10th Class New Books - Social Studies - AGW and Climate Change

AGW and climate change: AGW is causing many changes in the distribution of heat in the Earth system. Remember how atmospheric and oceanic circulations keep re‐distributing the heat in the world? AGW disturbs this system and the re‐distribution system. The disturbance itself is not so much of a problem. It is the
rapidity with which it is happening.

When the redistribution system is disrupted, weather and climate patterns change. Long‐term changes (climatic changes) happen from accumulations of short‐term changes (weather changes). An international effort to form an agreement whereby all countries try to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases has so far not been achieved. An international organization called Inter‐governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was formed to address this issue. It has held many conferences to work out a treaty among the nations of the world to reduce AGW and try to slow down the process of climate change. None of these have been successful. The latest attempt was made at the IPCC conference in Warsaw (Poland), in 2013. This has also failed to achieve any agreement.

Broadly, the disagreements are between the ‘developed’ countries (mainly industrialized, economically more advanced countries of the west) and ‘developing’ countries (countries that are not as industrialised). Developed countries want developing countries to cut down on burning coal and other activities that add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Developing countries argue that developed
countries developed precisely by burning fossil fuels in their development.

Developing countries say that their economic development will be seriously damaged if they don’t burn fossil fuels (mainly coal), and that developed countries should do their fair share of work to help find alternatives that can help the developing countries to progress.

Most scientists from around the world are agreed on this much: AGW is real, it is happening, and it is
leading to rapid and drastic climate change. They warn that severe weather and other changes will
increase in the coming years and threaten life as we know it.

One of the human activities that contribute to global warming is deforestation. Discuss with your teacher and your classmates and try to answer these questions in a few sentences:

1. What is deforestation?
2. Does deforestation happen only in forest areas? How about in your local area, even
if there are no forests?
3. How does deforestation affect global warming? (You will need to recall your study of photosynthesis in your science class.)
4. What are some other ways in which human action contributes to global warming?

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