LEC 2

Global warming
 It has become a buzzword in the world.
 National and international forums or conferences are having debates on it.

Scientific consensus on global warming

1. This particular problem has been instigated by the humans or human activities.
2. It is an international environmental problem.
3. It is considered as a great threat.

What is global warming?

 IPCC – intergovernmental panel on climate change- 1988
 195 countries are member of this forum
 As per IPCC, “Global Warming is an average and gradual increase in the
temperature of earth (Atmosphere, surface,…)

As per IPCC,

- 1.2°C, temperature has increased from 1850 to 2023…

- this temperature has further potential to rise; 1.4°C to 5.8°C… In 2100

- IPCC: the world is going to witness the rise in temperature 1.4°C up to

2014

 NASA: it has claimed 1°C increase for the past 120 years.

Causes or factors responsible for global warming

1. Greenhouse gases (GHGs)
- largest contributor to birds global warming…

- such gases that have the ability to trap, absorb, and scatter the heat…

a. CO2,
- From thermal, steel, fertilizer, textile, paper, cement, pharma industries…
- By use of fossil fuels, coal, oil, diesel and natural gas
- as per IPCC, 61% of global warming is contributed by CO2 only
b. Methane CH4,
- From fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, animal waste…
- As per IPCC, 15% of global warming is contributed by methane only…
c. CFCS chlorofluorocarbons,
- From air conditioners, refrigerators, spray cans…
- As per IPC, 11% of global warming is instigated or caused by CFCS
d. Nitrous oxide N2O,
- From fertilizers, organic waste, pesticide industry,…
- As per IPC, 4% of global warming is contributed by nitrous oxide…
 But how Is global warming taking place??
 Solar radiations (heat) Passes to the atmosphere and some of the heat is absorbed
by the greenhouse gases before the solar radiations reach the surface of the earth.
 As a result the temperature increases. Remaining heat reaches the surface of the
earth. At the time of the day it is absorbed by the surface of the earth. At the night
time the excessive heat will radiate back to the atmosphere.
 When it will reradiate, greenhouse gases again traps the heat; Therefore,
temperature rises or increases.
 It is global warming that is the average temperature rises.
 this whole process is known as greenhouse effect.

2. Greenhouse effect
Definition:

It is a thermal process in which the heat gets trapped into the

atmosphere, under the action of greenhouse gases.
 greenhouse effect comma it is a normal natural process. (If it is not present;
temperature stabilization of earth is not possible, crops would not grow, human
survival would not be possible on the surface of earth)
 No, this normal natural greenhouse effect has been accelerated due to the
increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as compared to the past
years… Therefore it is now referred to as enhanced greenhouse effect.

3. Population explosion
US Census Bureau
1960 = 3 billion world population
2000 = 6 billion world population
November 25th 2022 = 8 billion world population
Currently = 8.1 billion world population
Prediction = 9 billion exceeds in the coming 8 to 10 years
 Increase in the number of people =

-means increased consumption

- increased production

- increased transport

- increased industrialization

- Increased generation of solar waste

- increase demand of energy
- Increased urbanization
- increased deforestation
 These added greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to which the global
warming+ air pollution would increase

4. Massive deforestation
 global forest watch: more than 10 million hectares have been deforested in the
world over past three to four years.
Article on deforestation by Sir Majid rajat choudhary for stats
 relationship between global warming and deforestation call on
- Forests: act as a natural carbon sinks, because they absorbs CO2, because it is
required for the process of photosynthesis
- carbon sinks declined due to the deforestation whereas CO2 sources have inclined
over the time
- It has caused imbalance in the ratio of the two
- NOAA, National Oceanic and atmospheric administration;
 CO2 levels = 424 parts per million

5. Rapid urbanization
UN – 2015 report; 54% of global population was urbanized till the year
2014
Currently – 60% of global population has been urbanized
 There is a prevalence of concrete infrastructure, due to which there is more heat
absorption and this warming is leading to urban heat island effect.
 For example, housing, roads, flyovers, underpasses, sidewalks…
 Heavy construction was done by massive exploitation of fossil fuels, that emitted
enormous amount of CO2 into the atmosphere which is the leading cause of global
warming and air pollution.

6. Rapid industrialization
 steel industry, fertilizer industry, paper industry, pesticide industry, thermal industry
call mom textile industry, paper industry, cement industry…
 For example,
-steel industry emits CO2, CO, VOCS
- fertilizer industry emmits CH4 and CO2
- pesticide industry emits CO2, CH4, and N2O.
 due to which the quantity of pollutants in the atmosphere have increased which
leads to the global warming

7. Eruption of wildfires
 2023- Greece wildfire
 2023 – Canadian wildfire
 2022- Brazilian wildfire
 2021- Turkish wildfire
 2021 - Californian wildfire
 2022- Amazon wildfire
 2019 – Australian wildfire
wildfires introduce carbon dioxide, heat, ash into the atmosphere…

8. Generation of solid waste

 Organic waste introduces C4, CO2… into the atmosphere
 UNEP – united nation environment program
More than 350,000,000 tonnes of plastic waste is produced globally,
annually
Pakistan produces 15 million per annum
9. Weapons of mass destruction or warfare
 Production
 Testing
 Practical use in war
Introduces carbon dioxide and many other toxins into the atmosphere that is
contributing significantly in global warming…
10. Volcanic eruptions; Natural process
 Heat, SO2, ash …Are added into the atmosphere by the volcanic eruptions that
contribute in global warming and air pollution
 Basically, human activities and interferences have contributed significantly to the
global warming

Effects of global warming

1. Direct threat to life global warming is also
 because temperature is increasing or rising contributing in social, economic,
- ( From 2015-2030) political, environmental and
 WMO ( World meteorological organization) cultural effects. These are the
Xinjiang (China), 2023= 52°C far-reaching effects
this was historic in the recorded history of the temperature
- London City, 2022 = 40°C
it was also historic
- Pakistan bummer multan and Jaccobabad, 50°C plus temperature
- India- Bihar
- Bangladesh- Dhaka
- USA
- Europe
- Australia
 2023- warmest a year in the recorded human history
 April 2022 – warmest april

rising temperature results in the intensification of heat waves that result in number
of deaths…
 Karachi = more than 1200 deaths in three to four years
 India = more than 400 deaths in three to four years
 UK or Europe= more than 1400 deaths in three to four years
2. Ice cover is disappearing or melting of glaciers due to the rising
temperature
 Glacier melting is a threat to the fresh water reservoir. There is only 3% of frozen
ice. Due to this reduction in ice cover it will lead to the freshwater scarcity… Side
information
 As per international Commission on ice and snow,
 New Zealand, 11% glacial retreat
 Tibetan glaciers, 25% retreat
 But is she in glaciers, 50% retreat north USA, 20%
 As per NASA,
 Pakistani or Himalayan glaciers are the most rapidly melting glaciers
 european glaciers are the second most rapidly melting glaciers
 Arctic sea loss = 11.5% per decade
 Antarctic region, in 2028, ice sheet breakdown… that was four times
larger than the london city

all of this will lead to the scarcity of fresh water common because they are the main
sources of the fresh water in the world.

3. Rising global sea levels

 Due to the melting of glaciers
 due to the increased intensity of rainfall
 IPCC - 8 inches global sea level rise over the past 120 years

global warming will rise as a

4. Coastal population
humanitarian crisis in the
 rising global sea level is a threat to the coastal population
coming years or days
 2.5 billion former coastal population
 example of coastal cities
 Example of coastal cities
- Karachi, thickly populated coastal city
- Bombay
- Chittagong
- Jakarta
- Venice
All these are coastal cities and are thickly populated cities
 example of coastal countries

- most of the population is costly located in these countri

 - Australia, more than 90% is coastline located population

- New Zealand

 examples of island states

- Case study: there will be no Maldives by the middle of this century
- Kiribati
- Tuvalu
These are the fast-paced sinking island states
5. International environmental refugee problem
 displacement or migration are difficult to manage
 world is not ready for this
 This will bring poverty along with it
 the crime rate would increase
 There will be rise in unemployment
 there will be increase in homelessness
 there will be hunger

you can make a separate paragraph on poverty

6. increasing intensities and frequencies of disasters

i. Floods or urban flooding
 Has become a routine phenomena
 Example
- 2023, flooding in india read article by Sir Majid for example
- 2023, China
- 2023, Russia
- 2017, Lahore, urban flooding
- 2020, Karachi, Ivan flooding
- 2022, Pakistan, bangladesh, USA, south korea, switzerland, italy, germany… etc
every part of the world was hit with the floods
 This flooding leads to the

- human loss

- devastation of road infrastructure

-devastation of bridges

- loss of livestock

 this leads to the

- migration
- poverty
 - homelessness
- diseases
- loss of agricultural land
 Pakistani government in 2022, has lost 16 billion U.S. dollars but now
they’re claiming that they have lost 30 billion U.S. dollars due to these
floods

ii. Eruption of wildfires

- 2023, Greece wildfire
- 2023, Canadian wildfire
- 2022, Brazilian wildfire
- 2021, Turkish wildfire
- 2021, Californian wildfire
- 2020, Amazon wildfire
- 2019, Australian wildfire

7. Effects on agriculture
 Due to the temperature rise, crop life cycle is being changed
 rainfall patterns change which is causing agricultural damage
 floods are causing agricultural damage
 farmers are becoming poorer and poorer over the time
 as we are an agricultural economy, it is affecting our national economy
 it is leading to food insecurity
 inflation due to the global warming
8. health implications or effects
 suitable environment is being developed for pathogens
 WHO,
- 3.5% dengue
- 3% malarial
- 3% typhoid
cases are contributed by the climate change.
there is health insecurity in the health sector in the global society.
9. Increasing conflicts
I. Between the states
II. between the developed and developing world
II. Within the states
 Water; this resource is being used on shared basis between these states
for example, Indo-Pak water treaty
Afghanistan and Iran
Cars
Europe
 2022 flood in Pakistan

voice for environmental justice

Mitigation and adaptation measures

1. stabilizing levels of greenhouse gases
 transition in the energy system from the fossil fuels towards the renewable energy
resources, when, hidden, tidal, geothermal, biofuels, solar…
 Currently this transition is taking place, SDG’s – reliable energy, goals
UN General secretary Antonio said that global warming is now should be
referred as global boiling
2. Increasing global forest cover
 By promoting afforestation
 by promoting reforestation
 by controlling deforestation or illegal deforestation should be controlled
 plants act as carbon sinks that is they absorb CO2 or there should be adaptation for
the temperature rise to improve the cooling impact
 Pakistan forest cover??

3. Promotion of sustainable transport

 Reducing the number of private cars, vehicles, private car usage, reduction in all
these…
 Transport: there should be taxation, carbon taxation for example in Europe older
models are used there will be taxation on it they are either banned or taxed
 Promote decent public transport system for example in Istanbul, Sydney,
melbourne there is free transport read the article of sar
 electric vehicle transport should be promoted
 run vehicles on biofuels
 cycling should be promoted
 E-bikes
4. Sustainable urbanization or sponge cities read article
 vertical expansion of cities
 open spaces,
Water table in Pakistan has
depleted very badly
- Plantation
- Water reservoirs, lakes
- rainwater storage would be better
- Flooding risk would be lower
 earthquake posed a risk to the vertical expansion but Japan has resolved this issue
 roads or sidewalks should be made with porous materials to enhance the
absorption of rainwater into the surface of the earth
5. Sustainable industrialization
 pollution control technologies or methods should be introduced
 proper solid waste management
6. Environmental education or awareness
 through formal education system
 through formal education system through local governance system
 through media, E-media, print media, social media
 Through religion, Islam, Islamic teachings, religious clerics
 in war whenever the army advanced our holy prophet peace be upon him advised
the soldiers not to burn the fields and trees
 uh there is a hadees that sapphire nisc Iman that is cleanliness is half religion
 It is a charity to plant a tree
 don't wastewater even if you are at a running stream
7. Implementation of environmental policies/commitments at
national or international level
 for example, Kyoto protocol Was designed but not implemented effectively…
 Environmental laws
 environmental rules
 environmental regulations
all of these must be enforced

8. national or international environmental institutions

 Pakistan- EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
 UNEP
9. agriculture should be resilient
 genetically modified seeds are introduced…
10. promote green housing
11. disaster management
 NBMA
12. international cooporation
 Technical cooperation, scientific cooperation, financial cooperation lies with the
developed world.