ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINSTRATION (BBA)

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University,Delhi

Institute of Information Technology & Management

GLOBAL WARMING AND

CLIMATE CHANGE
Submitted To : Submitted By:
Ms. SRISHTI ARORA ROUNAK BAID
PARAM GROVER
SHIVA BANSIWAL
VANSH KUMAR
SHIVAM SINGH
NIKHIL CHOUDHARY
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
THE SUCCESS AND FINAL OUTCOME OF THIS PROJECT
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 Institute of Information Technology & Management

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SHIVA, VANSH, SHIVAM , NIKHIL OF BBA III (E2)
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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PROJECT ON THE TOPIC
“GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE”
PRESCRIBE BY MS SHRISHTI ARORA.

Ms. SRISHTI ARORA

( SIGNATURE)
 INDEX
S.NO. PACTICULAR SIGNATURE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?
3. GREENHOUSE EFFECT
4. GREENHOUSE GASES: A
HAZARD
5. CAUSES OF GLOBAL
WARMING
6. GLOBAL WARMING: THE
EFFECTS
7. EFFECTS ON LIVING BEINGS
8. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SOURCES
9. OTHER SOLUTIONS
10. FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL
WARMING
11 CLIMATE MODELS
12 PUBLIC OPINION AND
DISPUTED
13 IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
14. CONCLUSION
15 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION
The continuous rise in temperature of the planet is really upsetting. The root cause for
this is global warming. Global warming begins when sunlight reaches the Earth. The
clouds, atmospheric particles, reflective ground surfaces and surface of oceans then sends
back about 30 % of sunlight back into the space, while the remaining is absorbed by
oceans, air and land. This consequently heats up the surface of the planet and atmosphere,
making life feasible. As the Earth warms up, this solar energy is radiated by thermal
radiation and infrared rays, propagating directly out to space thereby cooling the Earth.
However, some of the outgoing radiation is re-absorbed by carbon dioxide, water
vapours, ozone, methane and other gases in the atmosphere and is radiated back to the
surface of Earth. These gases are commonly known as greenhouse gases due to their
heat-trapping capacity. It must be noted that this re-absorption process is actually good as
the Earth’s average surface temperature would be very cold if there was no existence of
greenhouse gases. The dilemma began when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere was artificially increased by humankind at an alarming rate since the past two
centuries. As of 2017, over 9.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide was pumped thermal
radiation is further hindered by increased levels of greenhouse gases resulting in a
phenomenon known as human enhanced global warming effect. Recent observations
regarding global warming have substantiated the theory that it is indeed a human
enhanced greenhouse effect that is causing the planet to heat up. The planet has
experienced the largest increase in surface temperature over the last 100 years. Between
1916 and 2016, the Earth’s average surface temperature augmented between 0.6 to 0.9
degrees Celsius, however the last 50 years saw the rate of temperature increase nearly
doubling. Sea levels have shown a rise of about 0.17 meters during the 20th century. The
extent of Arctic sea ice has steadily reduced by 2.7 % per decade since 1978 out per
year. Millions of pounds of methane gas are generated in landfills and agricultural
decomposition of biomass and animal manure. Nitrous oxide is released into the
atmosphere by various nitrogen-based fertilizers including urea and diammonium
phosphate and other soil management utilizations. Once released, these greenhouse gases
stay in the atmosphere for decades or even longer. According to Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon dioxide and methane levels have increased by 35 %
and 148 % since the industrial revolution of 1750.
 WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING ?
Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s
Climate System. It is a major aspect of current climate change and has been
demonstrated by direct temperature measurement and by measurements of
various effects of the warming. The term commonly refers to the mainly human-
caused increase in global surface temperature and its projected continuation.  In
this context, the terms global warming and climate change are often used
interchangeably but climate change includes both global warming and its effects,
such as changes in precipitation and impacts that differ by region. There were
prehistoric periods of global warming, but observed changes since the mid-20th
century have been much greater than those seen in previous records covering
decades to thousands of years.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment
Report concluded, "It is extremely likely that human influence has been
the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century." The
largest human influence has been the emission of greenhouse gases such
as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Climate model projections
summarized in the report indicated that during the 21st century the global surface
temperature is likely to rise a further 0.3 to 1.7 °C (0.5 to 3.1 °F) in a moderate
scenario, or as much as 2.6 to 4.8 °C (4.7 to 8.6 °F) in an extreme scenario,
depending on the rate of future greenhouse gas emissions and on climate
feedback effects. These findings have been recognized by the national science
academies of the major industrialized nations and are not disputed by any
scientific body of national or international standing.
 GREENHOUSE EFFECT
While other planets in the solar system of the Earth are either roasting hot or
bitterly cold, Earth's surface has relatively mild, steady temperatures. Earth
enjoys these temperatures because of its atmosphere, which is the thin layer of
gases that cover and protect the planet. However, 97 % of climate scientists and
researchers agree that humans have changed the Earth's atmosphere in
dramatic ways over the past two centuries, resulting in global warming. To
understand global warming, it is first necessary to become familiar with the
greenhouse effect. As Fig.1 depicts, the natural greenhouse effect normally traps
some portion of heat in such a way that our planet is safe from reaching freezing
temperatures while human enhanced greenhouse effect leads to global warming.
This is due to burning of fossil fuels which increase the amount of greenhouse
gases (carbon dioxide, methane and oxides of nitrogen) present in the
atmosphere

Fig.1 Types of greenhouse effects

The trade of incoming and outgoing radiation that heats up the Earth is often referred to
as the greenhouse effect because a greenhouse works in a similar way (Fig.2). Incoming
ultraviolet radiation easily passes through the glass walls of a greenhouse and is absorbed
by the plants and hard surfaces inside. Weaker infrared radiation, however, has difficulty
passing through the glass walls and is trapped inside, therefore, warming the greenhouse.
This effect lets tropical plants prosper inside a greenhouse, even during a cold season
 Fig. 2 Plants embodied in a greenhouse
A similar phenomenon takes place in a car which is parked outside on a cold sunny day.
Incoming solar radiation warms the interior of the car but outgoing thermal radiation is
trapped inside the closed windows of the cars. This entrapment basically warms up the
car. This trapping occurs in such a way that the hot air does not rise and does not lose
energy though convention .This phenomenon is depicted in Fig. 3

Fig. 3 Greenhouse effect example

In the words of Michael Daley, an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at
Lasell College: "Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation, and are in
significant enough quantity, can force the climate system. These types of gas
molecules are called greenhouse gases”. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases act like a mantle, absorbing infrared radiation and preventing it from
escaping into the outer space. The net effect is the regular heating of the Earth's
atmosphere and surface. The greenhouse effect, combined with increasing levels of
greenhouse gases and the resulting global warming, is expected to have
philosophical implications. If global warming continues unrestrained and nothing
effective is done to limit this evil, it will cause significant climate change, a rise in
sea levels, extreme weather events and other ruthless natural, environmental and
social impacts

Although the greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon, it is possible

that the effect could be intensified by the emission of greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere as the result of human activity. From the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution through the end of the 20th century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere increased by roughly 30 percent and the amount of methane more than
doubled. A number of scientists have predicted that human-related increases in
atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases could lead by the end of
the 21st century to an increase in the global average temperature of 0.3 to 4.8 °C
(0.5 to 8.6 °F) relative to the 1986–2005 average. This global warming could alter
Earth’s climates and thereby produce new patterns and extremes of drought and
rainfall and possibly disrupt food production in certain regions.
 GREENHOUSE GASES: A HAZARD
There are many greenhouse gases which are mainly emitted by human activity. The first
and foremost in the list is carbon dioxide. Excessive burning of fossil fuels like coal and
oil is the major factor for producing this gas. Moreover, deforestation i.e. removal of trees
for acquiring lands also causes large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Cement manufacture also contributes carbon dioxide to atmosphere when calcium
carbonate is heated generating lime and carbon dioxide. The second culprit gas is
methane, commonly known as natural gas. It is produced as a result of agricultural
activities such as livestock digestion, paddy rice farming and use of manure. Methane is
also produced due to improper management of waste. Nitrous oxides are generated
mainly by fertilizers. Moreover, fluorinated gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
are chiefly a result of various industrial processes and refrigeration . Fig.4 shows
pictorially the distribution of greenhouse gases. These gases are playing their negative
part in increasing the havoc of global warming. They are continuously causing an
increase in the earth’s temperature

Fig.4 Distribution of greenhouse gases

 CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING

The major cause of global warming is the greenhouse gases. They include carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides and in some cases chlorine and bromine
containing compounds. The build-up of these gases in the atmosphere changes the
radiative equilibrium in the atmosphere. Their overall effect is to warm the Earth’s
surface and the lower atmosphere because greenhouse gases absorb some of the
outgoing radiation of Earth and re-radiate it back towards the surface. The net
warming from 1850 to the end of the 20th century was equivalent to nearly 2.5
W/m2 with carbon dioxide contribution about 60 % to this figure, methane about
25 per cent, with nitrous oxides and halocarbons providing the remainder. In 1985,
Joe Farman, of the British Antarctic Survey, published an article showing the
decrease in ozone levels over Antarctica during the early 1980s. The response was
striking: large scale international scientific programmes were mounted to prove that
CFCs (used as aerosol propellants in industrial cleaning fluids and in refrigeration
tools) were the cause of the problem. Even more important was abrupt international
action to curb the emissions of CFCs.The second major cause of global warming is
the depletion of ozone layer. This happens mainly due to the presence of
chlorinecontaining source gases. When ultraviolet light is present, these gases
dissociate releasing chlorine atoms which then catalyses ozone destruction.
Aerosols present in the atmosphere are also causing global warming by changing
the climate in two different ways. Firstly, they scatter and absorb solar and infrared
radiation and secondly, they may alter the microphysical and chemical properties of
clouds and perhaps affect their lifetime and extent. The scattering of solar radiation
acts to cool the planet, while absorption of solar radiation by aerosols warms the air
directly instead of permitting sunlight to be absorbed by the surface of the Earth.
The human contribution to the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere is of various
forms. For instance, dust is a by-product of agriculture. Biomass burning generates
a mixture of organic droplets and soot particles. Many industrial processes produce
a wide diversity of aerosols depending on what is being burned or generated in the
manufacturing process. Moreover, exhaust emissions from various sorts of
transport produce a rich mixture of pollutants that are either aerosols from the
outset or are transformed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere to form aerosols
 Global Warming: The Effects

Predicting the consequences of global warming is one of the most difficult tasks faced by
the climate researchers. This is due to the fact that natural processes that cause rain,
snowfall, hailstorms, rise in sea levels is reliant on many diverse factors. Moreover, it is
very hard to predict the size of emissions of greenhouse gases in the future years as this is
determined majorly through technological advancements and political decisions. Global
warming produces many negative effects some of which are described here. Firstly, extra
water vapour which is present in the atmosphere falls again as rain which leads to floods
in various regions of the world. When the weather turns warmer, evaporation process
from both land and sea rises. This leads to drought in the regions where increased
evaporation process is not compensated by increased precipitation. In some areas of the
world, this will result in crop failure and famine particularly in areas where the
temperatures are already high. The extra water vapour content in the atmosphere will fall
again as extra rain hence causing flood. Towns and villages which are dependent on the
melting water from snowy mountains may suffer drought and scarcity of water supply. It
is because the glaciers all over the world are shrinking at a very rapid rate and melting of
ice appears to be faster than previously projected.

According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), about one-sixth of the

total population of the world lives in the regions which shall be affected by a decrease in
melting water. The warmer climate will likely cause more heat waves, more violent
rainfall and also amplification in the severity of hailstorms and thunderstorms. Rising of
sea levels is the most deadly affect of global warming, the rise in temperature is causing
the ice and glaciers to melt rapidly. This will lead to rise of water levels in oceans, rivers
and lakes that can pilot devastation in the form of floods [6]. As evident from Fig. 5,
temperature anomalies are projected to increase in coming years. Before, the 20th
century, the situation was well under control but the beginning of the current century, the
situation started to worsen .This was all due to increase in global warming majorly due to
the fact that new industries and power houses started operation and emitted harmful gases
which cause the planet to heat up. This data is based on the research carried out by
different climate and environmental research agencies.

Fig. 5 Global warming projections by various Science and Engineering research

agencies
Similarly, Fig.6 elaborates the risks and impacts of global warming in years to come. As
can be inferred from figure, we are currently experiencing severity of extreme climate
events in the form of thunderstorms, floods and earthquakes. This destruction will take
a sharp hike if nothing is done to stop this menace. Fig. 7 depicts global mean
temperature in the recent years according to National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA). The trend clearly puts up a serious question for us. How will we
survive on earth given the rise in temperature to prevail?
 Fig. 6 An assessment of the relative impact and risks connected with global warming. Five
categories are assessed. The bars are colour-coded to show level of impact/concern for each factor
as a function of temperature increase

Fig 7 GLOBAL MEAN TEMPERATURES

 Effects on Living Beings
Global warming can severely affect the health of living beings. Excess heat can
cause stress which may lead to blood pressure and heart diseases. Crop failures and
famines, which are a direct consequence of heating up of earth, can cause a decline
in human body resistance to viruses and infections. Global warming may also
transfer various diseases to other regions as people will shift from regions of higher
temperatures to regions of comparatively lower temperatures. Warmer oceans and
other surface waters may lead to severe cholera outbreaks and harmful infections in
some types of sea food [11]. Moreover, it is an established fact that warmer
temperatures lead to dehydration which is a major cause of kidney stones. A
medical team from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia examined the health
proceedings of more than 60,000 Americans alongside weather records. They
discovered that individuals were most likely to be hospitalized with kidney stones
three days after a temperature rise. Since 1994, kidney stone incidence has risen
from about one in 20 people to one in 11. This trend is likely to increase as the
globe gets hotter. According to Luis Ostrosky, M.D. of the Division of Infectious
Diseases at The University of Texas Health Science Centre at Houston Medical
School and medical director for epidemiology at Memorial Hermann-Texas
Medical Centre: “One infection that is definitely making a weird pattern is valley
fever”. In his words, “This is a fungal infection we used to see only in California,
Arizona, New Mexico and a little in Texas, but last year we found it for the first
time in Washington State.”This potentially deadly condition caused apprehension
in California when the number of cases increased drastically during 2010 and 2011.
Valley fever infections have been on the rise, probably because of warming
climates and drought causing dust storms. Dry soil and wind can carry spores that
spread the virus. Hotter and drier climates are projected to increase the amount of
dusting carrying this disease. Researchers have already noticed a rise in mosquito-
borne disease like dengue fever and malaria due to warmer and longer summers.
Perhaps the most prominent mosquito-borne disease, West Nile Virus, has already
experienced a sharp increase in annual cases. According to the U.S. Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention, the summer of 2012 was the nastiest West Nile
season on record,. The likely reason was that summer's scorching heat and drought.
Lyme disease is another dangerous disease which is transmitted mainly through
bites from certain tick species [12]. Fig. 8 describes in the form of a block diagram
that how alterations in global climate can affect human health. The bitterest fact is
that it can cause various diseases and deprive human beings of the food.
 Fig.8 Potential impacts of global climate change on human health

Global warming is also affecting animals. They need to move to cooler places in
order to survive. This process has been observed in various places, for instance, in
the Alps, in mountainous Queensland in Australia, and in the misty forests of Costa
Rica. Fish in the North Sea have been reported to move northwards too .The
impacts on species are becoming noteworthy to such an extent that their
movements can be used as a sign of a warming world. They are the silent witnesses
of the swift changes being inflicted on the Earth. Scientists and researchers predict
that global warming is gradually damaging the ecosystems of various species and is
playing a very unconstructive role in making them extinct. For instance Asia’s only
ape – the orangutan – is in bottomless trouble. Its last remaining strongholds in the
rainforests of Indonesia are being endangered by a range of pressures, including
climate change, putting the animal at the menace of extinction within a few
decades. With global warming continually increasing the duration and frequency of
droughts, bushfires are occurring more often in these heavily logged forests, further
fragmenting the orang-utan’s living domain. Similarly, in Africa, elephants face a
series of threats including shrinking living space, which brings them more regularly
into divergence with people. With this reduced living space, elephants will be
unable to escape any changes to their natural habitat caused by
global warming, including more common and longer dry periods, placing further
pressure on their survival
 ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES
The hazards caused by global warming are tremendous. Excessive use of fossil fuels such
as coal, natural gas and oil play a part in it too. The usage of fossil fuels should be
discontinued immediately. The most significant solution to put an end to this disaster is
the use of alternative energy sources. They include wind, solar, bio mass, geothermal and
hydro. The most noteworthy point in using these sources is their clean nature. They do
not produce any sort of pollution or toxic gases that can lead to global warming. They are
environmentally friendly and pose no threat to ecological balance. However, their high
installation and setup costs may drive energy companies away from them at first but in
the long run they are surely beneficial for everyone. Most importantly, fossil fuels will
deplete one day and sooner or later, we have to turn to renewable energy sources for
energy production. Thus, the eventual solution to end global warming is to use alternative
energy sources. Fig. 9 depicts in a pictorial way that earth can be saved from the hazards
of global warming if we utilise renewable energy sources.

Fig. 9 Save earth from global warming by using renewable energy sources
To counteract the medical hazards of global warming, it is essential to turn to renewable
energy sources. Public, in general, should be responsible about their decisions on energy
conservation methods. This will ensure a healthy atmosphere and stable climate for our
future generations. Governments should devise and pass policies which encourage the
energy companies and people, in general, to use renewable energy instead of
conventional energy, Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) should distribute
pamphlets to people motivating them to use alternative sources of energy and
discourage them from using fossil fuels. They should also explain to them the hazards
which the usage of fossil fuels will cause. Many developed countries are already
generating huge amounts of power using renewables. These countries should extend
their helping hand to developing countries to combat the evil of global warming
collectively. Using renewable energy is the most effective way to curtain the emission of
gases which play a major role in global warming. Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 show that the use of
renewables is gradually increasing. The figure should be much more than present so
that we can tackle the problem of global warming timely and effectively.

v
Fig. 10 World fuel consumption in recent years
 Other Solutions
As elaborated earlier, toxic emissions are a major cause of global warming, A likely
solution to reduce harmful emissions is to cut the usage of vehicles which produce them.
This has not been met with much success as many people refuse to cut down their
practice of using cars. No doubt, some people have started to use bicycles and public
transport, whereas some other prefer to walk but these numbers are relatively small. It
should be noted that fuel economy and emission rates are chief factors to consider
regarding the car choice. Hybrid cars have higher efficiency and lower emission rates.
Keeping the tires inflated will help improve mileage and air filters should be frequently
replaced to cut down harmful emissions. People should share the ride with friends or co-
workers to reduce the total number of vehicles on the road. Print and social media can
play an effective role in curbing the problem. It should use the philosophy of automobile
advertisements to encourage drivers to conserve energy and reduce pollution. Awareness
campaigns can be started using placards, posters and logos similar to shown in Figures
12-14. They are a very useful way to demonstrate that global warming is not good for the
planet. Recycling is also a good way to reduce global warming. People should use
rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones. Quality products should be bought that
have a long life. Shopping should be done from local markets which reduce
transportation. Even small individual efforts like lowering the thermostats in winter and
using compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent lamps can aid to address the
issue of global warming. Reforestation schemes must be started to grow a large number
of trees. Forest degradation and deforestation must be discouraged at government level.
Nuclear power is also a possible solution as this power results in fewer emissions but this
method should be used with care as it can lead to severe accidents therefore, the major
hurdle is to overcome the security, propagation, waste disposal and high costs of nuclear
power if this method has to be made practical
FIG. 12 SHOWS SYMBOLICALLY HOW GLOBAL WARMING IS CAUSING
THE EARTH TO MELT

FIG. 14 DEPICTING THAT HOW HUMAN BEINGS ARE DESTROYING THE EARTH FOR
THEIR OWN BENEFITS
 FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING

1.The world has seen maximum rise of CO2 in 800,000 years

2. The year 2017 was the second hottest year followed by 2014

3. The US National Park is only left with 26 glaciers out of 150

4. Approx 250,000 people are likely to lose their lives in the next 3 decades

5. Natural Disasters have caused 600,000 Deaths Over the last 20 Years

6. The Arctic Mosquitoes are Growing Bigger in Size

7. Amazon Forest is turning into a desert

8. Rising Sea Level can flood a large part of US East Coast

9. California suffered from drought in the year 2013

10. Extreme weather condition is likely to kill 150,000 people in Europe

11. The Arctic would be ice-free by 2040

12. Polar Bears population is expected to plummet to 9000 from 26000 in the years
to come

13. About 1 Million species have become extinct due to ocean acidification

14. Rice yields decline due to the increasing night temperature

15. Global Warming Has Turned the Jungle Foliage into Junk Food
 CLIMATE MODELS

A climate model is a representation of the physical, chemical, and biological

processes that affect the climate system. Computer models are run on
supercomputers to reproduce and predict the circulation of the oceans, the
annual cycle of the seasons, and the flows of carbon between the land surface
and the atmosphere. There are more than two dozen scientific institutions that
develop climate models. Models not only project different future temperature with
different emissions of greenhouse gases, but also do not fully agree on the
strength of different feedbacks on climate sensitivity and the amount of inertia of
the system.
A subset of climate models add societal factors to a simple physical climate
model. These models simulate how population, economic growth, and energy
use affect – and interact with – the physical climate. With this information,
scientists can produce scenarios of how greenhouse gas emissions may vary in
the future. Scientists can then run these scenarios through physical climate
models to generate climate change projections.
Climate models include different external forcings for their models. For different
greenhouse gas inputs four RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways) are
used: "a stringent mitigation scenario (RCP2.6), two intermediate scenarios
(RCP4.5 and RCP6.0) and one scenario with very high GHG [greenhouse gas]
emissions (RCP8.5)" Models also include changes in the Earth's orbit, historical
changes in the Sun's activity, and volcanic forcing. RCPs only look at
concentrations of greenhouse gases, factoring out uncertainty as to whether the
carbon cycle will continue to remove about half of the carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere each year.
The physical realism of models is tested by examining their ability to simulate
contemporary or past climates. Past models have underestimated the rate of
Arctic shrinkage and underestimated the rate of precipitation increase. Sea level
rise since 1990 was underestimated in older models, but now agrees well with
observations. The 2017 United States-published National Climate Assessment
notes that "climate models may still be underestimating or missing relevant
feedback processes".
 PUBLIC OPINION AND DISPUTES
The global warming problem came to international public attention in the late
1980s. Significant regional differences exist in how concerned people are about
climate change and how much they understand the issue. In 2010, just a little over
half the US population viewed it as a serious concern for either themselves or their
families, while 73% of people in Latin America and 74% in developed Asia felt
this way. Similarly, in 2015 a median of 54% of respondents considered it "a very
serious problem", but Americans and Chinese (whose economies are responsible
for the greatest annual CO2 emissions) were among the least concerned. Worldwide
in 2011, people were more likely to attribute global warming to human activities
than to natural causes, except in the US where nearly half of the population
attributed global warming to natural causes. Public reactions to global warming and
concern about its effects have been increasing, with many perceiving it as the worst
global threat. In a 2019 CBS poll, 64% of the US population said that climate
change is a "crisis" or a "serious problem", with 44% saying human activity was a
significant contributor.
Due to confusing media coverage in the early 1990s, issues such as ozone depletion
and climate change were often mixed up, affecting public understanding of these
issues. Although there are a few areas of linkage, the relationship between the two
is weak.
Controversy
From about 1990 onward, American conservative think tanks had begun
challenging the legitimacy of global warming as a social problem. They challenged
the scientific evidence, argued that global warming would have benefits, feared that
concern for global warming was some kind of socialist plot to undermine American
capitalism and asserted that proposed solutions would do more harm than good.
Organizations such as the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, as well as
conservative commentators, have challenged IPCC climate change scenarios,
funded scientists who disagree with the scientific consensus, and provided their
own projections of the economic cost of stricter controls.
Global warming has been the subject of controversy, substantially more
pronounced in the popular media than in the scientific literature, with disputes
regarding the nature, causes, and consequences of global warming. The disputed
issues include the causes of increased global average air temperature, especially
since the mid-20th century, whether this warming trend is unprecedented or within
normal climatic variations, whether humankind has contributed significantly to it,
and whether the increase is completely or partially an artifact of poor
measurements. Additional disputes concern estimates of climate sensitivity,
predictions of additional warming, what the consequences of global warming will
be, and what to do about it.
In the 20th century and early 2000s some companies, such as ExxonMobil,
challenged IPCC climate change scenarios, funded scientists who disagreed with
the scientific consensus, and provided their own projections of the economic cost of
stricter controls. In general, since the 2010s, global oil companies do not dispute
that climate change exists and is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. As of 2019,
however, some are lobbying against a carbon tax and plan to increase production of
oil and gas, but others are in favour of a carbon tax in exchange for immunity from
lawsuits which seek climate change compensation.

HISTORY OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE

The history of climate change science began in the early 19th century when ice ages and
other natural changes in paleoclimate were first suspected and the natural greenhouse
effect was identified.] In the late 19th century, scientists first argued that human
emissions of greenhouse gases could change the climate. In the 1960s, the warming effect
of carbon dioxide gas became increasingly convincing. By the 1990s, as a result of the
improving fidelity of computer models and observational work confirming the
Milankovitch theory of the ice ages, a consensus position formed: greenhouse gases were
deeply involved in most climate changes, and human-caused emissions were bringing
discernible global warming. Since then, scientific research on climate change has
expanded. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, set up in the 1990s to
provide formal advice to the world's governments, spurred unprecedented levels of
exchange between different scientific disciplines
OTHER EFFECTS COULD TAKE PLACE LATER THIS
CENTURY, IF WARMING CONTINUES. THESE INCLUDE

 Sea levels are expected to rise between 10 and 32 inches (26 and 82
centimeters) or higher by the end of the century.

 Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Floods and
droughts will become more common. Large parts of the U.S., for
example, face a higher risk of decades-long "megadroughts" by 2100.

 Less freshwater will be available, since glaciers store about three-

quarters of the world's freshwater.

 Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne malaria (and the

2016 resurgence of the Zika virus).

 Ecosystems will continue to change: Some species will move farther

north or become more successful; others, such as polar bears, won’t be
able to adapt and could become extinct.
 IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
 Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes
mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland,
and Arctic sea ice. In Montana's Glacier National Park the number of
glaciers has declined to fewer than 30 from more than 150 in 1910.

 Much of this melting ice contributes to sea-level rise. Global sea levels are
rising 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year, and the rise is occurring at a
faster rate in recent years.

 Rising temperatures are affecting wildlife and their habitats. Vanishing ice
has challenged species such as the Adélie penguin in Antarctica, where
some populations on the western peninsula have collapsed by 90 percent
or more.

 As temperatures change, many species are on the move. Some butterflies,

foxes, and alpine plants have migrated farther north or to higher, cooler
areas.

 Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on

average. Yet some regions are experiencing more severe drought,
increasing the risk of wildfires, lost crops, and drinking water shortages.

 Some species—including mosquitoes, ticks, jellyfish, and crop pests—are

thriving. Booming populations of bark beetles that feed on spruce and
pine trees, for example, have devastated millions of forested acres in the
U.S.
An iceberg melts in the waters off Antarctica. Climate change has accelerated the
rate of ice loss across the continent.

There has been lots of talk lately about Antarctica and whether or not the continent's giant ice sheet is melting.
One new paper , which states there’s less surface melting recently than in past years, has been cited as "proof" that
there’s no global warming. Other evidence that the amount of sea ice around Antarctica seems to be increasing
slightly is being used in the same way. But both of these data points are misleading. Gravity data collected from
space using NASA's Grace satellite show that Antarctica has been losing more than a hundred cubic kilometers
(24 cubic miles) of ice each year since 2002. The latest data reveal that Antarctica is losing ice at an accelerating
rate, too. How is it possible for surface melting to decrease, but for the continent to lose mass anyway? The
answer boils down to the fact that ice can flow without melting.
 CONCLUSION

The scientific and environmental community is on the same page

regarding the bitter reality of global warming and the involvement of
human factor in it. The paper discussed here has only dented the
surface of what is a very intricate line of scientific and engineering
exploration. Global warming is a big hazard and appropriate
measures must be taken to tackle this serious problem. This problem
is not only causing trouble to the human beings but also to animals
and plants. Melting of polar ice caps will lead to floods which can
cause mayhem everywhere. Rise of sea levels will devastate
agricultural and fishing activities. To embark upon these problems,
some remedial steps must be timely taken which include but are not
limited to the use of renewable sources of energy and stopping
deforestation. Innovative solutions must be brought forward to end
this hazard once and forever.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION SOME SOURCES
WHICH PROVED TO HELPFUL IN MAKING THIS
PROJECT.

WWW.GOOGLE.COM
WWW.WIKIPEDIA.COM
WWW.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM
WWW.GOOGLEIMAGES.COM
WWW.NASA.COM