| This is the first time in world history that the Nobel | | | | intergovernmental efforts to find a way out. In this |
| peace prize goes to scientific cause not for the | | | | regard, the United Nations took a sincere cognizance |
| conventional cause. The Nobel committee chose two | | | | in 1988 and established "intergovernmental Panel on |
| very different candidates - al Gore and Rajendra K. | | | | Climate changes" to gather rigorous scientific |
| Pachauri (Head, IPCC), espousing the same cause - | | | | evidence to show the extent of global warming. In |
| Global warming. | | | | 1995, IPCC, the team of 3000 scientists headed by |
| The concept of greenhouse effect and the decaying | | | | R.K. Pachauri submitted its second assessment report |
| layers of ozonosphere may sound very complicated | | | | to the UN. It resulted in the 'Kyoto Protocol' which |
| story to the public. But, in a simpler form, Global | | | | obelised all the member countries to check on the |
| warming is a byproduct of human activities in day to | | | | emission of the harmful gases. The pious hands of |
| day life. The Global warming phenomenon is an | | | | IPCC headed by Dr. Pachauri thus made categorical |
| outcome of the biggest free lunch in the history of | | | | advancement in order to make consensus between |
| mankind. Interestingly, CO2 (Carbon Di Oxide) had | | | | the first world and the second world on 'save the |
| not been identified as a pollutant until about 20 years | | | | planet' campaign. |
| ago. The quantum of greenhouse gases which | | | | But the media approach to global warming was more |
| includes Co2, So2, CO, No3 etc released in the | | | | or less driven by sensationalism and doom-gloom |
| atmosphere each year, of which carbon-Di-Oxide is | | | | scenarios to bring accounts of deliberations taking |
| the most prevalent, is much higher than what nature | | | | place on climate change. The hazardous acronyms |
| can absorb (the oceans and land are natural skins). | | | | and sophisticated technological jargon left the people |
| Hence the problem occurs. The greenhouse effect is | | | | with no choice but to refrain from these news-items. |
| a natural process that keeps the Earth's surface | | | | But Al-gore and his Oscar winning film, 'An |
| around 30d warmer than it would be otherwise | | | | inconvenience Truth' made everyone sit up and take |
| without this effect all the infra-red radiation would | | | | notice. Gore reached out to people across cultures |
| escape to outer space and the earth would be too | | | | and continents and managed to make climate change |
| cool to support life. In this whole complex natural | | | | part of family dinner discussion even if they do not |
| process, a thick natural layer of Ozone plays a crucial | | | | understand the science behind the issue. Gore skilfully |
| role of gatekeeper for infra-red radiation. The | | | | navigated the sea of climate change science and |
| pollutants, called greenhouse gases, decay the layer | | | | politics and came straight to the point in a way the |
| of Ozonosphere and hence create the problem in the | | | | man on the street can understand. |
| process of filtering the infra - red radiation. It may | | | | Hence, looking with the glass of the Nobel Prize |
| result in the scorching sunlight and thus may be | | | | Committee, the decision appears to be |
| raising sea level which will erode the whole human | | | | Photocromatic. The symbiosis of the complex stories |
| civilization as one. | | | | of R.K. Pachauri and filmy communication of Al-Gore |
| While the effects of climate change are negative | | | | have won the prize. The paradigmatic shift in the |
| global externalities i.e. the damage from emissions is | | | | trend of peace prize, a herald that future security |
| broadly the same irrespective of where they are | | | | and peace issues are no longer about conventional |
| emitted. The impact is likely to be felt unevenly | | | | wars but it is all about conflict with environment and |
| around the world. That's why; global warming is not | | | | his fight for survival. |
| limited to one country. But it invites the urgency of | | | | |