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Climate Change

About Climate Change

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What is Climate Change

It has been said that “climate is what you expect and weather is what you get”. Climate change refers to a gradual shift in the overall weather occurrences associated with an increase in global average temperatures. Basically, it is the long-term shift in average weather patterns across the world. Since the mid-1800s, humans have contributed to an excessive release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air, causing global temperatures to rise which has resulted in persistent changes to the climate.
 
Changes in the earth’s climate, due to human activities — also known as anthropogenic climate change — include increasing air and sea surface temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, ocean acidification, sea-level rise and changes in frequency and intensity of extreme events like floods, droughts and tropical cyclones.
 
Difference between global warming and climate change
 
These terms are often used interchangeably but have different meanings. Global warming is just one of the many aspects of climate change. The term ‘global warming’ refers to the recent rise in the global average temperature near the earth's surface which is caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) in the atmosphere.
 
Climate change effects
 
Extreme weather conditions: Changes in precipitation patterns, including extreme precipitation events like storms and floods are becoming more severe and frequent in many regions, and this is expected to continue.
 
Droughts: Rising temperatures lead to increased rates of evaporation and can cause more rapid drying of soils. Without a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions, longer-term droughts are expected to intensify in much of the Southwest, the Great Plains, and the Southeast.
 
Rising ocean levels: Rising temperatures are causing glaciers and ice sheets to melt, adding more water to the oceans and causing the ocean level to rise. Oceans absorb 90 per cent of the extra heat from global warming, so warmer water expands, and our oceans occupy more space.
 
Ocean acidification: It occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide and becomes more acidic. It is often called the 'evil twin' of the climate change.
 
Impact on health: Climate change is increasing mankind’s exposure to extreme temperatures, weather events, degraded air quality, diseases transmitted through food, water, and insects, and stresses to mental health and well-being. These threats to human health are expected to increase with continued and unchecked climate change.

Latest Updates on Climate Change

Calling for strategies to tackle residual emissions, scientists said they would need to be balanced by carbon dioxide removal techniques to meet net-zero goals

Updated On: 07 Apr 2023 | 4:29 PM IST

"Limiting tube well depth and including extraction costs is beneficial to prevent overexploitation of deep aquifers," said Professor, IIT Gandhinagar

Updated On: 06 Apr 2023 | 2:36 PM IST

The burning of coal for electricity, cement, steel and other uses went up in 2022 despite global promises to phase down the fuel that's the biggest source of planet-warming gases in the atmosphere

Updated On: 06 Apr 2023 | 9:41 AM IST

In the past year, soaring energy prices and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been accelerants and a curse for the transition away from dirty fuels

Updated On: 04 Apr 2023 | 9:11 AM IST

If global warming can be limited to 2C above preindustrial levels, the researchers found that over 80% of those deaths could be avoided

Updated On: 04 Apr 2023 | 8:51 AM IST

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Updated On: 13 Apr 2023 | 9:46 PM IST

A more than seven-decade-old technology is coming in the limelight on the journey to net zero

Updated On: 03 Apr 2023 | 9:16 PM IST

The building boom underscores how the US has rebuilt its credentials as a cleantech manufacturing hub after last year's Inflation Reduction Act.

Updated On: 02 Apr 2023 | 10:40 PM IST

"The world is still suffering from the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it should be our collective responsibility to put a minimum burden on the low-income people," Bilawal said

Updated On: 31 Mar 2023 | 3:10 PM IST

Majority of Himalayan glaciers analysed are melting or retreating at varying rates in different regions, the government has said

Updated On: 29 Mar 2023 | 11:32 PM IST

Green groups have criticised a deal between Germany's 3 governing parties on energy and climate policies, saying Wednesday that it risks watering down essential measures to curb global warming

Updated On: 29 Mar 2023 | 9:19 PM IST

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will get Rs 7,507.5 crore for its various schemes

Updated On: 30 Jul 2024 | 3:02 PM IST

Governments agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord to limit the global temperature rise to 2 C (3.6 F) ideally no more than 1.5 C above pre-industrial averages

Updated On: 28 Mar 2023 | 8:16 PM IST

The CPR's report says most HAPs are not built for local contexts. They across the country generally focus on dry extreme heat and ignore the threats posed by humid heat and warm nights

Updated On: 27 Mar 2023 | 4:28 PM IST

The referendum had called for Berlin to become climate neutral by 2030

Updated On: 27 Mar 2023 | 7:02 AM IST

The global turn to industrial policy defies history and logic

Updated On: 26 Mar 2023 | 9:48 PM IST

Funding is also needed for the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, even the private sector, to preserve biodiversity

Updated On: 26 Mar 2023 | 6:11 PM IST

The seven members of the BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand

Updated On: 25 Mar 2023 | 7:41 PM IST

In this context, the association maintained the industry involving all the stakeholders to invest in research to come out with mitigating solutions

Updated On: 25 Mar 2023 | 3:49 PM IST

The US State Department declined to comment. A senior administration official defended the final IPCC summary for policymakers, saying it was clear about the critical message

Updated On: 24 Mar 2023 | 8:04 PM IST