CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION APPROACHES Flashcards
There are 3 main climate change mitigation approaches, these are:
- Conventional mitigation efforts
- Negative Emissions Technologies
- Radiative Forcing Geoengineering Technologies
- employ decarbonization technologies and techniques that reduce CO2 emissions, such as renewable energy, fuel switching, efficiency gains, nuclear power, and carbon capture storage and utilization.
Conventional mitigation efforts
Conventional mitigation efforts:
a. Carbon capture and storage
b. Fuel switching
a. Efficiency gains
- is a promising technology as a potential decarbonization approach to be applied to the power as well as the industrial sectors.
Carbon capture and storage
The Carbon capture and storage technology consists of _______ and ________ CO2 gases from processes that rely on fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas. The captured CO2 is then transported and stored in geological reservoirs for very long periods.
separating; capturing
The main objective of carbon capture and storage is the reduction in _________ while utilizing fossil sources.
emission levels
- in the power sector from coal to gas, in the short-term, as a potential approach to economically transition to a low carbon and hopefully a zero-carbon economy in future. The move to natural gas is also applicable to industry, transportation and building sectors; however, as discussed previously the switch to renewable fuels is a more sustainable approach creating further decarbonization potential in these sectors.
Fuel switching
- in the power sector are achieved through improvements in thermal power plants by enhancing the efficiency of fuel combustion as well as improving turbine generator efficiencies. Furthermore, waste heat recovery for additional thermal as well as electric production enhances efficiency. In gas-fired power plants, the utilization of a combined cycle technology enhances the efficiency significantly.
Efficiency gains
_______ and ________ have also played an interesting role in efficiency gains. Technological advances within transmission and distribution networks also enhance efficiencies by reducing losses.
Combined heat; power units
- These are also referred to as carbon dioxide removal methods.
Negative Emissions Technologies
Negative Emissions Technologies techniques are potentially deployed to ______ and ______ CO2 from the atmosphere.
capture and sequester
Negative Emissions Technologies Techniques:
a. Bioenergy carbon capture and storage
b. Biochar
c. Enhanced Terrestrial weathering
d. Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage
e. Ocean Fertilization
f. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
g. Soil Carbon Sequestration
h. Afforestation and Reforestation
i. Wetland construction and restoration
one of the prominent negative emissions technologies and as potential route to meet temperature goals. The basic principle behind the technology is biomass biologically captures atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis during growth, which is then utilized for energy production through combustion.
Bioenergy carbon capture and storage
Bioenergy carbon capture and storage - The CO2 emissions realized upon combustion are then captured and stored in suitable _________. This technology can significantly reduce greenhouse gas concentration levels by removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
geological reservoirs
- is produced from biomass, e.g. dedicated crops, agricultural residues and forestry residues, through a thermochemical conversion process.
Biochar
Biochar is produced through _______, a process of heating in the absence of oxygen, as well as through gasification and hydrothermal carbonization.
pyrolysis
Biochar is a ________ substance that’s made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes (also called biomass) in a controlled process called pyrolysis. Although it looks a lot like common charcoal, biochar is produced using a specific process to reduce contamination and safely store carbon.
charcoal-like
In the natural system, silicate rocks decompose; this is a process termed _________.
weathering
- is an approach that can accelerate this weathering process to enhance CO2 uptake on a much shorter timescale. This is achieved through milling silicate rocks to increase its reactive surface and enhance its mineral dissolution rate. The ground material is then applied to croplands providing a multitude of co-benefits.
Enhanced weathering