Climate Change on Pitara Kids Network

Himalayas Have a Deep Impact on the Climate of the World

Sun, 27 Oct 2002 03:58:51 +0000

Tibet is known as the roof of the world. That is because it is on a region which has the highest altitude in the world. The Himalayan mountain range merges into the Tibetan plateau to form this region known as the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau.

Besides being the roof of the world, this plateau also has a deep impact on the climate of the world, says a report published in the May, 2001, edition of Nature, a science and environment journal. How the scientists made this connection is a very exciting story.

Treaty on Global Warming

Thu, 27 Jun 2002 00:48:55 +0000

In the last week of July 2001, representatives from 178 countries met in Bonn, Germany, for something that is very crucial to their future and the very survival of our planet. They signed a historic agreement that promises to fight global warming. This is the first international treaty of its kind that seeks to check the excesses of human development at the cost of the environment – and the planet itself.

Location and date marker for glacier in Jasper National Park in Canada. Clear evidence of global warming.

The very fact that the treaty has been signed despite strong opposition by the United States, the world’s greatest polluter, represents a triumph of will. The feeling that it is now or never is what gave the decisive push toward the signing of the treaty.

Tree Rings tell many Tales

Thu, 30 May 2002 18:45:46 +0000

Examining ancient trees helps scientists get an amazing picture of Earth’s life, for trees are a record of their life time. By looking closely at the rings of a tree, scientists can not only tell how old it is; they can also tell you that in one summer in 1453 and again in 1601, there were freak cold spells.

Tree rings, when radiocarbon-dated give a glimpse of certain aspects of prehistoric times. But what is radiocarbon dating?

Welcome Rains?

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 09:45:58 +0000

April 21: A few days ago, Delhi residents were pleasantly surprised when the sweltering April sky suddenly darkened with clouds and it began to rain heavily. A freak shower, they thought, since it hardly ever rains in Delhi in April.

But, surprise, surprise… the rains occurred the next day, too. And the day after. The unseasonal showers have transformed the weather marvellously. It hasn’t happened in Delhi alone.

Most of northern India, from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, have been hit by the rains. Some parts of south India have also been lashed by rains.

Global Warming

Thu, 14 Aug 1997 19:44:43 +0000

Konish Biswas, a student of Standard VIII puts forth his views on a problem that is affecting the whole planet.

Nowadays as you know, there is a lot of pollution in the atmosphere. The level of carbon dioxide and other such gases (known as greenhouse gases) is rising. These gases trap the heat and do not let it escape from the atmosphere.

Global Warming [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

When the presence of these gases goes beyond a level, the temperature rises. This happened to planet Venus and today, it has deadly clouds of carbon dioxide. Its atmosphere is blazing hot.

The Baby Current Which Destroys

Thu, 09 Apr 1998 06:08:47 +0000

Did you know that the period between November 1997 and November 1998 was the hottest year recorded on earth? In fact, six of the first eight months of the year were the warmest since humans began recording temperatures on earth in 1866.

Weather experts say one of the causes behind the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, or global warming, is El Nino, a water current in the Pacific Ocean.

But why should a water current create heat in the earth’s atmosphere, one would ask.

Sea Levels Rising At Alarming Rates

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:41:57 +0000

Where: Copenhagen, Denmark

March 12, 2009 : A scientific conference on climate change was held during the week in Copenhagen. Environmental experts there announced that sea levels are rising almost twice as fast as the United Nations had forecast just two years ago. Both the Greenland and the Antarctic ice caps have been melting at increasing rates. Scientists now say that sea levels will rise by anything between 50cm and 100cm by the year 2100. The 2007 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had predicted that they would rise by between 18cm and 59cm by 2100.

The Big Meltdown

Sun, 26 May 2002 11:51:05 +0000

September 23: Earth is the only planet with an atmosphere congenial to life forms as we know of. If a blanket of air didn’t surround us…our planet would have been a frozen wasteland – much too cold for human habitation. We have a lot to be thankful for. But we humans have been taking things for granted. As a result, this protective blanket is now slowly suffocating us.

The Big Meltdown [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

According to a worldwide study carried out by the World Wildlife Fund. (WWF), concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have doubled in the last 50 years.

Vast Coral Reef in South-East Asia May Disappear by End of Century, Warns WWF Report

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:14:18 +0000

Where: Manado, Indonesia

May 14, 2009 : The World Ocean’s Conference, a two-day meeting of ministers and officials from more than 80 countries was held in Manado, Indonesia. Rising sea levels, warming waters and increased acidity caused by global warming were some of the major issues discussed here.

A World Wildlife Fund report released to coincide with the conference reveals that the coral reefs stretching across south-east Asia will disappear by the end of the century. This area is known as the Coral Triangle, and is home to 3,000 fish species. Deforestation, coastal reclamation, destructive fishing and the pumping of pollution and sewage into sea over the last 40 years have already destroyed about 40 per cent of these coral reefs.

Antarctic Ice Bridge Collapses

Wed, 20 May 2009 23:47:55 +0000

Where: Antarctica

April 4, 2009 : A satellite picture from the European Space Agency (ESA) showed that a 40 kilometre long strip of ice had splintered at its narrowest point, about 500 meters wide. It was believed to have pinned the Wilkins Ice Shelf in place. The Wilkins Ice Shelf once covered around 16,000 square kilometres. It began to shrink in the 1990s, and by May 2008, the ice bridge was all that connected it to the coast. The bridge was almost 100 km wide in 1950.

The Final Verdict

Fri, 05 Mar 1999 15:42:11 +0000

Khushboo Banka is a IX standard student of MB Girls High School, Calcutta. Here, she puts forth her views about Mother Earth.

The Final Verdict [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Beyond the horizon, stands Mother Nature waiting for the final verdict – her destruction. She is serving a life-term of millions of years and she is sentensed by her own children. Yes, us Humans.

A few million years ago, when Nature became the mother of thousands of living things, she had not thought that her own children will become her murderers. But how can her children forget that without her they would not survive either? If she dies, who will take care of them? Where will they go? How will they breathe? Will they try to change their destiny?

Climate Change: Some Chilling Facts

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:05:22 +0000

Where London: United Kingdom

February 5, 2009 : All of Europe and much of North America experienced very chilly weather and battled snow and ice through most of January. Snowfall of unexpected proportions hit Madrid, Spain, and severe storms blew across France, U.K., Germany, and Northern Italy.

Since February 2, 2009 the U.K. has seen unusual amounts of snowfall. By midday on February 2 alone, about a foot of snow had fallen over London, the heaviest snowfall over the city in 18 years. London’s Underground, the world’s oldest underground rail transport system, national highways and air transport services across the country were severely affected. Thousands of children stayed home as schools shut down across England, Scotland and Wales after more snowfall on February 5.

'Ibuki' : Japan's 'Green' Monitor Orbits the Earth

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:02:42 +0000

Where: Tokyo, Japan

January 23, 2009 : A space centre in Tanegashima, a remote island about 970 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, today launched the first satellite designed to monitor carbon dioxide emissions. It is named ‘Ibuki’, which means ‘breath’. The satellite has sensors which can measure light reflected from earth, and gauge the density of carbon dioxide and methane. These two gases are the biggest contributors to global warming,

Ibuki will circle the globe every 100 minutes, and will monitor the levels of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations for the next five years. At present the sites that measure these emissions are land-based, and they are unevenly distributed over the globe. Ibuki’s capabilities will make it possible to monitor levels all over the world, especially in developing nations where there are no facilities.

UN Conference on Climate Change

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:47:06 +0000

Where: Poznan, Poland

December 13, 2008 : Global warming affects everyone. Finally, after years of negotiations, most countries in the world have agreed to work together to reduce how much they pollute the Earth’s environment. The United Nations Climate Change Conference began here on December 1, 2008 with delegates from 190 countries. Their target: to reach a global climate agreement by December 2008. This would replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. The US representative, Senator John Kerry, said temperatures could go up by anywhere between 3 degrees C and 5 degrees C higher by 2050. He also stressed the importance of developing economies, referring to countries such as India and Brazil, restricting their emissions.

Sea level does not always stay the same. During the last Ice Age, 18,000 ye...

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 15:58:39 +0000