Ozone killing enough crops to feed millions of poor

[http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2014.148]

Subhra Priyadarshini

Ozone pollution is destroying 12% of India’s annual cereal production – enough to feed 94 million people below the poverty line through the year. This startling estimate has been revealed in the first ever calculation of ozone pollution in the country¹.

A study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune points a finger at the absence of air quality standards to protect agriculture from ground-level ozone pollution, primarily from vehicles and cooking stoves.

Ground level ozone is the main component of smog and is formed when polluting vehicles, industries or burning matter emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. These pollutants react with sunlight to form ground level ozone, which is killer for vegetations.

Sachin Ghude

IITM scientist Sachin Ghude and Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a professor of climate and atmospheric sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at the University of California San Diego carried out the modeling study, supported by emission inventories and crop production data. They quantified the impact of ozone on the yields of cotton, soybeans, rice and wheat crops in India for the year 2005, an year they used as representative of the first decade of the 21st century.

Through the simulation studies, the scientists estimated that wheat was the most impacted crop – every year the country was losing around 3.5 metric tonnes – followed by rice at around 2.1 metric tonnes, mostly in central and north India.

On national scale, this loss is about 12% of the cereals required every year (61.2 Mt) under the provision of recently implemented National Food Security Bill (September-2013) by Government of India, the duo report.

“This study, since it was led by Indian government institutions, should have a major impact on the country’s approach to air pollution mitigation. It should speed up India’s attempts to drastically cut pollution,” Ramanathan told Nature India. High surface ozone concentration over major agriculture regions in India, particularly the Indo-Gangetic Plains, one of the world’s most important fertile agricultural lands is a threat to the country’s food security, the scientists say. They estimate that ozone concentrations will only increase further in the future.

The greatest losses of rice and wheat crops were reported from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Uttaranchal states.

“The possible ways to minimize these losses is to reduce anthropogenic emissions especially from vehicular and Industrial source and cooking stoves,” Ghude points out. He says another alternative could be to breed ozone-tolerant crops.

Veerabhadran Ramanathan

Ramanathan says some off-the-shelf technologies could be put to use immediately to cut the most damaging pollution – the emission of nitrous oxides from the transportation sector. “This contributes to more than half of the nitrous oxides produced and controlling it would have a major impact in reducing ozone. In so doing, we will also reduce the global warming effect of ozone,” he says.

The study puts India’s economic losses from ozone-induced crop damage at $1.29 billion in 2005, mostly stemming from losses in rice and wheat crops.


References

1. Ghude, S. D. et al. Reductions in India’s crop yield due to ozone. Geophys. Res. Lett.(2014) doi: 10.1002/2014GL060930

India struggles to control rising vehicle use, pollution

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Environmental and public health experts are warning that an explosion in the number of motorised vehicles on India’s roads is threatening the health and economic security of its population.

Stricter standards are needed to control vehicular pollution and regulate traffic, they say, along with moves to popularise non-motorised transport.

More at: http://www.trust.org/item/20131219175901-vb54c

low visibility on roads and motorways in Pakistan

Now a days if one goes on Motorway from Islamabad to Peshawar or to Lahore he experiences low visibility and high mist or fog. The problem persist in Pakistan but now it is very common and irritates the public. One of the cause for this is going back to fossil fuel i.e.,diesel and petrol from natural gas.The problem of natural gas and load shedding is mainly due to bad management and is also attributed to corruption.
Going through all the available material on the natural gas problem and carrying the research on the issue of gas availability it was observed that the problem is very complicated. Actual data is not shown any where and not available.Pakistan is a resourceful country and has many huge deposits of gas and petroleum.
In Capital city of Pakistan Islamabad there is no CNG available for running vehicles and gas station are closed.The vehicles are run by petroleum and diesel which is causing and emitting green house gases and APHS,sulfur and other metals which form aerosol in the air and when temperature comes down in the evening dense fog is forme and the visibility is reduced to the range between 10 to 30 meters and in some areas it is zero.
This is also effecting the climate of the region.
The problem is multidimensional and needs due attraction.

Key words, visibility, CNG , Fog

Climatic change in South Asia

Climatic change is the main cause for melting of glaciers.And one of the the main pollutant responsible for rise in temperature is the smoke and gases produced by burning of fossil fuels.The research carried out at Peshawar indicated that that the number of vehicles in Peshawar increased from 1999 to 2012 more than seven folds.The research was carried out to know the impact of used engine oil in the study area.The aerosol is formed in the air by the escaping gases from the collar of the vehicles.Which is also main cause for the fog formation on the motorway from Peshawar to Islamabad.
The number of vehicles in Hindukush and Himalayan region has increased tremendously and all these vehicles run by Fossil fuel which on burning generate green house gases such as CO,CO2 and in CNG run vehicle methane gas also escape to air.These gases are causing the rise of temperature and so melting of glaciers has also increased.
Another finding of the study is the burning of used engine oil in brick kilns.In the brick kiln used engine oil is used as a chief source of energy and in the brick kiln it is used with other burning material e.g.,wood etc to enhance burning.The used engine oil burn incompletely releasing metals and green gases to the environment.
The policy makers of the region must consider this factor to mitigate the effect of vehicle contribution.

Key words Alternative energy, fossil fuels, green house gases, Used engine oil, climatic change,temperature rise ,global warming,CC.

Weeping sea : Documentary on climate change

Weeping sea 
 Duration: 21 minutes
 Language: Malayalam (Subtitled in English)
 Direction: K Rajendran
 Camera: K Rajendran, Rahul R Chandran, Muhammed Basheer
 Editing: Jayakrishnan

 

An investigation on
How does climate impact marine and fisheries sector?
How does it affect fishermen?

How does human intervention precipitate climate change impacts?

1. Depletion of Mussels.
Location: Elephant mussels hill, Thiruvanandhapuram.
Two varieties of mussels are found in Kerala;Brown mussels and green
mussels. This (September-December) is the season of mussels. Huge
depletion of mussels is being found this season. Depletion is being felt
during last 3 years. According to marine expert this is due to the climate
change.

2. Fishes disappearing

Location; Kovalam beach, Thiruvanandhapuram
Many varieties of fishes are disappearing in Kerala sea shore.. Kilimeen (Mesoprion) is the best example. According to Central Marine and Fisheries research institute, it is one of the best examples of climate change impact on fisheries. Kilimeen is known as the ideal fish for poor. Because of it’s less
cost and good taste. So it’s depletion is widely effected the poor who doesn’t have enough money to purchase fishes of high cost.

3 .How islanders are affected?

Location: Lakshadweep
How lonely islander is being affected? .Lakshadweep is the best example.
Three islands in Lakshadweep, Pitti(Fastest sinking Island) ,Kavarathi,
Agathy are telling their stories.
Here 3 climate change impacts;
A . Water level is rising marginally.
B. Depletion of fishes is being felt
C. Corals are vanishing.
4. Salty water
Location; Mavilakadavu village, Poovar

This is a new phenomenon in many of the villages in Kerala. Water in the well became alty although it is situating 5 or 6 Km away from sea. According to marine expert this is an excellent example of climate change.

5. Human intervention expedites climate change

Location: Puzhikara beach
Once, the beautiful beach Puzhikara, was known for the varieties of fishes. Now it has become a “beach of Eagles”. The beach has been turned as a dumping place of waste. Eco system in the seashore is being scuttled.6. Encroachments

Location; Vembanadu backwater, Alapuzha
This backwater is converted as a lake of Tourism and encroachment. All existing laws are being violated. Encroachments are being done by big corporates. Authorities act as mute spectators.

Kindly watch the filmPlease click here

The suspended particles present in air on motorway form atmospheric nuclei which by combination with water lead to fog formation.

Vehicular pollution is responsible for fog formation on the motorway in Pakistan.Scientist in Peshawar say that particles coming from vehicular pollution form nuclie which in turn on combination with water present in the air for fog.This fog is a big hurdle for traffic on the motorway in Pakistan.This fog is also responsible for throat irritation,drop in visibility and results in accidents and closure of the motorway.

Principal Scientific Officer Shahid Faruq informed in his radio interview that the chemicals present in the fog in the presence of light rays react and lead to photochemical reactions and their products are skin sensitive. These vehicular pollutants and their products also contribute to green house effects and climatic changes.
to listen the interview please click the link

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B87OgyFMP4RgR3B4ZHFFa2VycXc/edit?usp=sharing

All Fogged In…

The recent cold wave across the country not only made temperatures plunge, but also blanketed most of the Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pukthunkhwa provinces in thick fog. While the residents of Lahore are used to the annual winter fog that starts in December, this year it spread all the way up to Islamabad and Peshawar and down to Sukkur and Larkana divisions. This is certainly unusual, but in keeping with what climate change scientists have warned us about “extreme weather conditions” in the years to come. According to Dr Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, local climate change expert and Vice-President of the World Meteorological Organisation from Asia, “Normally, January is the winter rain season but this year the dry period was extended which might mean a change in climate patterns…

For full story: http://dawn.com/2013/01/13/earthly-matters-all-fogged-in/