INTRODUCTION

Climate change is a long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in the average weather conditions or a change in the distribution of weather events with respect to an average. Climate change can be natural or caused by changes people have made to the land or atmosphere. Climate change has taken place in the past from natural causes. The term climate change today refers to changes taking place over the last hundred years from man-made greenhouse gases. The rate of change has assumed disastrous proportions and threatens every single country. And Bangladesh is no exemption. Climate change driven by global warming in Bangladesh is threatening to substantially modify important ecosystems, both marine and terrestrial, because the rate of climate change exceeds rates at which ecosystems and biodiversity they contain can adapt or migrate. Global warming threatens to destroy great swaths of biodiversity within affected ecosystems. Preservation of biodiversity and avoidance of catastrophic ecosystem collapse depend on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. For lawyers, the challenge is how law can be used to achieve this goal. Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions, and human-induced alterations of the natural world; these latter effects are currently causing global warming, and "climate change" is often used to describe human-specific impacts.

Definition: The most general definition of climate change is a change in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over long periods of time, regardless of cause. Accordingly, fluctuations over periods shorter than a few decades, such as El Nio, do not represent climate change. The term sometimes is used to refer specifically to climate change caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth's natural processes. In this sense, especially in the context of environmental policy, the term climate change has become synonymous with anthropogenic global warming. Within scientific journals, global warming refers to surface temperature increases while climate change includes global warming and everything else that increasing greenhouse gas levels will affect. On the broadest scale, the rate at which energy is received from the sun and the rate at which it is lost to space determine the equilibrium temperature and climate of Earth. This energy is distributed around the globe by winds, ocean currents, and other mechanisms to affect the climates of different regions. Factors that can shape climate are called climate forcing or "forcing mechanisms". These include processes such as variations in solar radiation, variations in the Earth's orbit, mountain-building and continental drift and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. There are a variety of climate change feedbacks that can either amplify or diminish the initial forcing. Some parts of the climate system, such as the oceans and ice caps, respond slowly in reaction to climate forcing, while others respond more quickly. Whether the initial forcing mechanism is internal or external, the response of the climate system might be fast (e.g., a sudden cooling due to airborne volcanic ash reflecting sunlight), slow (e.g. thermal expansion of warming ocean water), or a combination (e.g., sudden loss of albino in the arctic ocean as sea ice melts, followed by more gradual thermal expansion of the water). Therefore, the climate system can respond abruptly, but the full response to forcing mechanisms might not be fully developed for centuries or even longer.

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The cause of climate change is well known. The coal we burn and the oil and gas we use have led to alarming increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and in increase in greenhouse effect and enhanced warming. Average temperature has increased over the past hundred years. The ten hottest years on record are all in the last 13 years.

Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland: The use of forests for fuel (both wood and for charcoal) is one cause of deforestation, but in the first world, our appetite for wood and paper products, our consumption of livestock grazed on former forest land, and the use of tropical forest lands for commodities like palm oil plantations contributes to the mass deforestation of our world. Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and this deforestation releases large amounts of carbon, as well as reducing the amount of carbon capture on the planet.

Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands: In the last half of the 20th century, the use of chemical fertilizers (as opposed to the historical use of animal manure) has risen dramatically. The high rate of application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers has effects on the heat storage of cropland (nitrogen oxides have 300 times more heat-trapping capacity per unit of volume than carbon dioxide) and the run-off of excess fertilizers creates dead-zones in our oceans. In addition to these effects, high nitrate levels in groundwater due to over-fertilization are cause for concern for human health.

A blanket around the Earth: Most climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the "greenhouse effect" warming those results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping. Long-lived gases, remaining semipermanently in the atmosphere, which do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature, are described as "forcing" climate change whereas gases, such as water, which respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are seen as "feedbacks." Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include: Water vapor: The most abundant greenhouse gas, but importantly, it acts as a feedback to the climate. Water vapor increases as the Earth's atmosphere warms, but so does the possibility of clouds and precipitation, making these some of the most important feedback mechanisms to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide (CO2): A minor but very important component of the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is released through natural processes such as respiration and volcano eruptions and through human activities such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels. Humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by a third since the Industrial Revolution began. This is the most important long-lived "forcing" of climate change. Methane: A hydrocarbon gas produced both through natural sources and human activities, including the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and especially rice cultivation, as well as ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock. On a molecule-for-molecule basis, methane is a far more active greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but also one which is much less abundant in the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide: A powerful greenhouse gas produced by soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass burning.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Synthetic compounds of entirely of industrial origin used in a number of applications, but now largely regulated in production and release to the atmosphere by international agreement for their ability to contribute to destruction of the ozone layer. They are also greenhouse gases.

Not enough greenhouse effect: The planet Mars has a very thin atmosphere, nearly all carbon dioxide. Because of the low atmospheric pressure, and with little to no methane or water vapor to reinforce the weak greenhouse effect, Mars has a largely frozen surface that shows no evidence of life. Too much greenhouse effect: The atmosphere of Venus, like Mars, is nearly all carbon dioxide. But Venus has about 300 times as much carbon dioxide in its atmosphere as Earth and Mars do, producing a runaway greenhouse effect and a surface temperature hot enough to melt lead. On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.

The role of human activity: In its recently released Fourth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded there's a more than 90 percent probability that human activities over the past 250 years have warmed our planet. The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in the last 150 years. The panel also concluded there's a better than 90 percent probability that human-produced

greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have caused much of the observed increase in Earth's temperatures over the past 50 years. They said the rate of increase in global warming due to these gases is very likely to be unprecedented within the past 10,000 years or more.

Solar Irradiance: It's reasonable to assume that changes in the sun's energy output would cause the climate to change, since the sun is the fundamental source of energy that drives our climate system. Indeed, studies show that solar variability has played a role in past climate changes. For example, a decrease in solar activity is thought to have triggered the Little Ice Age between approximately 1650 and 1850, when Greenland was largely cut off by ice from 1410 to the 1720s and glaciers advanced in the Alps. But several lines of evidence show that current global warming cannot be explained by changes in energy from the sun. Since 1750, the average amount of energy coming from the Sun either remained constant or increased slightly. If the warming were caused by a more active sun, then scientists would expect to see warmer temperatures in all layers of the atmosphere. Instead, they have observed a cooling in the upper atmosphere, and a warming at the surface and in the lower parts of the atmosphere. That's because greenhouse gasses are trapping heat in the lower atmosphere. Climate models that include solar irradiance changes cant reproduce the observed temperature trend over the past century or more without including a rise in greenhouse gases. Scientists claim that if carbon emissions grow at present rates, by 2050 carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is likely to be twice and global temperature about 7 C above what it was in pre-industrial period. They say even if global temperatures rise by only 2 C it would mean 20-30 percent of species could face extinction and cause serious effects on our environment, food and water supplies, and health. From 1997 to 2008, carbon dioxide emissions worldwide from burning fossil fuels have increased 31 percent. In that period
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temperatures are 0.4 of a degree warmer than in the previous 12 years. The effect of greenhouse is more alarming than earlier predicted. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica have lost trillions of tons of ice. In a dozen years the oceans of the world have risen by about one and a half inches. Hurricanes, droughts and wildfires have become more severe worldwide. Species from polar bear and seals to frogs and butterflies are endangered and so are pine forests in North America to mangrove forests in Bangladesh. The major scientific agencies of the United States including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) agree that climate change is occurring and that humans are contributing to it. In 2010, the National Research Council concluded that "Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused by human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural systems". Many independent scientific organizations have released similar statements, both in the United States and abroad. This doesn't necessarily mean that every scientist sees eye to eye on each component of the climate change problem, but broad agreement exists that climate change is happening and is primarily caused by excess greenhouse gases from human activities. In the context of climate variation, anthropogenic factors are human activities which affect the climate. The scientific consensus on climate change is "that climate is changing and that these changes are in large part caused by human activities," and it "is largely irreversible." Science has made enormous inroads in understanding climate change and its causes, and is beginning to help develop a strong understanding of current and potential impacts that will affect people today and in coming decades. This understanding is crucial because it allows decision makers to place climate change in the context of other large challenges facing the nation and the world. There are still some uncertainties, and there always will be in understanding a complex system like Earths climate. Nevertheless, there is a strong, credible body of evidence, based on multiple lines of research, documenting that climate is changing and that these changes are in large part caused by human activities. While much remains to be learned, the core phenomenon, scientific questions, and hypotheses have been examined thoroughly and have stood firm in the face of serious scientific debate and careful evaluation of alternative explanations.

Of most concern in these anthropogenic factors is the increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion, followed by aerosols (particulate matter in the atmosphere) and cement manufacture. Other factors, including land use, ozone depletion, animal agriculture and deforestation, are also of concern in the roles they play - both separately and in conjunction with other factors - in affecting climate, microclimate, and measures of climate variables.

CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The consequences of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse are difficult to predict, but certain effects seem likely: On average, Earth will become warmer. Some regions may welcome warmer temperatures, but others may not. Warmer conditions will probably lead to more evaporation and precipitation overall, but individual regions will vary, some becoming wetter and others dryer. A stronger greenhouse effect will warm the oceans and partially melt glaciers and other ice, increasing sea level. Ocean water also will expand if it warms, contributing further to sea level rise. Meanwhile, some crops and other plants may respond favorably to increased atmospheric CO2, growing more vigorously and using water more efficiently. At the same time, higher temperatures and shifting climate patterns may change the areas where crops grow best and affect the makeup of natural plant communities.

Higher Temperatures: Heat-trapping gases emitted by power plants, automobiles, deforestation and other sources are warming up the planet. In fact, the five hottest years on record have all occurred since 1997 and the 10 hottest since 1990, including the warmest years on record 2005 and 2010. High temperatures are to blame for an increase in heat-related deaths and illness, rising seas, increased storm intensity, and many of the other dangerous consequences of climate change. During the 20th century, the Earths average temperature rose one degree Fahrenheit to its highest level in the past four centuries believed to be the fastest rise in a thousand years. Scientists project that if emissions of heat-trapping carbon emissions arent reduced, average surface temperatures could increase by 3 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century.
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Dont let average temperatures fool us: A one-degree increase may be found in one place, a 12degree increase in another place, and yet other areas may become much colder. The planets oceans are also warming, which is causing dangerous consequences such as stronger storms, coral bleaching and rising seas.

Increased Risk of Drought, Fire, and Floods: Climate change is making floods, fires and droughts more frequent and severe. Climate change is intensifying the circulation of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth causing drought and floods to be more frequent, severe and widespread. Higher temperatures increase the amount of moisture that evaporates from land and water, leading to drought in many areas. Lands affected by drought are more vulnerable to flooding once rain falls. As temperatures rise globally, droughts will become more frequent and more severe, with potentially devastating consequences for agriculture, water supply and human health. This phenomenon has already been observed in some parts of Asia and Africa, where droughts have become longer and more intense. Hot temperatures and dry conditions also increase the likelihood of forest fires. In the conifer forests of the western United States, earlier snowmelts, longer summers and an increase in spring and summer temperatures have increased fire frequency by 400 percent and have increased the amount of land burned by 650 percent since 1970.

Economic Loss and Damage: Climate change is already affecting economies around the world. Declining crop yields could put hundreds of thousands of people at risk for starvation. Climate change is affecting businesses and economies at home and around the world. If action is not taken to curb global carbon emissions, climate change could cost between 5 and 20 percent of the annual global gross domestic product,

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according to a British government report. In comparison, it would take 1 percent of GDP to lessen the most damaging effects of climate change, the report says. These global costs will be felt by local communities and businesses: In southern New England lobster catches have plummeted because of heat stresses and growing parasite threats due to rising sea temperatures. Ski resorts located in the lower altitudes of the Swiss Alps have difficulty obtaining bank loans because of declining snow. In Lake Erie, climate change may significantly lower lake levels, altering shoreline habitats and costing millions for the relocation of ports and shore infrastructure. Globally, more intense hurricanes and downpours could cause billions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure. Declining crop yields due to prolonged drought and high temperatures, especially in Africa, could put hundreds of thousands of people at risk for starvation. High sea temperatures also threaten the survival of coral reefs, which generate an estimated $375 billion per year in goods and services.

Changing Landscapes: Changing temperatures are causing vegetation shifts and conservation challenges. Rising temperatures and changing patterns of rain and snow are forcing trees and plants around the world to move toward Polar Regions and up mountain slopes. These vegetation shifts will undermine much of the work the conservation community has accomplished to date, with the potential to permanently change the face of Conservancy preserves, local land trusts, and even our national parks. In the tundra, thawing permafrost will allow shrubs and trees to take root. In the Great Plains of the United States, grasslands will likely become forests. And New Englands fiery fall foliage will eventually fade as maple and beech forests shift north toward cooler temperatures. As plant communities try to adjust to the changing climate by moving toward cooler areas, the animals that depend on them will be forced to move. Development and other barriers may block
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the migration of both plants and animals. Some species and communities such as polar bears and alpine meadows may be left without any remaining viable habitat, putting much of our treasured wildlife at risk.

Rise in sea levels worldwide: Scientists predict an increase in sea levels worldwide due to the melting of two massive ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, especially on the East coast of the U.S. However, many nations around the world will experience the effects of rising sea levels, which could displace millions of people. One nation, the Maldives, is already looking for a new home, thanks to rising sea levels.

More killer storms: The severity of storms such as hurricanes and cyclones is increasing, and research published in Nature found: Scientists have come up with the firmest evidence so far that global warming will significantly increase the intensity of the most extreme storms worldwide. The maximum wind speeds of the strongest tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981, according to research published in Nature this week. And the upward trend, thought to be driven by rising ocean temperatures, is unlikely to stop at any time soon.

Massive crop failures: According to recent research, there is a 90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose between moving their families to milder climes and going hungry due to climate change within 100 years. Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development
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and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts. Global warming causes 300,000 deaths a year.

Widespread extinction of species: According to research published in Nature, by 2010, rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species. And because we cant exist without a diverse population of species on Earth, this is scary news for humans. Climate change now represents at least as great a threat to the number of species surviving on Earth as habitat-destruction and modification. -Chris Thomas, conservation biologist at the University of Leeds. Widespread species loss and lists of endangered species just keep growing. This is a concerning matter on many fronts.

Disappearance of coral reefs: A report on coral reefs from WWF says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification. The bleaching of corals from small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival. Despite the oceanss immensity 71 per cent of the Earths surface with an average depth of almost 4km (2m) there are indications that it is approaching its tipping point. For reefs, warming waters and acidification are closing in like a pair of jaws that threaten to make them the first global ecosystem to disappear. Times Online: 21st-century Noahs Ark needed to save coral reefs from extinction

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Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening: Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earths poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adlie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years. Sea level rise became faster over the last century. Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas. Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average. Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.

Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues: Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters). Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active. Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years. Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either. Some diseases will spread such as malaria carried by mosquitoes. Ecosystems will change some species will move farther north or become more successful; others wont be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has
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found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.

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MEASURES TAKEN BY MANKIND

Convention and protocols on Biological Diversity: In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were concluded and signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro. However, the processes that led to their respective results were entirely independent. The CBD began with work at IUCN and proceeded under the negotiation umbrella of UNEP, whereas the UNFCCC proceeded independently out of work began by the World Meteorological Organization and pushed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others. The UNFCC focuses on reducing the concentration of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere to avoid the dangers associated with rapid global warming. The treaty, without imposing any binding targets and timetables, sought to push developing countries like Bangladesh, to craft GHG emission reduction plans, assemble emission data and inventories, proceed with essential research, and begin the process of agreeing on what level of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous, and then establishing specific, binding targets and timetables for reducing GHGs to avoid reaching the dangerous levels. Underpinning the treaty was the concept that market mechanisms should be used to minimize the cost of emission reductions. Because GHG are dispersed throughout the worlds atmosphere within weeks of their emission, the location of emissions, emissions reductions or sequestrations is irrelevant to warming; it is the total atmospheric concentration that is important. Thus, the climate change legal regime envisioned, from the start, the trading of emissions reductions as a central implementation approach. Some pilot concepts were included in the UNFCCC, but fullfledged market mechanisms would be subject to further negotiations. These negotiations, which would flower into protocols to the UNFCCC, would establish emissions targets and timetables, details of trading regimes, and international bodies to oversee the implementations of these commitments. The UNFCCC also recognized the common but differentiated responsibilities of all the nations of the world. Initially, only developed nations would face requirements, but
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ultimately all nations would be required to contribute, to the extent they were able, to the challenge of mitigating climate change. The UNFCCC also included an additionally obligation- a commitment of the developed world to provide financial resources over and above existing foreign aid to help developing countries like Bangladesh, address GHG reduction. The general procedural terms of the UNFCCC established a Conference of the Parties, which would meet regularly to negotiate concrete protocols to supplement the more general provisions of the UNFCCC. A secretariat was established to support this work. The nations adopting the UNFCCC knew that its commitments would not be sufficient to seriously tackle climate change. The international and legal regime covering climate change is governed by two major treaties, the Convention to Regulate International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the CBD. Under CITES, the party nations agree to a list of species that are endangered, ban all importing and exporting of any specimen of a protected species, and adopt domestic laws to enforce the trade prohibition to retain equilibrium in climate. The CBD makes no mention of climate change, although some of its provisions contain ideas broad enough that they could be read to support efforts to mitigate or adapt to impacts of climate change. By contrast, the CBDs silence on climate change even though it was drafted simultaneously with the UNFCCC, and both were signed at UNCED in Rio de Janeiro, undercuts any argument that the CBD language was intended to include climate change within the ambit of the treaty. The only direct reference in the CBD to other international law is the requirement that the CBD be implemented with respect to the marine environment consistently with the rights and obligations of States under the law of the sea. Although the two treaties could be mutually reinforcingsuch mutual reinforcement is not automatic. However, that requires that requires moving beyond the specifics of sustainable developments of biodiversity. The principles of sustainable development articulated in the Rio Declaration, Agenda21, and the Johannesburg Declaration permit this, but do not in their own terms mandate the cross-fertilization, nor do the principles announce how the ideas of global warming and biodiversity should link or what field takes priority in conflicts emerge.

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So it can be said that, the relationship between the CBD and UNFCCC is that there is mild, informal, sporadic evidence of each being aware of the other. In the climate change analyst world, the IPCC has regularly included impacts of warming on ecosystems and biodiversity in its assessment reports as one of the categories of adverse effects rapid climate change will cause. However, biodiversity is largely missing as an analytic component of policy prescriptions in mitigation and analysis.

Kyoto Protocol: The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions .These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the fiveyear period 2008-2012. The major distinction between the Protocol and the Convention is that while the Convention encouraged industrialised countries to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol commits them to do so. Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. The detailed rules for the implementation of the Protocol were adopted at COP 7 in Marrakesh in 2001, and are called the Marrakesh Accords.

Climate Change and Environment Laws in Bangladesh: The majority of environmental laws in Bangladesh were passed under substantially different population and development conditions. For example, the Factories Act of 1965 and some other
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health protection laws were designed before industrial pollution and hazardous substances became serious concerns. The Environment policy of 1992 of Bangladesh has recognized the need for a better and comprehensive approach to address climate change and environment issues. Very few of the elements of the Environment Policy, however, are yet to be translated into laws. The only legislation which specifically deals with environment issues is the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (ECA) 1995. The act was passed for conservation and improvement of environmental standards and for controlling and mitigating environmental pollution. It however, provides very few substantive obligations relating to environmental clearance from the Department of the Environment, and any person affected or likely to be affected by such activities can apply to the Director General seeking remedy of environmental pollution or degradation. [17] The major limitations of the Act are its silences on the standards, parameters, emission levels and management elements based on which the environmental clearance should have been applied and obtained. The Environmental Conservation Rules, 1997, were promulgated in furtherance of the objectives of the ECA, 1995. Among Bangladeshi sectorial laws, environmental issues are seldom referred to, and when they are there, those are of no real substance.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Followings are some suggestions may be exercised: Eat less meat, and eat more vegetables. Cattle are one of the largest producers of methane, a gas that helps contribute to global warming. Cut back on the meat, and you'll be contributing to less methane. Use a more energy efficient vehicle to reduce emissions and oil use. The Toyota Prius always tops the list of most efficient cars, but don't forget the Accord, Sanata, and Jetta. Plant a tree on your own, or in Brazil. You can make donations to help plant trees far away, or plant one locally to help produce more oxygen and filter our air. Take public transportation. Even if you only take public transportation once a week or once a month, you're lessening potential emissions that contribute to climate change. Turn the temperature down on your thermostat to save energy. Any energy you save lessens the amount of fossil fuels used at energy plants. In the warmer months, use window and fan ventilation over air conditioning when possible instead of air conditioning (in your car, too). Purchase recycled products, like recycled paper and recycled plastic toys. Reuse things in your life. Even recycling takes some amount of energy to transform a material into something else. By reusing, there's no transformation or emissions involved, just a little brain power Buy locally, from farmers markets, locally grown shops, and even in the grocery store to lessen transport energy. Aim to buy your produce where it's grown closest to you (it often tastes much better this way, too). Start an herb garden or veggie garden. Nothing tastes fresher, it will save you money, and you won't have to drive in the car to get your herbs and veggies. Very little energy consumed!

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 Unplug energy suckers when they aren't in use. Your appliances, toasters, computers, televisions and cell phone charges all use energy just by being plugged in. So, save energy by unplugging! Use CFL bulbs to reduce electricty usage. They save you money, save the environment, and even glow brighter. Bring your own reusable bags to reduce climate change. Bring them to the grocery store and anywhere else you go shopping. If you have a single item and don't need a bag, don't take one. Drink tap water over bottled water. Bottled water costs more, takes more energy to create, and to transport. In most circumstances, tap water is cleaner than bottled water. Think about using reusable diapers to prevent diapers from decomposing in a landfill. Disposable diapers take up approximately 4% of landfill space, and take hundreds of years to decompose. Use a zero voc paint when painting a room in your home. The VOCs found in traditional paints can be hazardous for you and the ozone. Switch to paperless billing. It's a benefit for the companies, but a great benefit for the environment, too. It's also nice to not be inundated with bills in the mail. Bring your own reusable take out container. These small styrofoam containers really add up! Bring your own reusable container and reusable bag for lunch. Use less resources and energy when you travel by having a green vacation. When you buy anything, buy for the long term instead of the short term. Buy a product that is going to last for a long time, instead of buying the disposable or short term version. A good example is clothing. Higher quality brands will last much longer and hold up better, while cheaper brands often only get a few short wears. Support clean energy to reduce climate change, as well as other renewable resources like wind energy and geothermal. Get healthier. By eating less food and exercising more, you'll be consuming less packaging, throwing away less, creating less waste, spending less, going to the doctor's less, and living longer.

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 Take a slightly less warm shower. Heating water is one of the most energy consuming parts of our lives. Warm showers feel great, but reducing the amount of time in the shower and the temperature by just a small amount can make a big difference. Taking cooler showers can also give you better skin. Buy products with less packaging. The less packaging, the less you'll throw away into our landfills. Turn off your cell phone and other electronics at night to cut back on electricity. Try a low energy cold water wash, combined with hanging clothes on the clothesline. Use energy efficient washers and dryers. The savings on your utilities alone will be substantial, but the benefit to the earth will be greater. Reduce junk mail that comes to your home by following these simple steps. Reduce the amount of aerosols, candles, and perfumes used by switching to natural perfumes and natural room fresheners. Learn how to recycle things in your life. Start with the obvious choices like cans and bottles, then get more serious (curbside pickup makes it very easy). Save gas and money by carpoolling. The savings will add up, you'll have someone to talk to, and you'll be helping the slow down climate change. Consolidate errands and plan your route to save gas. Order online orders in bulk. When things are shipped together, less packaging and energy is used (and it's cheaper, usually). Buy used and buy repurposed. This prevents new products from being made (and fossil fuels from being burned), helping the environment. Use a reusable product to clean your home instead of disposable paper towels, like reusable paper towels, sponges and cloths. Sell your stuff on EBay, try to throw away less. Donate your stuff instead of throwing it away. Compost to reduce climate change by reducing trash in landfill spaces. Camp out on vacation instead of staying in a hotel and enjoy the outdoors (without the TV and A/C).

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 . Go digital and online with more things in your life, like photos, using ecards instead of cards, and eBooks. There's the Kindle for wireless reading, free ecards, and many free photo hosting websites to store your photos online. Schedule online meetings to save on flights and travel expenses, as well as transport energy. Bring your own reusable to-go coffee cup to the cafe instead of taking a disposable one. Help protect our forests so that the forests can help combat climate change. Recycle packaging instead of throwing it away. Donate it to a local UPS store or post it on Craigslist. Encourage and become involved in reforestation to slow climate change. Buy sustainable wood, repurposed wood, or a used wood product for furniture purchases. Consider Ecycling your computers and electronics instead of throwing them away. Swap clothing, toys and books with neighboring parents and friends instead of buying new ones. Most importantly, educate others about climate change.

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CONCLUSSION

The Earths climate is changing, and we are the cause. Throughout our planets history, the climate has changed in dramatic ways. What makes this point in time different from the past is the human influence on this change, and the rate at which this change is occurring. Scientific evidence shows us that carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have increased substantially since industrialization. The use of fossil fuels has become an increasingly important part of our lives. We rely on fossil fuels for everything from driving our cars, to heating our homes, to producing the products that we have come to rely on in our daily lives. As a result, carbon dioxide concentrations have increased approximately 30% since pre-industrial times. This has resulted in a strengthening of the greenhouse effect, which has played a critical role in warming our planet. Methane concentration in the atmosphere has increased approximately 150% since pre-industrial times. This increase has also played a role in the warming that we are currently observing. Again, our dependence on fossil fuels, as well as land use changes, has resulted in increasing methane concentrations in our atmosphere. Intensive livestock operations, decomposing garbage in our landfills, decomposing organic matter and burning biomass all play an important part in this increase. We are consumers: the convenient products and services that we have come to expect as a necessary part of our daily lives are causing profound changes to our world. Our lives have become easier since industrialization, but this ease has come at a great cost. Current scientific evidence has shown us the scope of the changes that our activities and lifestyles have caused, as well as what our future could look like should we choose to continue on the same path. Our planet is warning us that it cannot support our current way of life. Knowledge, however, is our greatest defense in light of these changes. By understanding how we fit into the overall climate change equation, we can opt to make changes to the way we live our lives. These changes will help us leave behind a home for future generations of all living things.
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