Cycle of season

Though divided into different climatic zones, India seems to be unified by primarily four seasons- Winter, Summer, Advancing Monsoon and Retreating Monsoon. Winter: December to February is the wintertime in almost all of India. At this time of the year, days are cold with average temperature of 10-150C, but it can drop down to below 00C in some higher ranges of northern India. Normally winters are dry in northern India. In Southern part, the temperature difference is not so marked due to moderating effect of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

Summer: March, April, May and June are the summer months in India. It is a time period when rays of the sun fall vertically on Indian subcontinent. The average temperature is around 32 c but in western region the maximum temperature can be far above the average. Hot wind, known, as 'Loo' is the marked feature of summers in north India.

Advancing Monsoon: It is the time period when India gets major part of its share of rain. Months of June, July, August and September form the core of Advancing Monsoon in almost all parts of country. The monsoon approaches with moisture laden winds, this sudden approach is marked with violent thunderstorms and lightening, known as 'break' of the monsoon.

Retreating Monsoon: This season starts, when monsoon after drenching all of India, begins to retreat. With the month of September, rainfall began to decrease and as we approach November, the monsoon is completely gone from major part of India, except for Tamil Nadu and some other southern states, which also receive rain from Western Disturbance.

In recent times, this cycle of season has been disturbed due to uncontrolled industrialization and other developmental activities resulting in drastic changes in climate. This has lead to climatic disasters such as Drought, Landslides Floods and Global Warming. The unchecked cutting down of trees indirectly leads to landslide and drought. Annual Floods have become part of life in many regions of India. It results in large-scale loss of life and property. The phenomenon of Global Warming is mainly the result of air pollution. The polluting industries and vehicles running endlessly on the roads emit hazardous gases such as Carbon dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Methane etc. These gases produce 'Green House' effect, which leads to Global Warming. It may lead to very serious climatic changes. The increase in average temperature of earth is will result in melting down of the polar ice and glaciers, which in turn will lead to increased ocean level. This rising ocean level may submerge many of today's existing islands and coastal cities.

Global Warming Impacts Nevertheless, Indian authorities may adjust their development-versusclimate protection view. Recent international reports on climate change, such as the 2007 UN climate change report, presented grim environmental and economic scenarios for India if climate change continues unabated.

Some impacts of global warming have already become visible in India. Monsoon rains have become less predictable, glaciers are melting, more floods and droughts occur, and mangrove forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Public health, biodiversity, agricultural production, access to drinking water, and even national security will be affected. The effects of global warming on the Indian subcontinent vary from the submergence of lowlying islands and coastal lands to the melting of glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, threatening the volumetric flow rate of many of the most important rivers of India and South Asia. In India, such effects are projected to impact millions of lives. As a result of ongoing climate change, the climate of India has become increasingly volatile over the past several decades; this trend is expected to continue. Several effects of global warming, including steady sea level rise, increased cyclonic activity, and changes in ambient temperature and precipitation patterns, have affected or are projected to affect India. Ongoing sea level rises have submerged several low-lying islands in the Sundarbans, displacing thousands of people. Temperature rises on the Tibetan Plateau, which are causing Himalayan glaciers to retreat. Increased landslides and flooding are projected to have an impact upon states such as Assam. Ecological disasters, such as a 1998 coral bleaching event that killed off more than 70% of corals in the reef ecosystems off Lakshadweep and the Andamans, and was brought on by Elevated Ocean temperatures tied to global warming, are also projected to become increasingly common. The first among the countries to be affected by severe climate change is Bangladesh. Its sea level, temperature and evaporation are increasing, and the changes in precipitation and cross boundary river flows are already beginning to cause drainage congestion. There is a reduction in fresh water availability, disturbance of morphologic processes and a higher intensity of flooding and other such disasters. Bangladesh only contributes 0.1% of the worlds emissions yet it has 2.4% of the worlds population. In contrast, the United States makes up about 5 percent of the world's population, yet they produce approximately 25 percent of the pollution that causes global warming.

Causes of global warming Almost 100% of the observed temperature increase over the last 50 years has been due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas concentrations like water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and ozone. Greenhouse gases are those gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect . The largest contributing source of greenhouse gas is the burning of fossil fuels leading to the emission of carbon dioxide.

Cause for global warming: Carbon dioxide emissions in million tons per year over the last 200 years. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (see above) act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth a part of the heat radiation, which would otherwise be lost to space. The higher the concentration of green house gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more heat energy is being reflected back to the Earth. The emission of carbon dioxide into the environment mainly from burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas, petrol, kerosene, etc.) has been increased dramatically over the past 50 years, see graph below.
As said, the major cause of global warming is the emission of green house gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc into the atmosphere. The major source of carbon dioxide is the power plants. These power plants emit large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from burning of fossil fuels for the

purpose of electricity generation. About twenty percent of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere comes from burning of gasoline in the engines of the vehicles. This is true for most of the developed countries. Buildings, both commercial and residential represent a larger source of global warming pollution than cars and trucks. Building of these structures require a lot of fuel to be burnt which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Methane is more than 20 times as effectual as CO2 at entrapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane is obtained from resources such as rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel manufacture. When fields are flooded, anaerobic situation build up and the organic matter in the soil decays, releasing methane to the atmosphere. The main sources of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid production, cars with catalytic converters, the use of fertilizers in agriculture and the burning of organic matter. Another cause of global warming is deforestation that is caused by cutting and burning of forests for the purpose of residence and industrialization.

Prevention for Global Warming Global warming refers to the Earths air and oceans gradually heating up to a point that disrupts balance, a problem that is continually getting worse. It sounds like a problem too massive for any one individual to take on, but it really isnt. Combining any few of these suggestions can make more of a dramatic effect than most people understand. The goal is to emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 1. Drive less. Take bikes, walk or carpool whenever possible. 2. Consider investing in a hybrid or electric vehicle to help prevent against further global warming. 3. Replace all the lightbulbs in and around your home with energy-efficient fluorescents that use fewer watts for the same amount of light. 4. Clean or replace your filters monthly. 5. Choose energy-efficient appliances when it's time to buy new ones. 6. Decrease your air travel. 7. Wash clothes in cold water and line-dry whenever possible. 8. Use a low-flow showerhead, which will lessen the hot water used but not drop your water pressure in the shower. 9. Cut down on your garbagebuy fewer packaged materials to prevent further global warming. 10. Unplug electronics when they are not in use, because they still take up energy. At the very least, turn items off when theyre not being used. 11. Run the dishwasher and clothes washer only when you have a full load, and if available, use the energy-saving setting. 12. Insulate your home better, and dont forget to repair or replace worn caulking or weather-stripping. Insulate your water heater. 13. Buy recycled paper products and recycle as much of your waste as possible. 14. Bring your own reusable canvas grocery bags when grocery shopping.

15. Plant a tree. 16. Have an energy audit done on your home so you can find the trouble areas and fix them. 17. Use nontoxic cleaning products. 18. Shop locally for food. A farmers market is an excellent place to visit. And choose fresh food over frozen foods. Fresh takes less energy to produce. 19. Keep your car tuned up, and check tire pressure often to save gas. 20. Eat less meat and more organic foods in your diet to do your part in preventing global warming.