Q2) How is our world going to look like twenty years in the future, if we don’t change our attitude towards climate action now?

Concrete deterioration occurs by variety of stimuli including physical, chemical and mechanical factors. Among  the  various ,the major two cause  of  deterioration  are  carbonation  and  chloride  penetration. Carbonation occurs when atmospheric CO₂  penetrates the  concrete structures  and  exposes    steel  reinforcement (makes  the  attachment of  concrete and rod more  fragile)

.Similarly, chloride penetration causes cracking and peeling of various layers of these structures. 

 However the time for corrosion depends on their location and level of exposure to the environment. Durability of concrete structures depends heavily on the  manner   in  which  they  are  constructed, material  used  as  well  as  the  environmental  condition  they  are  routinely  exposed  to.

 Similarly, climate change also badly affects our historical, cultural heritage, which were specially made up of  natural  stones. In the present situation, we all are familiar with the increasing global temperature which rapidly heats the  outer layers of these monument building?s  stones(non conductors)  while  the  inner  layers  of  the  same  stone  is  heated  very  slowly. Due  to  this  vast  temperature  difference ,unequal  expansion   and  contraction  among  the  various  layers  of  stone results  in  peeling  of  stone, cracking of  it  resulting  in  pore  formation   and  finally  leads  to  the  damage  of  monument. This  process  is  heavily  supported  by  the  temperature  difference  observed  in  day to  night, summer  to  winter .This  increasing  temperature   may  cause  high  dryness  in  the  stone  and  alters  the  chemical  composition  of  the  stone  making  it  more  fragile and brittle .This  dryness  may  result  in  conversion  of  gypsum  to  anhydrite  as  follows,

 

   CaSO₄.2H₂O      into                         CaSO₄+H₂O              

   Due to raise in percentage of CO2  in  atmosphere, CO₂  gets  transformed  into  carbonic  acid(H2CO3)   when it comes in contact  with atmospheric  moisture. Thereafter, carbonic acid thus formed interacts with basic mineral components of stones and transforms them into soluble salts leading to damage of stone structures. Both of these corrosion mechanisms are influenced by climate change.  

 

Climate change refers to a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased temperature trends described by global warming, but also encompass changes such as sea level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland, Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and extreme weather events.

Greenhouse gases are produced naturally and trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, like a blanket.

When fossil fuels are burned in power stations, vehicles, industry or homes, greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.

Although these gases have always been present in the world's atmosphere their concentration is increasing as more and more fossil fuels are burned.

Global warming is attributed to the enhanced greenhouse effect. This is caused by the increased concentration and effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and fluorocarbons.

Rising air temperatures affect the physical nature of the oceans. As air temperatures rise, water becomes less dense and separates from a nutrient-filled cold layer below. This is the basis for a chain effect that impacts all marine life that counts on these nutrients for survival.

In a recent study, I worked with colleagues from five universities and laboratories to examine how climate warming out to the year 2300 could affect marine ecosystems and global fisheries. We wanted to know how sustained warming would change the supply of key nutrients that support tiny plankton, which in turn are food for fish.

The annual average losses from tsunamis, tropical cyclones and flooding amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, requiring an investment of US$6 billion annually in disaster risk management alone. The goal aims to mobilize $100