ATMS Exam 4 Flashcards
Climate Change is
simple, serious, & solvable
simple
meaning we understand the problem
(well-understood science that goes back to 1800s)
serious
meaning that it is already impacting us and the impacts are accelerating
(impacts are already being felt & will only accelerate)
solvable
meaning that we have the knowledge and tools to avoids the worst impacts
(we have what we need to make changes)
Non-Linearity in Climate Change
refers to the disproportionate, unpredictable, and accelerating impacts of climate change.
Small increases in greenhouse gases can lead to sudden, dramatic changes in climate systems
- Feedback Loops
Postive Loops:
Melting ice reduces albedo, increasing heat absorption.
Negative Loop:
Increased plant growth absorbs CO2, slightly moderating warming.
- Tipping Points
Abrupt, irreversible changes when critical thresholds are crossed:
Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
Amazon Rainforest dieback
- Disproportionate and Cascading Impacts
Small temperature increases can lead to a significant rise in extreme weather events.
Ecosystem collapse can trigger food security and health crises.
Example: Heatwaves worsening droughts, increasing wildfire risks.
- Non-linear Economic & Social Impacts
Agriculture: Beyond temperature thresholds, crop yields can plummet.
Health: Rapid spread of diseases due to changing climate zones.
Rising costs and economic losses as impacts escalate disproportionately.
- Cumulative & Compounding Effects
Combined effects of multiple climate impacts can be more severe.
Example: Rising sea levels amplifying storm surge damage.
Interconnected systems lead to complex, unexpected outcomes.
Implications of Non-linearity
Urgent need for early and effective climate action to prevent reaching tipping points.
Importance of adaptive strategies to manage unpredictable, accelerating impacts.
Non-linear effects make precise predictions challenging, highlighting the need for precaution.
Unmanaged Systems at Risk
Natural ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change:
They lack direct human management and cannot easily adapt.
Risks include loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, and shifts in species distributions.
Ecosystem disruptions can impact human livelihoods dependent on natural resources.
Risk =
Hazard, Exposure, & Vulnerability/ Susceptibility
Hazard
Anticipated harmful thing
Exposure
who or what experiences the hazard
Vulnerability
how much someone or some place is impacted by the hazard
Physical vulnerability and sensitivity
Age, health status, pregnancy
Social vulnerability
Language, immigration status, economic status (poverty, access to transportation)
Discrimination as a source of social vulnerability
Gender, Race, LGBTQ+
Adaptation
Attempts to reduce the risk associated with climate change
Adaptation reduces risks associated with climate change by
- Reducing the hazard
- Reducing exposure
- Reducing vulnerability
- Increasing adaptive capacity & resilience
Managed Retreat
involves the purposeful, coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks
Risk is countered by adaptive capacity
The ability to react in a way that reduces the negative impact or enhances the positive impact of a change or exposure to a hazard
Risk is countered by resilience
the ability to keep functioning despite change
Adaptation reduces risk not the amount of climate change
To reduce risk we need to know
- what the hazards are
- what the exposures are
- who and/or what is vulnerable and in what way
US Climate Resilience Tool Kit
- Explore Hazards
- Assess Vulnerability & Risks
- Investigate Options
- Prioritize & Plan
- Take Action
BRACE
B = Building
R = Resilience
A = Against
C = Climate
E = Effects
Resilience
refers to the ability of a system to recover from or bounce back after a disturbance or stressor.
Adaptive Capacity
refers to the ability of a system to adjust to long-term changes, uncertainties, and challenges.
Risk is countered by adaptive capacity
the ability to react in ways that reduces the negative impact or enhances the positive impact of a change or exposure to a hazard.
Risk is countered by resilience
the ability to keep functioning despite change.
What is adaption?
reduces the risks associated with climate change, but doesn’t necessarily reduce the amount climate change.
What is mitigation?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What drives emissions?
I = P A T
I =?
impact (emissions)
P =?
population
A =?
affluence
T =?
technology (greenhouse-gas intensity)
GHG intensity is
EI * CI
EI
energy intensity
CI
carbon intensity
Reduce energy intensity
Increase energy efficiency
(the amount of energy it takes to generate 1 dollar of a service or good)
Reduce carbon intensity
switch to less carbon intense fuels
(the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per joul of energy generated)
Using the Market
Carbon Cap & Trade, Carbon Tax
Cap & Trade System
a way to control the total amount of greenhouse gases that companies are allowed to emit.
Carbon Tax
a fee that governments charge to businesses or individuals based on the amount of CO2 they emit.
What is geo-engineering?
solar radiation management, carbon cycle engineering
Solar radiation management means:
reduce incoming energy or increases outgoing energy
6 strategies for solar radiation management (important to learn)
- space mirrors
- earth parasol
- stratospheric aerosol injection
- Marine cloud brightening
- surface albedo manipulation
- high-cloud thinning
Carbon cycle engineering means
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere
Enhancing biomass carbon sinks
Enhancing geological carbon sinks
Capture and storage (not associated with fossil fuel combustion)
Capture and storage (not associated with fossil fuel combustion)
Biomass energy with carbon capture and storage - BECCS
Biochar
Direct air CO2 capture and storage - DACCS
3 responses to climate change
- adaptation
- mitigation
- geo-engineering
Adaptation, Mitigation,
Geo-engineering?
A city installs permeable concrete sidewalks to absorb water during flood events.
adaptation
You get a more fuel-efficient car mostly to save money. Is it still mitigation?
yes
Adaptation, Mitigation,
Geo-engineering?
A county constructs several additional reservoirs to collect and store spring snowmelt runoff
adaptation
Adaptation, Mitigation,
Geo-engineering?
A state encourages people to drive low-emission vehicles by allowing electric vehicles to use carpool lanes.
mitigation
Adaptation, Mitigation,
Geo-engineering?
A coastal city changes its building codes to prohibit new development within 1 mile of the beach.
adaptation
You put solar panels on your house to deal with the public safety power shutoffs. Is this mitigation, adaptation, or both?
Both
Adaptation, Mitigation,
Geo-engineering?
A country pledges to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the year 2030.
Mitigation
Adaptation, Mitigation,
Geo-engineering?
The world agrees to global scale cloud seeding.
geo-engineering
Climate Policy
refers to actions and rules created by governments, organizations, or international groups to address climate change.
These policies aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, and protect the environment while promoting sustainable development.
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
is a major US law passed aimed at reducing inflation, supporting clean energy, and addressing climate change.
Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
a US government agency established to protect human health and the environment.
Renewable Energy Sources
- Solar Power
- Wind Power
- Hydropower
- Geothermal Energy
Solar Power
converts sunlight into electricity without emissions
Wind Power
harnesses wind energy to generate electricity
Hydropower
uses water flow to generate electricity with minimal emissions
Geothermal Energy
extracts heat from the earth to generate energy
Challenges for renewable energy
Intermittency: weather-dependent, causing inconsistent energy supply
Storage: need for efficient storage technologies
Land Use: large-scale installations require significant space
Energy Storage Technologies
- Batteries
- Pumped Hydro Storage
- Compressed Air Energy (CAES)
Batteries
store energy for use when demand is high
Pumped Hydro Storage
pumps water uphill and releases it to generate power
Compressed Air Energy (CAES)
uses compressed air for energy storage
Challenges for Energy Storage
High Costs: battery storage is still expensive
Efficiency Losses: some storage methods are not 100% efficient
Material Supply: dependency on rare earth elements for batteries
Carbon Capture
captures CO2 before released into the atmosphere
Carbon Utilization
converts captured CO2 into products
Carbon Storage
stores CO2 in geological formations
Challenges for Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage
High Costs: expensive infrastructure & technology
Energy-Intensive: CCUS itself consumes a significant amount of energy
Storage Risks: risks associated with long-term CO2 storage (leak etc)
Advanced Nuclear Energy
- Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
- Fusion Energy (emerging)
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
provide scalable, low-carbon energy
Fusion Energy (emerging)
potential to generate energy without radioactive waste
Challenges for Advanced Nuclear Energy
Safety Concerns: public perception affected by past disasters
Waste Disposal: long-lived radioactive waste remains an issue
Cost Overruns: nuclear plants are capital-intensive with cost overruns
BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage)
- Bioenergy
- BECCS
Bioenergy
uses organic materials for energy production
BECCS
combines bioenergy with carbon capture to remove CO2
Challenges for BECCS
Land Use Conflicts: competes with food production and natural ecosystems
Carbon Neutrality Debate: emissions form biomass harvesting can offset benefits
Cost: BECCS is an expensive & challenging technology to scale
Direct Air Capture (DAC)
DAC Technology: captures CO2 directly from the air for storage or use in products
Challenges for DAC
High Costs: DAC is expensive due to its energy and infrastructure
Energy Requirements: The technology requires a lot of energy, which could come from non-renewable sources
Scalability: large-scale deployment of DAC technologies is not yet feasible
The Tobacco Strategy
create doubt about health risks through misleading science
led to delayed policy action and increased confusion on climate science
Ozone Depletion
1974: Discovery of CFCs’ role in ozone layer depletion.
1987: Montreal Protocol phased out ozone-depleting chemicals like CFCs.
Protocol is considered one of the most successful global environmental agreements.
Acid Rain
1970s-1980s: Acid rain was identified as a major environmental threat from industrial emissions.
1990 Clean Air Act amendments introduced cap-and-trade to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.
Successful reduction of acid rain highlights the importance of science and policy action.
