Black Carbon - Global Warming Climate Change

Black Carbon

Atmospheric Black Carbon alters Weather Patterns (NASA)

In September 2007 Fakhruddin Ahmed Head of the interim government of Bangladesh addressed the UN in New York and pleaded on belhalf of the the most venerable countries in the world.

"This year we in Bangladdesh have witnessed one of the worst floods in recent times.....there is little we can do to prevent significant damage... a one-meter sea level rise will submearge about one-third of Bangladesh, uprooting 25 million to 30 million people. I speak for Bangladesh and many other countries on the treshold of a climatic Armageddon" Taken from the Guardian 28th March 2008.

What he is speaking of is of course the fault of the over development of his neighbours India and China. They are altering the weather patterns of their neighbours by releasing BLACK CARBON into the athmosphere.

So what is black carbon and how can we better under its implications in climat change modling?

Black carbon (BC) is a form of carbon that is released due to incomplet conbustion of carbon, ie fosel fuels. Estimates of BC residence times in the atmosphere range from 3-15 days, but lifetimes vary regionally based on climate conditions (Chung and Seinfeld 2002, Roberts and Jones 2004, Wang et al 2004, Croft et al 2005, Flanner et al 2007). , while up there 3 things can happen to BC molocules in the athmosphere.

Firstly they can reflect incomming solar energy back from whenst it came thus having a net cooling effect which is called scattering. In areas where high levels of BC is emitted.

Secondly it can trap energy radiated from the earth inside the athmosphere, causing a net warming effect and thats called reflection. Global Warming.

Thirdly the molocule can absorb the energy and then reemit it at a later date and or lattitude or position this is called reemition. Climat Change

So the interesting think about BC is we wont know which of theses 3 posilities will happen or have the greatest effect untill it happens. It has long been recogised that the possible reason for the catathrophic famines in Africa in the 80's could have been caused european black carbon emisions. See Global Dimming Video

So what's happening now with BC? well we in Europe have reduced our emisions sum what in terms of BC because we are burning carbon more efficiently but india and China are doing what we have been doing since the industrial revolution and as they have 2.4 billion people the probem is proportionaly greater.

As i live in India and have traveled extensivly in the emerging economies of South East Asia as well as India can atest to the fact that BC is everywhere and increasing a frightning rate. The effect BC has that is emmited today wont been see for another 20 years. But remember they have been emitting BC for at least a 30 years and unless concerted International solution is found we will once again be asking Sir Bob to sort out a mess that our selflish materalism has caused. So what the solution.

How can we help reduce the total amount of carbon emited into the athmosphere while alowing the developing countries develop?

"This means devising and implementing a programme for convergence at equitable and sustainable par values for consumption of fossil fuel on a per capita basis globally." (Indian Environment Minister - COP1)

Cap and Share
Drastic cuts in the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are required to avoid a climate catastrophe. An international treaty to secure such cuts will be impossible to agree unless the responsibilities involved are shared around the world on an equitable basis. Moreover, that sharing system must be robust enough to ensure that the cuts agreed actually happen. Cap and Share (C&S) is both robust and equitable. It has the additional advantage that, until it is adopted globally, it can be used by countries and regions to set their own emissions on a downward path. Cap and Share provides a framework that scales from the personal and local to the regional and global. We can start building a global system step-by-step now. See Capandshare.org

Ireland is comitment to increasing its overseas aid to meet its international obligations now it clames to want to stop global warming? lets see if they can now get their act together and start living up to their promices. Cap and Share

If you are interested in Helping solve Global Climate Change Please let me know.

Editor

Naoise Hart

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