“India is not a significant contributor to green house gas (GHG) emissions, nor will it be so in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless in line with the principle of “Common but differentiated responsibility”, India has taken important steps to mitigate GHG emissions and adapt to climate change impact. India has also strongly promoted the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol and has the World’s largest number of CDM projects. Nevertheless, India is among the countries more vulnerable to climate change. Hence, government proposes to appoint an expert committee to study the impact of climate change in India and identify the measures that have to be taken in future”
Finance Minister in his Budget Speech
The Sun’s rays pass through Earth’s atmosphere. Much of this energy is absorbed by the surface and the atmosphere. Some radiation is reflected back towards space. Reflected energy has longer wavelength that cause molecules of greenhouse gases in the ‘Troposphere’, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, to move more rapidly. The rapid movement of these molecules traps heat in the Troposphere, warming the planet, creating a greenhouse effect. Trapped heat radiates back towards the Earth. What are Greenhouse gases? The gases that are effected this way are called greenhouse gases. The main ones are Carbondioxide, Water Vapour, Methane and Nitrous Oxide. The higher levels of carbondioxidee, methane and other greenhouse gases, accumulating in the atmosphere increase the natural greenhouse effect, raising the global temperature.
The UN Climate Panel which has a group of 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries predicted more droughts, heat waves, rains and slow gain in sea levels that could last over 1,000 years. The panel said global warming is manmade and has called for urgent government action to prevent irreversible damage from rising temperatures.
The Montreal Protocol allows developing countries to keep increasing the production of HCPC-22, the refrigerant used in air conditioners, until 2016. Evidence has shown that the refrigerant harms the earth’s ozone layer and contributes to global warming. The Montreal Protocol however, said freezing of the production should be complete by 2040. This schedule was desired in the early 1990s.
The Kyoto Protocol, is the main plan, for capping emissions of greenhouse gases until 2012 but it has been severely weakened since the United States, the top source of greenhouse gases pulled out in 2001. Emission by many backers of Kyoto are far over target.
A big problem is that no one has agreed what should replace HCFC-22. Perhaps switching to new commercial refrigerants could help the environment. Air-conditioners designed for the new refrigerants tend to be more energy efficient and often do not use as much refrigerant. The Montreal Protocol has been in force much longer and applies to developing and industrial nations alike, while the Kyoto Protocol has binding limits only for industrial nations.
European Union has decided to replace traditional light bulbs with more energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs by 2009. Traditional incandescent bulbs emit a good amount of ultra violet light but it is wasted as it is not converted into visible light. A fluorescent bulb puts the invisible ultraviolet light to work; more energy efficient as it does not use heat to create light.
India, like other countries is equally concerned about global warming. It believes that Clean Development Mechanism, may pave the way for finding a lasting solution to gas emissions. India has argued for per capita emission targets. The Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) are workable international governance instruments.
India is one among those countries, who have already initiated steps to deal with this problem. One such step is spread of organic farming. This is fast catching up in several states and the frontrunner is Maharashtra. Decentralised water harvesting, self-initiated forest and wild-life conservation by thousands of villages across the country are among other measures taken by India.
The World urgently needs a new international agreement on stronger emission caps for industrialized countries, incentives for developing countries to limit their emissions and support for healthy adaptation methods.
*A Retired Indian Information Service Officer