4.c Flashcards
what is mitigation?
involves taking action to reduce how much climate change occurs.
it means reducing the output of greenhouse emissions and increasing the size of greenhouse gas sinks.
what is adaptation?
nvolves taking action to reduce the impacts that climate changes are having.
means changing our lifestyles to cope with the new environment rather than trying to stop climate change
what are some examples of mitigation strategies?
setting targets to reduce carbon emissions
CCS
switching to renewable energy sources e.g. wind
carbon tax
increase the amount of waste recycled
energy conservation - switching off home appliances when not being used
changing the energy source mix
tree planting to create more carbon sinks
carbon offsetting (individuals and companies)
emission cutting technologies
what are some examples of adaptation strategies?
managed retreat of vulnerable coastlines
better flood warning systems
educating local communities on impacts
lifestyle adaptations e.g. planting new crops that will thrive in new conditions
developing drought resistant crops
enlarging existing conservation areas to allow for shifting habitat zones
using freshwater resources more efficiently to cope with drought conditions
improved risk assessment (looking at likelihood that people/property would need to be evacuated)
Victoria Line London Underground is fitted with a water cooling system using groundwater
what is BEDZED?
comprises 82 homes, office space and live-work units
UK’s largest eco-village built in 2002.
energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation are successfully integrated w other strategies e.g. local organic food deliveries
what is the point of schemes like BEDZED?
major energy savings and lowers bills
designed to achieve big decrease in climate changing GHG emissions and water use
make it easier for people living there to live a lower impact lifestyle
local materials/reclaimed products/solar panels
how success are schemes like BEDZED?
successful and can be implemented in new builds
BUT impractical to implement in all other houses across the UK
won’t have much of an impact w/ the scale its currently at
what has meant Iceland is able to cut dependency on carbon based energy?
geothermal energy
gets 99% of its energy from renewable resources
what country effectively uses nuclear power?
france
not a true renewable as it will run out, but extremely low carbon footprint
it provides energy for 75% of the population
what are the advantages of nuclear power?
well constructed nuclear power plants are very clean
radioactivity is found in most rock types, including coal. because of the vast amounts of coal used globally, coal fired power plants can actually release more radioactivity than nuclear stations
nuclear fuel produces far lower GHG emissions than fossil fuels
nuclear fuel produces vastly more energy than equivalent amounts of fossil fuels
what are the disadvantages of nuclear power?
mining uranium is dirty, with added danger from radioactivity
nuclear waste is radioactive for many thousands of years
there is no known safe way to store or dispose of nuclear waste
transporting nuclear fuel can be risky, particularly in times of terrorism
almost all nuclear accidents can be traced to human error. no technology is ever mistake free
could nuclear power be the answer - what are the drawbacks?
consistent and controllable source of energy
lowest carbon footprint of all non-renewables
not a true renewable as uranium is a finite source
really expensive. UK has to borrow Chinese and EDF funds
60 yr lifespan
nuclear accidents possible
nuclear waste is radioactive for many 1000s of years
produces more energy than equip amounts of fossil fuels
drawbacks to afforestation
conflicts over land use. not possible to reforest everywhere.
trees are a ST store of carbon. not a fair swap when burning a LT source (fossil fuels)
what is geo engineering (mitigation strategy)?
geo engineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change.
e.g. space mirrors, reflective crops
what is solar geoengineering?
aims to reflect a small proportion of the Sun’s energy back into space
counteracting the temp rise caused by increased levels of GHGs in the atmosphere
what is carbon geoengineering?
aims to remove carbon dioxide/GHGs from the atmosphere
directly countering the increased greenhouse effect and ocean acidification
what are some examples of solar geoengineering?
space mirrors
reflective crops
aerosols
cloud seeding
what are some examples of carbon geoengineering?
artificial trees
biochar
ocean fertilisation
carbonate addition
foresting
how can seaweed be used to capture carbon?
a huge seaweed farm the size of Croatia has been proposed to suck a billion tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere every year and sink it to the ocean floor every year
plans to have it up and running by 2026
needs to be bold, big and attractive to investors
how does CCS work - evaluation?
inject at least 1 km down. geological storage sites
widespread use still at least 10 years away and that may be too late
sandstone (porous) stored 1 mill tonnes in 2010 in Utah. can store up to 50 years worth of Utah’s CO2.
VERY expensive. £350 mill for a new gas power station, one with CCS would double the cost.
how can enhanced rock weathering be used to capture carbon?
takes the naturally occurring but very gradual weathering process
and turbo-charges it to remove the carbon faster
when basalt weathers in the rain it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
free of charge - important to a farmer
how does ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)
in the UK, domestic demand accounts for nearly 1/3 of primary energy consumption
already building regulations ensure that new homes/offices conform to minimum standards of heat insulation and limits to the ratio of window/door space to floor area.
govts, local authorities and energy companies provide financial incentives to eligible households to insulate lofts/cavity walls
BEDZED - good in new builds but not at a large enough scale to make a difference at the scale of emissions
how does FUEL SHIFTS reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)
been a steady decline in overall energy consumption since 2005. Fell by 6.6% in 2014 despite economic growth of nearly 3%.
marked decrease in use of coal and oil
contribution of renewables has expanded
- fuel shifts can be explained by advances in energy conservation and energy efficiency and govt policies to decarbonise the UK economy
- expanding renewables esp. wind power in offshore locations, closing several large coal fired power stations, solar energy promoted by green subsidies.
- nuclear very efficient but very expensive and potentially dangerous
how does CCS reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)
new technology that extracts CO2 emitted by coal burning power stations and transfers it to LT storage underground
has the potential to cut drastically anthropogenic emissions of CO2
however even when the technology has been perfected the use of CCS may be limited by costs and by a shortage of suitable storage sites, such as old oil and gas fields.
not capturing a significant amount at the moment