Carbon Cycle Flashcards
Energy intensity?
How efficiently a country is using it’s energy
How is energy intensity calculated?
Units of energy per GDP
Energy mix?
A combination of the different available energy sources
- Non-renewables
- Renewables
- Recyclables (nuke)
Energy mix of world?
86% is fossil fuels!
Types of energy?
- Primary energy sources
- consumed in raw form e.g. coal - Secondary
- generation of electricity by fossil fuels - Domestic and overseas
- energy deficit: imports more than exports
- energy surplus: exports more than imports (U WANNA BE HERE DOE)
Why is it dangerous to rely on imported sources of energy?
- Sudden hike in prices
2. Supplies cut off randomly (e.x. 2006 and 2009 Ukraine taps off = civil unrest w Russia)
Consumption of energy depends on?
- Physical availability
- within the country or imported
- if within the country = consume more = readily avalible, closer to u - Technology
- high tech = consume more = can access it out the ground by extraction - Economic development
- standard of living = high = consume more energy
- industry linked with eco dev = very energy thirsty! - Cost
- of physical extraction, then of refinement, then of transport to consumer!
USA energy consumption per capita?
Approx 7,000 kgoe/a!!!
Energy pathway?
Route of energy from source > point of consumer
What does energy pathway involve?
Different transport & players!
SOURCE:
- Energy companies e.g. TNC’s - Saudi Aramco/ Exxon Mobil
- Governments
- Shipping companies
CONSUMPTION:
- Governments
- Consumers
ENERGY PLAYERS?
- TNC’S
- nearly 1/2 these are state owned
- range of operations: exploration, extracting, transporting, refining etc - OPEC
- hold 73% of oil proven resources
- 14 member countries
- controls amount of oil and gas entering global market e.g. 1973 Oil Embargo/stoppage
- can hike up prices - Energy companies
- convert primary energy into electricity and then distribute it
- top: endesa - Consumers
- transport, industry and domestic consumers - Governments
- guardians of energy security
- influence energy mix and imports/exports
What are the world’s biggest oil companies?
Saudi Aramco
Gazprom
NIOC
Fossil fuels throughout time?
Industrial Revolution = coal
20th century = oil
21st century = gas
Leading consumers of fossil fuels?
CHINA
USA
RUSSIA
Fossil fuels?
Remains of organisms, that died and buried 300 million years ago during carboniferous period
When does oil, nat g and coal form?
When organic matieral builds up faster than it can decay > so doesn’t become shale
Shale formation?
Organic carbon from organisms is embedded with layers of mud
Pressure and heat: mud and carbon = shale
Carbon stores?
COT OAT
Fossil fuel reliance?
Fossil fuels make up 86% of global energy mix!! :OOOO
Distribution of fossil fuels in the world?
FF’s: Not equally distrubuted throughout the world
Their location determined by underlying geology
Russian gas to Germany is through what Pipeline?
Yamal-Europe Pipeline
- Russia > Germany > nat gas
BUT Nord Stream 2, new pipeline, will be ready in 2019, Russia > Germany
Russian EU gas?
In 2017, 39% of Europe’s nat gas came from Russia!!!
80% of European gas from Russia runs through Ukraine: currently in conflict: War in Donbassssss
What is Russia using it’s gas as?
A political tool
Where is there a mismatch?
Between locations of fossil fuels and demands of fossil fuels
Energy comparisons: USA VS FRANCE?
- USA
- pop = 328 mil
- 82% fossil fuels
- 2nd largest energy consuming country - FRANCE
- pop = 65 mil
- 75% nuclear
- 58 nuclear reactors atm
- 10th largest energy consuming country
Why did Qatar leave OPEC? (2018)
Refocus on expanding it’s OWN natural gas exports
Types of conventional fossil fuels?
- COAL
- china = top producer and consumer - OIL
- USA, Saudi, Russia = top 3 in oil production
- Europe = thirstttty for oil
- oil is demanded due to being a TRANSPORT FUEL
- half of world’s oil is moved by tankers on fixed shipping routes: pirates in Panama Canal etc… - GAS
- USA, Russia, Iran - NUCLEAR
- Kazakstan = top uranium producer
- USA & France = top uranium consumers
Assess the geopolitical risks to the world of it’s reliance on fossil fuels?
- Conflict: Ukraine and Russia: supplies can be disrupted (tooo dependent on imported’ FF’s: conflict if don’t get em : just build ur own fuckin wind farm and STFU)
- Global warming (enhanced GG effect, huuge problems lool)
- Energy security (they r finite, they will run out, risk of little energy security!)
What are the unconventional fossil fuels?
- TAR SANDS
- bitumen (thicky sticky black oil)
- tar sands: mix of sand, bitumen, water, clay
- open pit mining: matieral is crushed and mixed with water: extract bitumen
- done underground: high pressure steam: get bitumen from sand
- alberta, canada
COSTS:
> toxic waste: 1.8 mil tonnes daily
> expensive: $40 for a $2-3 barrel of normal oil
> v intensive 4 little gain
> env. deg. destroyed peat bogs of Taiga > release of CC= enhanced GG effect
BENEFITS:
> employment: 75,000 in 2010, grow to 905,000 in 2035
> eco gain: $2.1tril over next 25 yrs
PLAYERS:
- alberta & canada gov: approve
- locals: mixed
- enviromentalists: oppose
- energy companies: approve
- DEEPWATER OIL EXPLORATION
- modu’s
- riser = to gain oil from deep water
- gulf of mexico
COSTS:
- deepwater horizon 2010: 4.9 mil tonnes of oil spilled
- destruction to marine life: phytoplankton: affect CC
- loss of tourism to USA coast
- dangerous
BENEFITS:
> eco gain: $239bn annually
> 80,000 jobs
PLAYERS:
- usa gov
- mexican gov
- transocean (owner of deepy rig) vs halliburton (cement = stop leakage) = WHO IS TO BLAME??!
- FRACKING
- uk: lancashire, surrey, yorkshire
- extraction of shale gas from rocks deep underground
- mix of water, chemicals and steam fired at high pressure
COSTS: > noise pollution > mini EQ's > land degradation > water contamination
BENEFITS:
- jobs
- reduces dependency on russian gas
PLAYERS:
- cuadrilla: major oil and gas UK exploration company, intend to expand uk fracking
- locals: oppose
- uk gov: approve
- environmental groups: oppose e.g. Frack Off
Major players of unconventional fossil fuels?
- Energy companies
- bear financial risks - Environmental groups
- greenpeace / frack off - Locals
- negetive impacts: env deg, pollution, disturbance
- positive impacts: jobs, investment, money - Governments
- responsability to care for env AND improve energy security
What did the IPCC say in 2014?
Renewable energy needs to be trebled & needs to dominate world energy supplies by 2050
- trebled
- dominate
Global energy demand increase?
Global energy demand is set to increase by 40% by 2040!!!
What does renewable sources highly depend on?
Local factors
e. g. climate (sunshine = solar)
e. g. physical geography (coasts/rivers = HEP and tidal and ‘hot rocks’ = geothermal and wind)
SO FEW COUNTRIES WHERE RENEWABLE SOURCES WILL TOTALLY REPLACE FOSSIL FUELS!
Why are renewables generally unattractive?
+ More expensive (in comparision with oil price tumbling in 2015; currently $70
+ Can have negative impacts on environment e.g. drowning valleys for HEP BUT no where near as severe as the impacts of FF’s
+ Will never produce the same quantity of FF’s :( - they just have such huge fuck off reactors lool
When did oil prices fall?
2015
Why are renewables generally attractive?
+ NEVER RUN OUT!
+ They don’t damage our planet (so fundamental atm when there is a national ‘climate emergency’ in UK)
+ jobs = 4 mil atm!
Renewable energy sources?
Wind and Solar
Wind energy?
WHAT? Moving air turns a propeller driven generator
POSITIVES:
+ Clean renewable form of energy
+ Cost effective (only 2-6 cents per KWH)
+ Eco gain = $20bn in US economy
+ Cheap = prices decreased by 80% since 1980
NEGETIVES: X Blot on landscape X Supply can be intermittent X Noise pollution if onshore X Harmful to marine life if offshore
e. g. UK = Hornsea Sea Project 1:
* 190m turbines
* power for 1 mil homes
* off coast of Yorkshire
Solar energy?
WHAT? Energy from the sun generating electricity via photovoltaic cells
- greatest potential in equatorial regions where sun is most focused and intense
POSITIVES:
+ renewable, clean, non polluting
+ flexible, can be used on roofs and fields etc…
+ low maintenance costs
NEGATIVES:
X not effective in cloudy climates (so many parts of world hahhhaah)
X takes up precious land - could be used for food and agriculture - not beneficial in developing countries
X costly
X blot on landscape
e.g. Shotwick Solar Farm, biggest in UK! 220 acres :O
WIND AND SOLAR FACT?
wind = 18.5% of energy generation/consumption in UK solar = 4% of energy generation/consumption in UK
Renewables VS Fossil Fuels of UK?
renewables = 30% of UK energy mix in 2018
fossil fuels = 52% of UK energy mix in 2018!
Recyclable energy?
NUCLEAR:
WHAT? The use of atomic reactors to obtain heat which can then be used to heat water and generate steam to turn a turbine to produce electricity
- atomic reactors
- heat
- water
- steam
- turbine
- electricity
RECYCLABLE?
nuclear waste = reused and reprocessed = recyclable
BENEFITS:
- low pollution
- low operating costs
- large gain from little input: so helps HIC’s meet energy demand
NEGETIVES:
+ safety: fukishima 2011, japan (20km exclusion zone, 47,000 had to be evacuated)
+ security: era of global terrorism and dwindling geopolitics = could get into wrong hands e.g. Al Qeada and Kim Jung Un, ARMS RACE AND WAR IF POOR SECURITY!!!?!??
+ disposal: highly radioactive waste, long decay life, dangerous!
e. g. Hinkley Point C
- construction began December 2018
- 25,000 jobs
- Britain’s first nuke reactor since 1995
- £18bn
- somerset
Why is nuclear energy recyclable?
Because the waste can be reprocessed and reused = recyclable source
What did Amber Rudd say in her speech in 2015 on UK Energy Policy?
- Encouraging investment in our shale gas exploration
- North Sea Oil has significant value: 20 billion barrels of oil
- More nuclear power stations
- Close coal by 2025
- More offshore wind
What energy has USA been rising in?
Shale gas - from the Permian basin
Japan energy move?
2010 = 30% nuclear 2013 = 1% nuclear 2030 = 20% nuclear (hopes)
What is a biofuel?
A fuel derived immediately from organic matter
What are the two types of biofuels?
- Primary = unprocessed form e.g. for cooking, heating or generating electricity
- Secondary = derived from processing of biomass = bioethanol or biodiesel
3 examples of biofuels?
- Bioethanol = from sugar cane, sugar beet, maize and wheat
- Biodiesel = from animal fats and vegetable oils
- Bio-methane = sewage
ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUELS?
- RENEWABLE ENERGY
- RECYCLABLE ENERGY
- BIOFUELS
- RADICAL TECH E.G. CCS, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, HYDROGEN CELLS
Negatives of biofuels?
- A hectare of land to grow these ‘energy crops’ could be used to grow food and crops for the increasing world population (increase food prices and shortages?)
- Can cause large scale destruction of rainforests by deforestation = add to CO2 levels = GG effect
- VERY water thirsty! = water insecurity = not sustainable
Brazil’s opinion on biofuels?
- first country to produce bioethanol in 1970’s due to increasing oil prices
- now world leader in bioethanol
UK opinion on biofuels?
- want to make it 15% by 2020
- sewage from Thames is treated at Didcot = biomethan
Positives of biofuels?
- Renewable, clean
- Low CO2 emissions - bioethanol is cheaper than petrol and produces 80% less CO2 emissions
- Easily grown (unlike fossil fuels, has to be dug out the ground in dangerous expensive ways)
The long name for the carbon cycle?
Biogeochemical cycle
Two parts of the carbon cycle?
- Biological carbon cycle
+ fast part
+ rapid reservoir turnover - Geological carbon cycle
+ slow part
+ loooong reservoir turnover of at least 100,000 years
Reservoir turnover?
The rate at which carbon enters and leaves a store
LONG TERM Carbon Stores?
COT OAT
- crustal (sedimentary rocks)
- oceanic deep (dissolved inorganic carbon)
- terrestrial soil (microorganisms break down organic matter into CO2)
- oceanic surface (phytoplankton, carbon dissolving)
- atmosphere (gg’s)
- terrestrial ecosystems (plant photosynthesis)
Limestone & formation?
A rock forming by the remains of shell building organisms - fall to ocean floor - form layers and cemented together - lithified into limestone 80% of Carbon containing rock in Ocean!
Shale & formation?
Organic carbon embedded in layers of mud
- pressure and heat = compress mud and carbon = shale
20% of carbon containing rock in Ocean!
When does oil, gas and coal form?
When organic material builds up faster than it can decay, it forms these 3 things not SHALE
How are fossil fuels formed?
- Remains of organic matieral
- Sank to bottom of ocean/river/seas
- Covered in silt and mud
- Decay anaerobically
GEOLOGICAL CARBON CYCLE?
- CO2 AND WATER = CARBONIC ACID
- REACHES EARTH SURFACE AS RAIN
- REACTS WITH MINERALS ON SURFACE TO DISSOLVE THEM INTO THEIR COMPONENT IONS E.G. CALCIUM CARBONATE
- COMPONENT IONS CARRIED BY STREAMS RIVERS TO OCEAN WHERE THEY ENTER AS MINERALS E.G CALCITE
- DEPOSITION AND BURIAL OF MINERALS OCCUR
- SEA FLOOR SPREADING = SUBDUCTION
- CARBON PUSHED INTO EARTH, HEATS, MELTS, VOLCANIC DEGASSING = RELEASED TO ATMOSPHERE
General stores of carbon?
LABH
- Lithosphere
- Atmosphere
- Biosphere
- Hydrosphere
Where does outgassing occur?
- Active or passive volcanic zones associated with tectonic boundaries
- Areas of no current volcanic activity - hot springs and geysers e.g. Yellowstone
- Direct emissions from fractures in the Earth’s crust
Volcanic emissions annually?
0.15-0.26 gigatonnes annually (relatively insignificant)
Human emissions annually?
35 gigatonnes annually
Sequestration?
Process by which carbon is REMOVED from the atmosphere
What is a carbon pump?
A process operating in the ocean by which carbon is circulated and stored
Types of carbon pumps?
- Biological (phytoplankton)
- Physical (thc)
- Carbonate (shell building organisms)
Examples of radical technologies?
- Carbon capture and storage
2. Alternatives to energy e.g. hydrogen fuel cells and electric vehicles
What does CCS involve?
- CCS understands that fossil fuels will never cease to be used SO instead, let’s adapt to that!
‘Capturing’ the CO2 released by burning fossil fuels and burying it deep underground
Negatives of CCS?
X Expensive: complex technology used
X No one can be sure if the CO2 will stay trapped underground: could leak to surface = enter atmosphere = add to EGG effect = DETRIMENTAL!
What is a hydrogen fuel cell?
A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water
Benefits of hydrogen fuel cells?
A power source for electric vehicles
A heat and electricity source for buildings
Almost no pollution created
Hydrogen = abundant
Negatives of hydrogen fuel cells?
Expensive
Lack of refuelling places for electric vehicles
What has growing demand for food, fuel and other resources caused?
Contrasting regional trends in land use cover **
What is land conversion?
Any change from natural ecosystems to an alternative use: usually reduces carbon and water stores as well as soil health
Forest coverage Earth?
Forests cover 30% of Earth’s land area
What can small forest losses disrupt?
Natural weather patterns and longer-term climate
- more floods and more droughts?
What are the main drivers of deforestation?
- Commodity production: soy, beef, palm oil, paper (50% of all deforestation)
2 Dams and reservoirs - Infrastructure
- Mining
Deforestation fact?
36 footfall fields of trees lost a minute!
Impacts of deforestation on water cycle?
SURFACE RUNOFF, ARIDITY****, INTERCEPTION
- Less intercepted rainfall = less infiltration to soil and groundwater storage
- More surface run off = more sediment erosion and higher flood risk
- More ‘downwind’ aridity (trees usually absorb wind speeds)
Impacts of deforestation on carbon cycle?
SOIL, PHOTOSYNTHESIS, FLUX
- Less carbon storage in soil and biomass
- Less CO2 sequestered by photosynthesis
- Higher carbon flux to atmosphere by burning and decomposing vegetation
Regional trends of land cover?
- Temperate forests e.g. UK and USA = long history of deforestation = 90% deforested by 19th century
- Boreal forests e.g. Russia and Canada = threatened by oil and tar sand production
- Tropical forests deforestation - especially Africa & SA.
What is remote sensing?
- Surveillance by satellites
- that generate data
- that can authenticate or refute official government data
Indonesia and Brazil deforestation?
ID: 15% decrease of tree cover since 2000
BR: 10% decrease of tree cover since 2000
Afforestation?
Planting of trees on land that has never had forest, or has been without forest for a long time
Reforestation?
Planting of trees in places with recent tree cover, replacing lost primary forests
REEEEFORESTATION
REEEEECENT TREE COVER
Why can reforestation be bad?
This monoculture of commercial trees = store less carbon, use more water, disease prone
Reforestation example?
China Three-North Shelterbelt Project (1978)
- “Great Green Wall of China”
- 66 billion trees have been planted so far (end date is 2050)
- reduce desertification
Threats of human activity to C & W cycles?
- Land use conversion due to growing resource demand
2. Ocean acidification due to fossil fuel combustion
Grassland conversion is being used for what?
Agriculture and farming
mainly temperate grassland e.g. North American prairies
Loss of grassland in American midwest?
Around 5.5 million hectares of natural grassland has disappeared over the American midwest
When was the biofuel rush in American midwest?
2007 to 2015
Why was there a biofuel rush in American midwest?
Part of US Renewable Food Policy
What is ocean acidification?
A decrease in the PH of the ocean caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide
PH fall in Oceans?
Since industrial revolution to 2015, there has been a 26% increase in acidity!
Critical threshold?
An abrupt change in an ecological state
- cannot go back to normality after this threshold
Effects of ocean acidification?
- Coral bleaching
- More acid in ocean = fewer carbonate ions = thinner, fragmented shells of shell building organisms AND more acid = destruction of shell building organisms AND therefore limestone AND therefore a source of carbon AND the carbonate pump (SEE SHEEEETTT)
Benefits of coral reefs?
- Protect coastlines from damaging wave actions
- Important CO2 sink
- Shelter for 25% of all marine species
- Important source of income e.g. Great Barrier Reef = 1.5 bn dollars for Oz economy
INCOME, PROTECTION, SHELTER, SINK
Enhanced greenhouse gas effect?
The intensification of the natural greenhouse gas effect by human activities
Why was 2015 so important in terms of climate change?
Exceeded 1 degree warming above pre-industrial levels
WHY MIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF DROUGHTS?
DUE TO SHIFTING CLIMATIC BELTS
What are the climatic zones of the Earth?
- Equatorial
- Tropical
- Temperate
- Polar
What could warming of 2 degree lead to?
2 degree warming could lead to 5% of Earth’s land area shifting to a new climate zone
Climate change effects?
- Cool summers will become hot summers
- Cold climate zones will reduce in size
- Dry zones will increase in size
How much water does the Amazon pump daily into the atmosphere?
20 billion metric tonnes of water into the atmosphere daily
Amazonia drought?
2005 and 2010
What are the implications for human wellbeing by the degradation of water and carbon cycles?
- Forest loss
2. Rising temperatures: precipitation patterns, river regimes and cryosphere and drainage basin water stores
How many people depend on forests?
1.6 billion
Ecosystem services from forests?
- Provisioning
- food, water, wood, fuel
- improve food and water security
- fuelwood for 1 in 3 people globally
- livestock fodder - Regulating
- regulating earth’s climate
- water purification
- without forests = deforestation = water related risks e.g. floods and droughts and water pollution - Cultural
- aesthetic, spiritual, educational and recreational value
- leisure and tourism (Amazon Jungle Tours = 10,000 yearly!!)
- reliance by many indigenous groups e.g. Yanomami, Amazon
What is the environmental Kuznet curve?
Shows how societies reach a tipping point where exploitation changes to a protectionist approach
exploitation > protectionism = tipping point
highest levels of development = more environmental awareness
Kuznet curve stages?
- Remote Amazonia = little environmental damage
- Indonesia today = 70/80% environmental damage, developing economy
- China today = 100% environmental damage, fossil fuel burning of coal primarily, little regard for environment, secondary sector dominance
- UK today = 70-80% environmental damage, tertiary sector dominance, aware of environment, a recent ‘climate emergency’ called in UK!!! (and in 2015, 5p plastic bag charge in England)
Players of forested areas?
- Governments
- Locals
- NGOS e.g. Rainforest Alliance, Amazon Watch and Trees for the Future
- International organisations e.g. UN REDD programme
Conserved forests in world?
13% of forests are now classed as ‘conserved’
Effects of deforestation in Indonesia?
- Palm oil production = deforestation
- World’s largest producer of palm oil
- 700 land conflicts due to palm oil in 2016
- habitat losses for endangered species of Bornean elephant and orangutan
- Forest moratorium in 2011!! (ban)
= by 2013, emissions fallen by 1-2.5%!!!
Impact of rising temperatures affect?
- Precipitation patterns
- River regimes
- Water stores (cyrosphere and drainage basin)
Rising temps on precipitation patterns?
EITHER WETTER BECOMES WETTER AND DRIER BECOMES DRIER
OOORRR = MOVE INTO A DIFF CLIMATIC PATTERNS
- Intensification of monsoonal rain in Asia
- Intensification of El Nino: intense droughts and floods in SA and Oz
- Shifting of 5% of earth surface to a new climate zone with a 2 degree warming = more drought?
- More drought due to dying off of trees, desertification
Global warming on Arctic?
+ loss of sea ice = positive feedback loop = more dark surfaces = more heat absorbed = further sea ice loss!
+ sink>source
+ disrupt THC
+ rising local air temps
+ disrupt phytoplankton sequestration
+ methane and co2 released from thawing permafrost
+ co2 from boreal forest fires
Methane VS Carbon Dioxide?
Methane is 25 times more powerful than CO2
Temps in Arctic rise?
Twice as fast as global average
Carbon sequestration in Arctic?
58 mega tonnes of carbon a year
Paris COP21?
Keep it well below 2 degree warming above pre-industrial levels
Global temperatures by 2100 if we do nothing?
5.6 degrees above preindustrial levels!
Effect of rising temps on river regimes?
IN YUKON
- Increase in precipitation (increase by 5-20% by 2100)
- Snowmelt begins earlier (peak flows earlier, not May-June)
POSITIVES:
+ thawing of permafrost: encourage infilitration: less surface run off & floods
+ increase in groundwater storage in aquifers
Key pieces of climate change?
- Increase in atmospheric, oceanic and surface temps
- Melting of glaciers
- Melting of sea ice and ice cover
- Rising sea levels
Changes to ocean by rising temperatures?
- Bleaching
- Acidification
- Rising sea levels
- Loss of sea ice
= changing the distribution, abundance, breeding cycles and migrations of the marine plants and animals
What is the importance of oceanic health?
Charlotte Puts In Excessive Training
- Culture
+ many rich countries e.g. iceland and japan, fish is an important part of their culture and diet (japan = whale) - Protein
+ fish provides 16% of the annual protein consumption for 3bn - Income
+ 6% of the GDP is from fish in many of the Small Island Developing States ex. Maldives - Exports
+ countries that rely on fish for their exports will be severely affected by depleted fish numbers - have to diversify economy …. ? - Tourism
+ Maldives: 1 million tourists annually (livelihoods)
+ Great Barrier Reef: 1.5bn for Oz economy
Vulnerability?
Exposure & Dependency & Lack of adaptive capacity
Top 5 vulnerable coastal countries?
- Maldives
- Togo
- Comoros
Issue with development and CO2 emissions?
The poorer the economies = less adaptive capacity to effects of climate change YET they are the least responsible for CO2 emissions!!
What does the issue of carbon release need?
+ Responses from diff players
+ At local and global level
Why are future emissions, atmospheric concentration levels and climate warming uncertain?
- Natural factors
+ nat variations in the climate e.g. milankovich cycles, el nino
+ v v v hard to differentiate between natural climate change and anthropogenic climate change.. - Human factors
+ population growth
+ economic growth
+ energy sources (renewables/non renewables) - unsure to determine what % of the global energy mix they will make in the future. IMO, I think they could make a lot!
Country wise, have seen a rise in renewables (UK: now 30% and USA: 15%) - Feedback mechanisms
If we carry on with current policies, what will be the temp rise?
3.1 to 3.5 degree temp warming by 2100
UN population growth?
9.8 bn in 2050
Emission rise & decrease?
Emissions rising by 4% per year since 2000
However in 2014, they fell by 0.5%…
What is adaptation?
Changing our ways of living in such a manner that we are able to cope with most, if not all of the outcomes of global warming
- depends on governance & players: China, authoritarian regime: strong adaptation strategies –> no public debate
Adaptation strategies?
- Water conservation and management
P: less groundwater abstraction - so less resources used and reduced the water scarcity from climate change
P: long term basis - move towards recycled grey water e.g. Singapore? very sustainable as constantly will be waste
N: cannot meet this with increasing demand for water, with pop and eco growth - this is not feasible for the future and as SOL increases…
N: depends on enforcement by government –> could be slack and therefore doesn’t adapt to CC
EX: Israel, shortage of water:
- smart irrigation
- recycling sewage water for agricultural use
- Resilient agricultural systems
P: without food = famine, so this adaptation is so imp
P: higher tech and drought resistance species allow for resistance against cc
P: uses less water, increases water security e.g. Aerofarm, Newark: uses 95% less water than traditional farming
N: expensive tech –> doesn’t suit everyone in the world e.g. developing countries
N: ethical debate of GM crops
e. g. USA - conservation cropping with no-tilling approach
3. Land use planning
- Solar radiation management
= using orbiting satellites to reflect some inward radiation back to space - geoengineering
P: direct and effective intervention in the climatic system
P: could cool the earth in months (quick)
P: relatively cheap
N: tinkering with a VERY complex system - could have unintended, detrimental consequences
N: not accessible to the public - involves global players
N: needs int support
Mitigation strategies?
- Carbon taxation
- a fee or cost paid by users and consumers of fossil fuels
- UK Carbon Price Floor = came in in 2013 and frozen in 2015
- Congestion charges and road tollos = reduce their carbon footprint
- London = congestion and emission charge zones = Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ = 12.50 per car)
GOOD: + encourages people to think about C footprint
BAD: x won’t really affect the rich, they can spend more money! (and they are the ones using the most ffs’!> carbon tax doesn’t target the rich) - Energy efficiency = to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services
GOOD: + still does the same job e.g. electric cars still cars and is a direct reduction in CO2 emissions. Economies can still grow e.g. Germany!!!!
BAD: x expensive - hybrid cars and doesn’t factor in developing regions and their high demand for development
e. g. Germany = world leader in energy efficiency - requires residental and commerical buildings to reduce energy consumption by 25%
e. g. UK = Green Deal Scheme = frozen in 2015
- Renewables
e.g. WIND AND SOLAR
GOOD: + still does the same job, low co2 emissions
BAD: x it is controlled by big players, not individually done so not good
BAD: x issues with individual renewables e.g. wind = intermittent and blot on landscape, solar = takes up precious land in developing regions, biofuels = water intensive, nuclear = security and safety and EXPENSIVE
e.g. Sweden = high renewables!
:) only 2% is fossil fuels in 2015
Mitigation is known as?
‘Rebalancing the Carbon Cycle’
Mitigation definition?
Reducing or preventing GHG emissions by
- devising new technologies
- adopting low carbon energies
- becoming more energy efficient
- or changing attitudes/behaviours
Issue of mitigation strategies?
- Require global agreement and national actions
= problematic = ATTITUDES OF PLAYERS?!?
= many countries just protect their own interests - Issue of austerity (in UK) = many strategies are now frozen
What is global warming?
A global problem involving GLOBAL ACTIOn
Climate change players?
Global organisations e.g. UN
Pressure groups e.g. Greenpeace
Governments
Consumers and individuals
TNC’s e.g. Shell
Timeline of climate change action?
1988: IPCC was formed [part of UN]
1992: Earth Summit, Rio - everyone has responsibility to look after planet and reduce emissions
1997: Kyoto Protocol - first major int. effort at reducing GHG emissions
2015: Paris - keep well below 2 degree temp rise above pre-industrial levels
Disadvantages of global agreements?
- not everyone has been enthusiastic
- countries at diff stages of development may disagree
- countries are scared off losing election votes by adopting to agreements
- very hard to enforce
- some countries just don’t implement [especially big ff users e.g USA]
- could be massaging the data –> how accurate is their ‘reduction’ of emissions
When did USA withdraw from Paris?
June 2017
Trump quote on global warming?
‘Global warming is an expensive hoax!’
How many people adopt Paris?
195 countries
