Cement, Energy and Environment

CLIMATE TIPPING POINTS Damian Carrington Scientists know from the geological record that the Earth 's climate can change rapidly. They have identified a number of potential tipping points, where relatively small amounts of global warming caused by human activities could cause large changes in climate. Some tipping points, like the losses to the Amazon forest, involve positive feedback loops and could lead to runaway climate change. Arctic icecap: The white icecap is good at reflecting the Sun's warming light back into space but, when it melts, the dark ocean uncovered absorbs this heat. This leads to more melting. Tundra: The high north is warming particularly fast, melting the permafrost that has locked up vast amounts of carbon in soils for thousands of years. Bacteria digesting the unfrozen soils generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas, leading to more warming. Gas hydrates: Also involving methane, this tipping point involves huge reservoirs of methane frozen on or just below the ocean floor. The methane-water crystals are close to their melting point and highly unstable. A huge release could be triggered by a little warming. West Antarctic ice sheet: Some scientists think this enormous ice sheet, much of which is below sea level, is vulnerable to small amounts of warming. If it all eventually melted, the sea level would rise by six metres. -© Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2011 Courtesy: The Hindu, 1 dh February 2011, P13. PM: INDIA TO DECREASE GOP EMISSION INTENSITY BY 20% Putting to rest all controversy on India's stand on the climate change debate, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh emphasized that India is set to reduce the emissions intensity of our GOP 20 per cent between 2005 and 2020. To put this in effect, Dr. Singh said a National Action Plan on Climate Change has been set up, which will have eight national missions to look into different areas of sustainability and energ~ efficiency. Speaking at the 11 1 Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, Dr. Singh spelt out that "India's Twelfth Five-Year Plan , spanning the period of 2012 - 17, will focus on specific initiatives required to ensure we follow a low-carbon growth path. He further outlined that chartering a low-carbon growth trajectory will not alone be sufficient to meet this challenge, which crosses all natural boundaries. Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Newswire, 1- 15 February 2011, P15. INDIA ADDING 300000 HECTARES OF FOREST EVERY YEAR: UN Asia is leading the afforestation activity in the world with a significant contribution from India, which is adding 300 000 hectares of forest every year. According to the 'State of the World's Forests' report, published by the Food and Agricu ltural Organization, five countries India, China, Australia, Indonesia, and Myanmar - had the largest forested area in the Asia and Pacific region. These countries accounted for 74 per cent of the forests in the region with China and Australia alone accounting for almost half the forest area of the region . In the Asia and Pacific region, forests were lost at a rate of 0.7million hectares per year in the 1990s, but they grew by 1.4 million hectares per year over the period 2000 - 2010, the report sa id. The report also highlighted China and India's targets for large– scale forest planting in the next few years. India 's target is to cover 33 per cent of its land area with forests and tree cover by 2012. Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Newswire, 1- 15 February 2011, P16. DEVELOPMENT SPEND HELPS INDIA REDUCE EMISSIONS BY 30% India continues to take action at the national level with domestic resources, spending 2.6% of its GOP on development, including on adaptation, according to the Mid– Term Economic Review presented by Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee in parliament. The result is that the country has managed to achieve one of the lowest emission intensities in the world, which declined by 30% between1994- 2007. The country is now committed to reducing its emission intensity by 20% - 25% on the 2005 level by 2020 and the country's estimated per capita emission in 2020 is expected to be well below those of the developed countries. The achievements are expected to be made on the back of measures like the roll out of the NAPCC in 2008 and actions in terms of policies, programmes, and projects, while pursuing the policy of poverty eradication. The adaptation measures are focussed on cyclone warning and protection , coastal protection , flood control, drought relief, and rural infrastructure. Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Newswire, 1-15 December 2010, P15. 34