Assignment 6 Flashcards
Energy source with highest carbon energy intensity?
Wood or biomass.
Major source of global energy in late-1700s?
Biomass or wood.
Two reasons why Canada has such a high per capita energy use?
Large country/cold winters.
Reliance on natural resources for economy.
Why has it been difficult globally to decarbonize and grow the economy at the same time?
Economic growth requires energy growth which is coming from fossil fuels.
Main reason for slowdown in decarbonization rate globally over the last 10 years?
China’s economic growth, building of coal plants.
Material with largest amount of embodied energy?
Aluminum.
Two key properties of a tipping point?
Sudden.
Irreversible.
What controls tipping point for thermohaline circulation?
Density of surface sea water off the coast of Greenland.
Consequence of a shutdown of the thermohaline circulation?
Reduction of northward flow of heat (cooling in the north, warming in the tropics).
What might initiate a tipping point for Greenland ice sheet loss?
Water in moulins that lubricates the bedrock.
How would an ecosystem tipping point die-back affect climate change?
Loss of large atmospheric carbon sink.
What might cause weakening of the Asia Monsoon?
Less solar heating of the land caused by more aerosols.
What accounts for the fact that the world’s boreal forests have more stored carbon than tropical rainforests?
Much carbon in boreal forest soil.
