Impact of Global Climate Emergency

Let us start with David Frederick Attenborough, who is an English BBC broadcaster and natural historian. In 2019, he also received Landscape Institute Medal for Lifetime Achievement and Landscape Institute Honorary Fellow (HonFLI). He mentioned about the global climate impact as follows:

“It may sound frightening, but the scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade, we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies”.

--- Attenborough, Our Planet

Scientific experts and researchers are under monitoring and providing the global climate context to the crisis, including:

Dr. James Hansen, NASA Goddard Institute for Science Studies
Professor Naomi Oreskes, Harvard University
Richard Black, UK Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit
Sunita Narain, India’s Centre for Science and Environment
Professor Michael Mann, Penn State University
Professor Andrew Shepherd, University of Leeds
Greta Thunberg, Climate advocate and Nobel Peace Prize nominee

Global climate observations are based on the water and ice mass effect and redistribution in our planet (Earth) system at periodically or monthly to decadal time. The interval scales are an complicated one for understanding the climate system and their related issues specifically, Earth’s energy storage, land surface water-storage, ocean heat content, and ice-sheet response to global warming. We must to take an account of both the ocean and atmosphere sides for the climate assessment [1].

The GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission was initiated on 17^th March 2002. The GRACE mission has an collaborative work with the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the German Aerospace Centre in response to past situational studies results, and future directions. In GRACE, the major objective was to the monthly assessment of the global gravity field to track the present mass changes in the cryosphere, hydrosphere, and oceans. It helps to understand the complicated and realizing the complex interactions and transitions involved in today’s climate changes. With the supportive and successful intimation of the GRACE mission, they achieved a multi-decadal result of mass changes in our Earth system [2]. This mission provided an actual and unique variable to the Earth observations - the mission’s (legacy of a 15-year) record of mass changes or transport in the global climate effect will serve as an important baseline for future directions.

We all live in an alert of time about our “Climate Emergency” and alternatively “to stop the violence against the atmosphere” for our safest next generations [1]. The climate emergency in global demands profound and identified historical changes in our civilization. In some cases, we are responsible for pouring greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere and also the reason for exceeding the regenerative natural duty of the earth’s resources and eco-systems.

Based on NASA 2019 report on global warming, its shows that 17 of the 18 hottest years ever reported in the pervious 136 years were during 2001–2018. Annual report of GtCO₂ (Gigatonnes of carbon dioxide) emissions was in 2000 (less than 25 GtCO₂), during 2012-2018(over 35 GtCO₂) and increased an high level of GtCO₂ in 2017–2018 [2].

In this pandemic situation (since March 2020) announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – Corona Virus 2 or SARS-CoV-2), the virus effect have spread over from China, Europe countries, the United States and Asian countries. From 5^th July 2020, increasing trends of COVID-19 is identified in worldwide (188 countires), it is affecting human lifestyle, traveler and workers for their normal schedule due to unprecedented forced and heavy restricitions. Another side, both GHG emission and quality of air pollutants were changed to reduced. Recently, mobile apps of Google and Apple software were also helpful to monitor our environmental issues and climate scenarios from April 2020. These effects of emission changes are the reason for the resultant global changes in temperature effect [3].

Figure 1. Effects of the globe in different situations via cooling and warming.

Enhancement of the global care and response, due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic situation has led to an accidental reduction of both air quality and GHG emissions and other pollutants [4]. They identified and estimated the global emission reductions for ten species in the period of February to June 2020 using national mobility data.

In the case of NO_x emissions noted in April (by as much as 30%) and in the case of global SO₂ emissions (by ~20% reduction). As per the above changes in emissions, the cooling trend and warming effect happened in our earth [5]. Global warming conditions causes climate change, which exposes a impact of threat to lifetime on earth attention in widespread flooding and very temperature or extreme weather. As per Scientific reports, experts are also continous monitor to study global warming and their impact on Earth. The experts identified that the direct reason for the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the cooling conditions around (0.01 ± 0.005 °C by 2030). In contrast situation that happened in 2050, the experts view green stimulus and lowering in fossil fuel utilization, it is the possible one to avoid next generation warming of 0.3 °C.

Our SNB team recommended this research article to enrich our viewer’s knowledge to understand about the climate emergency and its effect on the global environmental. The experts expressed the assessment via different pathway scenarios (1. Baseline, 2. Two-year blip, 3. Fossil-fuelled recovery, 4. Moderate green stimulus, and 5. Strong green stimulus) and their description notes. Due to the variation in cooling and warming trends from short time lived pollutants, the 2020–2030 climate concept response to the different pathways remains uncertain but it is most probably an negligible one, whatever pathway the recovery takes. The experts announced the different types of pathway approach in the upcoming decades to handle climate change as precautionary activity. Companies such as Apple, and Google big data providers are engaged and encouraged to provide the continuous data offerings for environmental support in ecofriendly scenarios.

References:

M. Amen, et al., Globalizations, 5, 49–52, (2008).
B. Gills, J. Morgan, Globalizations, 17, 885–902, (2020).
P. M. Forster, et al., Nat. Clim. Change 10, 913–919, (2020).
C. Le Quéré, et al., Nat. Clim. Change 10, 647–653 (2020).
T. Le, et al. Science (2020) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb7431.

Blog Written By

Dr. K. Rajkumar

Central University of Tamil Nadu

Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India

Author Profile

Editors

Dr. A. S. Ganeshraja

Dr. S. Chandrasekar

Reviewers

Dr. Y. Sasikumar

Dr. S. Thirumurugan

Dr. K. Vaithinathan

Comments

PROSPECTS ON PHOTOBIOREFINERY

Very recently, Prof. Dr. K. Faungnawakij and his research group have summarized a mini review report on an emerging renewable technique of Photobiorefinery . This is one of the beyond technique of Artificial Photosynthesis (AP) [1] . Despite great promises, AP technologies for solar H2 production and CO2 reduction are far uncompetitive to other promising technologies at the current stage . However, despite an enormous effort, time, and budget paid on AP-related researches throughout several decades, AP technologies have struggled to strive beyond laboratory demonstration except a very few exceptions [2] . This bitter reality makes the translation of this excellent science to practical application questionable [3] . Technoeconomic analysis shows that without achieving the aggressive technology targets, this technology will not be commercially viable. This has directed the research community towards the development of highly efficient yet expensive devices. While tremendous p...

Impact on Climate and Land Use Changes Around Ganga River

In India, Ganga is the largest river and also famous spiritual river, in meantime pollution issue in Ganga river is considered to be one of the most discussed topics on river water quality in the past decades . The river gets s everely polluted with untreated industrial and human wastes, and the river crossed around 11 states in India and provides water for about 40% of India's population, approximately 500 million people, we couldn’t find more than any other river in the world [ 1, 2 ]. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has mentioned that 764 grossly polluting industries were discharging into the Ganga river, 487 industries are from the Kanpur region. Therefore, the Kanpur region was treated as the main polluted spot and immediate action should be taken for further recovery of water quality. The Kanpur region is one of the most important industrialized place in India. It is the most polluted stretch of the Ganga River, because of its excessive pollutant discharge from the i...

Electric Vehicle: Public Health and Climate Benefits

A research team led by Daniel Peters at Northwestern University has investigated that if we introducing electrifying vehicles in the streets of the United States could annually prevent hundreds-to-thousands of premature accidental deaths.This work highlights the potential of a synergistic solution to reduce CO 2 emissions by hundreds to millions of tons annually. The estimate of economic damages induced by introducing electrifying vehicles (EV) adoption is substantial. With current infrastructure, about 25% of electrifying vehicles adoption in the US can save approximately $16.8 billion annually, has been told in the study entitled"Public Health and Climate Benefits and Trade offs of U.S. Vehicle Electrification," in GeoHealth on 13 th August 2020 [1] . Vehicle electrification in the United States could prevent hundreds to thousands of premature deaths annually while reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of millions of tons. This highlights the potential of co-beneficial...

RENEWABLE ENERGY'S ROLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL CLEEN-UP PROCESS

Human activity is overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other global warming emissions. These gases act like a blanket, trapping heat. The result is a web of significant and harmful impacts, from stronger, more frequent storms, to drought, sea level rise, and extinction. Most of global warming emissions come from our electricity sector. Most of those emissions come from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas . Sulfur dioxide (SO2) , which cause acid rain, comes from electricity generation. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) , which react with sunlight to create ground level ozone and smog, come from electricity generation. Ozone (O3) occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere where it is beneficial. Particulate matter is a type of air pollution more commonly referred to as soot. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. Mercury is a highly toxic metal that is released from coal-fired power plants. In contra...

Innovations of Integrated Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the study of methods to imitate intelligent human behavior. AI is widely heralded as an ongoing “revolution” transforming science and society altogether [ 1 , 2 ]. While approaches to AI such as machine learning, deep learning and artificial neural networks are reshaping data processing and analysis [ 3 ], healthcare, transportation and the production chain [ 4 ]. Figure 1. Integrated concept of artificial intelligence. AI Ethics Guidelines National and international organizations (European Commission, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UK House of Lords, Singapore Commission) have responded to these concerns by developing ad hoc expert committees on AI, often mandated to draft policy documents in various countries. In 2018 alone, companies such as Google and SAP publicly released AI guidelines and principles. The advisory council on the ethical use of AI scientific team have announced that results reveal a global co...

Scientific Research Focus on “To End Hunger”

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO UN), Hunger Report, Ending hunger is a major objective of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), hunger is the term used to define periods when populations are experiencing severe food insecurity - means that they go for entire days without eating due to lack of money, lack of access to food, or other resources [ 1 ]. Hunger is strongly interconnected with poverty, and it involves interactions among an array of social, political, demographic, and societal factors. An attention is must in the following topics to put an end card for poor hunger: Global Hunger Index (GHI). World Food Program’s 2020. Global Report on Food Crises. Smallholder-farming. Ceres2030. The two main international institutions are the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) , joined forces to estimate what it would cost to ...

Electro-Organic Synthesis: Next Emerging Technique

Industrial developments, excessive energy consumption, sustainable technologies, environmental cleaning processes are major topics of political and social discourse. Current innovations are rated not only focusing on their benefit and utility but also concerning their eco-friendly approaches. The development of green technological processes is becoming more important and requires harmless energy sources. Particularly over the past decade, the severe limitations of fossil resources intensify the movement towards sustainable synthesis techniques with a strict cutback in the ecological footprint [ 1 ]. Electro-organic synthesis belongs to the synthetic organic chemistry discipline that facilities the direct use of electricity to generate valuable compounds. Hence, it is possible to transfer green aspects of sustainable energy sources to the whole production process [ 2 ]. Since the Kolbe’s discoveries of using electricity as a reagent for organic transformations over 170 years ago, ...

Novel Approach of Plastic Waste to Flash Graphene

Prof. Algozeeb and his research collaboration team have investigated an novel approach of upcycling plastic waste (PW) products to flash graphene (FG). This method relies on Flash Joule Heating (FJH) to convert PW into FG. A sequential direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) flash is used in order to make a high-quality graphene. In this FJH process, they established without catalyst and works for PW mixtures that can make the process suitable for handling landfill PW. In 21 st century, PW pollution is considerable one among the various environmental issues. A very large fraction of PW ends up in the ocean, which leads to the formation of micro- and nanoplastics that threaten marine life, micro-organisms, useful bacteria, and humans. From the intense carbon footprint process, most of these synthesized plastics are used only once before dumping into landfills or water ways that terminate in the oceans. Hence, upcycling PW to higher value materials and chemicals is econ...

Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles as Designing Caps

Plasmonic nanomaterials have attracted significant interest because of its wide variety of applications such as sensing, energy conversion, photothermal therapy etc. Among the various plasmonic inorganic metals (Ag, Cu, Al, and Au) Au shows the excellent biocompatibility, chemical stability, and rich surface functionality. It can be seen that some new approaches have include the construction of metal shells on dielectric nanoparticles, and the control of island growth on nanoparticles and nanorods over the design of narrow gaps via nanoplates or nanoshells. Also, the conventional modulation of plasmonics via the control of shape, size and the aspect ratio of nanomaterials. The structural control have also arises from the active surface growth. As a result, the dynamic competition between ligand absorption and metal deposition occurs [ 1 ]. The properties of plasmonic nanostructures are highly dependent on its surface morphology, however, there are a very few methods for a...

Detection and Diagnosis: Heavy Toxic Metals

Prof. Youzhi Li, from Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China and his research team have recently published, “Total concentrations and sources of heavy metal pollution in global river and lake water bodies from 1972 to 2017”. They discussed on heavy metals like lead (Pb) cause a severe threat to living beings because of its toxicity and bioaccumulation. Heavy metals like lead (Pb) cause a severe threat to living beings because of its toxicity and bioaccumulation. Amongst the heavy metals, lead (Pb) is the well-known one for its historical use in paints, petrol, and fuse joints in water pipes. Though the tradition of using Pb has been considerably decreased in recent years, Pb in drinking water still remains to be a problem for many societies around the world [ 1 ]. Hence, it is one of the supreme importance to monitor the levels of Pb in drinking water, so that contamination can be promptly identified and moderated. The World Health Organization (WHO) mentions a guideline l...

Search This Blog