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Geography U1 Physical > Coping with Climate Change > Flashcards

Coping with Climate Change Flashcards

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1
Q

what is mitigation toward climate change?

A

stopping climate change, reducing output of GHG and increasing size of carbon sinks

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2
Q

what are 4 general ways to mitigate against climate change?

A
  1. targets to reduce carbon
  2. switch to renewable energy
  3. upfront cost
  4. any action taken limits damage to natural systems
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3
Q

what is adaptation toward climate change?

A

changing our lifestyle to cope with a new environments, accepting climate change

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4
Q

what are ways to adapt to climate change?

A
  1. managed retreat of coastlines
  2. drought resistant crops
  3. spreading costs out over time
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5
Q

what are two downsides to adapting to climate change?

A
  • poorer lack adaptive capacity to cope
  • actions taken to adapt might condemn natural systems which can’t adapt (E.g. species extinction of insects that cannot feed off drought resistant crops)
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6
Q

what are the two most used way to mitigate?

A
  • carbon neutral development: offsetting carbon emissions by afforesting
  • carbon capture tech: implemented in power stations
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7
Q

what is a positive and negative outcome of carbon neutral development to mitigate against climate change?

A

pro: greatest impact on emissions
con: public oppose land use & lifestyle changes that afforestation brings

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8
Q

what is a pro and con of carbon capture tech to mitigate?

A

pro: removes problem at source
con: high cost, unsustainable

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9
Q

what are two examples of adapting to climate change?

A
  • prevent development on floodplains/coasts

- drought tolerant crops and use waste water on crops

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10
Q

what is a pro and con to Land Use Planning to adapt?

A

pro: reduce vulnerability to extreme weather
con: oppose by existing residents on coasts and floodplains

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11
Q

what is a pro and con to Agricultural Technology to adapt?

A

pro: tech already exists, quickly implemented
con: expensive, can’t be implemented in developing world, africa

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12
Q

what is an example of a poorer place have little adaptive capacity?

A

tuvalu island, between hawaii and australia

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13
Q

how does Tuvalu economically and environmentally have low adaptive capacity to cope?

A

economy: relies on semi-susbsitence farming, fishing, foreign aid
environmentally: every island 5m above/below sea level, porous coral atolls flood, push salt water through ground, poisonous food crops

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14
Q

what are the four options for tuvalu?

A
  • relocate
  • change behaviour
  • modify the threat
  • prevent the loss
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15
Q

how are Tuvaluans going to relocate to adapt to climate change?

A

2001, NZ agreed to accept 75 Tuvaluans each year

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16
Q

how have Tuvaluans changed their behaviour to adapt to climate change?

A

2000 joined UN to bring their issues to world

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17
Q

how have Tuvaluans ‘modified the threat’ of sea-level rise to adapt to climate change

A

stopped beach mining to reduce erosion risk

18
Q

how have Tuvaluans taken action to prevent crop yield loss to adapt to climate change?

A

salt-tolerant crops (halophyte’s)

19
Q

why is the future not good for Tuvalu against climate change?

A
  • low adaptive capacity to cope:
  • small GDP $12 million (relies on foreign aid)
  • high fertility rates
  • bad environmental management, e.g. beach mining
20
Q

what is some background information on the kyoto protocol agreement?

A
  • kyoto, japan, 1997
  • reduce carbon emissions by 20% of what they were in 90s
  • 190 countries signed
21
Q

why were negotiations in the kyoto protocol conference complex?

A
  • for the treaty to start, 55 countries had to ratify
  • had to have enough countries to join to account for 55% global carbon emissions
  • country specific emissions target, EU = 8%
  • effectiveness of protocol lessened due to USA withdrawal 2001, targets too expensive to reach
22
Q

what were some of the deals made in the kyoto protocol conference?

A
  • carbon credits allowed to be traded

- carbon sinks to offset allowed, but critics say these encourage countries to continue polluting

23
Q

what were the 3 main reasons that led the kyoto protocol to be unsuccessful?

A
  • reduction of carbon emission only 0.5% in 2012, when the aim was to reduce by 20%
  • some countries better than others at meeting target (Uk = better, spain = worst)
  • China’s emissions increased by 50% since 1990s
24
Q

is there hope for the kyoto protocol ever being successful?

A

some hope - UN climate change convention produced Bali Roadmap, new emissions targets

25
Q

what did the TNC, Shell, do to outrage the public? why are Shell against mitigating against climate change?

A

they funded Global Climate Coalition to fund research to counter-argue the effects of global warming, to save profits and jobs

26
Q

why did Shells Global Climate Coalition fail?

A

companies began to leave it in 1992, so was stopped in 2002

27
Q

why did businesses like Shell change their attitudes toward mitigation?

A
  • public pressure for moral
  • fears about energy supply
  • mitigation provides new jobs for economic growth in new technology
  • the benefits from climate change as a result of doing nothing are far smaller than eventual costs climate change will bring
  • governments implementing new laws to tax CO2 emissions
28
Q

what have businesses done to prove their attitude toward mitigation has changed?

A
  • US Climate Action Partnership
  • businesses working together to slow/reverse USA emissions whilst the economy still expands
  • economic growth created by new jobs in mitigation
29
Q

what national strategies have the UK taken to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2050?

A
  • 10% energy renewable by 2010
  • 20% renewable energy by 2020
  • car taxing based on CO2 emissions, large car = more expensive
  • wind farms
30
Q

how successful will the national strategies of wind power in the UK be?

A
  • wind unreliable

- wind farm placement heavily impacted by public protest

31
Q

what targets and national strategies have Norway put into place to reduce carbon emissions?

A

aim: cut 1990 emission levels by 30% by 2020
strategy: capture 1.5 million tonnes CO2, store under ground

32
Q

will the national strategies implemented by Norway be effective?

A
  • untested large scale

- high cost, short-term solution

33
Q

what international scheme has the EU implemented to combat global warming?

A

the ETS (Emissions Trading System), cap + trade system

34
Q

how does the ETS work?

A
  • limit set on how much a pollutant can be emitted (caps criticised to be too lenient)
  • companies within limits set allowed to sell credits to companies who need to pollute more
35
Q

what alternative did the EU allow companies to do besides cap + trade system?

A

EU countries can buy CER’s, by investing in environmentally projects in LICs

36
Q

what city has taken local action against climate change and how?

A

London, Mayor launched ‘Action Today to Protect Tomorrow’, reduce CO2 emissions by 30% in next 10 yrs

37
Q

what are some initiatives London has implemented to locally reduce carbon emissions?

A
  • 8000 London buses converted diesel/electric hybrids
  • solar panels on schools
  • raised to £25 congestion charge
  • Green Homes Programme = free insulation in homes, energy efficient
  • cycle paths & Barclays bikes
38
Q

what are some of the ways we can individually reduce our carbon footprints?

A
  • walk/cycle/bus
  • buy local food
  • renewable energy
  • energy efficient light bulbs
39
Q

why would reducing our carbon footprint as individuals be an unfair approach to take globally?

A
  • some people consume far less + produce less carbon than average (developing world)
  • rich countries reduce carbon whilst poor increase emissions, ‘contraction + convergence’ model
  • China + India still allowed to produce emissions even though MICs
40
Q

how are Coldplay, ‘climate crusaders’ ?

A

offsetted carbon emitted when making/selling their 2002 CD by buying 10,000 mango trees for villagers in India

41
Q

how is Walmart a ‘climate crusader’?

A
  • Sustainability 360 Programme, to cut CO2 emissions in stores by 20%
  • reduce packing of produce by 5% by 2013

Geography U1 Physical (7 decks)

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