Adjusting to fast paced changes is not easy. Many varieties of birds, vegetations etc. have vanished. Of course, even extinction was also not uncommon on earth during its 4.5 billion year life history.. The argument that warming will make the life in the cold areas more comfortable has some merit. But a higher fraction of population lives close to equator. Changes • Increase in temperature • Increase in evaporation, more energy leading to atmospheric disturbances • More extreme events, more and unexpected storms, floods • Change in rain- patterns • Tropical diseases • Rise in sea-level, flood in coastal area Some damage- estimates Ever since NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies made a correction to data that seemed to show 9 of the ten hottest years in U.S. history occurred since 1995 (turns out it was 3), the more vociferous of the "global warming deniers" have used this error to prove (they say) the whole idea of global warming induced climate change is a huge hoax. It smacks somewhat of desperation. • European heat wave- 2003: 35,000 deaths • Chinese floods- 1998 affected 24 crore people • WHO estimated 1.5 lac deaths in 2000 due to climate change • One can't always estimate indirect costs due to mass migrations, pressure on resources, coral damages etc. What is the Way Out? • Give up using Energy? • Use less energy? • Find safe and efficient sources? "It's cheaper to use energy efficiently than not using it!" Conventional and Non Conventional "Alternate" Sources of Energy Conventional • Naturally available material like wood • Fossil fuels like coal, oil • Nuclear Fission
