Carbon Cycle- Case Studies Flashcards
Coal India Ltd - Energy Players
- World’s largest coal producer based in Kolkata
- India’s mining industry was nationalised in 1973 and in 2011 became an official public service utility.
- Responsible for 5.9% of worlds coal production and 80% of India’s coal production.
- Increased efficiency has seen a decline in workers from 510,000 in 2002 to 352,000 in 2014.
- Increase in production from 260 million tonnes to 495 million tonnes in same period.
- World’s 3rd largest consumer of coal behind USA and China
- Used it in the steel industry, thermal power stations and other emerging economy industries.
- The government gained $12.9 bn from it in 2014.
Gazprom Russia - Energy Players
• Created in 1989 put under state control in 2000.
• One of largest producers of natural gas in the world.
• Has reserves in Siberia, Ural and Volga regions of Russia.
• Gas is a major export in Russia, helping its trade balance and earning revenues to develop.
• An extensive pipeline network moves its gas to its domestic and international consumers.
• Germany imported 40 billion m3 in 2013.
• Ukraine used 44.8 billion m3 in 2011. However, political conflict and terrorism in Ukraine and Turkey have made pipelines vulnerable.
• 2014 Gazprom profits declined as a result of EU and US sanctions put in place after there involvement in the Ukraine.
Sells to the Ukraine fell by 65%
Uk Changing Energy Mix
• There has been a decline in the role of coal, oil has remains constant and gas increased until 204 and then declined.
• Nuclear grew until the 1990s then steadily declined.
• Renewable have grown the most but account for just a small proportion of the energy use.
• Overall energy use is falling and in 2014 reached lowest for 150 years.
• Fossil fuels still account for 85% of energy use and 60% of energy production.
• Despite 6% decline in energy use, economy grew by 2.8% showing they are not linked (2014):¬ 10% reduction in CO2 emissions.
¬ 7% of energy was from renewable (15% by 2020 targeted)
¬ Onshore and offshore energy has largest renewable share (9.5%)
USA Changing Energy Mix
• USA has a huge population of 318.9 million.
• Large areas of US experience extremes in temperature which require heating and lighting or air conditioning.
• 82% of energy in the US is from carbon fuels, 10% renewable and 8% Nuclear
• US imports just 15% of its primary energy.
• From 1970 to 2015:
¬ Nuclear up from 0.4% to 8.1%
¬ Renewable from 6% to 12.6%
¬ Coal decreased from 18% to 11%
Gas and petroleum around 30% constant.
Unconventional Fossill Fuels
Tar Sands Canada
Tar sands are a mixture of clay, sand water and bitumen.
The oil is too thick to by pumped so it must be strip mined.
To separate the oil from the sands it must be heated using very hot water diluted with hydrocarbons.
FACTS
166 billion barrels of oil exist in three areas covering 142,000 km.
Surface mining 3.4% of the area.
Production has increased from 0.1m barrels a day to 2.3 million
201$ mn invested in the area, and $4 trillion expected to go into Canadian economy by 2035.
151,000 direct jobs created.
COSTS TO ENVIRONMENT
By 2013, 895km had been disturbed.
8.5% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emission comes from here, predicted to increase to 14%.
leakages into groundwater and rivers effecting the health of locals.
Leaves scars on local landscape.
Impacts local wildlife.
IMPLICATIONS TO CARBON CYCLE
Goal to decrease the CO2 emissions by 20% by 2017.
Plan to capture and store carbon.
Large amounts of energy needed before it is even used meaning the contribution to global warming is 3x that of a normal fossil fuel.
Deep water oil Brazil
Drilled
Oilfield is 200km offshore at depth of 2km making drilling conditions very difficult..
FACTS
With help from China Brazil started developing a deep water oilfield with estimated reserves between 50-80 billion barrels.
2015 885,000 barrels a day.
Investment between 2014 and 2018 will reach $221 billion.
13% of brazils energy created from Fossil fuels will help them diversify there mix.
COSTS TO ENVIRONMENT
Risk of activities spoiling the environment and causing oil spills.
Deposits are below the slat layer.
Access by ship hazardous as too far for helicopter.
Fracking- USA
Shale gas is natural gas trapped inside impermeable rock shells, so it cannot be extracted by normal drilling.
Instead, the rock must be broken to free the gas which is done by Fracking.
This involves forcing water with chemicals into the shale rock so the rock splits apart and any gas flows into a prepared well where it can be collected and concentrated enough to recover.
FACTS
In 2005 Shale gas was 1% of USAs gas supply in 2015 it was 25%.
COSTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Lowered local groundwater levels.
Possible contamination of groundwater and surface water.
Risk of minor earth tremors.
Airborne pollutants such as methane and sulphur dioxide.
Animal deaths.
IMPLICATIONS TO THE CARBON CYCLE
Methane gas can be leaked adding to the greenhouse effect.
Still a greenhouse gas and releases fossil fuels when combusted.
Droughts in Amazonia
- Draughts and flooding events are features of Amazon climate.
- Since 1910 draughts have occurred every ten years, but the 2005 Mega draught was followed 5 years later by another.
- Between 1995 and 2005 less water had been available for rainforest plants, which introduced stress into the ecosystem and amplified the effects of draught.
- In 2005 70 million hectares of pristine mature forest was damaged, accounting for 30% of total area, 5% severely.
- Visible changes and satellites showed reduced moisture and biomass.
- In 2010 many tress had not recovered and were still vulnerable.
- In 2010 46% effected, 205 severely.
- During the draughts the trees absorbed less CO2 with Photosynthesis slowing by 10%, growth rate not affected.
- CO2 emitted due to forest fires and decomposing dead wood.
- 2005 5 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted ; 2010 8 billion, which was more than was absorbed.
- Could potentially cease to be a carbon sink.
Changes in Arctic Water Cycle
- The largest global increase in temperature is the arctic, especially in winter.
- High temperatures and evaporation rates are drying up Arctic ponds.
- The precipitation and evaporation balances will change.
- Higher air temp will reduce duration and extent of ice and snow covering.
- Permafrost thawing rates will increase and permafrost area will decrease increasing run off to rivers.
- The arctic ocean could be ice free by 2037
- Between 1977 and 2017 polar rivers had an increased discharge rate of 9.8%.
- People in the arctic may experience building collapse as a result of permafrost thawing, and stresses on wildlife will lead to food insecurity as ecosystems change.
- There is uncertainty about these predictions.
Coral Reefs
• Warmer seas stronger storms and acidification are damaging coral reefs.
• Bleaching is expecting to become severe for all coral reefs by 2050, with a transition to erosion because of reduced calcification and coral mortality.
• Corals will be less effective at protecting coasts from storms and the resulting coastal erosion will affect millions of people living near the sea.
• Marine productivity is decreasing with fewer fish larvae which is effecting fish stocks.
• Caribbean it is expected that fisheries will soon have a revenue loss, and Pacific Island states will have a 20 % decline in reef fisheries.
• Over 100 countries benefit from the tourism and recreational value which is $9.6 billion.
• In Fiji coral reef losses will cause loses of $5-14 million a year by 2050
In Viti Levu, human health is being affected by warmer sea water leading to fish eating carcinogenic algae, which poisons people when the eat he fish. This is expected to increase 7 fold.
