Climate change - What, When and How?
Climate change - What, When and How?
Recently, the IPCC had published a report on climate change which had very alarming revelations regarding the future climatic conditions of the globe and the cascading green house effect.
Climate change is the change in the statistical distribution of weather over a period of time that ranges from decades to millions of years.
So, in recent times climate change is usually referred to changes in modern climate or “global warming”. When global warming is discussed, ozone layer is bound to appear. We talk a ton of times about Ozone layer depletion. But what exactly does it mean? Let’s find out:
The earth’s atmosphere is divided into three regions, namely troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere. The stratosphere extends from 10 km to 50 kms from the earth’s surface. The ozone gas is made from three atoms of oxygen, O3.
In stratosphere, Ozone acts as a filter for harmful ultraviolet B rays or UV-B rays. Ozone is naturally produced and destroyed in the atmosphere. Now, here one must know that ozone depletion process begins when CFCs or chloro flouro carbons emitted from ACs and refrigerators released in atmosphere. Actually, these ozone depleting substances (ODS) are evenly mixed in troposphere through winds. They don’t dissolve in rain and have a long life span.
After many years, they reach the stratosphere by diffusion. UV light breaks the ODS molecules. Now, ODS after breaking, release bromine atoms and it is these bromine and chlorine atoms that destroy ozone. A study suggests that one bromine atom can destroy 10,000 to one lakh ozone molecules. This is how ozone depletes.
Now, what are all the causes of climate change?
Climate Change is mainly caused by carbon mono oxide’s emissions from industrial activities, gases in ACs and fridges as well as destruction of trees causes climate change. The molecules of CO2, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone consume the majority of heat in the atmosphere which is known as “green house effect” because they are more efficient in trapping radiation than other gases.
The trapped or consumes radiation results in the energy radiated back to warm the earth’s atmosphere. This is how, ozone depletion and green house effect are co-related.
India is world’s fourth largest economy and fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter, about 5% of global emissions. With increasing climate change, poverty will increase in India, natural calamities like flood; drought etc. will contribute to it. The agricultural output can be adversely hit and India being an agriculture based economy can suffer to a great extent. It can also impact public health.
The predictions of global climate are dire. It is also clear that if no immediate steps are taken, global warming can become a survival threat. All the countries should come on one single platform and resolve mutual differences to fight climate change and save our planet from the fear of being extinct in future.
