Table Of ContentThe Daunting Climate Change
Science, Impacts, Adaptation & Mitigation Strategies, Policy Responses
The Daunting Climate Change
Science, Impacts, Adaptation & Mitigation Strategies, Policy Responses
Jayarama Reddy Puthalpet
Former Professor of Physics & Vice-chancellor
Sri Venkateswara University
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Dedicated to,
SAI
&
My Parents
FOREWORD
Earth has naturally warmed up and cooled down during earlier times. Such
phases have been slow occurring over geological periods, i.e., millions of
years, whereas now Earth’s climate appears to be changing fast. Scientists
have evidenced that the main cause of climate change has been global
warming, caused by greenhouse effect. The earth’s human population on
earth is increasing at an explosive rate (by a sevenfold in a century and a
half – from 1 billion to 7.5), and is consuming energy at an ever-increasing
rate. The day-to-day human activities that burn fossil fuels for electricity
generation, industry and transport, combined with large scale deforestation,
increased livestock production, increased agriculture demands and long
range transportation of goods, increased production consumer goods,
increased travel for work and leisure, destruction of marine systems and
land use changes and so on enhance the atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases, causing the planet’s temperature to increase even
more.The signs of climate change are all around us.
The global temperature increase brings disastrous consequences on
Earth’s physical and biological systems, threatening the survival of the
flora and fauna and humanity. The worst climate change impacts include
the melting of the polar ice mass and glaciers causing sea level rise,
threatening coastal environments and the existence of small island states.
Climate change also increases the likelihood of heat waves, drought, wild
fires, and tropical cyclones, more frequent heavy rains contributing to flash
floods, and animal and plant species’ extinction, and several others.
It is not just that humans will be living in a warmer world than earlier
humans have experienced. It is the fast pace of change that is threatening.
Global climate change has already resulted in a wide range of impacts
across all regions of the world and many sectors such as human health,
agriculture and food security, water systems and supply, transportation,
ecosystems, global economy and so on. These are expected to become
increasingly upsetting throughout this century and beyond. Extreme heat,
sea level rise, and heavy downpours are affecting infrastructure like roads,
rail lines, airports and port facilities, energy infrastructure, and livelihoods.
The heating of ocean combined with other stresses, such as overfishing,
coastal activity and pollution, affect marine-based food production and hurt
fishing communities.
(vii)
(viii) Foreword
Understanding and predicting how climate will change in the
foreseeable future is of vital importance, both for global economy and
safety of the society. It is very important to note that studies have shown
that climate change cannot be avoided. But, by applying small to large
scale mitigation and adaptation measures, we can lessen its effects and
adjust to its consequences. International community has recognized the
imminent dangers and has finally arrived at an historic pact - Paris
Agreement – to initiate sufficient and concrete measures to markedly
decrease greenhouse gas emissions so as to restrict the global mean
temperature rise to below 2oC by the end of the 21stcentury.
This book discusses these aspects in a fairly detailed manner starting with
an overview of climate science which is essential. The signs of warming, the
impacts and consequences on several sectors relevant to society are explained
coherently. The global adaptation experiences and the opportunities available
for future implementation of the measures are expounded citing proper
references. The mitigation strategies, being the core in minimizing the climate
change effects, is dealt clearly - especially energy efficiency measures and low
carbon energy sources that have to go into energy mix in the future - and
including geoengineering aspects which are yet to be established as practical
and sustainable. Global efforts over time to arrive at policy responses are
elucidated showing how the world countries have been, by and large, serious
and patiently continued formal and informal consultations for finding solutions
for this complex and daunting problem of climate change. The carbon pricing,
a critical economic instrument in ensuring emission reductions is explained
vividly. The annexures covering a few important topics that are generally
ignored are highpoint. A most attractive and useful part of the book is the huge
list of references provided by the author to help a reader’s wishes to probe
further deep into this most intriguing subject. Prof. Reddy has painstakingly
compiled an abundance of data from a plethora of references to support his
conclusions. All topics are presented with exemplary organization and crystal-
clear clarity. While it is not known with certainty how the global warming
trends are going to play out, it is important to take this issue seriously.
Appropriate actions should be seen as challenges (not-as impediments) for
adapting healthier, smarter and more active lifestyles and as opportunities for
engineering ingenuity to achieve a sustainable environment.
Yiannis A. Levendis, PhD
College of Engineering Distinguished Professor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
334 SN, Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02116, USA
PREFACE
Climate change is a global environmental issue as troubled impacts are felt
all over the world with varying severity. The Earth is warming currently at
a rate unmatched in the past 1,300 years and particularly, past fifty years
have witnessed marked increase in the mean temperatures of the planet,
especially in the North Polar Region. This has resulted in the melting of
glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost, rising of sea levels and so on. Extreme
climate events like heat waves, droughts, cyclones, heavy precipitation and
floods over the last century triggered heavy damage to physical and
biological systems causing enormous economic losses, human suffering
and mortality. Associated risks are a threat to food production, water
availability, human health, security and livelihood.
Multiple evidences show human activities are responsible for disturbing
the Earth’s energy balance and entering into a new era, Anthropocene.
Global emissions of greenhouse gases keep rising, implying that the
world is headed for a 4°C temperature rise by 2100, if current trends
continue. Then the projected impacts appear much more devastating and
even irreversible.
The poor and least developed countries mostly in Africa and Small
Island states, not answerable for the present climate change, are more at
risk to the harmful consequences of climate change.
Adaptation is a kind of managing the risk posed by climate change.
Majority of adaptation policies are local or regional, rather than national or
global. But, climate adaptation measures help to cope up with the climate
change impacts as global experiences reveal. The urgency and ability to
introduce adaptive measures vary across the world, and it is the poor in the
world who lack most the required resources to improve their adaptive
capacity.
Mitigation policies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions complement
adaptation plans. These are urgent and delays cost heavily. Even if
significant mitigation policies are at once applied, warming and its
(ix)
