e s s u c h a s A m e r i c a an d o t h er M E D C s , w h o r e l y o n an
o i l b a s e d e c o n o m y . F u r t h er m or e , a pr o b l em i s p r e s e n t e d w i t h
c o u n t r i e s s u c h a s C h i n a , a n N I C wh i c h i s f a s t b e co m i n g a n
M E D C . C h i n a i s n o w t h e l a r g e s t g l o ba l e m i t t er , h o w e ve r i t i s
a c o n t e n t i o u s i s s u e f o r c ou n t r i e s su c h a s t h e U K t o en f o r ce
e m i s s i o n s r e s t r i c t i o n s o n a n a t i o n t h a t i s u s i n g na t u r a l
r e s o u r c e s a n d i s p r o d u c i n g em i s s i o n s t o gr o w e co n o m i c a l l y
i n t h e sa m e m a n n e r a s t h e U K i n t h e i n d u s t r i a l r e vo l u t i o n .

W i t h t h i s m u l t i - f a c e t e d i s s u e t he r e i s no r i g h t a n s w e r an d
m a n y v i e w p o i n t s , h o w e v e r t o r e i t er a t e an e a r l i er p o i n t : d a t a
c l e a r l y sh o w s g l o b a l s u r f a c e t e m p er a t ur e s r i s i n g t o
u n p r e c e d e n t e d l e v e l s , w h i c h f o r a v a r i e t y of r e a so n s p o s e s a
t h r e a t t o t h e e n t i r e p l a n e t . H o w e v e r co n t e n t i o u s t h e i s s u e s
m a y b e , i t i s c l e a r t h a t no w i s t h e t im e t h a t w e n e e d t o a c t i n
s o m e w a y t o e i t h e r a d a p t t o g l ob a l w a r m i n g or m i t i g a t e i t s
e f f e c t s . T h e m o s t l i k e l y w a y f o r t h i s t o b e c om e a r e a l i t y i s
t h r o u g h t h e a d o p t i o n o f c l e a ne r e ne r g y s ou r c e s f o r a l l o ur
e n e r g y u s e s , h o w e v e r t h e s c a l e of t h i s t a s k i s da u n t i n g w he n
c o n s i d e r i n g o u r e c o n o m i c d e pe n d a n c e o n f o s s i l f ue l s .
A t a n y r a t e , t h e ke y p o i n t i s t h i s ; w e m u s t ac t n o w t o r e d u ce
o u r f o o t p r i n t o n t h i s p l a n e t , w h i ch a p p e ar s t o be h a v i n g an
e f f e c t o n t h e v e r y c l i m a t e t h a t a l l o w s us t h e r i g h t c o nd i t i o n s
t o e x i s t . I f w e c a n n o t m i t i g a t e t h e p ot e n t i a l e f f e c t s n o w ,
r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e c o s t , t h e n ou r s ur v i v a l a s a s pe c i e s l o o s k
t o b e d i r e c t l y t h r e a t e n e d b y t h e c o n s e qu e n c e s o f o u r o wn
actions.

W h o w i l l c a r e i f i t w a r m s u p a f e w d e gr e e s ? T h e a n s w er , i s
e v e r yb o d y . W e w i l l a l l b e af f e c t e d , a n d f or m o st o f u s , f o r
the worst.

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