September 16 every year is observed as "World Ozone Day". The celebration of this day is made to pay our homage to the ozone layer, that saves our earth from the harmful ultra-voilet radiation of the Sun.
The life on the Earth , depends on the energy provided by the Sun in the form of various radiations.
Out of total energy received by the Earth, 35% will be reflected back to the space by the clouds, dust-particles and ice particles present in the atmosphere.
14% of the energy , which comes in the form of ultra violet radiation gets absorbed by the ozone layer, thus saving the earth from the harmful effects like over warming of the Earth or diseases like cancer
34% of the energy is radiated back from the Earth in the form of direct solar radiation and 17% radiated back from the Earth in the form of terrestrial radiation.
The part of the energy radiated back from the Earth unabsorbed is called "Albedo". Average Albedo ranges between 29% to 34%. Because of the artificial cover provided by the green house gases the Earth surface is unable to reflect the total energy thus gets heated. So lesser the Albedo more will be the temperature on the Earth and viceversa.
Besides this the tarnishing of ozone layer provides the way to ultra violet rays to enter in the Earth's atmosphere which can cause great destruction , catastrophies (famines ,droughts etc.) and diseases like cancer.
The fact that the density of ozone layer reduced considerably making the situation more horrified. (from 1956 to 1970 the density of the ozone layer was nearly 280 to 325 doveson which in 1994 got reduced to mere 94 doveson. The density has been on a decline since then.)
The gases which are responsible for increasing the Earth temperature artificially are called "green house gases " which includes:- carbon di-oxide, methane, chloro floro carbon (CFC), sulphur herxa-floride, nitrous oxide, perflorocarbon. These gases are called green house gases because they increase the temperature in the glass house made artificially to provide higher temperature in colder areas which in turn helps plants that are native to warmer climates, to grow in the hilly areas.
The gases like CFC, or carbon di-oxide have been used in the modern appliances like air-conditioners, refrigerators, fire extinguishers etc. So its looks like where there is more industrialisation there is greater chance of causing harm to the ozone layer.
But the reality is unbelievable and horrifying. Unbelievable because the ozone hole was discovered in the polar regions where there is negligible industrialisation and horrifying because this reality can cause more destruction in less time. The reason behind this reality is the polar stratosphere clouds provide basis for chlorine molecules (present in the CFC) to act freely in the colder regions ( as in polar regions) and in the presence of sunlight in the Antarctica region the chlorine molecules attacks on the ozone molecules (O3) and kill them in the process. More damaging fact is this molecule could have a life of 45 years to 250 years. This is also causing the glaciers to melt.
The recent report of the Inter-governmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) states that Earth's temperature has increased by 0.74% in the past hundred years. Its effects are disastrous like:
Unexpected increase in the sea level that can submerge low lying regions including UK
The melting of glaciers like Himadri in India, which will first result in floods and then a long lasting drought
Exposure to ultra-violet rays can up the risk of cancers
Unexpected climatic changes
USA which pretends itself as a global leader, is also the biggest producer of these harmful green-house gases (nearly 30%) but hasn't signed the "Kyoto Protocal" - a legally binding global treaty for reducing the emission of these gases.
To efficiently deal with this current fearsome situation, we have to take stringent steps. Some are:
Save trees as they save life by inhaling harmful gas carbon-di-oxide.
more sustainable behaviour in our daily lives like saving energy at every step.
To use technologies which are environment-friendly, like bio-fertilizers.
The expansion of carbon trading by the developed countries from developing countries.
Globalize the technologies to the under developed nations that supports the climate.
Let us act now before it is too late.
Vasu Shena Misra (The author is a development activist who did his post-graduation from University of Lucknow. He is a fellow of CNS writers' bureau)
Various aspects of impacts of climate change on the water resources of the NE region as well as results from contemporary research relevant to the region and especially the Upper Brahmaputra basin area were in focus in a one day workshop on ‘Adapting to Climate Change Impacts on Water in the Upper Brahmaputra basin in Northeast India’ that was held at the Shankardev Sabha Kakhya of the Dibrugarh Hanumanbux Surajmal Kanoi (DHSK) College on November 17th, 2012.The workshop was organised by Aaranyak (Guwahati), premier environmental research and advocacy organisation of India in collaboration with the DHSK College (Dibrugarh) with financial support from the India Water...
Here is good news for the food lovers of the region. The Morung, a restaurant which has been serving ethnic food of northeast, is organizing a series of food festivals in order to promote the local food items in a bigger way from November 23. The first phase of the festival will serve only the Naga dishes till November 25. Proprietor Rudra Deka said that the visitors will be able to enjoy unlimited supply of various food items at a minimum cost of Rs.299 per person.
Popular singer Priyanka Bharali and celebrity cook Enu Baruah of Paakghar fame have formally will inaugurate of the festival on Friday.
The Buffet menu is:
1. Chutney 2. Salad 3. Plain Rice 4. Naga Curry 5. Boil Veg 6....
The sixth annual national seminar was organized by Sanskriti-North Eastern institute of Culture and Religion, Guwahati from 16th to 18th November, 2012. Sanskriti is an anthropological research centre engaged in data based research on the people and cultures of north east India. It is administered by SVD society which has a number of social science research institutions world-wide. This year the theme selected by the organizing committee was Indigenous Resource Management in Tribal Cultures of North East India.The inaugural session was presided over by well known anthropologist Prof. A. C. Bhagabati, former vice chancellor of Arunachal University and present Director, Indira Gandhi National...
Despite strict vigil, ULFA militants are moving with arms without any hindrance in Sivasagar district. Sonari police recovered a huge cache of explosives during a joint operation with army in Bahbari area on Saturday. But the ULFA men managed to vanish from the spot. Acting on a tip off that three hardcore ULFA militants were hiding in a tiny village in Bashbar, police and army’s 299 Field regiment launched a joint offensive at Raidongia village in Rajapukhuri area. But the militants fled from the spot. Security forces recovered a mobile bomb, TNT weighing three kilogram, 2 detonators along with some other materials.
Diplomats from Association of South East Asian Nations countries are all set to visit Guwahati on November 15 to hold talks with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. The ASEAN diplomats would be in Guwahati just before the ASEAN-India Car Rally in the city. Officials from the ASEAN countries are likely to talk about increasing trade and cooperation between the ASEAN region and north east.
Thailand's ambassador to India Pisan Manawapat, Brunei's ambassador Dato Paduka Sidek Bin Ali, Indonedia's Charge d'Affaires Hendra Henny Andries and ambassador of Laos Thongphanh Syackhaphom would be among those who are expected to join the delegation. The rally would reach Guwahati on December 17 and...
Much to utter disappointment to the Assamese community in Delhi, a Delhi university student committed suicide on Saturday. The incident took place at Bijoynagar area where Sri Ram College student Abhishekh Saikia committed suicide by jumping down from a building in the capital. His neighbor said that he was found depressed with his affair with a girl. Saikia hails from Guwahati.
Five security personnel guarding Water Resources Minister Rajib Lochan Pegu have been injured when their vehicle collided with a dumper truck at Golaghat on Saturday. The incident took place on the National Highway 37 near Dergaon when Pegu’s convoy was on its way from Jorhat to Guwahati. The driver is understood to have lost control over the pilot car before it rammed into the dumper truck. Three of whom are stated to be in serious condition. All the injured have been admitted to the Jorhat Medical College. Two others have been released after primary treatment.
After a brief halt, violence revisits Bodoland. Two persons were killed in two different shoot outs in the BTAD areas on Saturday. The first one incident took place in Gossaigaon when one minority youth died in miscreant firing at the paddy field. The another incident took place in Kokrajhar where another youth lost his life. This has sparked off tension and administration has sounded alert in the area.After a brief halt, violence revisits Bodoland. Two persons were killed in two different shoot outs in the BTAD areas on Saturday.
The first one incident took place in Gossaigaon when one minority youth died in miscreant firing at the paddy field. The another incident took place in...
Dispur is contemplating an education and employment generation panel to link up the two so that the youth could get jobs with their education. According to chief minister Tarun Gogoi, said economic development of the state, education, employment generation and farmers were its top priorities. He further said that his government is mooting to launch a state nutrition mission to tackle the problems of anaemia and malnutrition, found among the women and children of Assam.
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