Definition

Climate Change

Climate change is any substantial change in Earth’s climate that lasts for an extended period of
time.  Global warming refers to climate change that causes an increase in the average
temperature of the lower atmosphere.  Global warming can have many different causes, but it is
most commonly associated with human interference, specifically the release of excessive
amounts of greenhouse gases. (EPA, 2006)

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapor, and fluorinated
gases, act like a greenhouse around the earth.  This means that they let the heat from the Sun into
the atmosphere, but do not allow the heat to escape back into space.  The more greenhouse gases
there are, the larger the percentage of heat that is trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere.  The
earth could not exist in its present state (that is, with life) without the presence of some naturally
occurring greenhouse gases, such as CO2, CH4, and water vapor. Without any greenhouse gases
no heat would be trapped in atmosphere, so the earth would be extremely cold. (NASA, 2002)

    Naturally occurring greenhouse gases (not fluorinated gases) are good in naturally occurring
amounts; it’s when people start contributing excessive amounts of them that greenhouse gases
become a problem.  With excessive greenhouse gas buildup, the earth’s atmosphere warms to
unnatural temperatures which causes, among other things, sea level to rise.  Global warming also
causes sea surface temperatures to rise, precipitation patterns to change, etc.. (NASA, 2002)

Sea Level Rise

      Causes

The main factors affecting sea level rise are thermal expansion of the oceans, melting glaciers,
and melting icecaps.  These are all symptoms of global warming.  As the ocean, or any liquid,
increases in temperature, it increases in volume as well.  This process is known as thermal
expansion.  Glacial and icecap melting occurs when there is net loss of water from the body of
snow and ice; that is, if more water melts off of the glacier or icecap during the summer than is
accumulated through precipitation (snow) during the winter. (EPA, 2000)

Types of Sea Level Rise

According to Barry R. Lewis (2000), there are two types of sea level rise: eustatic and isostatic.
Eustatic sea level rise responds to major climatic change and possibly affected by global
warming. Isostatic sea level rise is a localized representation of vertical displacements of land
surface with respect to sea level.

Global Sea Level Prediction

Sea level rise from any given source varies based on which model was implemented. The most
often cited models that predict sea level rise are MPI, CCCma, GFDL and Hadley-CM3. The
range of data arises from many uncontrollable and unpredictable factors that influence sea level
rise. Such factors include climate, global warming, thermal expansion, future development of
technology and amount of green house emissions. Each model makes different assumptions
which add to some uncertainty in the results. However, to have the most accurate number, the
average of the ranges was calculated. Sixteen different sources of sea level rise predictions a
hundred years from now or 2100 were compiled. Primary sources included reports from the
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
NOAA. The data ranged from extremes of .02 meters of sea level rise (Walsh, 2002) to 6 meters
(AGI, 1994). After omitting the upper and lower outliers, the average of the ranges indicate that
sea level will rise .944 meters.

(Kim, 2006)

This box and whisker plot delineates the 50% range of the compiled sea level rise is .48 meters
to 1.94 meters. The plot omitted the outliers, which were indicated with red circles. The median
is .55 meters, while the average is .944 meters.

> PowerPoint of Compilation of SLR (sea level rise) sources<

Models and Their Uncertainties

Hadley-CM3 is considered “one of the most state-of-the art greenhouse models” that predict
positive temperature trends (Douglass, 2004). However, existing observational data shows the
contrary trend since 1979. The authors of this report believe one of two alternatives that could
explain this phenomenon. First, the Hadley-CM3 is correct and all observational data sets must
then be incorrect. Otherwise, the “[model does] not fully capture the multitudinous climate
effects (including various feedbacks of an increase in greenhouse gases” (Douglass, Pearson, and
Singer, 2004).

Sovolok and Stone, researchers at MIT who developed the MIT-2D model, believe that
uncertainty in heat uptake by the deep ocean is a key factor for the uncertainty in models. The
uncertainty in the rate of heat uptake by the deep ocean has not been included in the projects of
climate change made by the IPCC [model] (Houghton, Jenkens, and Ephraums, 1990). The
following table shows the variability in four different models.

KOLKATA: Corporate India’s ‘green’ initiative seems to have acquired a lasting hue.
Companies like Maruti Udyog, ITC, Cairn India and Orient Paper & Industries have earned
crucial brownie points on the environment front. In an indication of the shape of things to come,
some of these companies also now seem to depend on environmental initiatives as a key
contributor to corporate bottomlines.

On the eve of World Environment Day, country’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki said it
has managed to slash energy consumption per car at its Gurgaon factory by 26 per cent over the
past six years, while its carbondioxide (CO2) emissions during car manufacturing process has
come down 39 per cent in the past five years.

Apart from ‘kaizen’ and a host of other improved manufacturing practices, these cost savings
have also enriched Maruti’s bottomline which, little wonder, went up substantially during the
period.

According to Kishor Shah, CFO, Balrampur Chini Mills, “Our environment initiatives have led
to us earning close to $1 million every year, which has helped improve the company’s
bottomline steadily over the years.” The country’s second-largest sugar company generates clean
power from bagasse in and around villages near its factories in Uttar Pradesh.

The carbon credit project initiated at C K Birla group company, Orient Paper &
Industries’(OPIL) Devapur cement unit in Andhra Pradesh recently received final approval from
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It received the first
instalment of 96,310 units of certified emission reductions (CERs) for activities undertaken up to
March 2006 and will be entitled to further CERs each year until 2012. “We hope to earn
anything between Rs 6-8 crore every year till 2011-12 at the current prices from sale of CERs,”
M L Pachisia, managing director, OPIL, said.

Tobacco-to-hotels & FMCG company, ITC, too has initiated a comprehensive watershed
development programme which is critical to soil-water retention and soil enrichment. While ITC
contributes 75 per cent of the cost, the balance 25 per cent is mobilised by the user group. “So
far, 26,704 hectares of rain-fed agricultural land have been covered,” ITC stated in a recent
posting on its corporate website. ITC’s afforestation exercise has led to planting of some 265
million saplings in nearly 65,000 hectares. Incidentally, the company also makes available high-
yielding, disease-resistant clonal planting stock developed through biotechnology-based research
at its Bhadrachalam unit. These clone had turned out to be commercial viable too with nearly
41,000 hectares brought under such plantations.

Cairn India, the Indian arm of Scottish energy major Cairn Energy, is exploring the application
of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to its Mangala Development in Rajasthan. In
more than a decade, it has supported reforestation projects to promote water capture in all its
operating areas in India. To date, more than 3,30,000 trees have been planted off its Ravva field.
The company also reduced green house gas emissions and oil discharged in water from
producing fields per unit of hydrocarbon produced. It has also helped in rain water harvesting
projects. More than 1,300 water harvesting structures have come up with involvement of rural
households in their respective villages where it directly benefits the people.

Even Maruti’s water consumption per car has come down by 63 per cent as it focused on
lowering consumption of water through use of sensors at water hoses, wash areas and its usage in
the AC plant. It has lowered consumption of raw paint by introducing multi-axes painting robot
in the paint shop. This has increased the efficiency of paint transfer, reduced consumption of raw
paint and paint sludge (industrial waste) generated in the process. “The benefits to the overall
value chain are much higher, as Maruti Udyog has worked in collaboration with its suppliers to
implement the best environment practices at their facilities as well,” a company spokesperson
said.

The climate of change

The Tata group has always allied itself closely with the environment. With a comprehensive
plan to combat climate change, the group looks to strengthen the partnership

Environment and ecology are a part of the culture and ethos of the Tata group. Its companies and
trusts have traditionally nurtured practices and projects that reflect concern for conservation and
the conviction that the environment is not a disposable commodity. The close association with
nature and its causes is helping the group define the spectrum of its involvement with climate
change mitigation.

As the world reels under the tumultuous effects of shifting weather patterns in the form of rising
temperatures, floods, drought and dying species of flora and fauna, it is clear that companies and
individuals have to put their might behind nature. The environment has sounded out a clear call
for action.
However it is also clear that all action on climate change must be concerted, structured and
sustainable. It must target the rising carbon emissions and work towards the dual objective of
reducing the greenhouse gases being spewed into the atmosphere and reviving nature’s ability to
heal itself.

To that end, companies have to develop internal checks to ensure more responsible behaviour.
But that alone is not enough. It must be followed up by active participation in community action
against future violations.

For the Tata group, these issues are being addressed in two ways. At one level, an overall change
in organisational behaviour is being sought through the Tata Code of Conduct 2008. This is
being backed up by the climate change initiative that will be run through Tata Quality
Management Services (TQMS) which will support the companies in their attack on global
warming.

Leading from the front

 Tata Steel recycles more than 80 per cent of the waste generated and the rest is
despatched into safe landfills.
 At Tata Chemicals, water recycling processes and sewage treatment
facilities have cut down the dependence on fresh water. It also invests
time and resources in saving the whale shark that is an annual visitor to
the Mithapur plant.
 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has committed to building green offices; its
buildings will be rated by LEED or the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System which is the
internationally accepted benchmark for green buildings.
 Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Tata Power, Tata Sponge, and Tata
Metaliks have registered projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
instituted by the UNFCCC.

The major areas under CDM projects are:

    1. Waste heat recovery power generation
    2. Super critical technology for power generation
    3. Fuel switch
    4. Methane capture
    5. Energy efficiency improvements
    6. Setting up of renewable energy power generation farms using wind, solar, etc.
 Tata Motors has been an early adopter of environmentally friendly practices.
Way back in 1964, the company took over 800 acres of rocky and arid
wasteland close to the Pune campus and converted it into a mini forest with
more than 1.5 lakh trees belonging to 188 species. The company has
developed a nature trail within the forest and protects a lake that is home to
an assortment of fish and other marine species.
 Tata Chemicals runs a biodiversity reserve plantation project, driven by
volunteer employees.The objective of the project is to create a botanical
 reserve that will be a stronghold for endangered plant species and a seed bank for their
mass regeneration. The plantation provides a safe breeding ground for Caspian Terns,
migratory aquatic birds that visit every winter.
 Tata Tea safeguards the rich and diverse flora and fauna around its estates in Munnar,
Kerala. It has assumed responsibility for conservation of 1,100 hectares of swamps and
streams inside and near its estates and helps protect shola grasslands in the region.The
company has also taken on the challenge of protecting the 97 square kilometre
Eravikulam National Park.

The code urges all companies to exercise greater caution in the way they use natural resources
and in the manner in which they impact upon pollution levels. In the clause on health, safety and
environment, the code says: “It (a Tata company) shall prevent the wasteful use of natural
resources and be committed to improving the environment, particularly with regard to the
emission of greenhouse gases, and shall endeavour to offset the effect of climate change in all
spheres of its activities.”

While the code mandates a change in approach and outlook, a steering committee and a group to
lead the CCI has been set up to guide all the companies on mitigation activities. As a first step,
the group has decided to assess and benchmark its global carbon footprint and work towards its
subsequent phased reduction.

To that end, two external consultants, Ernst & Young and McKinsey & Company have been
appointed. Ernst & Young will measure the current carbon footprint and extrapolate the futuristic
carbon footprint of the group companies. Five major Tata companies have been identified for the
first stage — Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals and TCS.

McKinsey & Company will help the companies establish cost abatement curves and develop
high level mitigation strategies. The two consultants will also train many champions in the Tata
group who can then cascade the initiative into other Tata companies.

As per the plan, the carbon footprint will initially be mapped at the factory level and for major
processes. In the second phase it will be extended to minor processes.

The climate change agenda is also being pursued through initiatives such as: intensive awareness
and training programmes for all stakeholders, identification of climate change champions and a
group policy on green buildings.

Dealing with climate change is no easy task and none can underestimate the effort involved. But
as Jamshed J Irani, chairman of TQMS says (see interview: Working towards a better
tomorrow); not doing anything was never an option for the Tata group.

The heat trap

Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around the earth. They trap the heat and
keep the planet warmer than it would otherwise be. This is a naturally occurring
phenomenon and does not pose any threat to life on the planet. However,
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human activities are causing what is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect which leads to
the accumulation of high levels of greenhouse gases within the atmosphere. This in turn leads to
the warming of the earth’s surface and changing climate.

Carbon dioxide is responsible for over 60 per cent of the “enhanced greenhouse effect.” The
toxic gas is released by burning coal, oil, and natural gas at a rate that is much, much faster than
the speed at which these fossil fuels were created. This is upsetting the carbon cycle. Currently,
atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide are rising by over 10 per cent every 20 years.

This means that the world will be racked by erratic climate patterns. In its Fourth Assessment
Report, the IPCC projects that heat waves and heavy precipitation events are very likely to
increase in frequency in the 21st century. In a world that is crowded and under stress, millions of
people depend on weather patterns, such as monsoon rains, to continue as they have in the past.
Changes, at a minimum, will be difficult and disruptive.

Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List

Written by Derek Markham

One of the biggest issues facing us right now is global warming. Its effects on animals and on agriculture
are indeed frightening, and the effects on the human population are even scarier. The facts about global
warming are often debated, but unfortunately, even if we disagree about the causes, global warming
effects are real, global, and measurable. The causes are mainly from us, the human race, and the effects
on us will be severe.

1. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants

Our ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity production, and
burning coal accounts for 93% of emissions from the electric utility industry [EPA, pg. 10]. Every day,
more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are
highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply.

2. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation

Our modern car culture and appetite for globally sourced goods is responsible for about 33% of
emissions in the U.S. [EPA pg. 8] With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more
cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and
manufacturing. Our consumption is outpacing our discoveries of ways to mitigate the effects, with no
end in sight to our massive consumer culture.

3. Global Warming Cause: Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from
Arctic seabeds

Methane is another extremely potent greenhouse gas, ranking right behind CO2. When organic matter is
broken down by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions (anaerobic decomposition) as in rice paddies,
methane is produced. The process also takes place in the intestines of herbivorous animals, and with the
increase in the amount of concentrated livestock production, the levels of methane released into the
atmosphere is increasing. Another source of methane is methane clathrate, a compound containing
large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As methane escapes from the Arctic
seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly.

4. Global Warming Cause: Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland

The use of forests for fuel (both wood and for charcoal) is one cause of deforestation, but in the first
world, our appetite for wood and paper products, our consumption of livestock grazed on former forest
land, and the use of tropical forest lands for commodities like palm oil plantations contributes to the
mass deforestation of our world. Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and
this deforestation releases large amounts of carbon, as well as reducing the amount of carbon capture
on the planet.

5. Global Warming Cause: Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands

In the last half of the 20th century, the use of chemical fertilizers (as opposed to the historical use of
animal manure) has risen dramatically. The high rate of application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers has effects
on the heat storage of cropland (nitrogen oxides have 300 times more heat-trapping capacity per unit of
volume than carbon dioxide) and the run-off of excess fertilizers creates ‘dead-zones’ in our oceans. In
addition to these effects, high nitrate levels in groundwater due to over-fertilization are cause for
concern for human health.

6. Global Warming Effect: Rise in sea levels worldwide

Scientists predict an increase in sea levels worldwide due to the melting of two massive ice sheets in
Antarctica and Greenland, especially on the East coast of the U.S. However, many nations around the
world will experience the effects of rising sea levels, which could displace millions of people. One nation,
the Maldives, is already looking for a new home, thanks to rising sea levels.

7. Global Warming Effect: More killer storms

The severity of storms such as hurricanes and cyclones is increasing, and research published in Nature
found:

“Scientists have come up with the firmest evidence so far that global warming will significantly increase
the intensity of the most extreme storms worldwide. The maximum wind speeds of the strongest
tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981, according to research published in Nature this
week. And the upward trend, thought to be driven by rising ocean temperatures, is unlikely to stop at
any time soon.”

8. Global Warming Effect: Massive crop failures

According to recent research, there is a 90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose
between moving their families to milder climes and going hungry due to climate change within 100
years.

“Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. “Shortages in future are
likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage
ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts.”" - Guardian: Global warming
causes 300,000 deaths a year

9. Global Warming Effect: Widespread extinction of species

According to research published in Nature, by 2050, rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of
more than a million species. And because we can’t exist without a diverse population of species on
Earth, this is scary news for humans.

“Climate change now represents at least as great a threat to the number of species surviving on Earth as
habitat-destruction and modification.” Chris Thomas, conservation biologist at the University of Leeds
10. Global Warming Effect: Disappearance of coral reefs

A report on coral reefs from WWF says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by
2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification. The ‘bleaching’ of corals from small but
prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in
the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival.

“Despite the oceans’s immensity — 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface with an average depth of almost
4km (2½m) — there are indications that it is approaching its tipping point. For reefs, warming waters
and acidification are closing in like a pair of jaws that threaten to make them the first global ecosystem
to disappear.” - Times Online: 21st-century Noah’s Ark needed to save coral reefs from extinction