climate change...opening shots

Let me begin by quoting Nicolas Stern, former chief economist of the world bank who said that the inability to forecast climate change has been the worst market failure which the world shall witness with a potential to shrink global economy by 20%.

when you hear words like this from some of the more tepid organisations like the world bank in this case one can safely assume that the rot is deeper than one can imagine.

The inability to act effectively on the issue stems from the fact that climate change is still seen through the lense of an environmental problem but its time that it is seen as part of a broader development and economic agenda.

I know we all have been reading a lot of statistics on the issue and all of them make the writer appear as a doomsday prophet but that sadly is going to be reality if we decide not to act and act fast.

the level of carbon has been climbing at a rapid rate on this planet and the current levels have not been seen in the last 6,50,000 years of the planet's existence according to nature

carbon levels are expected not to cross the 400 ppm barrier, that in a way is the lethal limit of carbotoxication, but the irony is that we are already at 380ppm and are adding 2 ppm every year. now why i say so is that if and when the 400ppm gets breached then a staggering 4 degree rise in global temperature shall result and that would also result in the amaon rain forests drying off, in another words the impact shall be cataclysmic

now speaking about two countries that always compete with each other and end up on the wrong side...for instance indian and chinese emissions are growing at 3 times the global average and shall alone surpass the critical 400ppm barrier in a matter of 20 years

some time back there was an article in the HINDU that the rising temperature has already started taking a toll on mountain frogs and already 70 species of frogs have gone extinct as the mountain top was simply too hot for them to survive.

the biggest trouble is being fore casted for cold dependent species like penguins and polar bears who are already fast coming under the category of critically endangered species if the IUCN red list is to be kept in account.

the upper 1500 meters of the ocean from west europe to east united states has already warmed up by 0.015 degrees, it may appear miniscule but it is not because the latent heat of vaporisation of water is the highest and hence in atmospheric terms is equal to a nine degree rise.

in 2002, the larsen B shelf in antarctica that had been stable for the last 12,000 years broke off and started melting. why this is a concern is that the shelf is one of the biggest spread across 3,250 square km.

corals are said to be the best indicators of ocean temperature so when 80% of the coral reefs along seychelles, 90% near indonesia and 70% in the indian ocean were found to be bleached and dead.....dont u think there is something to be worried about...

there are other bigger factors in play as well especially with countries not honoring their Kyoto Protocol commitments, for example canada has failed to honor its 6 % emission cut and in fact emissions are up by 29%

also the seriousness of the developed world in cutting emissions has been questioned extensively as it was expected of them to come with something concrete after the UNFCC inaugural summit at Rio De Janerio but nothing resulted, in fact brazilian newspapers carried the headline "RIO= ZERO"

Kyoto had set individual cuts of 5% for the developed world but from 1990-2004 only 3% cuts have been seen and that too from economies in transition of eastern europe,
15 european union countries have to cut emissions by 8% by 2008-2012 but current cuts operate in the range of 0.9% uptil 2004
further another issue of extensive criticism of the Kyoto protocol is the fact that cuts of 5% are demanded over 1990 levels, i will discuss this issue independently in one of my later blogs


so effectively speaking there has been little to speak of and a lot to experience.

as I have titled my blog these are only my opening shots on the issue, a lot of aspects including the true picture regarding Clean development mechanism and carbon credits shall be addressed.

till then please try and reduce carbon emissions at your individual levels....choose the tree shade for your evenings, a walk instead of a ride on your bike, open your windows to let the fresh air in and close your fans....

no longer are we simply nationalities we are all part of a world system....
be an international citizen to feel the problems across barriers to understand the enormity staring at us....