University of Calcutta

Prafulla Chandra College

PROJECT TOPIC-
GLOBAL WARMING :
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

 NAME : RIYA MALLICK

 SEMESTER : II (B.COM HONS)
 CU REGISTRATION NO: 046-1211-0237-21
 CU ROLL NO : 211046-11-0021
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 SESSION : 2021

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 CONTENTS

Sl. Page
No.
Topics
No.
1] Certificate 3

2] Acknowledgement 4

3] Introduction 5

4] Causes of Global Warming 6-8

5] The Greenhouse Effect 9 - 10

6] Consequences 11-12

7] Solutions 13

8] Conclusion 14

9] Bibliography 15
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 Certificate
SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE:
This is to certify that a student of B.Com (hons) Prafulla Chandra College has
worked under my supervision and guidance for her project work and prepared a
project on Environmental Science with the title “GLOBAL WARMING”.
The project, which she is submitting, is her genuine and original work to the
best of my knowledge.

DATE: 29.07.2021 SIGNATURE

NAME:

DESIGNATION: Associate Professor in Environmental Science

STUDENT’S CERTIFICATE:
I, Riya Mallick, hereby declare that the project titled “GLOBAL WARMING”
submitted to Prafulla Chandra College in partial fulfilment of the B.Com (Hons)
semester-2 project is a record of the original research work done under the
supervision & guidance of Professor of the College under Calcutta University.

SIGNATURE OF THE STUDENT

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project is an outstanding prospect to convey my gratefulness to
those people who helped me and guided me in completing the project
from the commencement to achievement.
Thanks to the “UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA” and my college
“PRAFULLA CHANDRA COLLEGE” for the partial fulfilment and
providing the great opportunity for analysing an important topic relating
to our environment, which is a part of our day to day life.
This project has given me the golden opportunity to learn and self-
development through collaboration. I am grateful to work under the
guidance of our supervisor Prof. and also thankful to our honourable
principal Dr. Ratnakar Pani.
Also, I would like to thank my parents and my fellow classmates
whose continuous support was there in conducting the project. I am also
thankful to internet to help me in technical aspects.

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 Introduction
The phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the surface of Earth
over the past one to two centuries is called Global Warming. It is the long-term
warming of the planet’s overall temperature. Though this warming trend has been
going on for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the last hundred
years due to the burning of fossil fuels. As the human population has increased,
so has the volume of fossil fuels burned. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural
gas, and burning them causes what is known as the “greenhouse effect” in
Earth’s atmosphere.
Global warming causes climate change. Sometimes these phrases are used
interchangeably, however, they are different. Climate change refers to changes in
weather patterns & growing seasons around the world; sea level rise, melting ice
sheets & glaciers. Climate scientists have since the mid-20th century gathered
detailed observations of various weather phenomena & of related influences on
climate. These data indicate that Earth’s climate has changed over almost every
conceivable timescale since the beginning of geologic time & that human
activities since at least the beginning of the Industrial Revolution have a growing
influence over the pace & extent of present-day climate change.
However, some of the outgoing radiation is re-absorbed by CO2, water vapours,
O3, CH4 & other gases in the atmosphere & is radiated back to the surface of
Earth. These gases are called greenhouse gases, due to their heat-trapping
capacity. It must be noted that this re-absorption process is actually good as the
Earth’s average surface temperature would be very cold if there was no existence
of greenhouse gases. The dilemma began when the concentration of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere was artificially increased by humankind at an alarming
rate since the past two centuries. As of 2004, over 8 billion tons of CO2 was
pumped thermal radiation is further hindered by increased levels of greenhouse
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gases resulting in a phenomenon known as global warming. Recent observations
have substantiated the theory that it is indeed a human enhanced greenhouse
effect that is causing the planet to heat up. The planet has experienced the largest
increase in surface temperature over the last 100 years.

Causes of Global Warming

 Generating power

Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil

fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas causes a large
chunk of global emissions. Most of the electricity is
still produced from fossil fuels; only about a quarter
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 comes from wind, solar, and other renewable
sources.
 Manufacturing goods

Manufacturing & industry produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels
to produce energy for making things like cement, iron, electronics, plastics,
clothes, & other goods. Mining & other industrial processes also release gases.

 Cutting down forests

Deforestation causes emissions because when trees are cut, they release the
carbon they have been storing. Since forests absorb carbon dioxide, destroying
them also limits nature’s ability to keep emissions out of the atmosphere.

 Using transportation

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Most cars, trucks, ships, and planes run on fossil fuels. That makes
transportation a major contributor of greenhouse gases, especially carbon-
dioxide emissions.

 Producing food

Producing food requires energy to run farm equipment or fishing boats, with
fossil fuels. Growing crops can also cause emissions, like when using
fertilisers & manure. Cattle produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

 Powering buildings

Globally, residential and commercial buildings consume over half of all

electricity. As they continue to draw on coal, oil, and natural gas for heating
and cooling, they emit significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.

 Consuming too much

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Your home and use of power, how you move around, what you eat and how
much you throw away – all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. So does
the consumption of goods such as clothing, electronics, and plastics.

The Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when energy from a planet's

host star goes through its atmosphere and warms the planet's surface, but the
atmosphere prevents the heat from returning directly to space, resulting in a
warmer planet. Light arriving from our Sun passes through Earth's
atmosphere and warms its surface. The warmed surface then radiates heat,
which is absorbed by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Without the

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natural greenhouse effect, Earth's average temperature would be well below
freezing. Current human-caused increases in greenhouse gases trap greater
amounts of heat, causing the Earth to grow warmer over time.

Greenhouse gases are those that absorb and emit infrared radiation in the
wavelength range emitted by Earth. Carbon dioxide (0.04%), nitrous oxide,
methane, and ozone are trace gases that account for almost 0.1% of Earth's
atmosphere and have an appreciable greenhouse effect.
The most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, listed in
decreasing order of average global mole fraction, are:

 Water vapour ( H2O )

 Carbon dioxide ( CO2 )

 Methane ( CH4 )

 Nitrous oxide  ( N2O )

 Ozone  ( O3 )

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  Chlorofluorocarbons  ( CFCs and HCFCs )

 Hydrofluorocarbons  ( HFCs )

 Perfluorocarbons ( CF4, C2F6, etc.), SF6, and NF3 )

Consequences
The effects of global warming have taken its role on people, animals, birds and
habitat. In fact no continent has been spared.
• At Antarctica, shrinking sea ice has reduced the population of the Adelie
penguin by 33% in 25 years.
• In Canadian Arctic, the Peary caribou population has decreased due to heavy
rainfall from 24,000 in 1961 to 1100 in 1997.
• Developing countries are twice as at risk to climate change as industrialized
countries, and small islands states are thrice as at risk, according to a group of
UN scientists. U.S is the fourth country in the world responsible for CO2
emission.
• Estimates drawn from reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Changes (IPCC) projects increase in average global temperatures ranging from
1.4°C to 5.8°C by the year 2100.
• A slight rise in temperature even by 1 0C, can have adverse effect on the Sea
levels. This Sea level rise would threaten coastal cities (Calcutta, Mumbai,
Chennai, etc.) and some 60-odd island nations such as Maldives, Bangladesh,
etc. Anil Kumar De and Arnab Kumar De (2008)
• Global warming increases the desert. It increases temperature in North
America, South Africa, Mexico, India and other countries. Changes of
hurricanes, cyclones and floods will be more which will damage the lagoons,

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estuaries and coral reefs. Global warming may cause extinction of more than one
million species of animals and plants by 2050 AD.
• Change in climate can also bring several other problems, such as Drying of
surface water bodies, fall in ground water table, serious water shortage,
desertification of vast areas which were hitherto fertile and productive lands, crop
pattern change and reduced agricultural yields-shortage of food, growth in micro-
organisms and spread of diseases, etc.
• In the United States, Chicago experienced one of the worst weather-related
disasters in Illinois history when a heat wave resulted in 525 deaths during a 5-
day period in July of 1995.

Effects on Living Beings Global warming can severely affect the health of living
beings. Excess heat can cause stress which may lead to blood pressure and heart
diseases. Crop failures and famines, which are a direct consequence of heating up
of earth, can cause a decline in human body resistance to viruses and infections.
Global warming may also transfer various diseases to other regions as people
will shift from regions of higher temperatures to regions of comparatively lower
temperatures. Warmer oceans and other surface waters may lead to severe
cholera outbreaks and harmful infections in some types of sea food. Moreover, it
is an established fact that warmer temperatures lead to dehydration which is a
major cause of kidney stones. Valley fever infections have been on the rise,
probably because of warming climates and drought causing dust storms. Dry soil
and wind can carry spores that spread the virus. Hotter and drier climates are

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projected to increase the amount of dusting carrying this disease. Researchers
have already noticed a rise in mosquito-borne disease like dengue fever and
malaria due to warmer and longer summers. Perhaps the most prominent
mosquito-borne disease, West Nile Virus, has already experienced a sharp
increase in annual cases. According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and
Prevention, the summer of 2012 was the nastiest West Nile season on record,.
The likely reason was that summer’s scorching heat and drought. Lyme disease is
another dangerous disease which is transmitted mainly through bites from certain
tick species.

Solutions
Save energy at home : Much of our electricity & heat are powered by coal, oil,
& gas. Use less energy by lowering your heating & cooling, switching to LED
light bulbs & energy-efficient electric appliances, or hanging things to dry
instead of using a dryer.
Walk, cycle, or take public transport & Switch to an electric vehicle : Vehicles
burn diesel or petrol. Walking or riding a bike instead of driving will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions & help your health & fitness. Take train or bus or
carpool. If you plan to buy a car, consider going electric, they help reduce air
pollution.
Eat more vegetables : Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts
and seeds, and less meat and dairy. Producing plant-based foods generally results
in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land, & water.
Throw away less food : When you throw food away, you’re also wasting the
resources and energy that were used to grow, produce, package, and transport it.
And when food rots in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse
gas. So use what you buy and compost any leftovers.
Reduce, reuse, repair & recycle : Electronics, clothes, & other items cause carbon
emissions at each point in production, from extraction to manufacturing &

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transporting. To protect our climate, buy fewer things, shop second-hand, repair
what you can, and recycle.
Change your home’s source of energy : Ask your utility company if your home
energy comes from oil, coal, or gas. If possible, see if you can switch to
renewable sources such as wind or solar. Or install solar panels on your roof to
generate energy for your home.
Consider your travel : Aeroplanes burn large amounts of fossil fuels, producing
significant greenhouse gas emissions. Take fewer flights to reduce your
environmental impact.

Conclusion

Besides all the scientific data available with us showing the trend of global
cooling, we must understand that the nature is unpredictable in its behaviour &
can come before us in a random manner violating the depicted trend, so the
human being should be ever ready to tackle this problem or to face the
consequences .Thus a new research trend should be initiated & promoted which
can absorb the surrounding heat in a large amount to cause cooling. Further,
the message of this study is a simple one: Global warming is a serious problem
that will not solve itself. Countries should take cooperative steps to slow global
warming. There is no case for delay. The most fruitful & effective approach is for
countries to put a harmonized price, perhaps a steep price, on greenhouse gas
emissions, primarily those of CO2 resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels.
While other measures might usefully support this policy, placing a near-
universal & harmonized price or tax on carbon is a necessary, & perhaps a
sufficient condition, for reducing the future threat of global warming. But it does
draw our attention to the fact that nature takes its own course. Somewhere in our
arrogance & in our desire to play god, we might have forgotten that there is a
universal force governing all life, including us.
The scientific & environmental community is on the same page regarding the
bitter reality of global warming & the involvement of human factor in it. Global
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warming is a big hazard & appropriate measures must be taken to tackle this
serious problem. This problem is not only causing trouble to the human beings
but also to animals & plants. Melting of polar ice caps will lead to floods which
can cause mayhem everywhere. Rise of sea levels will devastate agricultural and
fishing activities. To embark upon these problems, some remedial steps must be
timely taken which include but are not limited to the use of renewable sources of
energy & stopping deforestation. Innovative solutions must be brought forward
to end this hazard once and forever.

Bibliography
https://www.researchgate.net
https://en.m.wikipedia.org
https://www.ijlbpr.com
https://www.un.org

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