How Fast is The Earth Heating Up?

Much debate in the last five years about the greenhouse effect has centered on interpreting temperature numbers generated at weather stations all over the world. The data from these thermometers are averaged and plotted in attempts to determine just how fast the earth has heated up since the measurements began. There is now no doubt the world is getting warmer. The thermometers show that the world is warmer now than at any time since the measurements started. The year 1990 was the hottest year in the last century. Together with 1991, the years of 1983, 1987, 1988, and 1989, have been measured to be the warmest 6 years in the last hundred years. 1991 was the second warmest year of the past century, perhaps due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo during that year. The ash from the volcano in the upper atmosphere blocks some sunlight to earth, and is expected to generate a temporary two or three year cooling effect. After that time, most ash particles will have settled back to earth, and most scientists expect to see the global warming trend continue.

According to scientists, we can with "99% confidence conclude that current temperatures represent a real warming trend rather than a chance fluctuation over the 30-year period." Most scientists agree that the planet's temperature has risen 0.5 degrees Celsius since 1900, and will continue to increase at an increasing rate. The environment is responding to this warming. For instance, a study of mountain plants in the Alps (Europe), shows that some cold-loving plants are starting to move to higher and cooler altitudes. That is a possible response to increasing temperatures.

India Gets First Hybrid Car

Honda Siel Cars India, is the first company to offer a hybrid car in India.The Civic hybrid for India gets the same powertrain as everywhere else, including a 1.3L four cylinder with the i-VTEC variable valve timing system and the integrated motor assist (IMA) system.

The IMA has an electric motor that can't really drive the vehicle independently of the engine. When driving at a moderate, constant speed, the fuel can be shutoff to all four cylinders allowing the motor to propel the car while still turning the engine over. The car when being driven at 40-50 km per hour, operates only on the battery offering maximum fuel efficiency. According to the company, the fuel efficiency of Civic Hybrid is in the range of 19-23 km a per litre when measured with the existing petrol based model, that offers approximately 15 km per litre. It was launched in 1997 in US & Japan, Toyota and Honda are the only companies selling "mass-market" hybrids in the world.

Honda said that the Civic Hybrid would cost Rs 21.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The import duty on a completely built unit (CBU) is 104 per cent. The company will import the CBU from Japan, where it produces the hybrid car for its global markets. However, it is also exploring alternatives through which it can import the engines and parts and bring the car as a semi-knocked down unit.The company said that it did not expect to sell high volumes, but wanted to make a statement of its technology and commitment to the environment. Honda has imported around 130 units and expects to sell around 300 during the year.

In a major boost to eco-friendly hybrid cars, the government is planning to slash excise and customs duties on such vehicles. The move aims at encouraging the use of alternative sources of fuel. At present, Honda Civic is the only hybrid version in the country. Several other manufacturers like Mahindra and Tatas are planning to join the race soon. As per the proposal mooted by the Department of Heavy Industries, excise duty on such cars should be reduced to 12% from existing 14%. It has also demanded a reduction in customs duty which is over 100% on such imports.

Next in line is the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car, Honda's FCX Clarity ...(In next post).

Senator Barack Obama Support Al Gore's movement against Global Warming

"For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It's a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer." This statement was issued by Senator Barack Obama on July 17,2008 on his website(www.barackobama.com).

The Best Speech during No-Confidence Motion on July 22nd :

To me this 2 day special session of parliament on 21st and 22nd of July will be remembered for a long time for the speeches and the controversy it had.All the television new channel were trying their level best to increase their TRP ratings by giving the update in a filmy style.

On one side we had the best speech by Omar Abdullah so far keeping in mind the elections in J&K in the next few months,and on the other side we had witnessed the most shocking incident involving 3 MP's from the opposition creating a filmi climax to the no confidence vote by showing bundles of currency.

That day also was important for Rahul Gandhi as he was successful in giving his speech in the House with some opposition by the BSP MP's. I would rate Lalu's speech as second almost the best on that day and the third would be Rahul Gandhi's speech.

This special session also saw the emergence of Singh is King (Mr. Manmohan Singh as a politician) and I hope that the congress would pitch him as PM candidate im the coming elections.Let's be optimistic about the reforms being implemented in the right (not Left's) way.

G8 Summit : 50% Reduction of Global Emissions by 2050.

In what was being hailed as a historic move, Group of Eight leaders meeting in Japan agreed Tuesday to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In a statement, G8 leaders said they would "consider and adopt" the goal of achieving "at least a 50 percent reduction of global emissions by 2050." G8 leaders said they wanted to work with the nearly 200 nations involved in UN climate change talks to meet the 2050 goal.
US has stauchly argued that any agreement without the participation of emerging powers such as India and China will be meaningless and has refused to set any ambitious mid or long -term goal for itself without commitment from developing nations as well.
But critics were adamant that the G8 leaders had in fact failed by not specifying targets for 2020, merely postponing the problem to future generations.

What are Greenhouse Gases ?

WHAT IS THE "GREENHOUSE EFFECT" ALL ABOUT ?

It is important to understand and discuss the significance of global warming. Global warming is also known as the "Greenhouse effect". The "Greenhouse Earth" is surrounded by a shield of atmospheric gases, rather than a glass or a plastic cover. The air that makes up our atmosphere consists primarily of nitrogen and oxygen molecules (N2 at 78% and O2 at 21%). A large number of "trace gases" make up the remainder of air's composition. Many of these, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the so called "greenhouse" gases. If you have ever felt the piercing cold of the clear winter night sky and wondered why you feel warmer on a cloudy winter night, you have experienced the atmospheric greenhouse effect firsthand. Physics tell us that any object warmer than absolute zero will radiate energy. Cooler objects emit longer waves (in the infrared region) while hotter ones radiate shorter wavelengths. Our sun, powered by its hot, nuclear fusion reaction, produces radiant energy in the visible and ultraviolet regions with relatively short wavelengths. Of the sunlight that strikes the earth, about 70% is absorbed by the planet and its atmosphere, while the other 30% is immediately reflected. If the earth did not re-radiate most of this newly absorbed energy back into space the world would continue to get warmer. Instead, an energy balance is maintained.

The earth is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) warmer than it would be if it did not have the atmospheric blanket of greenhouse gases and clouds around it. Clouds and greenhouse gases keep the earth warm. Once warmed, their molecules then radiate a portion of this heat energy back to earth, creating more warming on the surface of our planet. It is this radiation which causes atmospheric gases to move back to earth that scientists call the "greenhouse effect". Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas generated by man's burning of fossil fuels and the forests is responsible for about half the greenhouse gas warming. Other gases (CFCs, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone) are responsible for the rest. Increases in all these gases are due to mankind's explosive population growth over the last century, and increased industrial expansion.

Approximately 80% of atmospheric CO2 increases are due to man's use of fossil fuels: oil, coal, and gas. These petroleum-based energy sources first came into use with the burning of coal during Since 1945 petroleum consumption has increased dramatically, due in large part to increased usage of automobiles worldwide, and the substitution of mechanized farm machinery for animal power. "Mankind is in the process of conducting a major, unintentional experiment, that of feeding back into the atmosphere in a short space of geological time the fossils fuels that have slowly accumulated over the past 500 million years."