Carbon Flashcards
What does the key term sequestering mean?
Sequestering = The natural storage of carbon by physical or biological processes such as photosynthesis
What are some of the different processes and fluxes within the carbon cycle?
- Decomposition
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Through flow
- Combustion
- Evaporation
What are the three oceanic carbon pumps?
- Biological pump
- Carbonate pump
- Physical pump
What does the thermohaline circulation do?
- Warm surface waters are depleted of nutrients and CO2, but they are enriched again as they travek through the conveyor belt as deep or bottom layers
What pump is the thermohaline circulation linked to?
- The physical pump
What is the difference between primary and secondary energy sources?
Primary energy sources are those which are consumed in their raw form. They include burning fossil fuels nuclear energy etc
Secondary energy source is where a primary source is used to generate electricity
What are the 5 key factors that affect the consumption of energy ?
- Physical availability
- Technology
- Cost
- Economic development
- Climate
- Environmental priorities
What are some key facts to know with the energy portraits of the UK and Norway?
- Average annual household energy costs differ significantly in the UK it is £1300 and in Norway it is £2400 in 2015
- In the UK the stocks of the North Sea oil and gas are also declining, which is forcing the UK to import more
- 98% of Norway renewable electricity sites come from HEP sites
- The UK’s energy use per capita = 2752 kg oil equivalent (2014)
- Norway’s energy use per capita = 5854 kg oil equivalent (2014)
- The UK was dependent on coal until 1970 and after that it increased it’s use of North sea oil and gas after 1970s
Give some key facts of the Hinckly Point C (remember this is a key case study for Nuclear energy) ?
- It will create 25,000 possible jobs
- Provide energy for 60 years
- £18 billion project
- It will plant 65,000 trees
- The electricity generated by its 2 EPR reactors will offset 9 million tones of CO2 emissions per year or 600 million tonnes over it’s 60 year lifespan
What are some key facts when looking at the differences on energy portraits of the USA and France ?
- In total consumption France is only 1/10 of that of USA’s
- It is also important to know the population plays a role in consumption as USA is 318.9 million and France is 64.6 million
- Climate is a factor - The higher US consumption reflects the fact that quite large areas of this huge country experience great extremes of Hot and Cold, counteracting these extremes require large inputs of energy
- Carbon fuels produce 82% of energy consumed in the USA
- France is different with consumption 50% fossil fuels 41% nuclear energy and 9% renewables
- France is 46% reliant on imported supplies while USA is only 15% reliant
Who are the 5 key players when talking about energy?
- OPEC
- TNCs
- Governments
- Consumers
- Energy companies
How is Energy Intensity calculated?
- Calculated as units of energy used per unit of gross domestic products (GDP)
What are the 4 aspects to the supple side of energy security ?
- Availability
- Accessibility
- Reliability
- Affordability
How do we know if soil is healthy?
Healthy soils are usually;
- dark, crumbly and porous
- contain many worms and other organisms
- provide air, water and nutrients for micro-organisms to survive
- contain more carbon or organic matter
- sequester carbon
It is also important to note that organic matter is the medium by which carbon passes through the system, and it also supports micro-organisms that maintain the nutrients cycle, break down organic matter, provide pore spaces for infiltration and storage of water, and enhance plant growth. Without carbon, the nutrient and water cycles cannot operate properly
What is a key fact to know when regarding the energy mix in general ?
- Globally fossil fuels account for over 80% of the energy mix
