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Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the thin layer of gases that envelops Earth. The atmosphere is composed of gas molecules held close to Earth's surface by a balance between gravitation and thermal movement of air molecules (90% of the weight of the atmosphere is in the first 12 km above the surface of the Earth).
Atmosphere Composition
Major gases in the atmosphere are nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (0.9%), and carbon dioxide (0.03%). The atmosphere also contains trace amounts of numerous elements and compounds, including methane, ozone, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, hydrocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and various particulates or aerosols (small particles). Water vapor is also present in the lower few kilometers of atmosphere.
Atmospheric Processes
Atmospheric pressure is the weight of overlying atmosphere (air) per unit area; it decreases as altitude increases because there is less weight from overlying air. At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 10 N/m2 (newtons per square meter), which is equivalent to 14.7 lb/in2. Water vapor: In the lower atmosphere, water vapor content varies from approximately 1% to 4% by volume. The amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere at a particular location depends on many factors Saturation point or dew point: When air holds the maximum amount of water at a given conditions. Relative humidity is a measure of how close the air is to saturation.
Ozone in Nature
Ozone is an important natural component of the stratosphere. Ozone is concentrated in a layer 12-16 miles (20-25 km) above sea level. It is formed when high-energy ultraviolet radiation splits normal oxygen (O2).
Chlorofluorocarbons
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were developed in the 1920s as a new class of chemicals that were safe, non-flammable, stable, and nonreactive. These chemicals were very useful for industry. The CFCs were considered ideal for
Refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment Nontoxic propellants for aerosol cans Blowing agents for plastic foams Solvents and cleaning agents in the electronics industry
The current situation is that the ozone depletion problem will continue to get worse for decades to come because of the long atmospheric lifetime of CFCs that have already been produced and emitted.
Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is caused by atmospheric water and trace gases that reduce the rate at which Earth gives off infrared radiation. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the average global temperature would be about 1.4 F (-17 C). In recent Earth history, a relatively steadystate balance has maintained an average global temperature of 59 F (15 C).
Greenhouse Effect
(a) Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere allow in energy from the sun.
(b) Greenhouse gases trap or reflect lower-energy infrared radiation (heat) from the Earth's surface.
Greenhouse Gases
Carbon dioxide is responsible for about 50% to 70% of the current abnormal global warming. Other greenhouse gases that play a significant role are;
CFCs Methane Nitrogen oxide
While the other greenhouse gases are present in much smaller amounts than CO2, they are more effective in trapping the Earths heat radiation.
Carbon Emissions
The major increase in atmospheric CO2 is from the burning of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and gas.
Additional CO2 is emitted through deforestation, both through the burning and decay of wood, and the loss of trees, which can remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere.
At the present time, the Earth is heating up more than ten times faster than it did at the end of the last Ice Age.
Agricultural Failure
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) claims climate change as one of the causes of food insecurity.
Regional temperature rises at high northern latitudes and in the center of some continents; Increased heat stress to crop and livestock; e.g. higher night-time temperatures, which could adversely affect grain formation and other aspects of crop development; Possible decline in precipitation in some foodinsecure areas such as southern Africa and the northern region of Latin America;
Extreme Weather
Increasing weather catastrophes Tropical cyclones also increase because of global warming Increasing number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes is directly linked to increasing temperatures
What type of storm is this?
Energy types
Non-renewable :
Renewable :
Climate variability and extreme weather events: Loss of life, shelter, food, water, sanitation, water born diseases, etc. Natural disasters: Flood, Drought Vector-borne infectious diseases: Malaria, dengue, dengue haemorrhagic fever Food security Water quality and quantity Heat stress and air pollution Social disruption: The IPCC noted that "the greatest effect of climate change may be on human migration as millions of people will be displaced due to shoreline erosion, coastal flooding and agricultural disruption."
Climate variability and extreme weather events Rainfall events triggering mosquito-borne disease outbreaks; Rainfall events triggering a flood disaster; Rainfall events triggering contamination of the water supply with human or animal waste; Thunderstorms and high humidity leading to shortterm increases in hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; Heat-waves leading to heatrelated illness and death.
Adaptation
Disaster preparedness and mitigation Weather forecasting, seasonal forecasting and early warning systems Monitoring and Surveillance Control of vector-borne and waterborne diseases National nutrition action plans
Kyoto Protocol
Back Ground
1979 First World Climate Conference - first major international forum to raise the alarm bells. 1987 Montreal Protocol was the beginning of a successful phase-out of ozone depleting chemicals, primarily CFCs, which are also greenhouse gases. 1988 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change established 1990, the IPCC released its report giving scientific evidence of climate change, and the UN General Assembly approved the start of treaty negotiations to deal with the problem of climate change. 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the parent treaty of the Kyoto Protocol. It was signed by 169 countries. 1995 First session of COP COP Conference of parties - Parties refers to Convention signatories 1997 Third session of COP in KyotoKyoto Protocol
Three requirements
The objectives should be achieved early enough to allow ecosystem to adapt naturally to changing climate Food production should not be threatened Effort to minimize greenhouse gases (GHG) and climate change should be consistent with sustainable economic growth.
Six GHG
The targets cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gases, namely:
Carbon dioxide (CO2); Methane (CH4); Nitrous oxide (N2O); Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)