Coping With Climate Change Flashcards
What are mitigation strategies
Involve taking action to reduce how much climate change occurs
What are adaptation strategies
Involves taking action to reduce the impacts that the changes are having
Is carbon tax an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Mitigation
Explain carbon tax
Taxing companies/people who produce CO2
Increasing costs discourages over consumption of energy
Is changing the energy mix an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Mitigation
Explain changing the energy mix
I.e. lowering the proportion of energy made from fossil fuels and increasing energy from sources that produce less greenhouse gas emissions (nuclear)
Is modified agricultural practices an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Mitigation
Explain modified agricultural practices
Cut methane generation from farm animals eg developing new types of feed
Are emission cutting technologies an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Mitigation
Explain emission cutting technologies
Carbon capture and storage involves storing the CO2 produced using using methods like injecting it isn’t geological formations eg coal seams
Are energy conservations an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Mitigation
Explain energy conservation
Using less energy eg switching home appliances off when not at home
Are waste strategies an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Increasing the amount of waste that is recycled, which should directly cute methane emissions from landfill sites
Are lifestyle adaptations an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Adaptation
Explain lifestyle adaptations
People adapt to the way they love to suit the new conditions eg planting new crops that will flourish in the new climatic conditions
Is improved risk assessment an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Adaptation
Explain improved risk assessment
Looking at the likelihood that people/property will be damaged by climate change impacts and evaluations the need for insurance policies
Are food adaptations an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Adaptation
Explain flood adaptations
Building physical defences such as flood barriers to reduce the impacts of flooding, and having better floor warning systems
Is community awareness an adaptation or mitigation strategy
Adaptation
Explain community awareness
Educating local communities on the potential impacts of climate change
Which strategies need to be applied on a global scale
Changing energy mix, emission cutting technologies
Which strategies can to be applied on a local scale
Community awareness, waste strategies
Name a major global strategy
International agreements
Example of a strategy which would only have a small impact on their own
Energy conservation in homes
Explain strategy limitations that reduce their effectiveness
Eg building physical flood defences works whilst flooding remains below a certain point
If sea levels continue to rise, defences (such as the Thames barrier) will not be high enough to cope with higher flood waters
Explain strategy side effects that reduce their effectiveness
Eg changing the energy mix would reduce emissions but using more nuclear power would produce more nuclear waste, which is expensive and dangerous to dispose of
Explain how businesses could impact on trying to cope with climate change
Can be responsible for contributing to climate change or can help slow it down
May lobby governments to reduce restrictions -continue producing
May help be investing in new technologies to combat climate change
Explain how NGB’s could impact on trying to cope with climate change
Many different roles/views depending on their purpose/members
Eg Greenpeace tries to persuade governments to recognise/take action against climate change
Explain how communities/individuals could impact on trying to cope with climate change
Strategies developed on larger levels and carried out at a smaller levels
Eg governments encouraging recycling but actually done by individuals
Explain how governments could impact on trying to cope with climate change
Create strategies on international, national and local scales
What is the Kyoto protocol
International agreement between over 180 counties to monitor and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2012
What two categories did the Kyoto protocol split the countries into
Developed countries and developing countries
What did the developed countries have to do (Kyoto protocol)
Cut emissions overall by 5%
What did the developing countries have to do (Kyoto protocol)
Monitor and report their emissions
Explain: agreement set up as a market in carbon ‘credits’
Kyoto protocol
All countries/businesses given a limit on the emissions they produce
If produced less=they could sell the extra carbon credits
If produced more=they needed to buy more credits
Which four countries did not sign up originally in 1997 to the Kyoto protocol
USA, Australia, China, India
Why did the USA and Australia not sign up to the Kyoto protocol
They thought it would affect their economies and that developing countries should have targets as well
Why did China and India not sign up to the Kyoto protocol
They thought it would slow their growth rate
Criticism of the Kyoto protocol
Some felt targets were not high enough, others thought there were no point if the highest polluters were not includes (USA did not fully join)
The Kyoto protocol was due to expire in 2012, when did many agree to extend it to
2020
What can individuals do at a local level to aid combatting climate change
Reduce their carbon footprint
Why will changes to emissions be incremental rather than gradual (changing by step rather than constant)
Large scale initiatives are changes to attributes which are sudden changes
What are the two categories of strategies for coping with climate change and global warming
Mitigation strategy
Adaptation strategy
