Why did we choose this topic ?�

While the world is fighting from the Covid-19 pandemic, crashing economies all over the world, millions dying and thousands losing their job, the most existential threat goes on unchecked i.e. Climate Change.

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It is of paramount importance that we start taking action collectively to save our planet thereby enhancing the human life worldwide.

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Our project sheds light on various factors affecting Climate Change, their effects and possible remedies. The aim of this presentation is to make the combined human society aware of the possible dangers so that appropriate steps are taken.

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WHAT IS “CLIMATE”??

The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years is known as Climate.

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Climate is affected by many factors:

• Abiotic Factors
• Latitude
• Altitude
• Ocean Current
• Topography
• Solar Radiation
• Evaporation
• Orbital variation
• Volcanic Activity

• Biotic Factors
• Transpiration
• Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• Decompositions

EARTHS NATURAL GREENHOUSE:

• Plays important roll in maintaining Earth’s energy balance.
• Greenhouse gases needed in atmosphere to regulate temperature to sustain life.

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Greenhouse Gases:

• Water vapour (H₂O)
• Carbon dioxide(CO₂)
• Methane(CH₄)
• Nitrous oxide(N₂O)
• Ozone(O₃)

Increasing Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere:

• Primary greenhouse gas, responsible for about three-quarters of emissions.
• Mainly come from burning organic materials: coal, oil, gas, wood, and solid waste.
• Due to deforestation, forests have decreased, their ability to absorb Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere has decreased.

Other Greenhouse Gases:

• Methane (CH₄):
• The main component of natural gas.
• Released from landfills, natural gas and petroleum industries, and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals).
• Produces about 21 times more heat than CO₂
• accounts for about 16 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

• Nitrous Oxide (N₂O):
• Agriculture and livestock, including fertilizer, manure, and burning of agricultural residues, along with burning fuel, are the biggest sources of nitrous oxide emissions.
• Produces 390 times more heat than CO₂
• About six percent of global greenhouse gas emissions

Other Greenhouse Gases:

• Water Vapour:
• Water vapor is actually the world's most abundant greenhouse gas.
• We refer to the amount of water vapour in air as humidity. Our experiences in humid and arid climates can help us how water vapour relate to temperature change.

• Ozone:
• Is technically a greenhouse gas, but it depends on where it is found in the earth's atmosphere
• Tropospheric (near the surface) ozone is a powerful greenhouse gas, even in trace amounts. Stratospheric ozone or the ozone layer is opaque to UV rays coming in.

Emission of Greenhouse Gases is Increasing:

Ozone Layer Depletion:

• Ozone layer act as Earth’s natural sunscreen and blocks some of the UV radiation that comes from the Sun , shielding us from damaging rays.
• Since 1985, it has been observed that the ozone layer is depleting in the stratosphere, due to chemical action with chlorine atoms, being released by the dissociation of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), particularly in the presence of sunlight.
• Impacts of UV radiation:
• Skin Cancer
• Cataract & Ultimate Blindness
• Reduce the overall immune efficiency.
• UV radiations may interfere with photosynthesis, leading to lower crop yields.

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CFCs:

• Halocarbons are carbon based molecules that have chlorine, fluorine, bromine in them.
• Subcategories of halocarbons include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which have only carbon, fluorine and chlorine.
• The presence of halocarbon gases is due to only human activities. CFC are used in refrigerator, air condition, as cleaning solvents in factories, blowing agents to create some plastic foams, in spray etc.
• CFCs are nontoxic, nonflammable, nonreactive and they are not water soluble. So they are not removed from troposphere by chemical reaction or rainfall. They have long life time. Thus CFCs drift into the stratosphere, where they are exposed to UV radiation, which breaks apart the molecules, freeing the chlorine. It is estimated that one chlorine atom can destroy up to 1 lakh ozone molecule, leading to large scale ozone deficits.

Ozone Depletion and Climate Change:

Ozone depletion and climate change are linked in a number of ways-

• Atmospheric ozone has two effects on the temperature balance of the Earth. It absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation, which heats the stratosphere. It also absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface, effectively trapping heat in the troposphere, thereby contributing to the "greenhouse" effect.
• Gases that are causing ozone depletion such as the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are greenhouse gases, absorbing some of the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface, thereby effectively heating the Earth's surface.
• ozone is influenced by changes in the meteorological conditions and by changes in the atmospheric composition that could result from climate change.

�GLOBAL WARMING: �Global warming is a phenomenon of climate change characterized by a general increase in average temperatures of the Earth, which modifies the weather balances and ecosystems for a long time. It is directly linked to the increase of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, worsening the greenhouse effect.�

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE:

• Temperatures Will Continue to Rise:

One of the most immediate and obvious effects of global warming is the increase in temperatures around the world. The average global temperature has increased by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the past 100 years.

At the pace of current CO₂ emissions, scientists expect an increase of between 1.5° and 5.3°C (34.7° to 41.5°F) in average temperature by 2100. If no action is taken, it would have harmful consequences to humanity and the biosphere.

Glaciers are melting:�Glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice at alarming rates.

What the World Would Look Like if All the Ice Melted??

• Sea Level Will Rise 1-8 feet by 2100

Because of global warming, permafrost and ice are melting massively at the poles, increasing the sea level at a rate never known before. In a century, the increase reached 18 cm (including 6 cm in the last 20 years). The worst case scenario is a rise of up to 1m by 2100.

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• The acidification of the oceans is also of great concern. In fact, the large amount of CO₂ captured by the oceans makes them more acidic, arousing serious questions about the adaptability of seashells or coral reefs.

• For decades now, meteorologists and climatologists around the world have been watching the effects of global warming on the weather phenomena. And the impact is huge: changes in precipitation types, more droughts and heat-waves, more natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, storms and wildfires, frost-free season, etc.

Australian Bushfire

Super Cyclone Amphan

Drought

Kerala Flood

• Effects on Biodiversity:

The increase of temperatures and the climate upheavals disturb the ecosystems, modify the conditions and cycles of plant reproduction. The scarcity of resources and climate change are changing life habits and migratory cycles of animals. We are already witnessing the disappearance of many species - including endemic species - or, conversely, the intrusion of invasive species that threaten crops and other animals.

• Effects on Human:

Human beings are not spared by these upheavals. Climate change is affecting the global economy. It is already shaking up social, health and geopolitical balances in many parts of the world. The scarcity of resources like food and energy gives rise to new conflicts.

Rising sea levels and floods are causing population migration. Small island states are in the front line. The estimated number of climate refugees by 2050 is 250 million people.

India Suffers Biggest Locust Attack in 25 Years:

• Part of the grasshopper community, desert locusts feed on crops and plantations every year from July to October. They are mostly spotted in small isolated groups.
• However, due to climate change, these migratory insects are causing unprecedented damage in several parts of India.

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What can be Done to resist climate change ?�

First we must admit that Climate change is everyone’s problem. No agency, Government, or Scientist can “fix” it for us. We are all in this together.

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We got here because of our lifestyle and habits. So our habit to exploit nature has to change.

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n Here’s what we can do...

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1. Renewable energies:

Renewable energy is energy produced from sources that do not deplete or can be replenished within a human's life time.

The first way to prevent climate change is to move away from fossil fuels.

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What are the alternatives?

• Renewable energies like solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydropower.

2. Energy & water efficiency:

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Producing clean energy is essential, but reducing our consumption of energy and water by using more efficient devices (e.g. LED light bulbs, innovative shower systems) is less costly and equally important.

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3. Sustainable transportation:�

Promoting public transportation, carpooling, but also electric and hydrogen mobility, can definitely help reduce CO₂ emissions and thus fight global warming.

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4. Sustainable infrastructure:�

In order to reduce the CO₂ emissions from buildings - caused by heating, air conditioning, hot water or lighting - it is necessary both to build new low energy buildings, and to renovate the existing constructions.

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5. Sustainable agriculture & forest management:�

Encouraging better use of natural resources, stopping massive deforestation as well as making agriculture greener and more efficient should also be a priority.

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6. Responsible consumption & recycling:�

Adopting responsible consumption habits is crucial, be it regarding food (particularly meat), clothing, cosmetics or cleaning products. Last but not least, recycling is an absolute necessity for dealing with waste.

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