Greenland ice sheet

The Greenland Ice Sheet is a vast body of ice covering roughly 80% of the surface of Greenland.

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It is the second largest ice body in the world, after the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

The ice sheet is almost 2,400 kilometres long in a north-south direction, and its greatest width is 1,100 kilometres at a latitude of 77° N, near its northern margin.

The ice sheet, consisting of layers of compressed snow from more than a hundred thousand years, contains in its ice today's most valuable record of past climates.

In the past decades, scientists have drilled ice cores up to three kilometres deep.

With the ice cores, scientist have obtained information on (proxies for) temperature, ocean volume, precipitation, chemistry and gas composition of the lower atmosphere, volcanic eruptions, solar variability, sea-surface productivity, desert extent and forest fires.

This variety of climatic proxies is greater than in any other natural recorder of climate, such as tree rings or sediment layers.

The Greenland Ice Sheet has experienced record melting in recent years and is likely to contribute substantially to sea level rise as well as to possible changes in ocean circulation in the future..

Bolivia’s Indians feel the heat

Many believe Mt Illimani will have completely lost its glaciers in a few decades

By James Painter BBC News, Khapi, Bolivia

Marcos Choque is a 67-year-old Aymara Indian with holes in his trousers and battered sandals. He appears remarkably cheerful.

Sitting among his fellow villagers from Khapi, perched high up in the Bolivian Andes, he seems to delight in cracking jokes.

But ask him about Illimani - the 6,400m (21,000-ft) mountain that towers above his village - and his mood turns more sombre.

"When I was young, the snow often came down as far as there," he says, pointing to the hills. "But in the past few years, the snow-line has risen 500m. It's getting hotter, which is melting the mountain."

Mr Choque and the 40 families that make up his community have been watching Illimani with increasing alarm. They depend on it for part of their water supply - both to drink and to irrigate their small, terraced parcels of land.

"We calculate that there will be no snow or ice left on Illimani in the next 30 or 40 years. It will be black, or what we call peeled of its whiteness," he says.

Water supply worries

The glaciers on Illimani are estimated to have been there for thousands of years. Its white peaks tower over the nearby city of La Paz, Bolivia's administrative capital.

Many of La Paz's residents swear the snow-line is gradually creeping upwards.

If we don't have water, how will we live? Water is life Lucia Quispe

Some were shocked when a newspaper recently published a photo of what Illimani could look like in 2039 - with no sign of any whiteness on top.

Hydrologists from La Paz are planning to measure the glacial loss of the mountain. They already know that the nearby glacier of Mururata has lost more than 20% of its surface area since 1956 due to higher temperatures, and probably a greater percentage of its volume.

Earlier this year, the Paris-based Development Research Institute (IRD) estimated that the glaciers in the Cordillera Real mountain range in Bolivia, of which Illimani forms a part, had lost more than 40% of their volume between 1975 and 2006.

The IRD said that the volume had remained pretty constant until 1975, but had diminished quickly since then.

If this tendency continued, the IRD said, it could have a very negative impact on the water supply in the dry season to some cities like La Paz.

Unpredictable

In the case of Khapi, the water from Illimani plays a crucial role in the life and religious beliefs of the community.

Every September, they carry out a ritual, involving offerings called Waxt'a in Aymara. This includes the sacrifice of a llama and other offerings like coca leaves, alcohol and cigarettes to Illimani.

They go through the elaborate ceremony so that, in their words, "Illimani gives them water through the year".

For Khapi residents such as Rogelio, Mt Illimani is a lifeline

The villagers think that the snow and ice from Illimani accounts for up to half of their annual water supply, although they are not sure.

Bolivian scientists are trying to answer the crucial question of just how much of the water comes from glacial melt at different times of the year. Precipitation and underground aquifers provide the rest.

The more immediate concern of the villagers is the changing climate. They say there is no longer any predictability about when the rains come, compared to the past. And they are sure that there is less rain, and that the weather is getting hotter.

Theirs is not the international language of global warming and carbon emissions.

"Our weather is coming up from where it used to be further down," says Severino Cortez, a community leader, pointing down the mountain from Khapi, which is 3,600m high.

Not everything is bad news. The warmer temperatures mean that some of them can now grow peaches and maize where previously they could not.

Vulnerable

But the Khapi villagers are very worried for the future. "I am getting old," says Marcos Choque.

"I am not going to see Illimani melting away completely, but the young will."

Lucia Quispe, a 38-year-old mother of three, wonders where the water will come from to irrigate her plot of land, where she grows potatoes, maize and beans.

"I am sad and very worried when I think about the future of my children," she says. "If we don't have water, how will we live? Water is life."

Marcos Choque fears his children will see Illimani bare of glaciers

Non-governmental organisations working with Khapi and other nearby communities high up in the Andes say it is particularly unjust that Aymara villagers will suffer the fall-out from global warming when they are amongst the least responsible for it.

Some of the communities are active members of a new civilian pressure group formed this year, called the Platform of Civil Society against Climate Change.

One of the Platform's demands is for the formation of an international tribunal on climate justice, and for an international compensation fund for victims of climate change.

"What's happening at Khapi is typical of what hundreds of poor, indigenous and vulnerable communities throughout Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador are facing," says Juan Carlos Alurrade, executive director of Agua Sustentable (Sustainable Water), which is helping communities to adapt to climate change.

"They depend on glacial melt for irrigation, but the glaciers are doomed."

India monsoon rain 'below normal'

There are fears of drought if the rains are patchy

Indian officials say that monsoon rains in the country are likely to be "below normal" triggering off fears about crop failure and high food prices.

Forecasters say that rainfall is likely to be lower than predicted in April, when they said it would be near normal.

The government says there is no need for panic, and that heavy rains in July are likely to avert a drought.

A heat wave is sweeping the country and rains are delayed in many parts. Rains usually last from June to September.

"It [the monsoon] is late," federal minister Prithviraj Chavan told reporters.

North-west India appeared to be worst affected by the slow rains with only 81% rains forecast.

Critical

Monsoon rains are critical to India's farm prospects, which account for a sixth of economic output.

Up to 70% of Indians are dependent on farm incomes, and about 60% of India's farms depend on rains. Irrigation networks are dismissed by critics as inadequate.

The summer rains are crucial to crops such as rice, soybean, sugarcane and cotton.

The Indian media has been full of reports about the patchy rains so far.

A heat wave is scorching the country

"Praying for rain, bracing for worst" headlined the Hindustan Times on its front page on Wednesday.

The newspaper said that in at least eight states, monsoon rains so far had been 60 to 90% below normal.

"There is concern but no worry as yet. There is still time," Farm Secretary T Nanda Kumar told the newspaper.

One analyst said delay in the rains in some parts of India could hit economic growth.

"Delay in monsoon will play the spoilsport and may hit GDP by at least 1 to 1.5 percentage points," stockbroker VK Sharma, told the Reuters news agency.

Economists agree that the delay will cause further stress in a country where food prices are already high.

"The delay is not a good signal. Food prices are already high and any delay could push food prices higher. Food price inflation could emerge as a concern," said DK Joshi, principal economist at credit ratings agency Crisil.

Politicians in many states are holding special prayers for the rains - the farm minister in central Chhattisgarh state held a prayer for the state to get rains soon.

US sets terms for climate talks

AFRICA

Some regions are likely to experience water shortages. Coupled with increasing demand, this is likely to result in large increases in the number of people at risk of water scarcity. It is likely to affect livelihoods, the report by the International Panel on Climate Change says.

Projected reductions in the area suitable for growing crops, and in the length of the growing season, are likely to produce an increased risk of hunger. In some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50% by 2020.

Rising sea levels threaten large cities. Degradation of coral reefs and mangroves is likely, with impacts on local fisheries and tourism.

Rising temperatures, coupled with over-fishing, will decrease the supply of fish from large lakes, with important impacts on food supplies.

Slow burn for Africa's climate West must take climate burden

Global climate efforts 'woeful' Climate change 'hitting Africa'

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ASIA

Glacier melting in the Himalayas is virtually certain to disrupt water supplies within the next 20 to 30 years. Floods and rock avalanches are virtually certain to increase. Heavily-populated coastal regions, including the deltas of rivers such as the Ganges and Mekong, are likely to be at risk of increased flooding.

Economic development is likely to be impacted by the combination of climatic change, urbanisation, and rapid economic and population growth.

Forecast changes in temperature and rainfall are likely to reduce crop yields overall, increasing the risk of hunger.

The presence of lethal diarrhoeal diseases associated with floods and droughts is expected to rise in East, South and Southeast Asia and rises in coastal water temperature could exacerbate cholera in South Asia.

Climate change hits India's poor Himalayan glaciers 'melting fast'

Crops needed to avoid famines Fears for Bangladesh's future

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AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Ongoing water shortages, notably in southern and eastern Australia, are likely to get worse by 2030.

Ecologically important regions such as the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park are likely to lose a significant part of their wildlife before then, by 2020.

Some coastal communities are very likely to see an increased risk of coastal storms and flooding.

Temperature rises of 1C-2C are likely to bring benefits to cooler areas, such as New Zealand, in the form of longer growing seasons and reduced energy demand. Greater warming is likely to bring a net negative impact - such as increased risk of drought and fire.

Climate change warning for Sydney

Howard says water key challenge

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EUROPE

Nearly all European regions are expected to be negatively affected by some future impacts of climate change.

Central and Eastern European countries could face less summer rainfall, causing higher water stress. Health risks due to heat waves are expected to increase. Forest productivity is expected to fall and the frequency of peatland fires to increase.

Southern European countries are very likely to see reduced water supplies, lower crop production, more wildfires and health impacts from increased heatwaves.

Northern countries are likely to benefit from increased crop yields, forest productivity, and food supplies from the North Atlantic. By 2020, most areas of Europe are likely to see an increased flood risk.

EU seeks converts to eco-stoicism Dutch pioneer floating eco-homes

Climate 'benefits' for UK farming Is climate change to blame?

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LATIN AMERICA

Increasing temperatures and decreases in soil water in the eastern Amazon region would lead to replacement of tropical forest by savannah. Species extinctions are likely.

Drier areas are likely to see salinisation and desertification of agricultural land, with falling crop yields and livestock productivity reducing food security. However, soybean yields are likely to increase in temperate zones.

Sea level rise is very likely to bring flooding to low-lying regions such as the coast of El Salvador, Guyana and the Rio de la Plata estuary. Increasing sea temperatures are likely to impact coral reefs and south-east Pacific fish stocks.

Changes in rainfall patterns and the disappearance of glaciers are projected to significantly affect water availability for human consumption, agriculture and energy generation.

Amazon 'faces deadly droughts' Farewell to a melting glacier

Caribbean 'faces stormier future' Diary: The Amazon rainforest

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NORTH AMERICA

Warming in western mountains is very likely to reduce snowpack, bringing more floods in winter and reduced water supplies in summer.

Increases in problems with pests, diseases and forest fires are likely.

Cities with a history of heat waves are likely to experience many more, with potential health impacts, especially for the elderly.

Rising sea levels, severe weather and storm surges, combined with population growth in coastal areas, are very likely to increase economic losses.

Heat waves set to become 'brutal' Global warming 'detected' in US

US CO2 emissions 'violate rights' Climate hopes: US cities lead way

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POLAR REGIONS: ARCTIC AND ANTARCTICA

Reductions are likely in the thickness and extent of glaciers and ice sheets, and the extent of sea ice and permafrost.

The depth of summer permafrost melting is likely to increase.

Changes to natural ecosystems are likely to impact migrating birds, mammals and higher predators adversely. Specific ecosystems and habitats are expected to be vulnerable, as climatic barriers to species invasions are lowered.

There are virtually certain to be both negative and positive effects on Arctic peoples. Detrimental impacts would include those on infrastructure and traditional indigenous ways of life while beneficial effects would include reduced heating costs and more navigable northern sea routes.

Arctic's new gold rush Earth - melting in the heat?

Weird worms face threat 'Warm' species invading Antarctic

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SMALL ISLANDS

Sea level rise is likely to worsen floods, storm surges and coastal erosion, with impacts on the socio-economic wellbeing of island communities.

Beach erosion and coral bleaching are likely to reduce tourism.

There is strong evidence that water resources in small islands are likely to be seriously compromised.

Increased invasion by non-native species is likely.

What's so great about Vanuatu? Tourism revival key for Maldives

Beware tsunamis and climate Maldives: Paradise soon to be lost

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WATER

The supply of water is very likely to increase at higher latitudes and in some wet tropics, including populous areas in east and southeast Asia. It is very likely to decrease over much of the mid-latitudes and dry tropics, which are presently water-stressed areas.

Drought-affected areas will likely increase. Instances of extreme rainfall are likely to increase in frequency and intensity, raising the risk of floods. Increases in the frequency and severity of floods and droughts will have implications on sustainable development.

Water volumes stored in glaciers and snow cover are very likely to decline, reducing summer and autumn flows in regions where more than one sixth of the world population currently live.

Map details global water stress

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ECOSYSTEMS

Many ecosystems are likely to be challenged beyond their capacity to adapt over the course of the century by an unprecedented combination of climate change, associated disturbances such as wildfires, and other aspects of modern-day global change.

In the second half of this century, ecosystems on land are likely to become a net source of carbon rather than a net absorber. This extra carbon will amplify climate change.

Roughly 20-30% of species are likely to be at high risk of irreversible extinction if the global average temperature rises by 1.5-2.5C beyond 1990 levels. For increases in global average temperature exceeding 1.5-2.5C, there are very likely to be major changes in ecosystems which will adversely effect the environmental goods and services which humans use.

Arctic dips as global waters rise Wolves 'good for ecosystems'

Endangered whales Smoking out the world's lungs

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FOOD

Crop yields are likely to increase at higher latitudes for global average temperature increases of up to 1-3C (depending on the crop), and then decrease beyond that. This is even after allowing for effects of CO2 fertilisation.

At lower latitudes, especially the seasonally dry tropics, crop yield potential is likely to decrease for even small global temperature increases, which would increase risk of hunger.

Global agricultural production potential is likely to increase with increases in global average temperature up to about 3C, but above this it is very likely to decrease.

Increased frequency of droughts and floods would affect local production negatively, especially in subsistence sectors at low latitudes.

Farmer power key to advances

Pollution 'reducing rice harvest'

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COASTS

Coasts are very likely to be exposed to increasing risks due to climate change and sea level rise, and the effect will be exacerbated by increasing human-induced pressures on coastal areas.

It is likely that corals will experience a major decline due to increased bleaching and mortality due to rising seawater temperatures. Salt marshes and mangroves will also be negatively affected by sea-level rise.

Many millions more people are expected to be flooded every year due to sea-level rise by the 2080s, especially in densely populated and low-lying settlements which already face other challenges such as tropical storms or local coastal subsidence. The numbers affected will be largest in the mega-deltas of Asia, but small islands face the highest relative increase in risk.

Flood threat to England and Wales

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INDUSTRY

The benefits and costs of climate change for industry, settlement, and society will vary widely by location and scale. Some of the effects in temperate and polar regions will be positive, and others elsewhere will be negative. Generally, a higher degree of warming is more likely to bring negative consequences.

The most vulnerable industries, settlements and societies are those in coastal and river flood plains, those whose economies are closely linked with climate-sensitive resources, and those in areas prone to extreme weather events, especially where rapid urbanisation is occurring.

Poor communities can be especially vulnerable because they tend to be concentrated in relatively high-risk areas, have more limited coping capacities, and can be more dependent on climate-sensitive resources such as local water and food supplies. Where extreme weather events become more intense, the economic costs of those events will increase, and these increases are likely to be substantial in the areas most directly affected.

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HEALTH

Projected climate change is likely to affect millions of people, particularly those with low capacity to adapt, through increases in malnutrition and consequent disorders.

This will have implications for child growth and development; increased deaths, disease and injury due to heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts, the altered burden of water-related diseases; the increased frequency of cardio-respiratory diseases due to higher concentrations of ground level ozone, and the movement of some infectious disease carriers into new regions. vectors.

Climate change is likely to have some mixed effects, such as the expansion and contraction of the range of malaria in different regions. In some places, climate change is likely to bring some benefits to health such as fewer deaths from cold exposure.

Global warming Facts

Global warming is caused by green house gases, which trap in the sun’s infrared rays in the earth’s atmosphere, which in turn heat up the earth’s atmosphere. These green house effect warming is called as global warming. The effects of green house effect are visible more prominently in the recent years, with number of natural calamities on the rise in the whole world.

The global warming has happened in the past few years and is evident from the rise in mean temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. The main causes for the global warming are attributed to release of green house gases by human activities. The main gases contributing to green house effect are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide. The largest producers of these gases are the thermal power plants, which burn the fossil fuels and produce these gases in large quantities. The second biggest sources of these green house gases are the road vehicles and industries.

The global warming has led to increase in mean earth surface temperature and thus melting of polar ice. There are frequent melt down of glaciers that result in floods and other natural calamities. The melting of ice at the poles had led the mean sea level. And further increase in temperature may further melt the ice and lead to further increase in mean sea level, which will engulf low lying countries.

The effect of global warming is very evident on the animal kingdom also. Some animals have become extinct due to loss of their natural habitat or their inability to evolve to the rapid changes in the climate. Also there is a change in their life style because of the changes in the seasons. The migrating birds have changed their time of travel and also their place of migration.

The effect of global warming can be felt on seasons too. There is shift in season cycle, as the summers are getting longer than the winters. This has affected the animals and made them to change their lifestyle accordingly, and those who failed to do so have perished or on the verge of extinction.

The global warming is also responsible for the introduction of some new diseases. The bacteria are more effective and multiply much faster in warmer temperatures compared to cold temperatures. The increase in temperature has led to increase in the microbes that cause diseases.

Global warming is also effecting the crop production, as the crops are getting destroyed by the sudden change in temperatures or sudden on set of rains. Also the flash floods and other natural calamities affect the crop.

As a matter of fact, because of global warming, the earth’s atmosphere is getting more unpredictable with heavy rains in the areas, which have scanty rainfall or drought in the areas, which received good annual rainfall. The months of rainfall has also getting affected.

But there are some people on the other side of the wall also, they believe that the global warming is a natural process and cannot disturb our ecosystem. The earth’s surface mean temperature was even higher a long time ago, and the ecosystem has evolved from that temperature to this. So it can evolve further. But the changes that are happening now are rather fast compared to earlier times.

The Most Polluted Cities in the World

In both the United States and Western Europe, the effects of pollution on human health have declined dramatically in the last half-century. Widespread industrial pollution persists, however, in many regions of the world. More than a million people still die each year from urban air pollution and lead poisoning, and over 80 percent of all diseases recorded by the World Health Organization are wholly or partially attributable to environmental factors (WHO 2006).

Earlier this month, the Blacksmith Institute's Polluted Places Initiative released an unranked list of the 10 most polluted cities in the world. More than 400 cities were nominated and evaluated for this dubious honor. The winners are not ranked, but are presented below, alphabetically by country.

These ten winners, along with 20 honorable mentions comprise Blacksmith's "Dirty Thirty." More information about the sites along with a map can be found here. The cities are selected based on criteria that include the toxicity and scale of pollution, the level of human exposure, and the number of people affected. Special consideration is given to sites that disproportionately harm children.

In Dzerzhinsk, Russia, toxic groundwater contamination
has reduced the average life expectancy to 42 for men
and 47 for women.

The Blacksmith Institute uses these rankings to raise awareness about pollution in the developing world and to engage local, national, and international actors to tackle the sources of pollution.

Recycle

Nokia introduces its Old Cell Phone recycling programme in India
Nokia has published a global consumer survey on recycling, having interviewed 6,500 people in 13 countries, and the results are pretty eye-opening with only 3% of us recycling our redundant mobiles.
The survey uncovered that the majority of us (44%) simply keep our old devices lying in drawers at home. A quarter of people are giving their old phones to friends or family, with another 16% selling them, and only 4% chucking them away. The reason for this lack of recycling impetus? Well, globally, half the people don't know you can recycle your old phones, and of those that did know around two thirds did not know how or where to do it.

Nokia's Director of Environmental Affairs, Markus Terho, highlighted this aspect of the survey and the significant eco benefits that could become a reality with more awareness and action:

"Many people are simply unaware that these old and unused mobiles lying around in drawers can be recycled or how to do this. Nokia is working hard to make it easier, providing more information and expanding our global take-back programs... If each of the three billion people globally owning mobiles brought back just one unused device we could save 240,000 tonnes of raw materials and reduce greenhouse gases to the same effect as taking 4 million cars off the road. By working together, small individual actions could add up to make a big difference."He went on to explain:

"Using the best recycling technology nothing is wasted. Between 65 – 80 per cent of a Nokia device can be recycled. Plastics that can't be recycled are burnt to provide energy for the recycling process, and other materials are ground up into chips and used as construction materials or for building roads. In this way nothing has to go to landfill.

"Sure, the biggest challenge is actually getting people to recycle their old devices. But, as well as shock methods such as this survey, most awareness and inspiration comes from us telling our friends and family about it, and actually leading by example. No doubt it takes a little effort, but the benefits are massive with a collective effort.Nokia has over 5,000 recycle points worldwide spawned as a result of its recently launched We Recycle initiative.

*Find your nearest recycling point in India,by clicking on the link below....

http://www.nokia.co.in/carecenter