Read this essay to learn about global warming and climate change. After reading this essay you will learn about:- 1. Global Warming and Climate Change 2. Greenhouse Effect 3. Role of Carbon Dioxide 4. Future Projections of Global Climate Change 5. Glacier Retreat and Disappearance 6. Vulnerability of Himalayan Glaciers 7. Climate Change and Water Availability 8. Land Use and Global Warming and Other Details.

Essay Contents:

  1. Essay on Global Warming and Climate Change
  2. Essay on Greenhouse Effect
  3. Essay on the Role of Carbon Dioxide
  4. Essay on the Future Projections of Global Climate Change
  5. Essay on Glacier Retreat and Disappearance
  6. Essay on the Vulnerability of Himalayan Glaciers
  7. Essay on the Climate Change and Water Availability
  8. Essay on Land Use and Global Warming
  9. Essay on the Impact of Agriculture on Climate Change
  10. Essay on the Impact of Livestock and Fish Production on Climate Change
  11. Essay on the Impact of Forests and Wildlife on Climate Change
  12. Essay on the Coastal Hazards due to Climate Change
  13. Essay on the Impact on Ecosystem
  14. Essay on India’s Concern about Climate Change
  15. Essay on the Committee on Agriculture Report
  16. Essay on the Kyoto Protocol
  17. Essay on Mitigating the Impact of Global Warming and Climate Change

1. Essay on Global Warming and Climate Change:

Global warming and climate change are emerging as serious threats to the sustainability of natural environment, farming, as well as all forms of life. To meet this challenge, development programmes must have built-in provision for mitigating the impact of global warming and climate change.

The extension agents must acquire comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the implications of global warming and climate change, so that extension programmes can be oriented accordingly. Some important aspects of the topic are presented here following Singh and Pal (2010) and Sathaye, Shukla and Ravindranath (2006).

The climate of a place is the average weather that it experiences over a period of time. The factors that determine the climate at a location are the rainfall, sunshine, wind, humidity, and temperature. While changes in the weather may occur suddenly and noticeably, changes in the climate take a long time and are, therefore, less obvious.

There have been changes in the earth’s climate and all life forms adapted naturally to this change. However, in the last 150 – 200 years climate change has been taking place too rapidly and certain plant and animal species find it hard to adapt. Human activities are said to be responsible for the speed at which climate change has been taking place.

2. Essay on Greenhouse Effect:

The earth receives energy from the sun, which warms the earth’s surface. As this energy passes through the atmosphere, a certain percentage (about 30) gets scattered. Some part of this energy is reflected back into the atmosphere from the land and ocean surfaces.

Certain gases in the atmosphere like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, along with water vapour, form a sort of blanket around the earth and absorb some of this energy. They are called ‘greenhouse gases’. Just as the glass of the greenhouse prevents the radiation of excess energy, this ‘gas blanket’ absorbs some of the energy emitted by the earth and maintains, temperature levels. Hence it is named ‘greenhouse effect’.

The blanket of greenhouse gases has been in place ever since the creation of the earth. However, as a result of increased human activities, more and more of these greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. This leads to the blanket becoming thicker and upsets the ‘natural greenhouse effect’.

Carbon dioxide is released when we burn such fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. And, when forests are destroyed, the carbon stored in the trees escapes as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Increasing agricultural activities, changes in land-use patterns, and other sources lead to rising levels of methane and nitrous oxide. Industrial processes also release artificial and new greenhouse gases like CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), while automobile exhaust fumes lead to ozone generation. The resulting enhanced greenhouse effect causes global warming and climate change.

The composition of greenhouse gases as estimated in the year 2000, was as follows:

Carbon dioxide – 63 percent

Methane – 24 percent

Nitrous oxide – 10 percent

Other gases – 3 percent

In summary, we contribute to the greenhouse gases by:

(i) Use of fossil fuels like coal, petrol etc.

(ii) Cutting down trees and forests

(iii) Generation of non-degradable material like plastics etc.

(iv) Indiscriminate use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides in agriculture etc.

The increases in greenhouse gases have resulted in warming of the climate system by 0.74 °C between 1906 and 2005. The rate of warming has been much higher in recent decades. This has resulted in increased average temperature of the global ocean, decline in glaciers and snow cover, and rise in sea level.

There is also a global trend for increased frequency of droughts, as well as heavy precipitation events over most land areas. Cold days, cold nights and frost have become less frequent, while hot days, hot nights and heat waves have become more frequent. Global average sea level rose at an average rate of 1.8 mm per year over 1961 to 2003. The rate was faster over 1993 to 2003, about 3.1 mm per year.

3. Essay on the Role of Carbon Dioxide:

Because carbon dioxide gas is a major byproduct of burning fossil fuels that power much of our industry and transportation, its production and release into the atmosphere continue to increase. Carbon dioxide is an efficient absorber of the infrared radiation emitted by the earth, and that increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere increases the rate at which the earth’s infrared radiation is trapped, enhancing thermal radiation.

Matters become still worse when the warming associated with these processes is further amplified by the well-known effect of deforestation, which reduces the capacity of the land to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. Since the land is the only other major natural sink for this greenhouse gas, along with the oceans, deforestation must be added to the list of harmful practices contributing significantly to global warming.

4. Essay on the Future Projections of Global Climate Change:

Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change projected that temperature increase by the end of this century is likely to be in the range 2° to 4.5 °C with a best estimate of about 3 °C, and is very unlikely to be less than 1.5 °C. It is also likely that future tropical cyclones will become more intense, with larger peak wind speeds and more heavy precipitation.

Himalayan glaciers and snow cover are projected to get reduced. A decrease in the earth’s reflection of sunlight from lesser ice and snow cover, specially in the Arctic, shall increase global warming. It is very likely that hot extremes, heat waves, and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent.

Increases in the amount of precipitation are very likely in high-latitudes, while decreases are likely in most subtropical land regions. The projected sea level rise by the end of this century is likely to be 0.18 to 0.59 meters.

The 2001 IPCC Third Assessment Report concluded that the poorest countries would be hardest hit, with reductions in crop yields in most tropical and subtropical regions due to decreased water availability, and new or changed insect pest incidence.

5. Essay on Glacier Retreat and Disappearance:

The continued retreat of glaciers will have a number of different quantitative impacts. The areas that are heavily dependent on water runoff from glaciers that melt during the warmer summer months, a continuation of current retreat will eventually deplete the glacial ice and substantially reduce or eliminate runoff.

A reduction in runoff will affect the ability to irrigate crops and will reduce summer stream flows necessary to keep dams and reservoirs replenished. Irrigation potential is likely to decrease in the near future, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plains with the fast melting of Himalayan glaciers. Besides, there would be competition for water use from other sectors.

According to a UN climate report, the Himalayan glaciers are the principal dry-season water sources of Asia’s biggest rivers – Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and Yellow – could disappear by 2035 as temperatures rise.

Approximately 2.4 billion people live in the drainage basin of the Himalayan rivers. India, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar could experience floods followed by severe droughts in coming decades.

6. Essay on the Vulnerability of Himalayan Glaciers:

In addition to global warming in general, there are several other factors which contribute towards melting of Himalayan glaciers.

These are:

(i) Cutting and felling of forest trees,

(ii) Burning of trees for making charcoal, and

(iii) Burning fuel for cooking and transport etc. in the mountainous regions of several nations around the Himalayas.

7. Essay on the Climate Change and Water Availability:

By mid-century, annual average river runoff and water availability are projected to increase by 10 to 40 percent of high latitudes and in some wet tropical areas, and decrease by 10 to 30 percent over some dry regions at mid-latitudes and in the dry tropics, some of which are presently water stressed areas.

In the course of the century, water supplies stored in glaciers and snow cover are projected to decline, reducing water availability in regions supplied by melt-water from major mountain ranges, where more than one-sixth of the world population currently lives.

According to The Economic Times, 30 August, 2010, in India there is excessive unregulated drawing of groundwater, leading to continuous depletion, as there is little effort to recharge it.

Water-saving agricultural technologies are available, but are not reaching our large and fragmented farmer population. When food grains and vegetables rot, not only we lose their market value, but also we lose the water which was required to produce them.

8. Essay on Land Use and Global Warming:

Agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas increases through land use in four main ways:

1. CO2 releases linked to deforestation.

2. Methane releases from rice cultivation.

3. Methane releases from enteric fermentation in cattle.

4. Nitrous oxide releases from fertilizer application.

The gross emissions from Indian agriculture are likely to increase significantly in the future, if attempts are made to boost food production by excessive use of chemical fertilizers.

9. Essay on the Impact of Agriculture on Climate Change:

The agricultural sector is a driving force in the gas emissions and land use effects thought to cause climate change. In addition to being a significant user of land and consumer of fossil fuel, agriculture contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions through practices such as rice production and the raising of livestock.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the three main causes of the increase in greenhouse gases observed over the past 250 years, have been fossil fuels, land use, and agriculture.

Agricultural Surfaces and Climate Changes:

A warmer climate will change rainfall and snowfall patterns, lead to increased droughts and floods, cause melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets, and result in accelerated sea level rise.

A rise in the sea level would result in an agricultural land loss, in particular in areas such as South-East Asia. Erosion, submergence of shorelines, salinity of the water table due to the increased sea levels, could mainly affect agriculture through inundation of low-lying lands.

Rising warmth will lead to an increase in the level of evaporation of surface water, the air will also expand and this will increase its capacity to hold moisture. This, in turn, will affect water resources, forests and other natural ecological systems, agriculture, power generation, health of living organisms, tourism etc. An increase in the number of cyclones and hurricanes over the last few years has been attributed to changes in temperature.

Effect of Rising Temperature on Crop Growing Period:

Duration of crop growth cycles are related to temperature. An increase in temperature will speed up development. With increase in temperature, the duration between sowing and harvesting of an annual crop will shorten. The shortening of such a cycle could have an adverse effect on productivity, because senescence (aging) would occur sooner.

Potential Effect of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide on Yield:

Carbon dioxide is essential to plant growth. Rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere can have both positive and negative consequences. Under optimum conditions of temperature and humidity, the yield increase could reach 36 percent, if the levels of carbon dioxide are doubled.

A group of studies done at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) on the impact of global climate change on Indian agriculture indicates the possibility of loss of four to five million tonnes in wheat production with every rise of 1 degree Celsius temperature throughout the growing period, even after considering carbon fertilization.

Effect of Climate Change on Crop Quality:

The importance of climate change impacts on grain and forage quality emerges from new research. For rice, the amylose content of the grain – a major determinant of cooking quality – is increased under elevated CO2.

Cooked rice grains from plants gown in high – CO2 environments would be firmer than that from today’s plants. However, concentrations of iron and zinc, which are important for nutrition, would be lower. Moreover, the protein content of the grain decreases under combined increases of temperature and CO2.

Studies have shown that higher CO2 levels lead to reduced plant uptake of nitrogen, and trace elements such as zinc, resulting in crops with lower nutritional value. This would primarily impact on populations in poorer countries, less able to compensate by eating more food, more varied diets, or possibly taking supplements. Reduced nitrogen content in grazing plants has also been shown to reduce animal productivity.

Small changes in temperature and rainfall would have significant impact on quality of fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee, spices, aromatic and medicinal plants. Rise in temperature has already impacted the yield and quality of apples in Himachal Pradesh.

Soil Erosion and Soil Fertility:

With global warming, soil degradation is more likely to occur, and soil fertility would probably be affected. The increase in temperature would induce a greater rate in the production of minerals, lessening organic matter content of the soil. Due to the extremes of climate, the increase in precipitations would probably result in greater risks of erosion.

Pests Diseases and Weeds:

Global warming would cause an increase in rainfall in some areas, which would lead to an increase of atmospheric humidity and the duration of wet seasons. Combined with higher temperatures, these could favour the development of fungal diseases.

Similarly, because of higher temperatures and humidity, there could be an increased pressure from insect pests and disease vectors. Weeds would undergo the same acceleration of cycle as cultivated crops, and would also benefit from carbonaceous fertilization. Most weeds are likely to compete even more than now against crops.

ENSO Effects on Agriculture:

ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) will affect monsoon patterns more intensely in the future as climate change warms up the ocean’s water. Crops that lie on the equatorial belt or under the tropical climate such as rice, will be affected by varying monsoon patterns and n)ore unpredictable weather.

Scheduled planting and harvesting based on weather patterns will become less effective. However, as climate change affects ENSO and consequently delays planting, harvesting will be late and in drier conditions, resulting in less potential yields.

10. Essay on the Impact of Livestock and Fish Production on Climate Change:

Livestock and livestock-related activities such as deforestation and increasingly fuel- intensive farming practices are responsible for over 18 percent of human-made greenhouse gas emissions. The warming effect is likely to increase water, shelter and energy requirement for livestock. Heat stress on animals would adversely affect their productive and reproductive performances.

The rise in sea and river water temperatures are likely to affect fish breeding, migration and harvests. Corals are known as the tropical forests of the oceans and sustain diverse life forms. As ocean waters in the tropics become warmer, the damage to coral reefs seems to be increasing. Zooplanktons, small organisms that float on the sea surface are declining in numbers, reducing the number of fish and sea birds that feed on these organisms.

11. Essay on the Impact of Forests and Wildlife on Climate Change:

Plants and animals in the natural environment are very sensitive to changes in climate. The ecosystems that are most likely to be affected by this change are the ones in the higher latitudes, the tundra forests. Polar regions will feel the impact of warming more than others. Interiors of continents will experience more warming than the coastal regions.

A recent report by the WWF (The World Wide Fund for Nature) states that the giant pandas of Wolong in China, the grizzly bears of America’s Yellowstone National Park and the tigers in Kanha National Park in India are some of the animals at risk from global warming.

Mountain parks have been identified as being especially at risk from the environmental destruction caused by climate change. If the rate of climate change continues to accelerate, then the extinction of some mountain plants and animals is certain.

Migratory birds fly from the cold Northern parts of the world to the warmer South. Factors such as the weather and food sources along the route are very important for the successful completion of their journey. Changes in climate may bring about a shift in their feeding points and disruptions to their flight patterns.

12. Essay on the Coastal Hazards due to Climate Change:

Coastal areas and small islands are among the most densely populated parts of the world. They are also the most threatened because of rises in sea level that global warming may cause. The heating of oceans, and melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets, is predicted to raise the average sea level by about half a metre over the next century.

Sea level rise could have a number of physical impacts on coastal areas, including loss of land due to inundation and erosion, increased flooding, and salt-water intrusion. These could adversely affect coastal agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, human settlements, fresh water resources, health and tourism etc.

Rising sea levels threaten the survival of many low-lying island nations, such as the Maldives and Marshall Islands. Even modest rises in sea levels will cause flooding and economic disruption in densely populated mega-deltas, such as the mouths of the Yangtze in China, the Red River in China and Vietnam, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in low- lying Bangladesh. Coasts are projected to be exposed to increasing risks, including coastal erosion, due to climate change and sea level rise. The effect will be severe by increasing human-induced pressures on coastal areas.

13. Essay on the Impact on Ecosystem:

The capability of many ecosystems to recover is likely to be exceeded this century by an unprecedented combination of climate change, associated disturbances like flooding, drought, wildfire, insects, ocean acidification and other global events such., as land use change, pollution, over-exploitation of resources etc.

Approximately 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average temperature exceed 1.5 to 2.5 degrees Celsius. The progressive acidification of oceans due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide is expected to have negative impacts on marine shell forming organisms and their dependent species.

Coastal wetlands including salt marshes and mangroves are projected to be adversely affected by sea level rise, especially where they are constrained on their landward side, or starved of sediment. As we lose rainforests, ocean ecosystems, and other natural habitats, biodiversity on the planet decreases. The first law of ecology is that biodiversity increases stability. As we lose diversity on the planet, the global ecosystem becomes more fragile.

14. Essay on India’s Concern about Climate Change:

India is a large developing country with nearly 700 million rural population directly depending on climate-sensitive sectors: agriculture, forests and fisheries and natural resources such as: water, bio-diversity, mangroves, coastal zones, grasslands for their subsistence and livelihoods. Further, the adaptive capacity of dry-land farmers, forest dwellers, fisher folk, and nomadic shepherds is very low. Climate change is likely to impact all the natural ecosystems as well as socioeconomic systems.

Some of the projected impacts of climate change in India are as follows:

Water Resources:

The hydrological cycle is likely to be altered and the severity of droughts and intensity of floods in various parts of India is likely to increase. Further, a general reduction in the quantity of available runoff water is predicted.

Agriculture:

Simulations using dynamic crop models indicate a decrease in yield of crops as temperature increases in different parts of India. However, this is offset by an increase in CO2 at moderate rise in temperature and at higher warming, negative impact on crop productivity is projected due to reduced crop durations.

Forests:

Climate impact assessments and climate projections show the forested grids in India are likely to experience shift in forest types. Indications show a shift towards wetter forest types in the North-Eastern region and drier forest types in the North-Western region.

Coastal Zone:

Simulation models show an increase in frequencies of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, particularly intense events are projected during the post-monsoon period. Sea level rise is projected to displace populations in coastal zones, increase flooding in low-lying coastal areas, loss of crop yields from inundation and salinity.

Human Health:

Malaria is likely to persist in many States and new regions may become malaria-prone and other vector borne diseases.

Desertification:

Climate change leading to warming and water stress could enhance land degradation, leading to severe desertification. It is important to note that the climate-sensitive sectors – agriculture, forests, coastal zones and the natural resources – groundwater, soil, biodiversity etc. are already under stress due to socioeconomic pressures.

Climate change is likely to make the degradation of resources and socioeconomic pressures more severe. Thus, countries such as India with a large population dependent on climate – sensitive sectors and low adaptive capacity have to develop and implement adaptation strategies.

15. Essay on the Committee on Agriculture Report:

In a report tabled in Parliament, the Committee on Agriculture suggested that, all central ministries and their departments and other government agencies should take the initiative to inform and educate farmers about climate change with all its positive and negative aspects. Only then, will any action taken or intended to be taken against global warming by the Central or State governments be successful.

The Committee recommended that the government should pay more attention to coastal forests and mangroves. There was need for building public awareness and other extension programmes on various aspects of climate change in vernacular languages.

It said, Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) should develop a drought code, a flood code, and a good weather code at the earliest, along with a concrete constructive and feasible contingency plan for all agro- climatic zones.

16. Essay on the Kyoto Protocol:

The UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro led to Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), which laid the framework for the eventual stabilization of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, recognizing the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and social and economic conditions. The convention came into force in 1994.

Subsequently, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in 2005, reasserted the importance of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and adhering to sustainable development principles. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Kyoto Protocol broke new ground by defining three innovative ‘flexibility mechanisms’ to lower the overall costs of achieving its emissions targets,. These mechanisms enable Parties to access cost-effective opportunities to reduce emissions or to remove carbon from the atmosphere in other countries. While the cost of limiting emissions varies considerably from region to region, the benefit for the atmosphere is the same, wherever the action is taken.

Among the three mechanisms — Joint Implementation (JI), Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Emissions Trading (ET), only CDM is relevant to developing countries such as India.

Developing countries could view CDM as an opportunity not only to attract investment capital and Environmentally Sustainable Technologies (ESTs) but also to implement innovative technical, institutional and financial interventions to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and forestry activities that contribute to sustainable development.

17. Essay on Mitigating the Impact of Global Warming and Climate Change:

Research and extension activities should aim at reducing or cut down the emission of greenhouse gases. This may be achieved by altering some existing practices, adopting new technologies and learning from the experiences of other countries. For this purpose, people are to be educated and motivated, supplemented with regulatory measures taken by the appropriate authorities.

For reducing the impact of global warming and climate change, some action programmes are suggested:

1. Developing high yielding crop varieties which require less water and can withstand some water stress and high temperature.

2. Altering dates of planting (for example, early planting to avoid water stress at the later stages of crop growth), spacing and inputs management.

3. Adopting mixed cropping and crop-livestock mixed farming.

4. Practising minimum tillage or zero-tillage, where applicable.

5. Soil and water conservation, and facilitating groundwater recharging.

6. Regulating lifting of groundwater for farming, commercial and domestic purposes.

7. Enhancing storage and use of rain water.

8. Substituting flood irrigation with other more efficient methods of irrigation as far as possible. Bringing more areas and more crops under drip and sprinkler irrigation.

9. Less use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and more use of materials of natural, plant and animal origin.

10. Use of nitrification inhibitors like neem-coated urea and placement of fertilizers, instead of broadcasting them on the field.

11. Bringing more areas and more crops under organic farming.

12. Nutritional strategies for managing heat stress in animals.

13. Rationalized felling of trees and forest plants, accompanied with adequate replacement with suitable species. Preventing forest-fires and charcoal making.

14. Protection and regeneration of mangrove plants in delta areas and sea sides.

15. Regulating the levels of pollution in all manufacturing industries – big and small, rural and urban, and producing any product.

16. Controlled use of non-renewable sources of energy like coal, petrol etc. and increasing the use of renewable sources like solar energy, wind energy etc.

17. Switching over to cleaner fuels and energy-efficient technologies.

18. Continuous monitoring of pollution levels of air (also river and sea water) over the whole country, and taking corrective measures where necessary.

19. Strict enforcement of laws relating to protection of forests, environment and pollution control by the authorities, without any fear or favour.

20. Improving quality of meteorological information and their quicker and repeated dissemination.

21. Contingency planning to meet the challenges of global warming and climate change.

22. Raising awareness of the people about global warming and climate change through radio and television, and by involving educational institutions at all levels.

23. Mitigating the adverse effect of global warming and climate change through appropriate intervention of government and non-government organizations, panchayats, cooperatives, public sector undertakings, and the corporate sector.

The earth is a living system. Our responsibility is to preserve and protect it.

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