carbon cycle Flashcards
physical pump
- thermohaline circulation= surface and deep ocean currents move carbon around, colder more saline water (more dense) down wells taking CO2 from the oceans surface to deep water stores allowing for more diffusion on the surface, carbon can stay here for thousands of years, carbon returned to the surface and atmosphere through upwelling
biological pump
- sequesters carbon in the ocean by photosynthesis by phytoplankton and other marine organisms, as the organisms die they sink into mid and deep water, when they decay they release carbon into deep water stores
carbonate pump
- marine species with shells and phytoplankton take up CO2 and store it in their shells, die, decompose, lithification and sedimentation to form sedimentary rocks
Energy- USA vs France
USA
- worlds 2nd largest energy consumer
- consumes almost 10x more than France
- large areas experience great extremes (hot and cold) which requires large amounts of energy to counteract (heating and air con)
- 82% fossil fuels, 10% renewables, 8% nuclear
- only imports 15% of primary energy
- MORE ENERGY SECURE
France
- worlds 10th largest energy consumer
- consumes 1/10 the amount of the USA
- 50% fossil fuels, 10% renewables, 40% nuclear
- major player in nuclear power industry, over 50 nuclear reactors in operation
- 46% dependency on imports- all natural gas and oil are imported, and uranium needed for power stations
- LESS ENERGY SECURE
Russian gas to Europe
-pre conflict (2020)= 1/2 of Ukraine’s gas came from Russia, 1/3 of Europe’s gas comes from Russia 80% of which travels through Ukraine
- long term conflict between Russia and Ukraine
- NYE 2008 Russia completely cut off gas supply to Ukraine leaving many countries who are dependent on gas supplies from Ukraine with major shortages (e.g. Serbia)
- Russia still remains worlds 2nd largest producer of natural gas (was 1st until 2021)
energy pipelines
ESPO pipeline
- A pipeline system for exporting Russian crude oil to Asia-pacific markets. Built and operated by a Russian company - Transneft
- took 10 years to construct
- 2,600 miles long
- In Japan, Russia, China and Korea
- Japan: almost no oil reserves, world’s 3rd largest oil consuming country, ESPO could reduce oil dependence on the Middle East by 15%
- China: main energy pathway for external energy supplies is vulnerable, 80% pass through place prone to pirate attacks, need more energy to fuel rapid economic growth
- had to be rerouted twice
- transit countries may cut off supply to sanction source country= sometimes placed to avoid going through transit countries, e.g. Gazprom ran 1,200km of the Nord stream pipeline along the bed of the Baltic sea
- natural disasters= 2013 winter storms, importing pipeline damaged leaving the UK with six hours worth of gas reserves
transmission lines
- carry high voltage electricity to substation where it decreases the voltage before sent out to consumers
- UK= National Grid
shipping routes
- 50% of the worlds oil is transported by tankers on shipping routes
- geographical chokepoints= narrow sea channels where transport can easily be disrupted e.g. Strait of Hormuz which is only 39km wide
- Piracy= Piracy attacks on the Strait of Malacca, ships seized for hostage payments 500 times between 2009-2015
road and railway
- USA= railways move 50% of crude oil from Bakken to the East coast
Canadian tar sands
- Alberta
- 138,000 workers in 2022
- produces 40% of Canada’s oil output
- could help meet 16% of North Americas oil demand by 2030, which will help to ensure energy security for the USA and Canada (70% of Canadian oil is exported to the USA)
oil shales
- 77% of the worlds reserves of kerogen are found in the USA e.g. Green River Basin
fracking/ shale gas
USA
- fracking for oil in the USA is now a key determinate of US oil security and has an increasing influence on the global oil price
UK
- Shale gas have been identified across large swathes of the UK, particularly in northern England.
- Applications have also been submitted in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
deep water oil
The Gulf of Mexico
-BP deep-water horizon disaster 2010= largest marine oil spill in history, released an estimate of nearly 5 million barrels of oil, 11 workers killed
bio fuels
Brazil
- biggest producer of ethanol from sugar cane which is used in a mix with petrol in most cars (6 million flex vehicles
- generates 16% of Brazil’s energy mix
- employs 1.34million people
wind energy
- provides 25% of UKs energy
- 11,000 wind turbines in the UK
- 60% of the UK’s energy from wind is produced in Scotland
solar power
- solar panels in Christchurch will provide energy for 75% of Bournemouth’s homes
- increased by 86% between 2014 and 2015
- largest solar farm in the UK is at Shotwick
- China is the worlds biggest solar power producer
HEP
- Iceland= 73% of energy mix
nuclear
- provides 40% of France’s total energy
- produces 19% of UK’s electricity
Arctic contested space
- the USGS estimates that there is 1/8 of the worlds untapped oil in the Arctic
- the Arctic barometer impacts seen in the Arctic act as a warning to the rest of the planet
- temp rise double that seen in global averages- 2.8 vs 1.4
- loss of sea ice, boats can now use the Northern passage route to Asia in Summer
- significant permafrost melt fluxing stored methane to the atmosphere and acting as a positive feedback loop
- increased uptake of carbon by plants due to lengthening of growing season and possible carbon fertilisation
- loss of albedo- Arctic amplification
CCS
- currently 44 CCS operating worldwide
- target to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050
- UK government has pledged £22bn towards CCS over the next 25 years
- Mammoth in Iceland designed to remove 36,000 metric tons of carbon each year, equivalent to taking 8,600 cars off the road
electric vehicles/ hydrogen fuel cells
- Mirai fuel cell car is the first hydrogen car (by Toyota) and has been made available in the UK, Germany, Denmark and the USA
renewable switching
- Sweden is on track to reach 100% renewable by 2040, in 2012 reached target of 50%, in Stockholm body heat from commuters passing through central station is used to heat nearby buildings
carbon taxation
- as of 2022 Uruguay has the highest carbon tax of $137
