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Climate Change > Climate change Part 2 > Flashcards

Climate change Part 2 Flashcards

1
Q

what are heat waves

A

small changes in mean/variance of temp lead to large chgs in extremes

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2
Q

are single heat waves caused by global warming

A

no, not directly

caused by sationary high pressure in tropsphere
- downward motion of air, causing clear skies + lack of precipitation

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3
Q

how will climate change affect heat waves

A

frequency and intensity

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4
Q

what are some impacts associated with extreme heat

A

heat stress - human health
droughts - crop damage and water supply issues
air quality - poor air quality with heat waves bc temp inversion + lgithw inds trap pollutants

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5
Q

what part of the world is the most vulnerable to human health affects from climate change

A

under developed world

  • malnutrition, deaths, disease, injury from heat waves, floods, storms, fires, droughts
  • infections
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6
Q

with rising temps and increasing precicpiation, what disease is expected to increase as well

A

malaria

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7
Q

what regions is malaria usually restricted to?

A

tropical and subtropics

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8
Q

what is the Zika virus1

A

bite of ifected aedes mosquito
passed from pregnant women to fetus
no vaccina / treatment

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9
Q

about 8 million deaths globally per year are attributed to outdoor and indoor…

A

air pollution

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10
Q

what is lyme disease

A

spreading in eastern canada because of warming climate

tick bite

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11
Q

Arctic sea ice loss will impact..

A

inuit way of life
ecosystem stress
warming positive feedback
increased transportation + development

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12
Q

does melting sea ice increase sea level

A

nope, doesn’t affect it

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13
Q

multi-year ice is thicker and more stable. It’s found only close to Canadian Arctic Islands and Greenland. What does the loss of this ice mean?

A

icnreases chances of irreversible tipping point

ice free summers

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14
Q

what measures the freeboard height of the sea ice above mean sea level, estimating sea ice thickness?

A

Cryo-Sat2

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15
Q

What is the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) ?

A

2 satellites fly in formation
precise measurements of earth’s gravity
measures gravity anomalies
as sea ice removed, greenland’s gravity is reduced

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16
Q

what is the main trend with sea level rise and mass loss of greenland ice sheet?

A

sea level rising

about 0.77 mm per year

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17
Q

why is the greenland ice albedo becoming darker/lowering?

A

black carbon deposits
- comes from soot aerosols being transported from the south, deposited on ice sheet
- increases amount of solar E absorbed by ice sheet surface
accelerates melting

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18
Q

when is the black carbon aerosols (from soot, dust) being deposited on the greenland ice sheet

A

in the summer

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19
Q

why is the west antarctic ice sheet unstable

A

grounded below sea level, so warmer ocean water can intrude below ice sheet

increases melt

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20
Q

why is the east antarctic ice sheet more stable than the west

A

east - solidly locked on continent, above sea level mostly

west - below sea level, water can come up and erode it

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21
Q

what is permafrost

A

permanently frozen ground

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22
Q

what is stored in permafrost

A

methane

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23
Q

if permafrost melts.. what could cause the huge positive feedback?

A

methane release

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24
Q

what layer of permafrost is methane released from?

A

the extra active layer thickness

thicker active layer

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25
Q

what are the different layers of permafrost

A

active layer - melts in summer

permafrost layer - stay below 0 all year
methane stored here

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26
Q

sea ice extent (greenland), antarctic ice sheets and effects on sea level rise, permafrost… what else is happening in the mountains..

A

glaciers retreating

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27
Q

what causes sea level to change

A

chemical changes in wind stress
surface and deep ocean circuation changes, storm surges
exchange of water stored on land by glaciers and ice sheets
gavitational effects of ice sheets
terrestrial water storage extraction of groundwater, reservoirs, runoff

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28
Q

what sea level higher or lower during the last glacial maximum?

A

lower

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29
Q

sea level goes up and down seasonally.. why

A

nothern hemisphere snowfall and melt

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30
Q

Global sea level rise projections from the IPCC - the worst case scenario means we need to…
the best case scenario means we need to…

A

worst case - mitigate

best case - adapt to new sea level

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31
Q

what are thre 3 main contributors to global sea level rise?

A

melting land ice (greenland, mountaim glaciers, antarctic)

thermal expansion of sea water w temps

groundwater depletion

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32
Q

the change in the earth climate system is gaining heat because of the reduction in …

A

outgoing IF radiation to space

caused by extra GGs in atmosphere

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33
Q

if more of the wamring goes deeper into the ocean, then the sea surface temp will…

A

warm less

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34
Q

what is ARGO

A

global array of free-drifting profiling floats

measure temp + salinity in upper 2000m of ocean

determine density - calculate amount of warming

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35
Q

what is the main difference btw CERES satellites and ARGO

A

CERES - measure energy imbalance for whole earth

ARGO - measure ocean warming

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36
Q

the Netherlands, New York and Venice are vulnerable to what

A

coastal deltas

population displacement by sea level

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37
Q

explain how tropical cyclones work

A

get energy from latent head when water vapour evaporated from warm sea surface condenses in atmosphere - makes clouds and rain

warmer sea surface temp = more water to be condesned = stronger cyclones w global warming, however number of cyclones unsure

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38
Q

the centre of cyclone is called the eye where the air is…

what kind of air surround the eye

A

sinking

eyewall = highest wind speeds and heaviest rain

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39
Q

what are the 2 sources for strom surge (rise in local sea level)

A
  1. wind driven stress on the surface
  2. pressure effect due to low atmospheric pressure - water rises

wind driven surge and pressure surge

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40
Q

is there a clear trend in the number of hurricanes?

A

no clear trend with global warming

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41
Q

the small pacific island communities are affected by what

A

sea level rise

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42
Q

the Amazon Rainforests have two features that impact global climate..

A

biodiveristy

carbon storage

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43
Q

what caused forest fires in the Amazon in 2005 that released more carbon than all human emissions from Japan and Europe combined

A

drought

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44
Q

what could cause irreversible damage in the Amazon and the rest of the global climate

A

deforestation and climate change in this region

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45
Q

what causes coral bleaching

A

temp rises

can cause permanent damage

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46
Q

what are zooanthellae

A

algae that provides food for corals through photosynthesis

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47
Q

when do strong bleaching events occur in corals

A

El nino events

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48
Q

why is coral bleaching correlated with El nino events

A

warms oceans and atmosphere

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49
Q

what is a concern with the rising acidification of the oceans

A

shelled phyto and zoo plankton stress

calcifying organism processes distrupted
- corals, echinoderms, coccolithophores, molluscs, plankton

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50
Q

what is the theory behind species extinction as ecosystem change

A

can species move fast enough to stay in same temp regime

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51
Q

if the niche is small or ifthe species is located on the niche gradient, will it be sensitive to climate change

A

yes

based on simulated enviro niches for 3 tree species by annual temp and rain

doesn’t account for species interaction

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52
Q

how will the vegetation change in the arctic regions with a warmer climate

A

more boreal forests

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53
Q

the possible reduction in the land biosphere carbon sink in the future the warming exceeds a certain threshold means the land biota may become a net…

A

source of atmospheric carbon

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54
Q

what effect does the western pine beetle in canada have

A

threat to boreal forest, western canada

thrives in warmer climates, winters are no longer cold enough to kill them

kill forests

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55
Q

Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation

what is this?

A

transports heat to northern north Atlantic

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56
Q

Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation

if the circulation slows odwn, the heat transport will be reduced resulting in… bu enhanced…

A

local cooling in Nothern Europe

enhanced warming in subtropics

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57
Q

Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation

too much warming or fresh water from ice melting where deep water forms near Greenland may inhibit…. that will ultimately disrupt thermohaline circulation

A

inhibit sinking

this is a tipping point

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58
Q

Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation

global warming will make surface water around greenland warmer and less salty from ice melting - how would this affect the surface water denistyq

A

reduce it

not dense enough to sink o bottom of Atlantic

cutting thermohaline ciculation

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59
Q

how would the thermohaline circulation be cut off with warming temperatures

A

surface waters near greenland warmer + less salty

reduce density of surface water

not dense enough to sink to bottom of Atlantic

reduce transport of heat from tropics to poles in Atlantic

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60
Q

what is the tipping point idea for the thermohaline

A

act like an off/on switch

rising temps and less salty ynear greenland, less dense, less sinking, switch off

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61
Q

what is the tipping point idea for arctic ice open in summer

A

ice albedo temp positive feedback - accelerate sea ice loss

thinning of ice reach threshold that prevents re-establishment of multi-year ice

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62
Q

it would take thousands of years to melt most of greenland by air contact alone. What are some ways to accelerate this?

A

increase ice flow + calving into oceans

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63
Q

What is the tipping point idea of melt water ponds on greenland

A

melt water flowing under the ice sheet allows ice sheet to move fasater towards oceans

**likely take hundreds of year though

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64
Q

what are moulins?

A

allow water to lubricate the bottom of the greenland ice sheet

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65
Q

What is the tipping point idea with the West Antarctic Ice sheet and its unstable nature?

A

breaking up the Ross Ice Shelf allow ice streams on West Antarctic ice sheet to move faster

also base below sea level, more warming can occur from water underneath

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66
Q

What is ENSO

A

El Nino Southern Oscillation
- atmos-ocean coupled mode of inter annual variability

creates weather anomalies around the world

changes in El nino affect world

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67
Q

tropical-pacific climate regimes swith between…

A

El nino and La nina

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68
Q

What can happen in a strong el nino

A 
drought in peru
pacific rain fall shift east
weaker trade winds
sea level higher i neast
global air and sea surface temp increases
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69
Q

what is the tipping point idea with a permanent El nino state

A

warmer world

more heat in ocean surface

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70
Q

regional monsoon failure - whats the tipping point

A

aerosils from pollution reflect some solar back to space, cooling continent and weaken monsoons

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71
Q

destruction of the amazon rainforest - whats the tipping point

A

die back in forests
precipiation in this region usually evaporatde locally
loss of vegetation with worsen drying

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72
Q

the boreal forest dieback tipping point

A

forests stressed beyond recovery is local temp increase by 7 deg

loss of carbon storage

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73
Q

is there more carbon storage in boreal forests or tropical forests

A

boreal, soils are a big factor for why this is

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74
Q

why are boreal forests better at storing carbon than tropical forests

A

soils in boreal forest store carbon better

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75
Q

th rapid release of subsurface frozen methane comes from where

A

permafrost

methane hydrates in ocean floor

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76
Q

methane is stored under high pressure in the ocean floor as methane hydrates. what could happen with warming temps

A

hydrates could melt

cold enough at 500m belo, 200m in arctic - keeps it frozen

below sea floow - gets warmer because of geothermal gradient

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77
Q

list the type of gas hydrate deposits

A

permafrost
hydrate stability zone in ocean
trapped under pressure
in mud/seafloor

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78
Q

Expansion of oxygen minimu zones in the oceans, caused by stagnation of water - what are the consequences of this happening

A

reduce oxygen transport from surface to itnermediate depths
ocean acidification
tipping point for some species

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79
Q

increase in severe weather, like more flooding - is this a tipping point

A

likely not a true tipping point but increase weather extremes and severity

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80
Q

A weakening of the north-south temperature gradient in the mid-latitudes may increase frequency of blocking patterns. how will this affect droughts and heavy rain perids

A

lengthen duration

amplification of stationary planetary waves in the westerlies

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81
Q

what are the 4 E’s for Energy Demand

A

economy
Energy
Emissions
Environment

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82
Q

which type of energy has a greater capacity to do work - low or high entropy

A

low entropy

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83
Q

All activites require two things

A

raw materials and energy

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84
Q

what are 4 types of energy

A

kinetic, potential, electromagnetic, nuclear

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85
Q

what is energy what is power

A

energy = all entities have it

power = rate of energy use
amount of energy used per time

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86
Q

before industrialization, before machines, before use of animal power, how was energy requirements obtained

A

humans!!

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87
Q

whats one main sustainability issue with the energy source with use today aka fossil fuels

A

waste

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88
Q

pre-industrialization, pre-machine - what was the main source of energy for people

A

coal and biomass

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89
Q

what is primary energy

A

energy in resources same level as they are in nature

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90
Q

can you use primary energy

A

no, must convert to secondary energy - electricity and fuels

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91
Q

what is final energy

A

energy delivered
transported + distributed
individual homes, gas stations, etc

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92
Q

what is suefull energy

A

use by the appliances
ex. stoves, washing machines, vehicles

energy forms of kinetic energy or heat

provides energy services

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93
Q

explain the conversion of energy from primary through to useful

A 
primary
secondary
final
useful
energy services
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94
Q

what are the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector

A

electrcity + heat
agricultre, forestry, land use
industry

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95
Q

what is the trend with CO2 emission and GDP

A

right now, CO2 increasing with GDP because countries industrializing, increasing emissions

we want to decarbonize the economy - move in direction with less carbon

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96
Q

coal releases about 70% more carbon when compared to natural gas - why is this relevant today

A

coal is on the rise again!!!!

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97
Q

what are some sustainable energy sources

A 
wind
solar
hydroelectric
waves
tides
geothermal
nuclear (not truly sustainable)
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98
Q

NS power doesnt use J to compute energy they use kWh which means..

A

charging based on electrical energy use, personal use

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99
Q

in predicting future CO2 emission and other GGs depend on… things that cause uncertainty

A

rate of human pop growth

average emission chgs per person

global standard of living

efficiency, tech, fuel type, land use chgs

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100
Q

there are uncertainties in estimating the atmospheric concentration of CO@ + GGs that depend on the sinks. what are these two sinks

A

varying ocean sink

land biosphere sink

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101
Q

what s GDP

A

Gross Domestic Product

value of all products and services

per capita = per person

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102
Q

what is the kaya identity

A

way of measuring the total carbon emission or CO2 emissions

takes into account population, affluence, energy intesnity, carbon intensity of energy

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103
Q

what are the 4 factors of the Kaya identity

A

population
afluence
energy intensity
Carbon intensity of energy

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104
Q

list some social factors that affect population growth

A

education, religion. culture, health care, women’s rights, standard of living, government policies

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105
Q

what is affluence

A

per capita GDP

chgs in standard of living
only economic measure of standard of living

106
Q

as countries become wealthier and more industrialized, standard of living increases. However GDP can rise and the standard of living stays the same… why?

A

assume government’s economic growth is benefitting its citizens but sometime its not

corrupt government stealing wealth of citizens

107
Q

how do you calculate affluence

A

GDP / Population

108
Q

many lower income countried are trying to increase economic growth, most through industrialization… what is narrowing of the wealth gap called

A

economic convergence

109
Q

what is energy intensity

A

energy consumed divided by GDP

Energy consumed / GDP

measure how much energy is needed to make GDP

110
Q

are energy intensities on the incline or decline

A

declining

111
Q

why is energy intensity declining?

main 2 reasons

A

rate of GDP growth higher than rate of energy growth

  1. becoming more efficient in energy use (conservation)
  2. most economic growth from sectors w lower energy - financial vs manufacturing)
112
Q

what is carbon energy intensity

A

ratio of carbon emitted to energy used

relates carbon emission to total energy made + used

113
Q

what determine the carbon energy intensity

A

types of fuels being used

ex. Coal emits more CO2 per energy output than natural gas

114
Q

what will happen to the carbon energy intensity as we covert to non-fossil fuels

A

it will decline / fall

115
Q

why has our carbon energy decline so little over the years

A

takes time to convert to new non-fossil fuel source

still get about 85% of our energy from fossil fuels

116
Q 
when looking at the kaya identity factors, what has been the trend for each one
population
affluence
energy instensity
carbon energy intensity
A

GDP growing because of population growth

GDP growing because of affluence (per capita growth rate)

little decarbonization - so no real change in carbon energy

energy intensity declining because more efficient in energy use (conservation) and economic growth from low energy sectors

117
Q

looking at each kaya factor… what will it take to get carbon emissions growth rate to be zero…

A

population - reduction in childbirth - but with western industrialization this tends to happen
Affluence - can’t ask countries to accept lower economic growth
energy intesity - declining, but limits to how fast this is happening
carbon energy intensity - large reduction in emissions, negative emissions

118
Q

is order from highest global primary energy consumption to lowest, what are the sources

A 
oil
coal
natural gas
hydro
nuclear
renewables
119
Q

in terms of global electricity consumption, what source is dominating

A 
coal
natural gas
hydro
nuclear
renewables
oil
120
Q

what 4 things does the sun drive/sun’s energy is needed

A

hydrological cycles
photosynthesis
human energy use
desert area ofr human needs

121
Q

what are the 2 mediums that we can extract energy from the sun directly as

A

heat - thermal solar heating, water, fluids

electricity - solar cell of PV

122
Q

what drive the hydrological cycle, photosynthesis and winds

A

sun

123
Q

what do we extract solar energy indirectly fromq

A

hydroelectric turbines from falling water
biofuels
wind turbines

124
Q

what are fossil fuels in terms of solar energy

A

stored solar energy from photosynthesis that made organic material 100’s of millions of years ago

125
Q

starts exploded as supernovas and left radioactive elements in what type of energy

A

nuclear

126
Q

where are the areas with the greatest potential for solar development?

A

subtropics

127
Q

what are the 2 types of solar power

A

solar thermal power

Solar Cells (PVs)

128
Q

how does solar thermal power work

A

uses sun to directly heat something
ex solar cooking stove

hot water pumped through ground
steam to drive turbine
concentrated solar - focus sunlight to get higher temp for steam turbines

129
Q

steam turbines use concentrated solar.. what is this

A

focused sunlight to make higher temp so more steam made to drive the turbine

130
Q

Solar Cells of PVs - how do they use sunlight

A

directly convert sun into electricity using semiconductive tech

131
Q

Solar Cells used semiconductor tech - how does this work

A

electron gains energy in semiconductor when solar photon absorbed
makes a current

132
Q

what is the main problem with solar cells

A

need to be able to store energy for when sun isn’t available

133
Q

what is Concentrated Solar power (CSP) system used for

A

large scale electricity generation

134
Q

when do heat engines convert heat into useful workd most efficiently

A

when there is a large temp difference btw hot and cold thermal resevoirs

135
Q

where is europe firs tcommerical concentration solar plant

A

seville, spain

136
Q

how do wind turbines work

A

kinetic energy of wind turns blades, rotates magnets in generator, makes current of electricity

137
Q

what is crucial in maximizing win turbine production of electricity

A

location to maximize wind exposure

138
Q

what are 2 things to take into account when planning usuing wind energyq

A

location + storage/back up energy when winds are light

139
Q

what type of energy is now competitive with fossil fuels

A

wind energy

140
Q

what are the 3 main challenges with renewables

A

fluctuating power supply

low energy density

transmission grid update

141
Q

how is the hydrological cycle driven by the sun

A

makes atmos circulations that lift water vapour from oceans and precipiates it into lakes and resevoirs

increases its potential energy then converts to kinetic in the rain/waterfalls

generates energy in turbines, hydroelectric power plants

142
Q

where is then largest hydro project located in the world

A

China

143
Q

who is the 3rd largest produced of energy in the world

A

canada

144
Q

what are the 4 downsides with large hydroelectric projectsq

A

loss of land to floods
population moving
sediment and leaching probs
destroy habitats

145
Q

What project is taking place in NFLD right now with hydroelectric power

A

Lower Churchill project
in muskrat falls
1/3 of this power will go to S

146
Q

why is using biomass as fuel considered renewable

A

carbon released in burning organic material is fixed into plants by photosynthesis (as long as you re grow plants)

147
Q

what are the major problems with converting crops into fiel

A

crops for fuel compete w crops for food
large amount of E needed for fertilizer production
use a lot of water

148
Q

the developing world relies heavily on …

A

traditional biomass

wood, dung, rice husks, etc

149
Q

what are some drawbacks for the biomass that developping world rely on… remember that this supplies 1/3 of global energy so it’s everyone’s issue because it affects everyone

A

inefficient, slow, dirty methods

poor air quality
loss of trees and plants locally

150
Q

what plant can ethanol be made from

A

corn

the corn-ethanol effect

151
Q

what the biggest difference between using gasoline compared to using a corn-ethanol method of extraction

A

super inefficient when compared to gas

152
Q

what a better type of fuel crop than corn-ethanol

A

sugar cane

153
Q

what is ERoRI

A

Ratio of Energy Returned to Energy Invested for fuels

154
Q

is ERoEI is low.. is the energy more or less expensive

A

more expensive

155
Q

does nucelar energy make greenhouse gas emission during operations

A

nope

156
Q

what are some issues with nuclear power

A

high cost
danger of radioactive waste + storage
teribble consequences in case of accidents, terrorism, natural disasters
weapons

157
Q

the global nuclear electrcity production - the capacity for this type of energy.. what is the trend in last 20 years

A

starting to level off

158
Q

what is the difference btw fission and fusion

A

fission - split of nucleus, energy released

fusion - bringing 2 nuclei together, energy needed

159
Q

what is 3x more abundant in the earth’s crust than uranium + what are the difference between these two types of nuclear power

A

thorium
- completely used up in reactors, whereas only a small portion of uranium is used
doesn’t need to be isotopically separated, less radioactive waste than uranium
its more expensive than uranium

160
Q

how does geothermal power work

A

use hot water from geologically active areas, or underground geothermal gradient, for heat pumps

161
Q

how can you use underground geothermal rocks to make electricity

A

use hot rocks to convert cold water into hot steam to drive turbine

or you can pipe the hot steam/water directly to heat building and stuff

162
Q

in stream tidal turbines - why do they have lower costs usually

A

avoid building causways, dams, sleuth gates, resevoirs

163
Q

what is fuel cell technology

A

energy storage system only

- requires an energy source but also stores it

164
Q

how does fuel cell tech work

A

use electrolysis to separate hydrogen from water
needs energy
hydrogen is stored and is portable
energy made when Hydrogen recombines with oxygen in fuel cell to make water - releasing energy

very expensive

165
Q

what is the current drawback with fuel cell tech

A

expensive

166
Q

what type of energy converts chemical energy of water/of a fuel directly into elextricity without burning it

A

fuel cell tech

167
Q

what is the cleanest way to use fuel cell tech (what energy sources should supply the energy needed for hydrolysis of water)

A

wind power or PVs

168
Q

what are 3 types of carbon removal technologies being made today

A

carbon capture + storage

direct air capture + storage

Bioenergy w carbon capture + storage

169
Q

what are the 3 basic steps of CCS

A

capture
transport
storage

170
Q

Where do you capture carbon using CCS

A

where Fossil fuels are being burned, large power plants

removal is more efficient because of higher concentration source

171
Q

what 3 carbon capture technologies are being studied for CCS tech

A

pre combustion
post combustion
oxy-fuel combustion

172
Q

explain the pre-combustion tech being studied for CCs

A

fuel converted to gas before combustion

CO2 removed, remaining H2 used for fuel

173
Q

explain the post combustion tech being developped for CCS

A

after combustion
CO@ removed using absorption, cryogenics or membrane tech

separate Nitrogen gas from cO2 in the exhaust

174
Q

explain oxy-fuel combustion

A

burn fuel in nearly pure oxygen
make almost pure CO2
condensed and transported
don’t need to separate N2 from CO2 but you need pure oxygen to do this

175
Q

how is the captured carbon transported in CCS

A

pipelines

CO2 compressed into liquid

176
Q

where can you store CO2 in CCS

A

geological
- depleted oil and natural gas field

ocean mineralization
- convert CO2 into carbonate - needs a lot of Energy to do this though

177
Q

how does CO2 behave under high pressure but low temperature

A

it liquifies - making an icy hydrate phase

  • need to be around 500m down in ocean
178
Q

what an ideal situation for the CCS method

A

to have capture and storage sites close together so it makes the transport part minimal

179
Q

the first major demonstration plant in the world with full scale CCS in a power plant was where…

A

Boundary Dam Project in Saskatchewan

capture 90% of emissions
retrofit cost $1.25 billion - current solar PV price is $2 per watt so for $1.25 you could buy 600 MW!!

180
Q

the boundary dam prohect capture 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually from power station’s chimney but still has a number of other stations without carbon capture tech…

A

just cool to keep in mind. carry on.

181
Q

why is it not economically favourable to pursue CCS

A

because emitters do not have to pay for emitting CO2

182
Q

EOR - what is it? How is CCS tech helping Canada with this?

A

Enhance oil recovery - EOR

  • Canada currently using CCS to help with EOR
  • this is a loss in the captured carbon though..
183
Q

What are some criticisms by greenpeace of CCS

A

cannot deliver in time
CCS wastes energy - erase efficiency gains + increase resource consumption
risk with storing carbon underground
cost is expensive
liability risk - health, ecosystems, climate

184
Q

with all the risks that come with CCS, what is reccomended we focus one

A

ramping up renewables but we can’t forget CCs and its potential

185
Q

what is the buisness case for CCS as laid out by the global CCS institute

A 
can't reach paris targets without it
only clean tech capable of decarbonizing industry
new energy tech
make new jobs
abundant storage capacity
cost effective
been working safely for last 45 years
compliment renewables
need public confidence to sustain investment
186
Q

to prevent more than 2 deg warming we need to cut emission by how much by 2050

A

50%

187
Q

If we want a maximum of 1.5 deg warming, 50% of our emissions have to be cut by when…

A

2030

188
Q

what level does the CO2 concentration need to stabilize at for our target goal of 1.5 deg warming

A

450ppm

currently, we are at 412 ppm

189
Q

let’s say global warming exceeds that 2 degrees.. what do we do then

A

well that would suck but there’s geo-engineering proposals to mitigate global warming

190
Q

what are the two geo-engineering proposals being put forward

A

solar radiation management

carbon dioxide removal

191
Q

what are geo-engineering projects

A

global scale projects to mitigate global warming by either solar radiation management or CO2 removal

192
Q

What the Solar Radiation management (SRM) proposal

A

relfect more solar back to space

offsetting cooling effect that leaves GGs intact

193
Q

what the CO2 removal (CDR) proposal

A

extract CO2 from atmos

address root problem of global warming

194
Q

if it is determined that an eenvironmental disaster is imminent then it may be necessary to consider using geo-engineering.. however what things to make this untenable

A

human idiocy

jk

but huge costs, governance issues could be huge cock blocks for saving the planet/ourselve from human extinction

195
Q

what is the general idea behind CDR and SRM proposals

A

CDR = fix by removing GGs causing larger downward terrestrial IF radiation

SRM = fic by reucing incoming solar IF at surface by increasing planetary albedo - make planet brighter

196
Q

what are four factors to take into account when evaluating gen-engineering proposals

A

effectiveness
time
safety
cost

197
Q

what are some SRM techniques being proposed

A

Relfect sun away from earth with mirror in space - this is very expensive

increase planetary albedo

198
Q

SRM - increase planetary albedo how

A

add aerosols to stratosphere (best option)
make clouds brihgter w aerosols
make surface brighter - not really realistic

199
Q

how will adding aerosols into the stratosphere help cool the climate / increasing planetary albedo

A

scatters sunlight, reflects it back to space

200
Q

how will they increase the amount of aerosols in the stratosphere

A

volcanoes cause cooling effect, need to mimic this

use high altitude aircraft or balloons to inject sulphu dioxide gas

201
Q

what are the problems with the proposals of adding more aerosols to strato

A

need to have constant fleet of airplanes releasing SO2

reduced hydrological cyc;e + photosynthesis

negative effect on ozone

more acid rain - likely a minor global issue

202
Q

CDR addressesthe real reaspn global warming is happening by removing CO2 from atmosphere. What are the 2 issues with the method

A

slow and needs a lot of energy

203
Q

what are some suggestions for the CDR proposal

A

increase land biomass to enhance bio storage of carbon

biochar to remove carbon from photosynthetic cycle

chemically remove and store CO2
- Direct air capture, geochemical removal of CO2

204
Q

why can’t we solely rely on reforestation

A

it takes a long time to regrow new forest, and you’d need about 100 million new hectares per year to offset human emissions

we don’t have space to keep doing that every year

205
Q

what are the 4 major strategies to mitigate carbon emissions through forestry

A

increase amount of forested land - reforestation

increase carbon density of existing forests

expand use of forest products to sustainably replace Fossil fuel emissions

reduce emissions caused by deforestation + degradation

206
Q

Slash and burn agriculture increases CO2 emission. another option is Biochar… what is this

A

carbon rich product
biomass heated in closed container w/o oxygen
similar to charcoal, promotes healthier soil without burning

new way to store carbon from plants in the ground

207
Q

what is the best cost option to mitigate global warming..

A

put aerosols in the strato

208
Q

what are some general problems with reducing solar energy proposals, beside cost and logistics..

A

oceans still getting more acidic as CO2 rises
effect on zone w aerosols, non-uniform cooling
hydro cycle weak
unpredictable biological feedbacks
local effects, legal, public, ogvernnance issues
not a proven method
control and predictions are a huge problem here

209
Q

what are some fears with CDR

A

time it will take, will it be effective

can it remove enough??

210
Q

ocershooting the total remaining emissions budget means we will have to…

A

actively remove CO@ from atmos

negative emissions

211
Q

negative CO2 emissions is what

A

active antrhopogenic removal of CO2 from atmos

212
Q

how can we actively remove anthropogenic carbon dioxide from atmos

A 
afforestation - new forest
reforestation
direct air capture + storage
mineralization
BECCS - Bio-energy + Carbon capture w storage
213
Q

traditional FF burning is a positive adding of carbon

FF burning w CCS is neutral

Bioenergy plant is neutral

how do get negative emission

A

bioenergy w CCS

214
Q

synthetic liquid fuels (hydrocarbons) are made of 3 things…

A

CO2
hydrogen
electricity

215
Q

high carbon intesnity synthetic fuel is made of

A

CO2 from CCS FF plant
Hydrogen from steam of natural gas
electricity from FF plant

216
Q

low carbon intensity synthetic fuel is made of…

A

CO2 from DAC
hydrogen from solar PV
electricity from renewables

217
Q

Bio-energy w Carbon capture + storage = BECCS… what is this

A

organic material grown to make biofuels

used in power stations for electricity and capture carbon emissions using CCS tech

218
Q

what a big advantage of BECCS

A

growing additional biomass will help remove CO2

219
Q

explain how BECCS works

A

grow new biomass and use CCS to capture carbon when biomass is burned at power station to achieve net sink of atmos CO2

negative emissions

220
Q

WWS Stanford project sets out to do what

A

eliminate all energy from FFs, nuclear, biomass, carbon capture + storage by 2050 and electrify all energy with no new hydro projects

wind, water and solar

221
Q

what barriers are set against the WWS plan

A

mostly political and social issue, not technological and economic

222
Q

what are some cost benefits of the plan

A

prevent premature deaths
health care savings
less energy consumption because better work and energy ratios , savings on FFs
new jobs
air pollution savings
climate change damage costs reduced
limit global warming to less than 1.5 deg
stabilize energy prices
increase security in energy supplies + reduce international conflict

223
Q

what are the 5 reasons end use power demand reductions occur

A

1 - efficiency of moving low temp building heat w heat pumps instead of combustion

2 - electricity more efficient than combustion

3 - efficiency in battery electric

4 - eliminate energy in mine, transport and process of FFs

5 - reducing energy use + increase efficency

224
Q

The goal is affordable rapid, large scale deployment of renewable energy. What’s the assumption by the WWS that all energy conumption will be…

A

electrified

225
Q

how will transportion be eletrified

A

battery electric vehicles for long distance, light0duty transport

hydrogen fuel cell cehicles for heavy duty ground transport, long distance ocean shipping, air transport

226
Q

how will air heating be powered is energy consuming processed become electrified

A

heat pumps
ground, ir or water source of heat pumps

electric resistant heating

227
Q

Much of the onshore wind area required alows for spacing btw turbines and can also be used for agriculture.. what’s an advantage to land owners putting a wind turbine on their property

A

derive income from both leasing the land for wind turbines and farming around the turbines

228
Q

majority of energy consumption will be powered by what in the WWS plan

A

solar - 57%

second - wind - 37%

last 4-5%
- hydro, geothermal, wave/tidal

229
Q

whats one suggestion by the WWS to increase solar powered energy source

A

PVs on roofs, buildings,parking lots

230
Q

the WWS study is estimating that the consumer, globally, will save in what areas

A

energy costs
health care cost
climate change damage costs

231
Q

the WWS plan estimates that the system for 139 countries that were considered in this study, will cost $125 trillion for 49.9 TW of installed capacity or about $2.5 million per MV. Is this more expensive than what we are doing now with costs of coal, natural gas, wind power…

A

nope, WWS plan is cheaper than what we are doing now

232
Q

besides the cost saving with the WWS plan, whats another great avantage..

A

gain of 24 million workers globally

so 25 million in construction
27 million in operation
compare that to -28 million loss in Fossil fuels expected over a 30 year period…

233
Q

with the change proposed by the WWS, what will need to happen to the transmission grid…

A

upgraded and expanded to handle increase in electricity use

power delivery needs to be reliable and stable

better ability to store power for the grid to be smart

234
Q

where will we see some savings with the WWS

A

air pollution
- reduce mortality costs

savings from global warming damages

235
Q

what are some timeline required to achieve the energy tranformation goal by 2050

A

super grids + smart grids

no more coal, nuclear, natural gas, biomass, hydro

all heating, drying, cooking converted to electric

water freight converted to electric

all rail, bus, aircraft, road - electris/hydrogen by 2025-2040

236
Q

what are some government policies that need to be adopted and implemented

A 
promote efficiency measure in homes
promote energy supply measures
utility planning and incentives
transportation
industry - financial incentives
237
Q

cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions is a good predictor for what

A

amount of global warming

238
Q

when talking about culmulative emissions, its important to take into account…

A

historical culmulative emissions and present-day emissions

important when apportioning responsibility for reductions

239
Q

what are NDCs

A

Nationally Determined Contributions

  • countried unable to agree on enforceable emissions quota allocation
  • NDCs are voluntary emission reduction rargets submitted by individual countried for the Paris Climate Conference in 2015
240
Q

what is the NDCs term used under.. what agreement

A

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

241
Q

What unfortunate about NDCs under the UNFCCC

A

countries can freely select their own mitigation target type… which isn’t helpful because they’re not doing enough

not agressive in their approach and if one person is lacking, it could really mess up the work that need to be done

242
Q

NDC mitigation target types

base year target

A

specify % emissions reduction in some future year compared to actual emissions in chosen past base year

try and reduce by this much % in this year

243
Q

NDC mitigation target type

fixed level target

A

specify absolute amount of emissions to be reduced or reaching carbon neutrality by some year

  • most honest approach
244
Q

NDCs mitigation target type

Baseline scenario target

A

specify % emissions reduction compared to a buisness-as-usual baseline scenario for some future year

not a good target type - manipulate baseline scenario by making baseline emission unrealistically high so reductions look larger

245
Q

NDCs mitigation target type

intensity target

A

% emission intensity redution in some future year compared to actual emission instensity in past base year

no a target type bc emission intensityies are normalized emission by country GDP

246
Q

what are the two NDCs mitigation target types that are not good models

A

baseline scenario target - they can manipulate the unrealistic goals

intensity target - based on normalized emission w GDP- which GDP always rises faster than emissions, so emissions intensity will decrease even though actual emissions continue to rise

247
Q

what is the emissions gap

A

defined as some future year as the difference between global total projected emissions and the emissions required to achieve a final global warming below some target

248
Q

what are some negative emission tech/natural/combines systems being developped

A 
accelerated weathering
direct air apture
ocean alkaline enhancement
CO2 durable carbon
BECCS (natural + tech)
nautral:
new forest, recovery old forest, soil carbon sequestering, biochard, other land use/wetlands
249
Q

what are some consequences of delaying strong emission reduction

A

much steeper rates of global emission reduction need

dependence on using new tech for mitigation

greater mitigation costs

greater economic disruption

greater reliance on negative emissions

risk of failing to meet 2 degrees target

250
Q

what things need to be considered when assessing new renewable energy projects

A 
capital cost
operating cost
capacity factor
levelled cost of energy
marginal cost
251
Q

what are capital cost

A

upfront cost to construct power plant + maintenance work needed to run plant

252
Q

are renewables looking to be more expensive in operating costs

A

nope they’ll likely be cheaper

253
Q

the capacity factor is…

A

ratio of average output to peak power that the station could deliver

254
Q

why is the capacity factor never 100%

A

because of maintenance cost, equiment, fluctuation in availliability to primary energy source

255
Q

what are capacity factor of solar plants like

A

typically low

sun is only available during the day

256
Q

what are levelized cost of energy

A

price for generated electricity that makes net present value of installation zero

cost of ownership of the plant

257
Q

marginal cost is…

A

dollar amount that needs tobe spent to generate kWh, over cost of investement and operation

258
Q

the marginalized cost of solar plants is …

A

usually small w=because no fuel requirements and very little maintenance needed

259
Q

coupling an economic model with a climate model is called…

A

integrated assessment model (IAM)

260
Q

what do IAM predict

A

economic growth, climate damages, statement costs

261
Q

what is the main goal of IAMs

A

couple economic theory to carbon emissions to predict future GGs concentrations + temp chgs

help develop policies that will minimize sum of costs while maintaining economic growth

Climate Change (2 decks)

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