Global warming and landslides
Saturday, 7 July 2007
ATM Abdul Wahab
LANDSLIDES in Chittagong on the night of June 10-11, 2007 once again proved the severe effect of global warming. During the twenty four hours, rainfall was 267 mm highest in 25 years. Torrential rains sparked a series of devastating landslides in Chittagong, plunging Chittanging city into chaos, with power supplies snapped, the port and air port closed and killing 126 human souls and destruction of properties costing a huge amount of money. Hills came crushing down after overnight rain, mud and debris buried the houses including their occupants while they slept giving no chance to escape.
Global warming means increase in temperature of the earth's atmosphere caused by the greenhouse gases ( carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide).The main cause of global warming is the sun, and the heat and light it sends to earth. Global warming or climate change is causing wild temperature swings and a dramatic rise in storms, heat waves, excessive rainfall and other extreme weather effects. It has brought catastrophe to millions, killing an estimated 150,000 people around the world each year.
The earth's atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing much of the sun's solar radiation to travel through unimpeded, but trapping a lot of the reflected heat trying to escape back to space. This process raises the temperature just as it does in a greenhouse. The atmosphere is simply the layer of gases that surround the planet like a blanket which make up protective layer with right type of gas like ozone etc., which support life on earth.
Since industrialisation began, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) - in particular carbon dioxide - have significantly increased, primarily due to increase burning of fossils fuels. As a result, heat has been trapped in the atmosphere and earth's global surface temperature has begun to rise, reaching its highest level for 140 years. The temperature of the earth has risen 1.1°F during the last century.
The greenhouse effect is the problem of the gradual rise in temperature of the earth atmosphere, caused by an increase of greenhouse gases in the air surrounding the earth, which trap the heat of the sun. The burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal creating heat trapping carbon dioxide is the main cause of greenhouse effect or global warming. eighty per cent of world's energy comes from oil, gas and coal. The use of fossil fuels is responsible for as much as 85 per cent of the carbon dioxide that has been added to our atmosphere.
Though energy from oil, gas and coal has fuelled the human race's rapid march towards progress from poverty, but its effects have huge impact on human, animals and plant life and on entire ecosystem.
A car releases five tonnes of carbon dioxide out of its exhaust every year. There are 542 million cars world-wide. There are million trucks and other transports. There are hundred thousands power plants, airplanes, tens of millions of offices and billion of homes, all adding to the amount of fossils fuels being burnt to produce energy. Grant total of all these is 23 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
CFC and Ozone layer: Ozone is a gas that exists in our atmosphere, mostly in the stratosphere, which is 30 miles above the surface which forms a natural layer in the stratosphere that actually does a great deal of good. The ozone layer screens out much of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This radiation is extremely dangerous to us, causing skin cancer, weakening immune system and affecting eyesight and causing serious harm to animals and plants.
In 1970, the scientists discovered that there was depletion of ozone layer in Antarctic. Ozone experts soon discovered the cause. The hole in the ozone layer was due to man-made chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), a gas we had been using in increasing amount in refrigerators, air conditioners, and as propellants in aerosol spray cans. The Arctic was also affected. The hole in the ozone layer allows ultraviolet rays to enter earth surface and cause skin and other diseases. Its contribution to global warming is very little.
Deforestation: Plants and trees are the perfect anti-warming antidote. Every tree, shrub, bush or vine around our home directly helps in the fight against climate change. The plants soak up carbon dioxide - the very thing that's causing global warming. The average tree soaks up a tonne of carbon over its life, reversing some of the damage done by our cars, homes, offices and factories. Deforestation, that is, cutting of trees and plants taking place in large scale for use as timber, industrial raw materials and fire woods; for creating agricultural lands and house stead. Deforestation is also a cause for global warming.
Effect of Global warming: There is no longer any doubt about global warming. The global warming was having major impacts on the polar icecaps. Warmer weather throughout the year was melting the Arctic and Antarctic's massive ice sheets at a rapid rate. Glaciers and avalanche on the mountains tops are also melting. According to recent report on climate change, the sea ice around the North and the South Pole has now thinned out by as much as 40 per cent in recent decades. As a result, sea level is rising inundating coastal area of the countries and island countries and flooding many areas of the world. Around the world, 70 per cent of all sandy coastlines have been in retreat as the waters rises. Bangladesh, California, Florida, Western Europe are experiencing encroachment of the ocean as it eats into the country's coasts. Bangladesh may lose 17 per cent of its entire territory to the ocean's advance in the coming years. Global warming is causing droughts, heat waves, wildfires, famines, new diseases, intense rain storms, floods, food shortages, financial disaster and other extreme events. It is disrupting entire habitants and ecosystems, as well as the plants and animals including the humans. It is predicted that by the end of the century, a further rise of as much as 37 inches, or three feet may occur as snow- and ice- loss continues and the seas become warmer.
The global warming or climate change is altering our world. Plant life and trees are changing, seasons are shifting and entire habitants are being transformed, in some cases beyond all recognition. The changes are taking place to our forests, grasslands, coasts, oceans, deserts, mountains and animal population. The rapid change of climates may set in chain of events. There is prediction that over a million species could become extinct from the earth.
Global warming will cause some unusual changes to the agricultural sector. Some region grain yield will fall due to drought and some region due to higher temperature grain yield will increase.
Landslides and rainfall: As the temperature of the earth is increasing its power to evaporate water from the ocean, seas, lakes, and other water bodies to water vapour have also increased allowing and forming more clouds in the sky resulting increased rainfall. Excessive rainfall accompanied by the effect of hill-cutting in Chittagong caused the devastating landslides.
Cutting of the hills with more than 30% slope loses the cohesiveness and failed to hold the hills body as single mass when disturbed by heavy rain. Indiscriminate hill cutting during the last decades has led to the disappearance of over hundred hills and partial destruction of another hundred in Chittagong city causing environmental hazards and affecting ecosystem. Industrialised countries are the main culprit burning fossil fuels beyond their permissible limitation releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gases, creating man-made disaster. They must be charged for creating human calamities and compensate for such tragedies. Whereas Sunderban rain forest which has been recognised as world heritage is soaking billion tons of carbon dioxide gas every year lessening the global warming effect. Bangladesh is not interfering with the nature rather reducing the harmful greenhouse effect. Bangladesh is power hungry, industrialised polluter countries must compensate by providing us pollution free power plants- nuclear power plants.
Combat Global Warming: Climate change is a global problem. It respects no countries boundaries or sovereignty. It needs no permission to cross from nation to nation. It has to be combated globally. There was the international response in the UN to protect the global climate for present and future generations. Framework Convention on Climate Change was established by the UN in 1991. In May 1992, the new climate change convention was presented at Rio Earth Summit. The aim of the convention was to stabilise the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent our fossil fuel use from becoming a dangerous interference with the climate system.
The countries joining the treaty must promise to develop precise polices to combat climate change, to cooperage on developing and sharing technologies such as wind or solar power, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to collaborate in adapting to the changes brought on climate change. Every country that is party to the treaty is also obliged to report on greenhouse emission and to promote educational activities and raise public awareness.
The Kyoto Protocol in 1997 is another milestone to cut carbon emission in the atmosphere. The deal committed industrialised countries to cut their emission of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases by five per cent between 1900 and 2012 - an ambitious target. The deal was to cut emission of greenhouse gas to certain limit and. emission trading of carbon dioxide as "Clean Development Mechanism" (CDM) between the rich industrialised polluters and poor or least developed countries (LDCc) when are cutting the greenhouse effect.
Hydro-electric power plants and nuclear power plants produce no emission can be put into operation to combat global warming.
The climate change is already with us, the looming catastrophe can be averted if we act now, and act together for a safer world for future generations.
The fact is that global warming does exist. It can not be totally refuted. Only thing we can put effort to cut or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by combined efforts of the nations around the world.
The writer is also a mechanical engineer
LANDSLIDES in Chittagong on the night of June 10-11, 2007 once again proved the severe effect of global warming. During the twenty four hours, rainfall was 267 mm highest in 25 years. Torrential rains sparked a series of devastating landslides in Chittagong, plunging Chittanging city into chaos, with power supplies snapped, the port and air port closed and killing 126 human souls and destruction of properties costing a huge amount of money. Hills came crushing down after overnight rain, mud and debris buried the houses including their occupants while they slept giving no chance to escape.
Global warming means increase in temperature of the earth's atmosphere caused by the greenhouse gases ( carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide).The main cause of global warming is the sun, and the heat and light it sends to earth. Global warming or climate change is causing wild temperature swings and a dramatic rise in storms, heat waves, excessive rainfall and other extreme weather effects. It has brought catastrophe to millions, killing an estimated 150,000 people around the world each year.
The earth's atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing much of the sun's solar radiation to travel through unimpeded, but trapping a lot of the reflected heat trying to escape back to space. This process raises the temperature just as it does in a greenhouse. The atmosphere is simply the layer of gases that surround the planet like a blanket which make up protective layer with right type of gas like ozone etc., which support life on earth.
Since industrialisation began, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) - in particular carbon dioxide - have significantly increased, primarily due to increase burning of fossils fuels. As a result, heat has been trapped in the atmosphere and earth's global surface temperature has begun to rise, reaching its highest level for 140 years. The temperature of the earth has risen 1.1°F during the last century.
The greenhouse effect is the problem of the gradual rise in temperature of the earth atmosphere, caused by an increase of greenhouse gases in the air surrounding the earth, which trap the heat of the sun. The burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal creating heat trapping carbon dioxide is the main cause of greenhouse effect or global warming. eighty per cent of world's energy comes from oil, gas and coal. The use of fossil fuels is responsible for as much as 85 per cent of the carbon dioxide that has been added to our atmosphere.
Though energy from oil, gas and coal has fuelled the human race's rapid march towards progress from poverty, but its effects have huge impact on human, animals and plant life and on entire ecosystem.
A car releases five tonnes of carbon dioxide out of its exhaust every year. There are 542 million cars world-wide. There are million trucks and other transports. There are hundred thousands power plants, airplanes, tens of millions of offices and billion of homes, all adding to the amount of fossils fuels being burnt to produce energy. Grant total of all these is 23 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
CFC and Ozone layer: Ozone is a gas that exists in our atmosphere, mostly in the stratosphere, which is 30 miles above the surface which forms a natural layer in the stratosphere that actually does a great deal of good. The ozone layer screens out much of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This radiation is extremely dangerous to us, causing skin cancer, weakening immune system and affecting eyesight and causing serious harm to animals and plants.
In 1970, the scientists discovered that there was depletion of ozone layer in Antarctic. Ozone experts soon discovered the cause. The hole in the ozone layer was due to man-made chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), a gas we had been using in increasing amount in refrigerators, air conditioners, and as propellants in aerosol spray cans. The Arctic was also affected. The hole in the ozone layer allows ultraviolet rays to enter earth surface and cause skin and other diseases. Its contribution to global warming is very little.
Deforestation: Plants and trees are the perfect anti-warming antidote. Every tree, shrub, bush or vine around our home directly helps in the fight against climate change. The plants soak up carbon dioxide - the very thing that's causing global warming. The average tree soaks up a tonne of carbon over its life, reversing some of the damage done by our cars, homes, offices and factories. Deforestation, that is, cutting of trees and plants taking place in large scale for use as timber, industrial raw materials and fire woods; for creating agricultural lands and house stead. Deforestation is also a cause for global warming.
Effect of Global warming: There is no longer any doubt about global warming. The global warming was having major impacts on the polar icecaps. Warmer weather throughout the year was melting the Arctic and Antarctic's massive ice sheets at a rapid rate. Glaciers and avalanche on the mountains tops are also melting. According to recent report on climate change, the sea ice around the North and the South Pole has now thinned out by as much as 40 per cent in recent decades. As a result, sea level is rising inundating coastal area of the countries and island countries and flooding many areas of the world. Around the world, 70 per cent of all sandy coastlines have been in retreat as the waters rises. Bangladesh, California, Florida, Western Europe are experiencing encroachment of the ocean as it eats into the country's coasts. Bangladesh may lose 17 per cent of its entire territory to the ocean's advance in the coming years. Global warming is causing droughts, heat waves, wildfires, famines, new diseases, intense rain storms, floods, food shortages, financial disaster and other extreme events. It is disrupting entire habitants and ecosystems, as well as the plants and animals including the humans. It is predicted that by the end of the century, a further rise of as much as 37 inches, or three feet may occur as snow- and ice- loss continues and the seas become warmer.
The global warming or climate change is altering our world. Plant life and trees are changing, seasons are shifting and entire habitants are being transformed, in some cases beyond all recognition. The changes are taking place to our forests, grasslands, coasts, oceans, deserts, mountains and animal population. The rapid change of climates may set in chain of events. There is prediction that over a million species could become extinct from the earth.
Global warming will cause some unusual changes to the agricultural sector. Some region grain yield will fall due to drought and some region due to higher temperature grain yield will increase.
Landslides and rainfall: As the temperature of the earth is increasing its power to evaporate water from the ocean, seas, lakes, and other water bodies to water vapour have also increased allowing and forming more clouds in the sky resulting increased rainfall. Excessive rainfall accompanied by the effect of hill-cutting in Chittagong caused the devastating landslides.
Cutting of the hills with more than 30% slope loses the cohesiveness and failed to hold the hills body as single mass when disturbed by heavy rain. Indiscriminate hill cutting during the last decades has led to the disappearance of over hundred hills and partial destruction of another hundred in Chittagong city causing environmental hazards and affecting ecosystem. Industrialised countries are the main culprit burning fossil fuels beyond their permissible limitation releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gases, creating man-made disaster. They must be charged for creating human calamities and compensate for such tragedies. Whereas Sunderban rain forest which has been recognised as world heritage is soaking billion tons of carbon dioxide gas every year lessening the global warming effect. Bangladesh is not interfering with the nature rather reducing the harmful greenhouse effect. Bangladesh is power hungry, industrialised polluter countries must compensate by providing us pollution free power plants- nuclear power plants.
Combat Global Warming: Climate change is a global problem. It respects no countries boundaries or sovereignty. It needs no permission to cross from nation to nation. It has to be combated globally. There was the international response in the UN to protect the global climate for present and future generations. Framework Convention on Climate Change was established by the UN in 1991. In May 1992, the new climate change convention was presented at Rio Earth Summit. The aim of the convention was to stabilise the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent our fossil fuel use from becoming a dangerous interference with the climate system.
The countries joining the treaty must promise to develop precise polices to combat climate change, to cooperage on developing and sharing technologies such as wind or solar power, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to collaborate in adapting to the changes brought on climate change. Every country that is party to the treaty is also obliged to report on greenhouse emission and to promote educational activities and raise public awareness.
The Kyoto Protocol in 1997 is another milestone to cut carbon emission in the atmosphere. The deal committed industrialised countries to cut their emission of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases by five per cent between 1900 and 2012 - an ambitious target. The deal was to cut emission of greenhouse gas to certain limit and. emission trading of carbon dioxide as "Clean Development Mechanism" (CDM) between the rich industrialised polluters and poor or least developed countries (LDCc) when are cutting the greenhouse effect.
Hydro-electric power plants and nuclear power plants produce no emission can be put into operation to combat global warming.
The climate change is already with us, the looming catastrophe can be averted if we act now, and act together for a safer world for future generations.
The fact is that global warming does exist. It can not be totally refuted. Only thing we can put effort to cut or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by combined efforts of the nations around the world.
The writer is also a mechanical engineer