4.c

Question 1

what is mitigation?

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

what is adaptation?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

what are some examples of mitigation strategies?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

what are some examples of adaptation strategies?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

what is BEDZED?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

what is the point of schemes like BEDZED?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

how success are schemes like BEDZED?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

what has meant Iceland is able to cut dependency on carbon based energy?

Answer 8

geothermal energy
gets 99% of its energy from renewable resources

Question 9

what country effectively uses nuclear power?

Answer 9

france
not a true renewable as it will run out, but extremely low carbon footprint
it provides energy for 75% of the population

Question 10

what are the advantages of nuclear power?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

what are the disadvantages of nuclear power?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

could nuclear power be the answer - what are the drawbacks?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

drawbacks to afforestation

Answer 13

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)

Question 14

what is geo engineering (mitigation strategy)?

Answer 14

geo engineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change.
e.g. space mirrors, reflective crops

Question 15

what is solar geoengineering?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

what is carbon geoengineering?

Answer 16

aims to remove carbon dioxide/GHGs from the atmosphere
directly countering the increased greenhouse effect and ocean acidification

Question 17

what are some examples of solar geoengineering?

Answer 17

space mirrors
reflective crops
aerosols
cloud seeding

Question 18

what are some examples of carbon geoengineering?

Answer 18

artificial trees
biochar
ocean fertilisation
carbonate addition
foresting

Question 19

how can seaweed be used to capture carbon?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

how does CCS work - evaluation?

Answer 20

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.

Question 20

how can enhanced rock weathering be used to capture carbon?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

how does ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)

Answer 21

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

Question 21

how does FUEL SHIFTS reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)

Answer 21

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

Question 22

how does CCS reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)

Answer 22

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

Question 23

how does GEOENGINEERING reduce carbon emissions? (mitigation strategies)

Answer 23

geoengineering strategies are either costly and efficient

Question 24

how are FUEL SHIFTS and LOW CARBON SOURCES good mitigation strategies?

Answer 24

for the first time since the Industrial Revolution, Britain is using more power from zero-carbon sources than fossil fuels. 48% vs 47% - rest is biomass burning
RENEWABLE ICELAND - HEP provides 83% of Iceland’s electricity. Geothermal energy provides 17%. BUT its energy needs aren’t huge as it has a population of 284,000.
nuclear energy - 14% of electricity generated globally. consistent and controllable source. lowest footprint of all non-renewables. provides more energy than equivalent amounts of fossil fuels.
not a true renewable as uranium is a finite resource. REALLY expensive. the UK has to borrow Chinese and EDF finds. 60yr lifespan.

Question 25

how is CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE a good mitigation strategy?

Answer 25

technology that extracts CO2 emitted by coal burning power stations and transfers it to LT storage. Limited by cost and shortage of suitable storage sites. Not capturing a significant amount at the moment.
carbon capture using seaweed. can remove a gigatonne of CO2/yr
what to do with the captured carbon next? has to be injected at least 1km down
widespread use is still 10 years away and that may be too late.
porous sandstone stored 1mill tonnes in 2010 in Utah. Can store up to 50yrs of Utah’s CO2.

Question 26

how is FORESTRY a good mitigation strategy?

Answer 26

deforestation accounts for 25% of global CO2 emissions. In the Amazon deforestation continues at the unsustainable rate of around 2 mill ha/yr
plantations, agroforestry, deforestation prevention
conflicts over land use mean its not possible to reforest everywhere
trees are a ST store of carbon. not a fair swap when burning fossil fuels (a LT source)

Question 27

how is GEOENGINEERING a good mitigation strategy?

Answer 27

SOLAR GEOENGINEERING - aims to reflect a small proportion of the sun’s energy into space, counteracting the temperature increase caused by higher levels of GHGs in the atmosphere. e.g space mirrors, reflective crops, cloud seeding/aerosols.

CARBON GEOENGINEERING - aims to remove CO2 or other GHGs from the atmosphere, directly countering the enhanced greenhouse effect and ocean acidification. **e.g. CCS, ocean fertilisation, artificial trees.

Question 28

what are the three frameworks for adaptation?

Answer 28

RETREAT, ACCOMMODATE, PROTECT

Question 29

how are RETREAT adaptation strategies used?

Answer 29

involves MOVING PEOPLE/PROPERTY AWAY of potential impacts of climate change.

in many areas prone to river flooding, land use zoning takes place where lower flood terraces are not built on but may be used for low risk land.
in Exeter, the river Exe has park and football pitches along its banks.
problematic as decreases the availability of land for new housing.

Question 30

how are ACCOMMODATE adaptation strategies used?

Answer 30

involves CHANGING PRACTICES TO DEAL W/ CLIMATIC IMPACTS

In Bangladesh, as the soil becomes increasingly saline, it’s getting harder to cultivate rice.
new strains of rice crop which are tolerant to salt (halophytic) are being developed/farming practices are changing. shrimp farming becoming more popular.
in response to increased drought in SE England, Thames Water are proposing the construction of a new reservoir near Abingdon and are spending money to repair broken pipes.

Question 31

how are PROTECT adaptation strategies used?

Answer 31

as malaria spreads globally, more is being done to protect people contracting the disease. this could be through charitable organisations providing prophylactic medicines/mosquito nets.
in Minehead, £13 million has been spent o upgrading new coastal defences which will protect against wave action as well as coastal flooding.
in Bangladesh the govt are raising the height of embankments to protect villages from coastal/fluvial flooding

Question 32

what will future offices look like?

Answer 32

air con and fans
increasing albedo with reflective roofing and white walls
improved ventilation
decreased high levels of glazing which trap heat
relocating from basements/ground floors. use these for car parks instead in case of flooding
green roofs to increase interception
rainwater harvesting and grey water systems.

Question 33

what will future cities look like?

Answer 33

urban heat island effect will increase
green infrastructure and greening cities
increased reflection and increased albedo
future policies protect existing green space
increase reliance on renewables rather than combustion
changes in land use - replacing impermeable roads and walkways w/ permeable paving
develop storage systems to capture run off and recycle water

Question 34

what will future transport look like?

Answer 34

winter of 2014 in UK = rail network vulnerable. storm waves destroyed part of sea wall in Devon, severing the only rail link.
strengthening of sea walls is needed
low lying areas need protection
road network vulnerable to high summer temps and cold spells = freeze thaw
can be battled by changes in grade of asphalt
heavy rainfall and higher river flows could damage bridges. solution is to improve maintenance and protect w/ either rip rap or concreting around foundations

Question 35

what will future economies look like?

Answer 35

most ACs will probably accommodate the worst effects with the developing world harder hit.
for all countries adapting will be expensive. spending in this area limits investment elsewhere and weakens economic growth
many LIDCs depend heavily on climate sensitive activities such as agriculture and tourism. unable to adapt to drought and shifting rainfall patterns.
10s of millions of African farmers will become climate refugees
the outcome for many economies will be rising prices, inflation, unemployment, food insecurity and decreased exports.