The Climate Monitor - May 2009

The Climate Monitor Issue 12, May 2009

INTRODUCTION

Air Conditioning to Fight Global Warming?

This week I wrote a rather annoyed letter to the CEO of one of Mumbai's largest electrical appliance chains after his company took out an advert in the newspaper claiming air conditioners help to combat global warming.

We managed to extract at least an apology from him but the hard truths of his irresponsible advertising cannot be ignored. As the average Earth's temperature rises (at least two degrees is almost guaranteed just by our emissions to date), turning up the AC full blast may indeed feel like you are combating Global Warming ‐ to the short sighted and uninformed. But do we truly have time to ensure everyone is both informed and cares for the long term?

There is time. But we need both top down and bottom up action to minimize the heat and to adapt to the rise in temperature. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has put out a fantastic rating system that informs consumers of the most energy efficient appliances. But we should go further and actually take inefficient appliances off the shelves. Well protected walkways with tree lined shade need to be implemented everywhere otherwise rising temperatures will lead to more short air‐ conditioned vehicle journeys. Cultural norms around work wear and social wear need to change. Why do offices in Mumbai continue to expect ties and coats for office wear (and then set air conditioning to 16 degrees)? And yes, everyone should just wear less clothes (there I said it).

Turning up the AC might help you for a little while, but it will make it worse for your children. Make the responsible choice and certainly don't expect big business to make it for you. This edition of the Climate Monitor is dedicated to the topic of rising heat and how to beat it.

Gaurav Gupta, Director, TCP‐India

HEATWAVES IN INDIA

A three‐year study conducted by India's Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), released in September 2005, predicted that climate change would make India hotter and wetter, with more cyclones, storms, and severe crop losses. The study also said that temperatures will rise by 3‐

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4oC, and rainfall will increase by 10 to 30 per cent by the end of the century, while sea levels will rise by almost a millimetre a year.

The effects are certainly being felt all over the country today, in particular during the summer months, where most of India has suffered an unbearable heat wave resulting in several fatalities.

In Orissa over 70 people died in March and April on account of sunstroke, reports Down to Earth. During April, Orissa experience a severe heat wave with temperatures being at a high of 46°C in Talcher and Angul and 43oC in Bhubaneswar. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the last time a higher temperature was recorded, in Bhubaneshwar in the month of April, was in 1985, with a record of 45°C. Temperatures have been steadily on the rise in this region with casualties fluctuating, 1998 being the year with the highest fatalities of over 2,000 people.

According to Surendra Nath Pashupalak of the agro‐meteorology department of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, there has been an increase of 1°C in temperature between 1950 and 1990 and an increase of 0.12°C between 1993 and 2006 on account of global warming, which is also responsible for summer setting in earlier and lasting longer.

While heat waves in Orissa are usually attributable to north‐westerly winds blowing from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, through advection (horizontal transfer of heat), Pashupalak says that local factors are responsible for the heat this year ‐ "When temperature in isolated heat islands in Orissa was soaring to about 40°C, Rajasthan recorded around 37°C. Heat islands are places of intense and concentrated heat with a high concentration of greenhouse gases”.

Jharsuguda, Talcher, Keonjhar and Bhubaneswar have been identified as heat islands and local factors contributing to the heat vary, in that, while mining is the culprit in Jharsuguda, Talcher and Keonjhar, rapid urbanization is to blame in Bhubaneswar.

According to Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of Orissa Wildlife Society, the increase in green house gases has been caused by increasing industrial activities and shrinking forest cover, he says that "Increasing industrialization is bound to take a toll. The current power generation of 5,500 mw by coal‐based thermal power plants is expected to increase to 35,000 mw with more plants likely to come up in future. The quantum of heat in the coal belt of Talcher which recently recorded 45°C, may leapfrog.”

West Bengal has suffered nine fatalities on account a severe heat wave with temperatures having reached 49°C in the Purulia district on April 21, which is four degrees above normal for the time of year and in the capital city the maximum temperature shot to 41°C on April 19, which is five degrees above normal, reports Down to Earth.

According to Daily News and Analysis (7th April, 2009), Mumbai’s water consumption increased by 20% owing to the unusual heat wave experienced in the first week of April. With temperatures hovering around 40 degree Celsius, Mumbaikars have been consuming more water widening the gap between supply and demand leading to shortage in some parts of the city. While Mumbai gets 3,350 million litres daily (mld) water supply, the demand is projected to be close to 4100 mld and the sudden increase in water consumption over the last few days has taken demand closer to the 5000 mld mark.

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Guwahati in Assam experienced abnormal dry spells and dust storms while the entire Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh suffered a severe water stress.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), disturbances in the air circulation pattern over India led to soaring temperature across the country.

Meteorological data shows that March and April have been warming faster in the last 100 years. The average temperature for March has increased by 0.76 degree centigrade over the last century; that for April has increased by 0.58 degree centigrade.

An IMD study has compared the number, duration and spread of heat waves from 1971 to 2000 recorded in 35 sub‐divisions across the country. The study shows that on average, almost 23 out of 35 of these areas were hit by heat waves between 1991 and 2000, while 10 sub‐divisions were hit between 1981 and 1990 and only about 7 were hit between 1971 and 1980. The study also shows that 25 sub‐ divisions went through more than 15 spells of heat waves between 1991 and 2000, compared to only 2 spells in the previous two decades.

Notably, between 1991 and 2000 has been the warmest decade in the last 140 years.

Anushka Pinto, Project Manager, TCP‐India

IMPACT OF RISE IN TEMPERATURE ON AGRICULTURE IN INDIA This decade has been the hottest of the past 150 years, and possibly of the past millennium.

The hottest 22 years on record have occurred in the 25 years since 1980. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts a global temperature increase

of 1.4ºC to 5.8ºC above 1990 temperatures by 2100.

Agriculture forms the backbone of the Indian economy. Nearly 60% of the Indian population depends directly on agriculture and it accounts for around 20% of GDP. (CIA World fact book) The important question is how will a rise on temperature affect this backbone of our economy?

Recent IPCC report indicates a probability of 10 ‐40 % loss in crop production in India due to increase in temperature by 2080‐2100.

Recent studies done at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute indicate the possibility of loss of 4 – 5 million tons in wheat production in the future with every rise of 1oC temperature throughout the growing period (but no adaptation benefits). It also assumes that irrigation would remain available in future at today’s levels. Losses for other crops are still uncertain but they are expected to be relatively smaller, especially for kharif crops.

According to the World Bank Report ‘Climate Change Impacts in Drought‐and Flood‐Affected Areas: Case Studies in India’, dryland farmers in states like Andhra Pradesh (AP) may see their incomes plunge by 20 per cent. The report also says that apart from farmers in AP, 3

agriculturists in Maharashtra and Orissa will also be affected badly. “In Maharashtra, sugarcane yields may fall dramatically by 25‐30 per cent as a result of increased moisture stress caused by warmer climate in the future. In Orissa, flooding will rise dramatically leading to a drop in rice yields by as much as 12 per cent in some districts,” the WB report warned.

Emphasising the ill‐effects of climate change on agricultural productivity in AP, the WB report pointed out that in the arid regions of the state, the yields of all major crops like rice, groundnut, and jowar are expected to decline although groundnut is expected to fare better than others.

“Agriculture as it is practiced today will no longer be able to sustain large populations on small rain‐fed farms,” the report predicts. To arrest the problem the World Bank suggests that unrestrained competition for ground water should be regulated and there should be aggressive pursuit for water conservation. The report suggests that India can improve its resilience to climate change through a combination of measures and right incentives aimed at multiple levels of government.

Supriya Rao, Project Manager, TCP‐India

HOW TO USE YOUR AIR CONDITIONER EFFICIENTLY The hot humid summertime in India makes it miserable outside making us want to spend more and more time in the air conditioned rooms. That’s quite a solution but it means paying high‐energy bills due to the cost of running the AC all the time.

A few simple steps can help air conditioner work less in the heat of the summer. The one big way to lower air conditioning costs is to

reduce the need for air conditioning in the first place. Here are a few tips to increase the efficiency of your air conditioner and help save some money.

1. Inspect the conditioner filters. The air filters of window, split and central AC units need to be replaced regularly. If the air filter gets really dirty it could actually cause air conditioner blower to break down. A dirty air filter can prevent air from being blown efficiently by the AC unit. Air filters should be inspected once a month and the manufacturer's instructions should be followed for cleaning and replacing air filters on a regular schedule.

2. Seal and insulate your house. One way to keep home cooler is to make sure that there is loss of cold air from the AC. Inspection of all the windows and doors should be done looking for small openings from where cold air could seep out. For a window air conditioning unit it has to be made sure that they are held in securely and have no gaps around the installation hardware.

For a central air conditioner inspection should be done of the metal ductwork. Aluminum ductwork tape should be used to seal up any pinholes or gaps that may be releasing cold air.

3. Clean the vents and keeping them uncovered. Dust and dirt can reduce the airflow causing the AC system to work overtime and severely reduce the airflow to the room.

Covering them with furniture drapes, or carpeting will have the same effect. When the air flows freely a lot of energy and money can be saved.

Utilizing these energy saving tips and tricks in unison with one another can really help you save money on your electric bills and keep you comfortable during the summer. If implemented, all of the above can make the stay comfortable inside during the summer months. All of these energy saving methods will

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help keep the interiors cool and help the run the air conditioner efficiently all summer long.

Of course, the best thing for the planet would be to not use the air conditioner at all!

Jaspreet Arora, Analyst, TCP‐India

SIMPLE TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER •

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Drink plenty of water. The human body behaves like a water cooler and evaporates the excess water through sweat besides passing urine. Remember, evaporation causes cooling!

If one has a roof directly facing the sun in one’s home, then place earthen pots upside down on the roof. There will be an air‐ insulation and the sun will not strike the ground and hence there will be shade and the roof will remain cooler.

Paint the outer wall of your home white to reflect the heat‐ simple white cement wash is good.

Mr.Kamal Meattle, Trustee, TCP‐India and

CEO Paharpur Business Centre

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