Transcript What is Global Warming?

Will Earth still be home for us in coming years?
GLOBAL WARMING!
Should you care?
Our planet is
heating up …
… and we are
responsible
Unless we take steps NOW
to curb global warming,
our way of life,
our future, and
our family are all in
GRAVE DANGER.
What is Global Warming?
Global Warming is defined as the increase of the temperature
on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes,
droughts and floods are getting more frequent.
How it works?
When did the
problem begin?
The problems began when
human activities created &
released more gases in the
atmosphere than are necessary.
1: Burning natural gas, coal & oil
raise the level of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere & accelerate
the warming effect.
2: Many factories produce long-lasting
gases that contribute to the global warming
3: Population growth accelerates
global warming as more & more
people use fuels for heat,
transportation & manufacturing
4:
Intensive farming leads to global warming
Some farming practices & use of fertilizers produce
gases that trap heat more than Carbon Dioxide.
For instance, Nitrous Oxide, found in pesticides can
retain 300 times more heat than CO2.
To decrease your carbon footprint,
you can start with your dinner plate.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse
gases produced by human activities.
A U.N. report found that 18 % of
global warming emissions come from raising
chickens, cattle, pigs, & other animals for food.
That's about 40 % more than all the trucks,
cars, planes & all the forms of transport
(13%) and all the homes & offices in the
world put together (8%).
Meat industry consumes more
environmental resources
It contributes to land degradation, climate change
& air pollution, water shortage and water pollution.
Animals such as cows & sheep emit huge amount
of methane due to flatulence and burping.
"The released methane", the scientists say, "has
23 times the global warming potential of CO2."
5: “Sawing off the branch we are sitting on”
Deforestation is Choking the Earth.
34 million acres of trees,
the size of Italy,
are cut each year.
Forests are vital for
absorbing & storing
the world's carbon
dioxide (CO2).
When trees are cut & burnt
the damage is two-fold:
* The world's capacity to
absorb CO2 is reduced.
* Large amounts of stored
carbon are released back
into the atmosphere.
Global warming will kill
BILLIONS this Century
Green house gases can stay in the atmosphere
for hundreds and thousands of years.
Here are few DEADLIEST effects
of global warming..
A:
Spread of infectious
disease
Global Warming leads to
150,000 deaths every year
These numbers could double by 2020
As the globe warms, disease-carrying
mosquitoes & rodents spread, infecting
people. Outbreaks of Dengue fever,
Malaria, Chikingunia, Allergies & Asthma
have already started affecting daily lives.
B:
More Intense Hurricanes are on the Way
The oceans are getting warmer, stronger
hurricanes & calamities like tsunami are
getting more frequent.
C:
Increased intensity of droughts & heat waves
D:
Economic consequences
Natural calamities do billions of money in damage
& disease outbreaks cost money to treat and control.
E:
Polar ice caps are melting
Sea levels are rising
* There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in glaciers and if they
melt today the seas would rise about 230 feet.
* The ice caps are fresh water & when they melt they will
desalinate the ocean, i.e. make it less salty. This effect will
alter ocean currents causing unnatural weather conditions
* Temperature rise will endanger several species of animals.
* Ice caps reflect excess sunlight back into space to maintain
favorable weather conditions. With the ice caps gone less
energy will be reflected causing further temperature increase.
F: The
oceans are like giant storage heaters
Oceans trap heat and absorb Carbon dioxide.
They are like time-bombs, masking the real effects
of the Carbon dioxide we have been releasing into
the atmosphere. Constant disturbance of the sea
currents is a threat awaiting to unleash.
G: We
will lose
drinking water
As sea levels rise,
sea water will invade
coastal groundwater,
making it salty
hence undrinkable.
H:
Food will cost as much as gold
The threat to future food supplies
from climate change weighs heavily
on an expected world population
of 9 billion people by 2050.
India Climate Change Profile
Impact on Environment and Society
India is highly sensitive to climate change. The country faces more
erratic & heavier monsoon patterns, more floods and droughts, and
steadily shrinking Himalayan glaciers.
BOMBAY, WEST BENGAL, GUJRAT, BIHAR went under water.
What surprise does the next monsoon hold for us?
Is our blue planet turning DRY?
-Out of all the water on this planet, only 2.5% of it is
freshwater. Most is derived from glaciers.
-Himalayan glaciers are receding by 10-15 meters per year.
-In India, the Gangotri glacier is receding at an average
rate of 23 meters per year.
-This will first increase the volume of water in rivers
causing, widespread flooding. Then in a few decades this
situation will REVERSE and the water levels in rivers will
decline affecting millions living around them.
Coastal Flooding
A NASA high-tech aerial survey shows that Global
warming is melting 50 billion tons of ice in a year
from the Greenland ice sheet.
This is increasing the likelihood of coastal flooding
around the world.
Cities like Mumbai, Goa, Kerela & others are in danger.
How does an Individual make
an IMPACT on the world’s biggest
environmental problem?
Working at the individual level, stabilizing the climate
is a challenge but not an impossible task.
Climate scientists say that planting more and more trees
are quick, easy and cheap ways to prevent further
GLOBAL WARMING.
Why plant trees?
-Reduce Global Warming
-Improve the ground water level
-Prevent soil erosion
-Promote the ecosystem
-Reduce pollution
-Improve soil fertility
The Art of Living is a multi-faceted non-profit
organization that offers life-transforming programs
in over 144 countries. It has undertaken many projects
out of which one is Tree plantation to help reduce
GLOBAL WARMING.
Past and continuing relief efforts include:
Earthquake in Chengdu, (China), Virginia Tech Campus Shootings (USA),
Vidharbha Farmer Suicides (India), Relief in times of War &
Unrest (Kashmir, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel), Relief Post Floods
(Surat, Mumbai and Gujrat), Train Blasts (London & Madrid),
Beslan School Hostage Crisis (Russia), Tsunami (India & Sri Lanka),
Hurricane Katarina & 9/11 Terror Attack USA
The Invitation
The Art of Living Foundation, The United Nations Environment
Program, World Alliance for Youth Empowerment and
Sri Sri Agricultural Institute for Science & Technology in support
of the UNITED NATIONS MILLENIUM CAMPAIGN
Invites you to
participate in
MISSION GREEN EARTH
STAND UP TAKE ACTION
www.artofliving.org
www.standuptakeactionaolunmc.org
As a part of the
Tree plantation drive
100 MILLION trees of
different types will be planted
all over the world.
A look at our journey so far
Various groups joining hands
*Thermal Power plant in Haryana, India.
*DAV Group of Schools.
*Army Campus, Pune, India.
*Prison Inmates.
*Radio Station Jingles.
*Corporate bodies (Bosch Group, First
Source, ONGC, Birla Sun Life, etc)
*Schools & Colleges across the country
*Police campus, Mumbai
LETTER FROM
UNMC
LETTER FROM
UNEP
LETTER FROM
Govt. of INDIA
Houston City
Controller’s
endorsement
How can you help?
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL No.7
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Mission Green Earth Stand Up Take Action (MGESUTA08)
project targets to achieve:
TAKE ACTION- 15 JULY to 16 OCT 2008
Plant 100 million trees globally to support environmental
sustainability. Play an active part in saving the Earth.
STAND UP- 17 OCT to 19 OCT 2008
Stand up for 2 minutes while the UN’s pledge is read.
Misson Green Earth
Stand Up And Take Action 2008
(MGESUTA)
MGESUTA is an initiative taken by
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC)
in association with Art Of Living Foundation (AOL)
to plant 100 million trees world wide between
15th July’08 to 15th Oct’08.
Take a pledge,
Plant more trees
Thank you