CARBON CYCLE CASE STUDIES Flashcards
How is energy consumed is london?
Over half of the worlds pop lives in cities. Thye consume 75% of worlds energy and produce 80% of its GHG emissions. Eg. area comprising the city of london generates 1.7 million tonnes of carbon per year with its resident pop averaging 1.8 tonnes of carbon per capita. London’s energy demands are met through a web of national and international supply lines, involving several key players.
How does rural consumption in Peru contrast?
By contrast, thanks to a national programme of solar-panel installation electricity was made available to 500,000 people in remote villages across peru between 2006 and 2015.
Electricity now available in rural Peru charges phones, lights and TVs, extends the working day. The increased productivity it provides, allows extra processing of meat and wood boosting rural living standards. Increasing energy sustainably is helping bring sustainable development for peru.
How has physical availability affected energy consumption in Norway and the UK?
Until the 1970s, Uk depended heavily on domestic coal from Yorkshire, Derbyshire and south wales and leader among nuclear in 1950-1970 but lost momentum after the discovery of large North sea oil and gas reserves who’s increased use heavily affected UK energy mix.
Norway is mountainous with steep valleys and plentifull rainfall, HEP is the natural energy choice. Much of the oil and natural gas in Norways territorial waters is exported. Coal from Svalbard is also exported.
How has the cost of extraction effected energy consumption?
UK- north sea reserves became a secure alternative to dependancy on Middle Eastern oil in early 1970s as prices rose. However, North Sea oil is expensive to extract so if global prices fall , it becomes less viable . Stocks of North Sea Oil and gas are also declining forcing the UK to import more.
Norway- Norsk Hydro runs over 600 HEP sites which supply 97.5% of Norways renewable energy. HEP costs are low once capital investment is complete. However, the transfer of electricity from HEP production in remote regions to urban population centres and isolated settlements is expensive.
How has technology affected norways and the UKs energy consumption?
There are 150 years worth of coal reserves left in the UK, but current technology and enviromental policy make its extraction and use unrealistic and expensive. Uk’s last deep coal mine closed in 2015 although 80% of the UKs primary energy mix still came from fossil fuels. Technology exists for clean coal but coal as lost political support.
> Deepwater drillimg technology enabled both norway and UK to develop North Sea oil and gas extraction.
How have political considerations shaped energy consumption in norway and the UK?
being energy importers has affect energy security and become a political issue. Public concern is alo growing over fracking and nuclear sites. Privatisation of energy supply industry in the 1980s now mwan that overseas companies decide on which energy sources are used to meet UK demand. They buy primary energy on international markets.
HEP used since 1907 and the Norwegian Water and energy directorate manages nations power supplies. Norwegain gov has an interventionist approach preventing foreign companies from owning any primary energy source sites- waterfalls, mines and forests.
Royalties and taxes paid to the gov from sale of fossil fuels boost standard of living through gv spending, profits also go to a sovereign wealth fund to prepare for a future without fossil fuels and investment in enviromentally sustainable projects.
How do enviromental prorites shape energy consumtpion in Norway and the UK?
In 2015 Uk committed to a 40% reduction in domestic GHG emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
It intends to broaden the energy mix with renewable sources and more nuclear power. However, the UK also abandoned its ‘Green Deal’ conservation and insulation schemes in 2015. In 2015 UK co2 emissions were 7.13 tonnes per capita down from peak of 11.5 in 1980.
In 2015, norway comitted to a 40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, comapred to 1990 levels. Norway is the 3rd largest exporter of hydrocarbons
Norways policy for change launced in 2016 with dom stragwt of being carbon neutral by 2050. In 2015 norways co2 emissions were 11.74 tonnes per capita up from 11.6 tonnes in 1990.
What are the Canadian tar sands?
canada has 73% of global stocks located in 3 areas one being athbasca- extracted by opencast mining. Extracted material crushed and mixed with water, and the bitumen is seperated before it can be used. Tar sands can also be pumped out- high pa steam injected underground to seperate bitumen from sand.
Who are the playeers in canadas tar sands?
Gov- Alberta regional gov and canadas national security gov promote tar sands for enrgy security and econ dev.
oil companies- local and international companies include BP,shell, exxon say it has a large impact on econmies of alberta and canada.
Enviromental pressure groups- Greenpeace called for an end to the ‘industrialisation of indigenous territories,forests, wetlands in northern america.’
Local communities experience cost and benefits;
>new jobs and local businesses benefit from trade
>fears over pollution in the Athabasca river. Atmospheric toxins and an increased incidence of rare cancers
>distruption to trad ways of life (indigenous people)
>Gambling,substance abuse and crime risen
>Now housing crisis as migrants shipped in
What are the costs of exploiting tar sands?
Only viable when price exceeds 40$ a barrel. Costs $10-20 a barrel to extract bitumen compared to US 2$
>very energy intensive. Takes 1 barrel of conventional oil to produce 3 barrels of oil from tar sands
> water intensive- Takes between 2-5 barrels of water to produce every barrel of oil.
> about 1.8 million tonnes of toxic wastewater are produce each year.
> Produces huge quantities of waste- takes 2 tonnes of mined tar sand to produce 1 tonne of oil
> adds to GHG emissions
> 470km2 of Albertas woodland taiga forest removed
What are the benefits of exploting tar sands?
> provides an alternative source of oil
By 2030, could meet 16% of North Americas oil needs
offers energy security for canada and USA, 28% of canadas oil used in canada. 70% is exported to the US
can serve as feul stopgap,until more renewable sources become viable
enviromental protection is in place to ensure that mining companies are required to reclaim land disturbed by extraction
vital rev for local and national economy
What are the concequences for the carbon cycle and enviroment as a result of tar sand production?
> carbon emissions due to extraction,production and use and carbon absorption falls due to the deforestation of the taiga, also destorys peat bogs causing a loss of ecosystems and habitats. Although only about 0.2% of Albertas forest been destroyed, sheer devastation caused by mining reduces the resilience of the natice taiga enviroment. Syncrude claims to have replanted 20% of its mined land but enviromentalists argue that real figure is less than 1%.
extraction creates soil heaps- dumps for soil and waste
tailings ponds created containing wastewater
Caribou pop declined sharply to the point where expected to become exitinct by 2040
How is the UK commited to reduce dependance on fossil fuels?
Increasing renewable energy with wind now providing just under 25% of our energy mix. In a privatised economy companies prefer income to risk. New investment onlt comes about when the gov garantees a min price known as strike price. Hinkley point C was only agreed when strike price raised this is then passed onto consumer bills
Renewable energy includes
HEP,Biomass,Solar power,wind, wave and tidal.
Recyclable include;
nuclear, heat recovary systems aimed to retain heat in building.
What are some alternatives to fossil fuels?
- nuclear power: japan- before earthquake it provided 27% of japans energy mix with it severly damaged in earthquake but reintroduced.
In uk hinkley point C is a 18billion project that will provide energy for 60 years and 25,000 jobs invoving EDF and china general nuclear collab with 7% of uks electricity.
2.wind power
Horsea project 1,2,3 - 190m high wind turbines will eventually prov power for 1.3 mil homes located 121km of yorkshire creating 2000 construc jobs.
Aylesbury- wind turbine 25m taller than other onshore turbines supplying 200 0 homes but ugly and temporary.
3.Solar power
Chapel lane solar farm, christchurch- cost 50 mil and covers area equiv of 175 football pitches. Uks largest solar farm, serving 60,000 households or 75% of homes in Bournemouth. A supporter of the campaign to protect rural england claims expensive as aren’t viable without a high strike price. and consume prod farmland whcih some argue should be producing food.
How have biofeuls grown in brazil?
1st to produce biofuel from sugar cane in the 1970s. Bio-ethanol produced cheaper than petrol and used as vehicle fuel. Brazil has since become worlds leading producer of bio-ethanol and a leader in cutting carbon emissions cars running on bioeth 80% less CO2 emissions planning to double production by 2024. Other countries followed suit oilseed rape in EU and maize in USA for biodeisel. Motivation to reduce CO2 emissions but downside is deforestation with social unrest also occuring as farmers grwoing cash crops unable to provide for families. ALso led to big companies buting up land inflating land prices with boom seeing biofeul growth double in area since 2000, while rice and wheat fallen 10-20%.
