It is being brought out in the press that even if the current pledges by nations at Copenhagen to reduce emissions, there will be 3 degree centigrade rise in the temperature by 2050. However, the projected rise was only 2 degree centigrade. This calls for global action “Now or Never” basis. Every country, irrespective of Developed or Developing, should accept this reality and commit to cut down the emissions by 2020 and commit to review further the situation.
Otherwise, the developing countries which are mostly located in warmer regions, dependent on rains and whose major source of income is agriculture will be worst hit by changing rain patterns, floods, drinking water shortage and droughts. Rising sea levels will affect India the most.
Climate change is thus more than just an environmental threat; it is a threat to our social structures, our families and our own lives. It is important for everyone to take action now.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
From Japan to Copenhagen - long journey
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at combating global warming which is assumed to be the result of industrialization. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of November 2009, 187 states have signed and ratified the protocol. Most notable non-member of the Protocol is the United States, which is a signatory of UNFCCC and was responsible for 36.1% of the 1990 emission levels.
Under the Protocol, 37 industrialized countries commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by them, and all member countries gave general commitments. The countries agreed to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from the 1990 level. Emission limits do not include emissions by international aviation and shipping.
The Protocol allows for several "flexible mechanisms", such as emissions trading, thus allowing developed countries to meet their GHG emission limitations by purchasing GHG emission reductions credits from developing, through financial exchanges, projects that reduce emissions from other countries, etc. The developed countries are also supposed to provide financial support and supply clean technology to other countries.
The objective of the Kyoto climate change conference was to establish a legally binding international agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012.
China now exceeds the United States as the single largest GHG emitter, and accounts for more than a fifth of global GHG emissions. Per capita emissions in developing countries like India and China are relatively low due to the large population. China, India and other developing countries were not included in any numerical limitation of the Kyoto Protocol, because they were not main contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions in the pre-treaty industrialization period. However, even without responsibility under the Kyoto target, developing countries are also committed to share the common responsibility of all countries to reduce emissions.
India signed and ratified the Protocol in August, 2002. Since India is exempted from the framework of the treaty, it is expected to gain from the protocol in terms of transfer of technology and related foreign investments. India maintains that following the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, the major responsibility of curbing emission rests with the developed countries, which have accumulated emissions over a long period of time. However, the U.S. and other Western nations assert that India, along with China, will account for most of the emissions in the coming decades, owing to their rapid industrialization and economic growth.
In the on-going Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen, a new track “Long Term Cooperative Action” is being readied by selected developed countries which demands that all countries, including emerging economies, make commitments to reduce emissions as equals by 2050. In protest, the majority of G77 members, joined by India and China, staged a walkout. Negotiations are still continuing to find a solution to this global problem.
Under the Protocol, 37 industrialized countries commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by them, and all member countries gave general commitments. The countries agreed to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from the 1990 level. Emission limits do not include emissions by international aviation and shipping.
The Protocol allows for several "flexible mechanisms", such as emissions trading, thus allowing developed countries to meet their GHG emission limitations by purchasing GHG emission reductions credits from developing, through financial exchanges, projects that reduce emissions from other countries, etc. The developed countries are also supposed to provide financial support and supply clean technology to other countries.
The objective of the Kyoto climate change conference was to establish a legally binding international agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012.
China now exceeds the United States as the single largest GHG emitter, and accounts for more than a fifth of global GHG emissions. Per capita emissions in developing countries like India and China are relatively low due to the large population. China, India and other developing countries were not included in any numerical limitation of the Kyoto Protocol, because they were not main contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions in the pre-treaty industrialization period. However, even without responsibility under the Kyoto target, developing countries are also committed to share the common responsibility of all countries to reduce emissions.
India signed and ratified the Protocol in August, 2002. Since India is exempted from the framework of the treaty, it is expected to gain from the protocol in terms of transfer of technology and related foreign investments. India maintains that following the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, the major responsibility of curbing emission rests with the developed countries, which have accumulated emissions over a long period of time. However, the U.S. and other Western nations assert that India, along with China, will account for most of the emissions in the coming decades, owing to their rapid industrialization and economic growth.
In the on-going Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen, a new track “Long Term Cooperative Action” is being readied by selected developed countries which demands that all countries, including emerging economies, make commitments to reduce emissions as equals by 2050. In protest, the majority of G77 members, joined by India and China, staged a walkout. Negotiations are still continuing to find a solution to this global problem.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Climate Change Summit
Everyone is talking about the climate change due to global warming and naturally everyone is worried about the repercussions of such a scenario in the near future. If one assumes that the climate change is only due to global warming, one of the most serious scenarios due to the climate change will be the watery grave to very many coastal cities around the world and the sensitive industrial units such as refineries and nuclear plants which are ideally situated for convenience of accessibility and cooling water requirements on the sea coasts.
As can be seen from the goings-on in on-going Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen, it is very difficult to come to mutually agreeable and unbiased understanding on the issue. Developed countries are using arm-twisting techniques to brow-beat the developing countries to agree to cap the greenhouse gas emissions to unreasonable levels which are likely to hamper the necessary infrastructure development in the countries. The target year “by 2050” is too far off.
It is the need of the time that the developed rich countries provide clean technologies to the developing countries so that the development is not hampered. The developing countries like India and China also should make all efforts to reduce, at least, non-industrial emissions and commit to employ technology up-gradation to minimize the environmental greenhouse gas pollution.
As can be seen from the goings-on in on-going Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen, it is very difficult to come to mutually agreeable and unbiased understanding on the issue. Developed countries are using arm-twisting techniques to brow-beat the developing countries to agree to cap the greenhouse gas emissions to unreasonable levels which are likely to hamper the necessary infrastructure development in the countries. The target year “by 2050” is too far off.
It is the need of the time that the developed rich countries provide clean technologies to the developing countries so that the development is not hampered. The developing countries like India and China also should make all efforts to reduce, at least, non-industrial emissions and commit to employ technology up-gradation to minimize the environmental greenhouse gas pollution.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
CAT should conduct re-examination in paper-based format
The Common Admission Test (CAT), which went online for the first time, has created utter confusion and frustration among the candidates. It is unfair to conduct re-examination for a few candidates and give them the benefit which the organizers are denying to other candidates. There were major disruptions in some centers and in some centers timing of the examination was changed abruptly and in some centers the internet was slow. There were many other problems which are yet to be identified. These issues have caused undesired stress to the candidates resulting in poor performances by many bright candidates.
In view of the secrecy maintained by IIMs regarding the structure of the online test, it is unfair to other candidates to give retest only to a few “Affected” candidates. To be fair to one and all, the organizers (IIMs) should conduct CAT-2009 retest to all the candidates in paper-pencil based format.
In view of the secrecy maintained by IIMs regarding the structure of the online test, it is unfair to other candidates to give retest only to a few “Affected” candidates. To be fair to one and all, the organizers (IIMs) should conduct CAT-2009 retest to all the candidates in paper-pencil based format.
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