Major greenhouse gases in the air are accumulating faster than in the past, despite efforts to curtail their growth. Carbon dioxide concentration in the air increased by 2.4 parts per million last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday, and methane concentrations also rose rapidly. Concern has grown in recent years about these gases, with most atmospheric scientists concerned that the increasing accumulation is causing the earth's temperature to rise, potentially disrupting climate and changing patterns of rainfall, drought and other storms.

RECENTLY, an advertisement showed how super-models are trying to promote an eco-friendly lifestyle through their outfits made with materials that are less polluting, less harmful to the environment and the earth, which, in other words, is called a green method of living. Comparing black, a trendy colour for evening parties, with this green way of resource utilisation is not only interesting but also reflects the fact that global environmental issues -- climate change to be precise -- have caught the attention of everyone. The problem

Satellite data show that changes in the sun are contributing to global warming but to a smaller extent than human activity, a space scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington told a group of petroleum geologists Wednesday. "The sun is playing a role that you can detect, but it's not the dominant role," Judith Lean told a crowded session at the 2008 convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists in San Antonio.

The current and imminent adverse environment having social and economic impact of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions is a global phenomenal. The governments around the world are increasingly developing or are implementing policies regarding reduction of GHG emission to address the challenge. Because of current and expected regulatory constraints, firms and individuals around the world are taking steps to reduce their GHGs emissions.

The Maldives, worried about rising seas from climate change, wants steeper cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions but is unwilling to curb its tourism industry, which is reliant on polluting international flights. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in Singapore promoting his book "Paradise Drowning" at an environmental business summit, said cutting back on tourism was not the answer even though the country's survival was more important than development.

Climate change is aggravating the global food crisis and many poor countries could be facing the start of major hunger disasters, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday. Agricultural production worldwide must be revamped over time but poor farmers in Africa and elsewhere need help now to meet the spiralling costs of fertiliser, which has prevented them from planting more crops, he said.

Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 25 percent from 1990 to 2005, the highest amount of any G8 nation, according to government figures released on Tuesday. Canada has only about 0.5 percent of the world's population but contributes about 2 percent of global emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide that are linked to climate change, according to Statistics Canada.

ALL government policies

US President George W. Bush has said that any international agreement on climate change can not be effective without full participation of major economic powers like India and China. "How can you possibly have an international agreement that's effective unless countries like China and India are not (sic) full participants," Mr Bush said. The issue of climate change came up during his meeting with visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak at Camp David.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed skepticism over a U.S. initiative to halt the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, during a meeting in Hanover on Sunday with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese officials said. All smiles: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe chat during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Hanover industrial fair on Sunday. AP