Introduction Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late

19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 C (1.4 F), with about twothirds of the increase occurring since 1980. Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These findings are recognized by the national science academies of all major industrialized nations. Climate model projections were summarized in the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They indicated that during the 21st century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 2.9 C (2 to 5.2 F) for their lowest emissions scenario and 2.4 to 6.4 C (4.3 to 11.5 F) for their highest. The ranges of these estimates arise from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations. According to AR4, warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. The effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the amount and pattern of precipitation, as well a probable expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with the continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects of the warming include a more frequent occurrence of extreme-weather events including heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes. Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss of habitat from inundation. Proposed policy responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction, adaptation to its effects, and possible future geoengineering. Most countries are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), whose

ultimate objective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic (i.e., human-induced) climate change. Parties to the UNFCCC have adopted a range of policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to assist in adaptation to global warming. Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed that deep cuts in emissions are required, and that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 C (3.6 F) relative to the pre-industrial level. Reports published in 2011 by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Energy Agency suggest that efforts as of the early 21st century to reduce emissions may be inadequate to meet the UNFCCC's 2 C target.

Causes & Effects

1. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants Our ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity production, and burning coal accounts for 93% of emissions from the electric utility industry [EPA, pg. 10]. Every day, more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply. 2. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation Our modern car culture and appetite for globally sourced goods is responsible for about 33% of emissions in the U.S. [EPA pg. 8] With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and manufacturing. Our consumption is outpacing our

discoveries of ways to mitigate the effects, with no end in sight to our massive consumer culture. 3. Global Warming Cause: Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabeds Methane is another extremely potent greenhouse gas, ranking right behind CO2. When organic matter is broken down by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions (anaerobic decomposition) as in rice paddies, methane is produced. The process also takes place in the intestines of herbivorous animals, and with the increase in the amount of concentrated livestock production, the levels of methane released into the atmosphere is increasing. Another source of methane is methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly. 4. Global Warming Cause: Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland The use of forests for fuel (both wood and for charcoal) is one cause of deforestation, but in the first world, our appetite for wood and paper products, our consumption of livestock grazed on former forest land, and the use of tropical forest lands for commodities like palm oil plantations contributes to the mass deforestation of our world. Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and this deforestation releases large amounts of carbon, as well as reducing the amount of carbon capture on the planet. 5. Global Warming Cause: Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands In the last half of the 20th century, the use of chemical fertilizers (as opposed to the historical use of animal manure) has risen dramatically. The high rate of application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers has effects on the heat storage of cropland (nitrogen oxides have 300 times more heat-trapping capacity per unit of volume than carbon dioxide) and the run-off of excess fertilizers creates dead-zones in our oceans. In addition to these

effects, high nitrate levels in groundwater due to over-fertilization are cause for concern for human health. 6. Global Warming Effect: Rise in sea levels worldwide Scientists predict an increase in sea levels worldwide due to the melting of two massive ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, especially on the East coast of the U.S. However, many nations around the world will experience the effects of rising sea levels, which could displace millions of people. One nation, the Maldives, is already looking for a new home, thanks to rising sea levels. 7. Global Warming Effect: More killer storms The severity of storms such as hurricanes and cyclones is increasing, and research published in Nature found: Scientists have come up with the firmest evidence so far that global warming will significantly increase the intensity of the most extreme storms worldwide. The maximum wind speeds of the strongest tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981, according to research published in Nature this week. And the upward trend, thought to be driven by rising ocean temperatures, is unlikely to stop at any time soon. 8. Global Warming Effect: Massive crop failures According to recent research, there is a 90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose between moving their families to milder climes and going hungry due to climate change within 100 years. Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts." Guardian: Global warming causes 300,000 deaths a year 9. Global Warming Effect: Widespread extinction of species

According to research published in Nature, by 2050, rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species. And because we cant exist without a diverse population of species on Earth, this is scary news for humans. Climate change now represents at least as great a threat to the number of species surviving on Earth as habitat-destruction and modification. Chris Thomas, conservation biologist at the University of Leeds Widespread species loss and lists of endangered species just keep growing. This is a concerning matter on many fronts. 10. Global Warming Effect: Disappearance of coral reefs A report on coral reefs from WWF says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification. The bleaching of corals from small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival. Despite the oceanss immensity 71 per cent of the Earths surface with an average depth of almost 4km (2m) there are indications that it is approaching its tipping point. For reefs, warming waters and acidification are closing in like a pair of jaws that threaten to make them the first global ecosystem to disappear. Times Online: 21stcentury Noahs Ark needed to save coral reefs from extinction Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening.

Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earths poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.

Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adlie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years.

Sea level rise became faster over the last century. Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.

Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average. Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.

Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues.

Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters).

Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active.

Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.

Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.

Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes. Ecosystems will changesome species will move farther north or become more successful; others wont be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier.

Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.

Greenhouse gases The greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet's lower atmosphere and surface. First, sunlight shines onto the Earths surface, where it is absorbed and then radiates back into the atmosphere as heat. In the atmosphere, greenhouse gases trap some of this heat, and the rest escapes into space. The more greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere, the more heat gets trapped. It was proposed by Joseph Fourier in 1824 and was first investigated quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896. Joseph Fourier calculated that the Earth would be much colder if it had no atmosphere. This greenhouse effect is what keeps the Earths climate livable. Without it, the Earths surface would be an average of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. In 1895, the Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius discovered that humans could enhance the greenhouse effect by making carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. He kicked off 100 years of climate research that has given us a sophisticated understanding of global warming. Levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have gone up and down over the Earths history, but they have been fairly constant for the past few thousand years. Global average temperatures have stayed fairly constant over that time as well, until recently. Through the burning of fossil fuels and other GHG emissions, humans are enhancing the greenhouse effect and warming Earth. Scientists often use the term climate change instead of global warming. This is because as the Earths average temperature climbs, winds and ocean currents move heat around the globe in ways that can cool some areas, warm others, and change the amount of rain and snow falling. As a result, the climate changes differently in different areas

Naturally occurring amounts of greenhouse gases have a mean warming effect of about 33 C (59 F).[53][C] The major greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36 70% of the greenhouse effect; carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes 926%; methane (CH4), which causes 49%; and ozone (O3), which causes 37%.[54][55][56] Clouds also affect the radiation balance through cloud forcings similar to greenhouse gases. Human activity since the Industrial Revolution has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to increased radiative forcing from CO2, methane, tropospheric ozone, CFCs and nitrous oxide. The concentrations of CO2 and methane have increased by 36% and 148% respectively since 1750.[57] These levels are much higher than at any time during the last 800,000 years, the period for which reliable data has been extracted from ice cores.[58][59][60][61] Less direct geological evidence indicates that CO2 values higher than this were last seen about 20 million years ago.[62] Fossil fuel burning has produced about three-quarters of the increase in CO2 from human activity over the past 20 years. The rest of this increase is caused mostly by changes in land-use, particularly deforestation.[63] Over the last three decades of the 20th century, gross domestic product per capita and population growth were the main drivers of increases in greenhouse gas emissions.[65] CO2 emissions are continuing to rise due to the burning of fossil fuels and land-use change.[66][67]:71 Emissions can be attributed to different regions, e.g., see the two figures opposite. Attribution of emissions due to land-use change is a controversial issue.[68][69]:289 Emissions scenarios, estimates of changes in future emission levels of greenhouse gases, have been projected that depend upon uncertain economic, sociological, technological, and natural developments.[70] In most scenarios, emissions continue to rise over the century, while in a few, emissions are reduced.[71][72] Fossil fuel reserves are abundant, and will not limit carbon emissions in the 21st century.[73] Emission scenarios, combined with modelling of the carbon cycle, have been used to produce estimates of how atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases might change in the future. Using the six IPCC SRES "marker" scenarios, models suggest that by the year 2100, the atmospheric

concentration of CO2 could range between 541 and 970 ppm.[74] This is an increase of 90 250% above the concentration in the year 1750. The popular media and the public often confuse global warming with ozone depletion, i.e., the destruction of stratospheric ozone by chlorofluorocarbons.[75][76] Although there are a few areas of linkage, the relationship between the two is not strong. Reduced stratospheric ozone has had a slight cooling influence on surface temperatures, while increased tropospheric ozone has had a somewhat larger warming effect.[77] Arent temperature changes natural? The average global temperature and concentrations of carbon dioxide (one of the major greenhouse gases) have fluctuated on a cycle of hundreds of thousands of years as the Earths position relative to the sun has varied. As a result, ice ages have come and gone. However, for thousands of years now, emissions of GHGs to the atmosphere have been balanced out by GHGs that are naturally absorbed. As a result, GHG concentrations and temperature have been fairly stable. This stability has allowed human civilization to develop within a consistent climate. Occasionally, other factors briefly influence global temperatures. Volcanic eruptions, for example, emit particles that temporarily cool the Earths surface. But these have no lasting effect beyond a few years. Other cycles, such as El Nio, also work on fairly short and predictable cycles. Now, humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a third since the industrial revolution. Changes this large have historically taken thousands of years, but are now happening over the course of decades. Why is this a concern? The rapid rise in greenhouse gases is a problem because it is changing the climate faster than some living things may be able to adapt. Also, a new and more unpredictable climate poses unique challenges to all life.

Historically, Earths climate has regularly shifted back and forth between temperatures like those we see today and temperatures cold enough that large sheets of ice covered much of North America and Europe. The difference between average global temperatures today and during those ice ages is only about 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit), and these swings happen slowly, over hundreds of thousands of years. Now, with concentrations of greenhouse gases rising, Earths remaining ice sheets (such as Greenland and Antarctica) are starting to melt too. The extra water could potentially raise sea levels significantly. As the mercury rises, the climate can change in unexpected ways. In addition to sea levels rising, weather can become more extreme. This means more intense major storms, more rain followed by longer and drier droughts (a challenge for growing crops), changes in the ranges in which plants and animals can live, and loss of water supplies that have historically come from glaciers. Scientists are already seeing some of these changes occurring more quickly than they had expected. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, eleven of the twelve hottest years since thermometer readings became available occurred between 1995 and 2006. Preventive Measures It is the need of the hour to prevent global warming but its not very easy as sincere and conscious efforts of everyone can curb global warming. The steps that needed to be taken and measures that needed to be followed to prevent global warming are highlighted as follows: 1. The dependence on fossil fuels should be reduced as much as possible as it is primary reason for global warming. This can be done in several ways like traveling through public transport and to cover shorter distance prefer walking or biking.

2. Energy efficient products should be purchased like motorcycles or cars that gives more mileage should be purchased and use incandescent light instead of fluorescent lamps as it consumes 75% energy less than incandescent light . 3. Products that can be recycled should be used more as it can reduce in-disposable wastes which causes global warming. Recycling used products consumes up to 60% less energy compared with producing new products with raw materials. 4. Trees should be planted in our surroundings wherever vacant lands are available as it is one of the best way to combat global warming as trees absorb carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen. 5. Electricity should be saved as much as possible by switching off the electrical appliances when not in use & water should also be conserved as a lot amount of energy is required to process fresh water. 6. Last of all social awareness about global warming should be spread among people and harmful effects and prevention measures should be explained to everyone. Solutions What Can We Do? The evidence that humans are causing global warming is strong, but the question of what to do about it remains controversial. Economics, sociology, and politics are all important factors in planning for the future. Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) today, the Earth would still warm by another degree Fahrenheit or so. But what we do from today forward makes a big difference. Depending on our choices, scientists predict that the Earth could eventually warm by as little as 2.5 degrees or as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. A commonly cited goal is to stabilize GHG concentrations around 450-550 parts per million (ppm), or about twice pre-industrial levels. This is the point at which many

believe the most damaging impacts of climate change can be avoided. Current concentrations are about 380 ppm, which means there isnt much time to lose. According to the IPCC, wed have to reduce GHG emissions by 50% to 80% of what theyre on track to be in the next century to reach this level. Is this possible? Many people and governments are already working hard to cut greenhouse gases, and everyone can help. Researchers Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow at Princeton University have suggested one approach that they call stabilization wedges. This means reducing GHG emissions from a variety of sources with technologies available in the next few decades, rather than relying on an enormous change in a single area. They suggest 7 wedges that could each reduce emissions, and all of them together could hold emissions at approximately current levels for the next 50 years, putting us on a potential path to stabilize around 500 ppm. There are many possible wedges, including improvements to energy efficiency and vehicle fuel economy (so less energy has to be produced), and increases in wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, biofuels (produced from crops), natural gas, and nuclear power. There is also the potential to capture the carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuels and store it undergrounda process called carbon sequestration. In addition to reducing the gases we emit to the atmosphere, we can also increase the amount of gases we take out of the atmosphere. Plants and trees absorb CO2 as they grow, sequestering carbon naturally. Increasing forestlands and making changes to the way we farm could increase the amount of carbon were storing. Some of these technologies have drawbacks, and different communities will make different decisions about how to power their lives, but the good news is that there are a variety of options to put us on a path toward a stable climate.

Technologies to fix the problem Plans are currently under way to avert the effects of global warming and greenhouse gases. Since the primary culprits are carbon dioxide and methane, all of these plans involve carbon/methane sinksways of storing atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane in various locations, both natural and artificial. These involve the following: 1. A project known as iron seeding involves dispersing bits of iron across the oceans to stimulate plankton growth as a biological carbon sink. This technique referred also to as iron fertilization involves the introduction of iron into the ocean to spur algae growth. The growth of algae may result in the absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Specifically, iron sulphate is dumped into the ocean to fertilize and grow the algae, which blooms and traps carbon dioxide by photosynthesis. When the algae die, it drags the carbon to the bottom of the ocean with it. As an added benefit, the activity is believed to limit coraldestroying acidification which occurs when too much carbon dioxide gets dissolved in sea water. The technique is controversial but a study conducted in 2004 yielded promising results that are just now coming to light. In 2004, the Europen Iron Fertilization experiment (EIFEX) fertilized 100 square miles of the ocean with several tonnes of iron sulphate. For several weeks, the team of researchers watched the bloom and death of the algae. The scientists found that with each atom of iron added, 13,000 atoms of carbon was pulled out of the atmosphere. Atleast half of the bloom was exported to depths greater than 1000 metres. Other studies have shown that iron can lead to greater algae blooms but they have been unable to show that the carbon was dragged to the sea floor. Despite promising results, ocean seeding with iron remains banned by international conventions. Side-effects of adding iron to the ocean remain unknown and researchers have stopped such experiments altogether. Recently research has shown that iron seeding may result in the production of algal blooms that are poisonous to other life forms. One such form of plankton-a species of diatom by the name of Pseudo nitzschia is strongly associated with a neurotoxin called Domoic Acid (DA). The toxin maybe a metabolic by-product or perhaps an

adaptation (survival strategy) of this planktonic life form. Phytoplankton samples from the various iron seeding projects were analysed. These samples showed the presence of DA at levels known to cause animal mortalities. These issues can be addressed by more experiments including long-term studies of natural blooms that occur around the Antarctic islands. 2. Currently a method under investigation involves pumping carbon dioxide into underground oil stores. This process will force the oil out of the underground caves for commercial use while simultaneously trapping carbon dioxide under the ground. More than 50 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is produced from coal. Yet coal has the highest uncontrolled carbon dioxide emission rate of any fuel and is responsible for 33 percent of the U.S. carbon dioxide (as well as other harmful emissions) released into the atmosphere. There is no such thing as clean coal: coal production, processing, and transportation practices scar the landscape and foul the water, harming people and ecosystems. Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants increased by 27 percent since 1990, and there is no end in sight unless emission limits are put into force. More than 100 new conventional coal-fired power plants are in various stages of development throughout the United States. By 2030, the Department of Energy projects that the equivalent of 450 new large (300 MW) coal-fired power plants will be completed. With a lifetime of more than 60 years, these plants will produce more than 60 billion tons of CO2 in total10 times the current annual emissions from all sources enough to effectively foreclose the option to prevent dangerous global warming. Carbon Capture and Disposal: Coal gasification with carbon capture and disposal (CCD) technologies are essential if continued use of coal is to be reconciled with preventing dangerous global warming. Long-term geologic disposal of CO2 (for thousands of years) is viable now and must be implemented quickly if we are to meet the challenge of sharply reducing global emissions this century. These technologies could prevent 100 billion tons of CO2 from escaping coal plants in the next 50 years. Well established but in limited

use, CO2 capture and disposal technology involves capturing nearly pure CO2, compressing it to liquid form, and injecting it into deep, porous rock formations beneath impermeable cap rock. Such geological formations are common throughout the world at varying depths. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that CCD is viable. In most cases, the CO2 is gradually (over thousands to tens of thousands of years) absorbed by the surrounding rock, where it mineralizes into solid form. It is possible, however, for stored CO2 to leak up through well bores and other deep fissures, so accurate siting of injection wells and monitoring of CO2 floods and disposal are essential. As a result, ensuring that CCD results in the permanent sequestration needed for climate protection will require rigorous criteria and performance standards for CO2 injection and disposal sites. Carbon dioxide and enhanced oil recovery: Coal gasification and carbon capture and disposal are more costly than conventional coal plants. But this cost can potentially be offset by producing additional oil from already developed fields using carbon dioxide captured from coal-fired power plants. When CO2 is injected at high pressure into mature oil fields, it pressurizes the well and mixes with the oil, increasing the oils mobility and promoting enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The oil is displaced by the CO2, which can be safely stored in the geologic formations that held the oil. And although some CO2 is pumped out along with the oil, this CO2 can be recaptured and reinjected for additional oil recovery or permanent disposal. Standard primary and secondary oil production without EOR only recovers about onethird of the original oil in typical reservoirs. Current state-of-the-art EOR techniques generally allow an additional 10 percent of the original oil in place to be recovered. In fact, 35 million tons of CO2 are currently used each year to recover 75 million barrels of oil. Unfortunately, most of this CO2 is pumped out of natural reservoirs rather than captured from industrial sources. Capturing CO2 from coal fired power plants could not only reduce global warming pollution, but also significantly contribute to world energy supplies without sacrificing few remaining wild places to oil exploration and development.

3. In most developed nations, forest/tree restoration projects are underway. It is hoped that these trees would not only beautify their surroundings, but also act as an effective carbon sink. 4. Some chemical processes are able to convert methane into carbon dioxide. Since methane is about 25 times as effective a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide, this will greatly reduce the effects of the gas on world temperature. 5. 'Cloud seeding' forming clouds by starter molecules dispersed by aircraft. These clouds will help to reflect sunlight and thereby reduce the effects of global warming. When the sun's rays reach Earth some of them are reflected off clouds and the ground but the majority of them are absorbed into vegetation, water and land. They are transformed into heat which is released back into the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases trap the heat, making the temperature gradually rise. Clouds are a key component of the Earths climate system. They can both heat the planet by trapping the longer-wavelength radiation given off from the Earths surface and cool it by reflecting incoming shorter wavelength radiation back into space. The greater weight of the second mechanism means that, on balance, clouds have a cooling effect. Cloud seeding involves sending boats onto the ocean that would suck water up and spray it into the air. The salt in the water would be absorbed by clouds allowing for more drops of water to be produced, and a cloud that has more water in it will be able to reflect sunlight better. Better reflection of the sun's rays will help the Earth to cool down. The idea relies on the Twomey effect, which says that increasing the concentration of water droplets within a cloud raises the overall surface area of the droplets and thereby enhances the clouds albedo (reflectivity). By spraying fine droplets of sea water into the air, the small particles of salt within each droplet act as new centres of condensation when they reach the clouds above, leading to a greater concentration of water droplets within each cloud. Researchers claim that such spraying could increase

the rate at which clouds reflect solar energy back into space by as much as 3.7 Wm-2. 6. Development of zero-energy structures A zero-energy building, also known as a zero net energy (ZNE) building, netzero energy building (NZEB), or net zero building, is a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually.[1] Buildings that produce a surplus of energy over the year may be called "energy-plus buildings" and buildings that consume slightly more energy than they produce are called "near-zero energy buildings" or "ultra-low energy houses". Traditional buildings consume 40% of the total fossil fuel energy in the US and European Union and are significant contributors of greenhouse gases.[2][3] The zero net energy consumption principle is viewed as a means to reduce carbon emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and although zero energy buildings remain uncommon even in developed countries, they are gaining importance and popularity. Most zero energy buildings use the electrical grid for energy storage but some are independent of grid. Energy is usually harvested on-site through a combination of energy producing technologies like solar and wind, while reducing the overall use of energy with highly efficient HVAC and lighting technologies. The zero-energy goal is becoming more practical as the costs of alternative energy technologies decrease and the costs of traditional fossil fuels increase. The development of modern zero-energy buildings became possible not only through the progress made in new energy and construction technologies and techniques, but it has also been significantly improved by academic research, which collects precise energy performance data on traditional and experimental buildings and provides performance parameters for advanced computer models to predict the efficacy of engineering designs.

The zero-energy concept allows for a wide range of approaches due to the many options for producing and conserving energy combined with the many ways of measuring energy (relating to cost, energy, or carbon emissions).

International Efforts Taken In today's interdependent world international efforts or law could be the simplest, most effective, and least expensive solution to any problem big or small. Global warming is a matter of global concern and needs to be handled globally for effective results. Impact of greenhouse gas emission would be more or less same irrespective of any place around the world. Corrective steps in isolation by any country to reduce emission will do very little to fight global warming. An effective strategy is required for collective efforts. Many international efforts have been and are being done to fight dangers of global warming like: 1. United Nations (UN): UN has taken the challenge of global warming seriously and has initiated many programs through its different wings like, UNESCO: manages freshwater resources around the world trough Water Portal and WWDR; UNDP: manages protection of environment and use of natural resources through SEED and energy linking with the atmosphere through EAP; UNIDO: manages climate change and Kyoto Protocol related activities; UNEP: pursues incorporating of environmental aspects into energy planning and policy world-wide; UN University: focuses interactions between human and the natural environment; WHO: promotes healthy global environment policies;

Besides, UN organizes different conventions worldwide on environment, climate change etc. 2. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) is an international environmental treaty negotiated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992. The objective of the treaty is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.[1] The treaty itself set no binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no enforcement mechanisms. In that sense, the treaty is considered legally non-binding. Instead, the treaty provides a framework for negotiating specific international treaties (called "protocols") that may set binding limits on greenhouse gases. The main UNFCCC treaty is the Kyoto Protocol, which has become much better known than the UNFCCC itself. The UNFCCC was opened for signature on May 9, 1992, after an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee produced the text of the Framework Convention as a report following its meeting in New York from April 30 to May 9, 1992. It entered into force on March 21, 1994. As of May 2011, UNFCCC has 194 parties. One of the first tasks set by the UNFCCC was for signatory nations to establish national greenhouse gas inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals, which were used to create the 1990 benchmark levels for accession of Annex I countries to the Kyoto Protocol and for the commitment of those countries to GHG reductions. Updated inventories must be regularly submitted by Annex I countries. The UNFCCC is also the name of the United Nations Secretariat charged with supporting the operation of the Convention, with offices in Haus Carstanjen, Bonn, Germany. From 2006 to 2010 the head of the secretariat was Yvo de Boer; on May 17, 2010 his

successor, Christiana Figueres from Costa Rica has been named. The Secretariat, augmented through the parallel efforts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), aims to gain consensus through meetings and the discussion of various strategies. The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and established legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.[2]

3.Other prestigious world organizations like, World Bank, WTO, OECD, G8, IEA, WEC, Red Cross, etc. are also working to counter global warming effects. 4. Kyoto Protocol: An international agreement / treaty was adopted in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997 which demanded the United States, the European Union and Japan to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 7%, 8% and 6% respectively below the level of 1990 by the year 2010. The responsibility has been fixed on the industrialized countries to reduce gas emission because they have high standard of living and use fossil fuel which is a major access for greenhouse gases into the environment. Besides, developing countries have also been directed to reduce the gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol became effective since February 2005. 5. The Pew Center, USA: The center was established as a non-profit and independent organization in Arlington Virginia USA in 1998 to provide authenticated information, help and solutions in the effort to address global climate change. The center is supported by individuals and charitable organizations as well. It contributes to analyze the preliminary information related with the climate such as economic and environmental impacts on international solutions, interact with the officials of the different international organizations and others to find solutions to climate change etc. 6. Global Warming International Center (GWIC), California USA: GWIC is a non-profit organization consisting of eminent persons including scientists, and other intellectuals. It

was founded in Chicago in 1989 and serves both governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as industries globally in more than 145 countries. It analyzes the information and suggests the solutions for development of climate change science. It also sponsors international conferences and workshops for awareness and mitigation of global warming. 7. International Action on Global Warming (IGLO): IGLO was launched in March 2007 which was incidentally the year for formation of International Polar Year (IPY), a large scientific program focused on the Arctic and Antartic. IGLO mobilizes public awareness about the danger of global warming and supports the programs of IPY. 8. Many non-government organizations (NGOs), private industries, international scientific institutions, international scientific programs, etc. having global presence are also actively contributing to fight global warming effects through their different programs.