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As observed by the United Nations Environment Program (GRID-Arendal) ice and snow are major components of the climate system. That is why human induced climate change can be first observed in Polar Regions where most of Earth's snow and ice are concentrated. In these areas global warming induces the progressive melting of ice and snow.

Altered frequencies and intensities of extreme weather, together with sea level rise, are expected to have mostly adverse effects on natural and human systems.

The earth is currently warming rapidly. And this warming is bringing about massive changes. Our glaciers are melting rapidly. The artic ice-shelf is breaking apart into pieces and threatens to modify the salinity of the oceans.

Current Science's paper on improvements made in greenhouse gases (GHG) inventory estimation

In the debate over global warming, many a time, there is an attempt to indicate that human contribution to the Greenhouse effect is on a very minuscule scale and is negligible when compared to the scale at which GHGs as a whole work.

The 2009 World Water Week in Stockholm awarded the Water Prize to Laureate Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak.

A number of films on climate change are available on the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) store. These include:

Two articles in scientific journals recently analyzed satellite data and came up with similiar alarming results for the depletion of India's groundwater in the Indo-Gangetic basin: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/

Image & Content Courtesy: CiSTUP

Indian Institute of Science is conducting a Workshop on URBAN LAKE MONITORING & MANAGEMENT from 23^rd to 25^th of September 2009 and a Brainstorming Session on Conservation & Management of Urban Lakes on 26^th September 2009

Venue: CiSTUP seminar Hall (SID Building), IISc campus (location details are available at http://cistup.iisc.ernet.in)

Workshop schedule: 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM

The workshop is meant for Research Scholars and Master students. The age of the participant be less than 30 as of 30 August 2009 (no registration and accommodation charges for selected young researchers).

Interested applicant should send a write-up (less than 750 words each) on “Need and challenges of wetland Monitoring and Management in India” and “How wetland monitoring workshop would benefit their career” (One page on each title). Application and write-up is to be routed through their institution. Selected outstation candidates will be paid Rs 500/- as their travel support and accommodation and food during the workshop will be taken care by the organizers.

The UN Panel on Climate Change is informing the world on what damage global warming can cause. But a recent study shows how temperature changes have already hit the global economy and Indian agriculture is suffering the brunt of it.