1.4- mitigating the impacts of climate change Flashcards
how can the impacts of climate change be mitigated?
- modifying industrial combustion
- modifying photosynthesis
- modifying land use
- modifying deforestation
- political initiatives
regarding modifying industrial combustion, what is carbon capture and storage (CCS)?
CCS uses technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations and industry. The gas is then transported to a site where it can be stored and prevented from entering the atmosphere
how does CCS work?
once carbon dioxide emissions are captured, the carbon gas is compressed and transported by pipeline to an injection well. It is then injected as a liquid into suitable geological reservoirs such as underground aquifers and deposits of fossil fuels
scientists estimate that CCS could cut global carbon emissions by up to __%
19
in 2014, Boundary Dam in Canada’s Skatchewan became the world’s first
commercial carbon capture-coal fired power plant (aims to capture 90%) of its carbon dioxide output
why is CCS viewed with suspicion by environmental campaigners?
because its economic viability, so far, depends upon using the carbon dioxide to increase oil production
explain how plantation forests work (modifying photosynthesis)
- trees act as carbon sinks, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and storing it within their biomass
- trees also release moisture into the atmosphere and so help to moderate the Earth’s climated
- plantation forests are particularly effective in absorbing carbon dioxide compared to natural forests
plantation forests comprise an estimated _% of the global forest area
7
for some time, plantation forests have been recognised by the ____ as a legitimate option for countries wishing to reduce their carbon emissions
IPCC
why did the government in Sri Lanka in 2015 decide to become the first nation to protect all of its mangrove forests
- having lost a huge amount over the last century, the government decided to conserve the remaining forests and sought to expand their coverage
- mangroves absorb more carbon dioxide than other forests and fix it into the soil where it is stored for hundreds of years
- mangrove forests do not burn due to the swampy environment and lack of fuel
_______ _______ are the most common cause of land-use change apart from deforestation
farming practices
what is carbon farming?
where one type of crop is replaced by another that has greater productivity and so can absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
there are several strategies aimed at reducing the rate of deforestation, which is a major cause of carbon emissions:
- consumers are encouraged to only buy wood certified by the FSC (timber products that have been grown sustainably
- countries, organisations and individuals make carbon offset payments to offset their carbon emissions- this might involve paying for existing forest to be protected, developing renewable energy alternatives or planting trees
- in Malaysia, the Selective Management System is a sustainable approach to felling selected trees and planting replacememts
in 2005 the government of Brazil decided to slash the rate of deforestation by __%
80
what has been the result of the government of Brazil deciding to slash the rate of deforestation?
- landowners are now required to preserve 80% of virgin forest- infringements are punished by large fines or imprisonment
- grants for agricultural enterprises are prohibited in areas where deforestation is taking place
- the government has created protected reserves in the Amazon along frontier areas where deforestation had started
