Global Warming

Conference on the Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse gases, mainly C02 and Water Vapour in the atmosphere, trap heat given out by the earth's surface which is commonly known as the greenhouse effect. This has made evolution of earth possible by raising the earth's average temperature from -18"C to +15"C over thousands of years.. Without this natural greenhouse effect, life in its present form would not have been possible.

What is worrying environmentalists is the excessive emission currently taking place, of greenhouse gases due to industrialization. At the present rate it has been predicted by scientific models that the earth will be warmer by atleast 1.5"C by the end of the next century.

The climate has changed in the past, but such changes took place over a considerable time span. At the rate of climate change now predicted, it is believed that there will be an immense loss of biodiversity, since many species will not be able to adapt to these changes.

Such a change would also cause sea level rise, inundating low lying islands and coastal areas, displacing people and disrupting economies. Such a sea level rise will further endanger the ecology of the coastal regions and islands. Some scientific models have even predicted that such a global warming would affect the distribution and timing of rainfall and the soil moisture content, thus affecting the agricultural yields and food security of the different regions of the globe.

Climate change is a global problem. It, therefore, needs global action. However, there are many scientific uncertainties to be resolved before the world can take effective action for mitigating such effects. With a view to strengthen research in these areas, the Nordic countries organised an inter-disciplinary conference in September 1991 on the greenhouse effect

Eighty representatives from the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, England and Norway), India, Ghana, Egypt, USA, UK, USSR, Italy, France, Austria and the newly independent Baltic States participated in this conference to discuss meteorology, climatology, effects, risk management and interim climate modifications relating to greenhouse effect.

The theme of the conference was based on two basic documents: the final statement of the scientific/technical session of the Second World Climate Conference (November 1990) and the outcome of the three Working Groups of the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (October 1990). The main focus of the Conference was to examine new concepts, discoveries and designs and td evolve a collective Nordic strategy in a global context for reducing risks from greenhouse effect.

The Conference aimed at: (i) creating a form for a fertile inter-disciplinary discussion among researchers from different fields-climatology, risk management, geo-engineering and policy research relevant to global warming; and (ii) evaluating the demands and expected benefits from research programmes on risk management.

Climate change causes
sea level rise,
inundating low lying islands
and coastal areas,
displacing people and
disrupting economies.
It is a global problem
needing a 
global action.

Climate change causes sea level rise, inundating low Iying islands curd coastal areas, displacing people and disrupting economies. It is a global problem needing a global action .

The conference was inaugurated by Mr. Bertel Haarder, Danish Minister for Research. Other main speakers were Dr. Ashok Khosla, from Development Alternatives, Prof. Pert Bolin from University of Stockholm, Prof. Dean Abrahamson from University of Iceland, Prof. Lester Lave from Carnegie-Mellon University and Prof. F. Bro-Rasmussen from "Technical University of Denmark.

Global warming caused by the excessive emissions of these greenhouse gases, has far reaching effects on water resources, human health, agriculture and human settlements.

Such regional conferences would be beneficial for researchers scientists and policy makers. "These would help them in identifying and taking up research to understand global climate change and for formulating any developmental plans. The conference concluded with a Satellite Public Hearing on greenhouse effect and options for coping with it in the context of the Brundtland Report.

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