The current (2023) level of CO2 in the atmosphere is about 420 PPM – that is 420 parts of CO2 (by volume) for every million parts of the atmosphere. That appears really small, doesn’t it? In terms of percentage, it is just 0.04%! But it is this small proportion and increases to it that are resulting in large climatic changes. Instances of small climatic changes leading to […]
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a United Nations body, founded in 1988, which evaluates climate change science. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic […]
Climate change might not be all bad for the agriculture sector. Really? Yes. Moderate warming and higher CO2 in the atmosphere may even help some plants to grow faster. You will surely remember your high school botany where you learnt that plants need CO2 and sunlight during photosynthesis. Which means more CO2 and a bit more warmth might make some plants grow faster. Increased CO2 […]
You see, daily temperatures are very different from global average temperatures. Sure, there are locations that see daily temperature swings of over 20 degrees during day time. These happen because these are weather-driven, short term events. Because these are short term phenomena, they have negligible effect on the ecosystem. But when measurements of the daily high and low temperatures in […]
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC commits countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11, 1997 and entered into force on February 16, 2005. There are currently 192 parties to the Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is the pledge […]
You can intuitively sense that climate change will have significant effects on biodiversity, a term that represents the collective plants and animals in any location. Because it is only obvious that most, if not every, living organisms will be affected by changes in climate. But what is the breadth and depth of such effects on our biodiversity? What should be of concern […]
Climate is always changing and it appears that earth has warmed and cooled throughout history. How is the recent change different than changes in the past and why should these worry us? The main reason for worry about the current climate change is that it is happening too fast for our comfort. While global warming (and global cooling) could have […]
There are two benefits to start acting now. Makes the Change Gradual & Relatively Painless One, acting when it is not too late ensures that a transition to a more secure world can be gradual and without painful shocks. We have perhaps a few more years to achieve the tall goals agreed upon in the various COP conventions (Paris Climate […]
One scary scenario that is often painted while talking about global warming is the rising ocean levels. And well, that is not just exaggerated scare-mongering, but it indeed is true that global warming results in the ocean level rise. Rising Sea Levels But global warming results in a lot many more negative effects on the ocean than just rising sea levels. […]
Climate change may bring some benefits, though they are likely to be offset by the negative impacts. A changing climate isn’t always bad. There are benefits that higher temperatures could bring. For instance, a longer growing season in cool countries could mean higher agricultural productivity. Warmer temperatures might also mean more efficient shipping routes through an ice-free Arctic. However, any such […]
