EARTH DAY for GLOBALWARMING

Climate change continues to be a subject of intense public and political debate. Because of the level of interest in the topic the Royal Society has produced a new guide to the science of climate change. The guide summarises the current scientific evidence on climate change and its drivers highlighting the areas where the science is well established, where there is still some debate, and where substantial uncertainties remain. The document was prepared by a working group chaired by Professor John Pethica, Vice President of the Royal Society and was approved by the Royal Society Council. The guide is available for download here.

The Royal Society held a two-day Discussion Meeting in March 2010 on Handling uncertainty in science.

The Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative (SRMGI) was launched in March 2010 to ensure strict governance for solar radiation management (SRM) geoengineering. The initiative will be undertaken this year by the Royal Society, in partnership with the TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).In February 2010, the Royal Society held a two-day Discussion Meeting on the subject of Greenhouse gases in the Earth system: setting the agenda to 2030.

In February 2010, the Royal Society agreed to provide advice to the University of East Anglia in identifying assessors to conduct an independent external reappraisal of the Climatic Research Unit’s key publications. The names being put forward by the Society will be acting as individuals, not representatives of the Society and the Society will have no oversight of this independent review.

In December 2009 the Council of the Royal Society published a statement to coincide with the Copenhagen climate negotiations, Preventing dangerous climate change, highlighting the need for a global agreement. The statement discussed some of the policy options necessary for a strong agreement for preventing dangerous climate change.

In November 2009 a joint Royal Society - NERC - Met Office statement on the science of climate change was also issued. This statement focused on the scientific evidence underpinning calls for action at the Copenhagen negotiations.

Geoengineering the climate: science, governance and uncertainty, September 2009. Chaired by Professor John Shepherd FRS. Provides a detailed assessment of the various methods of geoengineering, and considers the potential efficiency and unintended consequences they may pose.

Background

It is certain that increased greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and from land use change lead to a warming of climate, and it is very likely that these green house gases are the dominant cause of the global warming that has been taking place over the last 50 years.

Whilst the extent of climate change is often expressed in a single figure – global temperature – the effects of climate change (such as temperature, precipitation and the frequency of extreme weather events) will vary greatly from place to place.

Increasing atmospheric CO2 also leads to ocean acidification which risks profound impacts on many marine ecosystems and in turn the societies which depend on them.

The Society has worked on the issue of climate change for many years to further the understanding of this issue. These activities have been informed by decades of publicly available, peer-reviewed studies by thousands of scientists across a wide range of disciplines. Climate science, like any other scientific discipline, develops through vigorous debates between experts, but there is an overwhelming consensus regarding its fundamentals. Climate science has a firm basis in physics and is supported by a wealth of evidence from real world observations.

After working on the Royal Society’s People and the planet report for almost 2 years, and after attending a number of party conferences, it seemed only natural to me that this year we might have an event at the party conferences on the topic of our report. It seemed particularly relevant given the current review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), David Cameron’s involvement in that review and the many discussions that are taking place on the focus, scope and reach of the post-2015 development framework.

So, we held an event on the topic of the People and the planet report at this week’s Labour Party Conference. Sir John Sulston FRS, Chair of the People and the planet report, gave an overview of the current situation with regards to impact on the planet. Professor Tim O’Riordan, a Fellow of the British Academy described how we might make progress on these issues and Rushanara Ali MP, Shadow International Development Minister, described the Labour Party’s positions on these issues. The event was expertly chaired by Guardian journalist, Tim Radford.

Yet the audience at the event seemed quite taken aback by some of the points put forward at our event. One member of the audience remarked that is was the first party conference fringe event on the topic of population for as long as he could remember. Some were grappling with the prospect that those in developed countries actually need to reduce their material consumption! Others enquired about how this message had gone down at a time when political focus was almost entirely on getting the economy out of the recession.

Yet it is clear that 7 billion people now, and a potential 9 billion in the future, cannot consume at the level that those in the most developed countries do. Tim O’Riordan eloquently described how the environment is changing, and how inadequate our response to this change is. He puts this down to the fact that most people are physically removed from nature and feels that we just don’t pay enough attention to what’s happening around us. Tim would like to see a focus on addressing overconsumption of food, water and energy, on the rights of women and on education.

Rushanara Ali said: “It’s fantastic that we are discussing these important issues”. The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow feels that “talking about population growth in the context of climate change and consumption is the right way forward”. She called for a bold and ambitious approach to build resilience so that people and cope with changes that affect their lives.

I’ve definitely learnt something at this conference. There are still some elephants in the room: some people in developed countries, such as the UK, do not want to hear that they have to reduce their consumption of material goods, and they definitely are not used to talking about population.

I had previously thought that the biggest challenge in moving forward on the post-2015 development agenda would be bringing together the priorities and interests of the developed and developing countries. But from the discussions I attended at the Labour Party Conference, we still have some work to do in bringing together the international “human” development agenda with the sustainable “environmental” development agenda. We all need to work together to make this happen.

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GUWAHATI: Experts from diverse fields with gather here on Sunday to explore how global warming is going to affect the livelihoods of the marginalized section of the society, especially the women as the northeast is becoming vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

The Guwahati-based Centre for Environment, Social and Policy Research (CESPR) will organize a day-long consultation on climate change and its impact on marginalized women here on Sunday, in which experts, social activists, government officials and academicians will take part.

CESPR said the people who were affected by the vagaries of climate in recent years will also be present during the consultation.

While the manifestation of climate change is being felt in the overall changes in rainfall pattern, CESPR said the consultation will make an effort to find out how marginalized women in the society are affected by the phenomenon.

The state experienced one of the worst floods this year since 2004, which left about 150 people dead and affected nearly 40 lakh people in 27 districts. In past years, the state also experienced drought-like situation, severely affecting agriculture. Experts said that high floods and drought-like situations are manifestation of changing climatic conditions in the state.

Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F), with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980.] Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These findings are recognized by the national science academies of all major industrialized nations.

Climate model projections were summarized in the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They indicated that during the 21st century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 2.9 °C (2 to 5.2 °F) for their lowest emissions scenario and 2.4 to 6.4 °C (4.3 to 11.5 °F) for their highestThe ranges of these estimates arise from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations.

According to AR4, warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe The effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the amount and pattern of precipitation, as well a probable expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with the continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects of the warming include a more frequent occurrence of extreme-weather events including heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes. Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss of habitat from inundation.

Proposed policy responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction, adaptation to its effects, and possible future geoengineering. Most countries are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), whose ultimate objective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic (i.e., human-induced) climate change. Parties to the UNFCCC have adopted a range of policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to assist in adaptation to global warming.Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed that deep cuts in emissions are required and that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C (3.6 °F) relative to the pre-industrial level.Reports published in 2011 by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Energy Agency suggest that efforts as of the early 21st century to reduce emissions may be inadequate to meet the UNFCCC's 2 °C target.

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Yesterday evening I attended the Big Innovation Centre’s Lib Dem Fringe event: It’s innovation stupid: Is the strategy for growth working?

This was by far the liveliest event I’ve attended during the Lib Dem conference so far. Although Will Hutton only used the F word once, an animated discussion unfolded which asked challenging questions about how and where growth comes from and if strategies for stimulating growth are adequately focused on where it matters most.

According to the panelists, austerity measures and macro-economic policies to promote growth by stimulating supply and demand are wholly inadequate to overcome the scale of the problems today; far worse than the recessions of last century, when empire and credit booms came to the rescue. So what will be the UK’s get out of jail card today?

The panelists argued for an intelligent ecosystems approach to innovation policy. This would require an open and reflexive system, with reform of markets, places and networks, to enable innovation in the firms that are most capable of generating the wealth and employment needed to get the UK out of recession.

At the Royal Society, we too are thinking about our role in the UK’s innovation ecosystem. Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, recently said in a speech alongside Secretary of State Vince Cable ‘our economy must be built on a network of science, translation, innovation and industrialisation. It will not be effective just to have an industrial strategy, we need a joined up Science, Innovation and Industrial Strategy’.

In addition to delicious, sweet potato could help you in household activities everyday. With the help of potatoes, you can clean the rust to avoid the danger of broken glass.
Do not believe? Do not underestimate the potatoes! You can try some of the following utility.
Remove rust
Rust forms when iron absorbs moisture. Rust can also occur when the iron hit the water. Before the rust is really damaging furniture is made of iron, you should immediately clean the rust.
Use the potato pieces to clean up the rust that is on the baking pan, knives, and other equipment. Potatoes contain a oxalid acid which removes rust.
The trick, cut potatoes in half. Dip the potato pieces in a dish soap or baking soda. After that, rub the potatoes in the area of ​​rusty iron.
If the potatoes are growing slick, cut and add soap or baking soda again. After that, rinse and dry the furniture.
Clean the glass
Potatoes were also able to be used to clean the glass. Almost the same as removing the rust, you just need to cut the potatoes and rub. Do not forget to wipe again with a clean cloth. In addition to cleaning the glass, potatoes are also effective to prevent your glass from fog.
Taking a piece of glass
When the glass shattered, broken glass sometimes very small and hard to put away. Take the potatoes and use as a "medium" to get rid of the piece of glass.
Flower arranging
To keep wreaths still have perfect form, most people use the flower foam. However, if there is no foam flower, you can also use potatoes to plant flowers.
Cleaning supplies silver
Potatoes can also clean up existing stains on cutlery and other equipment made of silver. In addition to rub raw potato to your equipment, potato cooking water also you can use.
The trick, silverware soak into the potatoes boiled water for 20 minutes. In this simple way, the stain will be gone.
Good luck and prove!

Mangrove forests are projected to be the mainstay of carbon emission reduction programs in Indonesia. Although the extent of only 2.5 per cent of our tropical forests, ecosystem disruption have an impact far greater than conventional forest destruction.
It is raised in mangrove international seminar "Conservation and Community Empowerment" organized by the University General Sudirman (Unsoed), Navan, Friday-Saturday (6-7/10/2012). The seminar presented the REDD + Task Force Chairman Kuntoro; Professor Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany, Michael Muhlenberg; Chan Hung Tuck of the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, and Sanjay Swarup of the NUS Environmental Research Institute, Singapore.
Based on recent data Geospatial Information Agency, mangrove forest in Indonesia is only 3.2 million hectares (ha). The amount is 22 percent of the entire ecosystem kind in the world, is narrower than our tropical forest about 100 million ha.
Muhlenberg, citing research program Ocean and Coastal Policy at Duke University said, destroying 1 ha of mangrove forest, cutting down emissions equivalent to 3-5 ha of tropical forests. Research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said the attempt to avoid carbon emissions by conserving mangrove forests do with the cost of U.S. $ 4-10 per tonne of CO2. In other tropical forests reach 10-20 U.S. dollars per ton of CO2.
Chan Hung Tuck says, mangrove forests are categorized wetland can store tons of CO2 per ha 800-1200. The release of emissions into the air in less than mangrove forests on the mainland. Litter decay of aquatic plants do not emit carbon dioxide into the air. Tropical forest plants die off 50 percent carbon.
Kuntoro admit, the new government mangrove serious attention in REDD + schemes after recent years the focus on conventional forest. He encouraged local governments have regulations related to preservation of mangroves.
Unsoed Rector Edy Yuwono said, beginning to feel the impact of the loss of mangrove coastal communities. The destruction of mangroves in the lagoon Segara Anakan cause catches fish, crabs, and clams in Cilacap reduced.

Climate change makes herbivore or plant-eating animals more vulnerable to toxins. Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology B in May 2012.

Denise Dearing of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City to do some studies on laboratory results show that the higher temperature environment, the ability of herbivores to neutralize the toxin becomes lower.

One proof in mice. Increasing the temperature from 26 degrees Celsius to 36 degrees Celsius made ​​mice much more susceptible to caffeine. The mouse will die when taking a fifth course of the actual dose of death (lethal dose).

Dearin revealed, neutralize toxins with the aid of animal liver. According to him, the higher the ambient temperature, it may be the ability of the liver works to neutralize toxins decreased.

Increasingly complex problems because there is evidence that in high temperatures, plants also produce more toxins. In fact, the risks experienced by herbivores increases.

Problems experienced by larger herbivores would have preferred a little feed, such as the Arabian Oryx. When the choice of food and toxins produced slightly larger, the Arabian Oryx did not have much choice.

As reported by New Scientist, Friday (01/06/2012), in addition to the risk experienced by herbivores can also be experienced by the animals at the level of higher trophic levels. Carnivores have to work extra to neutralize toxins from the body herbivores.