Environmental Threats to the Planet

Question 1

Where was the Big Dry drought?

Answer 1

Australia - Murray Darling Basin particularly

Question 2

What was Australia’s level of development?

Answer 2

It was a AC, with a GDP of $1.2 trillion

Question 3

When did the Big Dry occur?

Answer 3

2002 - 2009

Question 4

When was the Big Dry declared officially over?

Answer 4

2012

Question 5

Why could they say the Big Dry was over?

Answer 5

Because they had two years of good rainfall

Question 6

What was the population of the MDB?

Answer 6

2 million

Question 7

What size is the MDB equivalent to?

Answer 7

France and Spain

Question 8

How much of Australia’s water does the MDB have?

Answer 8

75%

Question 9

How much of Australia’s produce does the MDB produce?

Answer 9

40% of produce on 70% of their irrigated land and cropland

Question 10

What were the causes of the Big Dry linked to supply?

Answer 10

1) Well under average rainfall - especially in the E and SE
(Average rainfall is usually 500mm, but in 2002 it was
200mm)
2) Increased temperature - up 0.5C to 1.5C on average
against usual in MDB
3) El Nino - 2002 was El Nino year, followed by 4 events in next 9 years (above average) - reduces rainfall by 25%

Question 11

What were the causes of the Big Dry linked to demand?

Answer 11

1) Population - High demand for water from large population
2) Managment - MDB managed over 4 states leads to conflicts of interest
3) Agriculture - 70% of Australia’s irrigated cropland is in MDB

Question 12

Was the drought caused more by demand or supply?

Answer 12

Whilst demand issues are present, it was particular decreases in supply that triggered this drought

Question 13

What were the social impacts of the Big Dry?

3 impacts

Answer 13

1) Migration - people left rural areas to move to the cities meaning there were unbalanced social pyramids - people left behind felt isolated and vulnerable.
2) Suicides - at the height of the drought there was 1 suicide every four days amongst farmers
3) Farmers felt forgotten - called themselves the ‘forgtten people’

Question 14

What were the economic impacts of the Big Dry?

7 impacts

Answer 14

1) Some farmers had no income for 3 years
2) Many farmers had to work in mines to top up income
3) There was a large impact on cattle - 10,000 died a day, with many having to be shot by farmers - livestock was sold at rock bottom prices
4) Food prices rose due to dependence on imports
5) Water bills rose by 20%
6) Loss of tourism, especially on water based activities in Adelaide
7) GDP loss of 1% in 2006

Question 15

What were the environmental impacts of the Big Dry?

7 impacts

Answer 15

1) Loss of biodiversity and long term severe ecological breakdown - the River Red Gum Eucalyptus tree requires partial flooding
2) Loss of valuable topsoil through wind erosion
3) Murray Darling river flow was lowest on 90 year record
4) HEP dams had to be shut because there wasn’t enough flow, and dirty fossil fuels had to be used instead.
5) Water quality went down - freshwater supplies were acidified as acid sulphate soils were exposed and oxidised - salinisation from salt water intrusion/ evaporation
6) Increased wildfires - “Black saturday” on 7th Feb 2009 173 people died
7) Grasslands were lost across the basin

Question 16

What are the 4 main management strategies of the impacts of the Big Dry?

Answer 16

Aussie Helpers, Desalination plant, Murray Darling Basin Plan, Greywater

Question 17

Who is the Aussie Helpers project led by and what do they do?

Answer 17

Brian Egan - they deliver groceries, and provide councelling and supports people who live out in the bush.

Question 18

What scale is Aussie Helpers and how long term is it?

Answer 18

They raise $250,000 a year - They want to operate long term but this relies on the continued help of his volunteers - Brian is getting old and wont be able to lead it forever.

Question 19

How does Aussie Helpers tackle the issues faced by drought?

Answer 19

It neither increases supply or reduces demand, it just makes people feel better.

Question 20

How socially sustainable is Aussie Helpers?

Answer 20

1) It helped Brian when he was strugging
2) Helped people out in the bush - those who really needed it
3) It has kept farming families spirits lifted

Question 21

How economically sustainable is Aussie Helpers?

Answer 21

1) Keeps farmers from going bust

2) Keeping farms open helps Australia’s national food security

Question 22

How environmentally sustainable is Aussie Helpers?

Answer 22

1) There is an environmental footprint left by Brian and his team driving petrol heavy jeeps around the Bush

Question 23

What is the name of the new desalination plant built to tackle the Big Dry, and where is it?

Answer 23

Wonthaggi Desalination Plant, Melbourne

Question 24

How much of Melbourne’s water is the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant able to supply, and how long term is it?

Answer 24

33% - The plant should last many decades

Question 25

How well does the desalination plant address the issues of drought?

Answer 25

It supplies more drinking water, but does not reduce demand

Question 26

How socially sustainable is the desalination plant?

Answer 26

1) It is focused on urban areas, and excludes the people in rural areas who are most impacted by drought 2) It is a reliable and constant water supply, which makes people less worried about drought

Question 27

How economically sustainable is the desalination plant?

Answer 27

1) It is very expensive ($6bn set up, and $600m a year running cost), and critics argue the money could be spent better as it doesn't reduce demand 2) Australians could get complacent with the better supply, and increase demand

Question 28

How environmentally sustainable i the desalination plant?

Answer 28

1) The waste product is brine, which is toxic 2) Large carbon footprint to building a big structure 3) Desalination plants require enormous amounts of energy, most of which comes from fossil fuels.

Question 29

When was the Murray Darling Basin Plan made?

Answer 29

2007, under the Commonwealth Act

Question 30

How long was the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Answer 30

10 years

Question 31

What was the key aim of the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Answer 31

Remove 2750 gigalitres of water from irrigated agriculture and return to the river systems

Question 32

How long term is the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Answer 32

The strategy is mainly focused on the short and medium term, but was extended past 2017 and will be reviewed in 2026.

Question 33

How well does the Murray Darling Basin Plan address the issues of drought?

Answer 33

It aims to tackle supply and demand issues

Question 34

How socially sustainable is the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Answer 34

1) There is profeteiring from companies who are investing in water, and they are more worried about share prices rather than water supply to the people 2) Aboriginal peoples views have been sourced which helps improve social equity

Question 35

How economically sustainable is the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Answer 35

1) There is a lot of debate over how these billions of dollars are best spent 2) Flows that have been directed from agriculture back into ecosystems have reduced yield, leaving farmers furious.

Question 36

How environmentally sustainable is the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Answer 36

1) Despite improvements, many water sources are still classified as poor. 2) Water levels are still not high enough and there is routine dredging because levels are so low 3) 450 gigalitres are being diverted back into ecosystems

Question 37

How efficient is the Greywater scheme?

Answer 37

Can save up to 50% of water

Question 38

How long term is the Greywater scheme?

Answer 38

The Australian government has a long term commitment to improving water efficiency in homes which will help them combat water demand and reduce carbon footprint

Question 39

How well does the Greywater scheme tackle the issues of drought?

Answer 39

It directly reduces demand

Question 40

How socially sustainable is Greywater?

Answer 40

1) There is a cost to installing the system which could mean it is exclusive to the wealthy 2) By encouraging these systems, it makes australians think about how elese they could be more sustainable

Question 41

How economcally sustainable is Greywater?

Answer 41

1) Most of the cost is with the consumer which is good for the government, and they just have to advertise it. 2) The consumer has to buy it, but in an AC most can afford to

Question 42

How enviromentally sustainable is Greywater?

Answer 42

1) Reducing demand for water means less big projects to increase supply need to be built, saving habitats and ecosystems, aswell as carbon footprints. 2) There are lots of components needed which are shipped from across the world.

Question 43

What is the Greywater?

Answer 43

Water is collected under the sink, cleaned and then sent to the toilet, washing machine and outside tap.

Question 44

What scales are the following management strategies for the Big Dry: Murray Darling Basin Plan, Greywater, Desalination Plant, Aussie Helpers

Answer 44

1) National 2) Local 3) Regional 4) Local

Question 45

When did the Quaternary period start?

Answer 45

2.6 million years ago

Question 46

What are the two epochs within the Quaternary period?

Answer 46

Pleistocene and Holocene

Question 47

How long has the current inter glacial period (Holocene) lasted?

Answer 47

11,700 years

Question 48

What are the typical conditions of Glacial periods?

Answer 48

Ice sheets advanced, sea level is low, less vegetation, cold temperatures with dry weather

Question 49

What are the typical conditions of Inter glacial periods?

Answer 49

Ice sheets receded. sea level is high, more vegetation, warm temperatures with wet weather

Question 50

What are the 4 main ways of collecting evidence for climate change?

Answer 50

Temperature records, ice cores, tree rings, paintings and diaries

Question 51

What are the advantages and disadvantages of recent temperature records?

Answer 51

- Accurate and precise data | - Only go back until around 1880

Question 52

How do ice cores help us understand past climates?

Answer 52

Scientists can analyse the trapped gas, and then predict what the climate was like. They can do this because there is a close correlation between the levels of greenhouse gasses and the global average temperature.

Question 53

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using ice cores?

Answer 53

- Go back around 800,000 years - Temperatures change quickest in polar regions so it shows trends clearly - Ice sheets are melting due to climate change

Question 54

How do tree rings help us understand past climates?

Answer 54

The nature of the rings - thick rings = wet year and thin rings = dry year

Question 55

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using tree rings?

Answer 55

- No precise data - Go back a reasonably long time (up to 14,000 years), but mainly only recent climates - Only show localised climate for the tree - Easy to do

Question 56

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using historical sources?

Answer 56

- Relies on artist being accurate | - Easy to understand and observe key events

Question 57

What is eccentricity?

Answer 57

- Over a period of 100,000 years the Earths orbit of the sun changes from a circle to an ellipse and back again - This has the most effect when the earth is further away from the sun during northern hemisphere summers. - When the Earths orbit is more elliptical, the sun is further from the Northern Hemisphere during the summer, leading to a build up of ice

Question 58

What is obliquity?

Answer 58

- Over 42,000 years the Earth changes its tilt on its axis from 21.5 degrees to 24.5 degrees - If it is a shallow tilt summers are cooler and winters are milder - this would allow ice to build up because it doesn't melt in summer

Question 59

What is procession?

Answer 59

- The Earth wobbles on its axis over a period of 26,000 years, and this changes the severity of the seasons.

Question 60

How do sunspots impact the Earths climate?

Answer 60

- When there are more sun spots more isolation reaches the Earths surface - There is a solar maximum every 11 years

Question 61

How does volcanic activity impact the Earths climate?

Answer 61

- They cause cooler temperatures as ash and gasses emitted reflect solar isolation back into space - Sulphur dioxide reacts with water to form a cloud of sulphuric aerosols which reflects short wave solar radiation

Question 62

What were the causes of the Medieval warm period?

Answer 62

Increased sunspots and lack of volcanic activity

Question 63

When was the Medieval warm period?

Answer 63

950-1250

Question 64

When was the Little Ice Age?

Answer 64

1300-1850

Question 65

What caused the Little Ice Age?

Answer 65

A major volcanic event in the 1200s

Question 66

When did modern warming start?

Answer 66

1850 - Present day

Question 67

What has caused modern warming?

Answer 67

Use of fossil fuels and increased levels of greenhouse gasses

Question 68

What makes up the cryosphere?

Answer 68

Permafrost, glaciers, snow, ice caps, ice sheets, lake/river ice, sea ice, icebergs, ice shelf, ice sheets

Question 69

What is the cryosphere?

Answer 69

All regions on and beneath the surface of the Earth and Ocean where water is in solid form

Question 70

How much colder would the Earth be without the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 70

it would be -18C instead of 15C

Question 71

Explain the enhanced greenhouse effect:

Answer 71

1) Short wave radiation emitted by the Sun is absorbed by the Earth's surface 2) This warms the Earth surface, and the Earth emits long wave radiation 3) Greenhouse gasses then absorb the some of the long wave radiation and re-emitt it back towards earth 4) This results in the warming of the Earths surface and atmosphere

Question 72

What are the main causes of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions?

Answer 72

Heat and electricity (25%), Agriculture and land (20%), Industry (18%)

Question 73

What are some explanations form human caused climate change? (name a few)

Answer 73

Not only is there a carbon footprint to its production, but we waste emissions moving it, packing it and disposing of it. In landfill sits, it rots and produces methane, a gas 25 times more potent to the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) burn to produce a lot of carbon, which adds to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Whilst energy mixes are becoming increasingly renewable as technologies get cheaper and public attitudes change, fossil fuel usage still dominates. This industry includes domestic vehicle usage, which is increasing as the global middle classes expand; haulage and freight of goods; and the aviation industry. Concrete is the second most used substance on the planet (behind water) and it is incredibly energy inefficient to use. Refrigeration, for example emits a lot of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) which are particularly potent greenhouse gases. This is because cattle produce a lot of methane (through farting) and much of the land which they graze on is there because forests were cut down to support the cattle. This reduces an important carbon sink.

Question 74

How much of the global energy production still comes from fossil fuels?

Answer 74

80%

Question 75

What is an example of a place where there will be increased droughts?

Answer 75

Malawi - low income country in southern Africa - 90% of population reliant on rain fed agriculture - experiencing 3rd major drought in 20 years

Question 76

What is an example of a place where there will be increased tropical storm severity?

Answer 76

Philippines - Typhoon Haiyan struck in 2013 resulting in 6000 deaths and $12,9B in damage - They are in danger of more frequent and severe storms

Question 77

What is an example of a place where rising sea levels will be damaging?

Answer 77

Vietnam - 1m rise would cause 20% of Ho Chi Minh City will be flooded resulting in a loss of 10% GDP, and impacting 12% of the population

Question 78

Where is an example of a place most impacted by increased flooding?

Answer 78

Bangladesh - melting ice caps in Himalayas resulting in overflowing rivers - estimated 30-70% of the country could be flooded each year - coastline also vulnerable to rising sea levels

Question 79

What is the current rate of sea level rise?

Answer 79

3-4mm a year (19cm since 1900)

Question 80

What percentage of the worlds population live withing 50km of the coasts?

Answer 80

50%

Question 81

How will a 7m sea rise by 2050 impact Tuvalu?

Answer 81

It would be completely submereged

Question 82

Where was an example of a tropical storm hitting much further north than previously?

Answer 82

North Scotia - Storm Desmond

Question 83

How many people are effected by droughts every year?

Answer 83

55m

Question 84

How many people could be displaced by droughts by 2030?

Answer 84

700m

Question 85

How easy is drought to manage?

Answer 85

Short term aid can be supplied, and investment can be made into irrigation systems and reducing demand, and increasing supply

Question 86

How is sea level rise impacting Tuvalu?

Answer 86

- Salinity of the soil is increasing - Land is slowly being lost to the sea - First country with climate change migrants

Question 87

What are the 3 cells (from north to south)

Answer 87

Polar cell, Farell cell, Hadley cell

Question 88

What would you find at 30, 60 and 90 north or south of the equator?

Answer 88

30 - Hot and dry 60 - wet 90 - cold and dry

Question 89

How do Kobatic winds work?

Answer 89

High pressure descending at the south pole (because of the polar cell) forces air down over the gradient of Antarctica

Question 90

Where are Tropical storms known as Typhoons, Hurricanes and Cyclones?

Answer 90

Typhoons - Western North Pacific Hurricanes - Western Atlantic and East Pacific Cyclones - South Indian Ocean and Pacific

Question 91

What are the wind speeds of Tropical Storms?

Answer 91

63-118 km/h (119 and above is a Tropical Cyclone)

Question 92

What are the conditions required for the formation of a tropical storm?

Answer 92

26C sea temperature, 60m depth of warm water, 8-20 degrees north or south of the equator

Question 93

What is the process for the formation of a Tropical storm?

Answer 93

1) Rapidly rising air in low pressure draws up the warm water from the oceans surface 2) As the air rises and condenses, it produces latent hear which intensifies the storm 3) As more moisture is evaporated, a series of smaller storms join to form a larger storm which starts to turn as a result of the Coriolis force 4) As the storm grows, winds get stronger, and when it reaches mph the storm classes as a hurricane 5) The eye forms in the centre of the storm, where cooler denser air sinks to bring calm conditions 6) The eye wall has the most intense conditions

Question 94

Which direction does the Coriolis force travel in the northern hemisphere?

Answer 94

Anti-clockwise

Question 95

How will frequency, intensity and distribution of tropical storms change with climate change?

Answer 95

Frequency - unsure | Intensity and distribution - increase

Question 96

Where did typhoon Haiyan form and travel over?

Answer 96

Formed in west pacific and travelled over Micronesia, the Philippines, South China, Vietnam and Taiwan

Question 97

What is the definition of drought?

Answer 97

It differs depending on the normal conditions for a region

Question 98

What are human and physical causes of drought?

Answer 98

``` H - population growth H - Over farming H/P - global warming H/P - Deforestation H/P - Building Dams P - El Nino P - Shifts in ITCZ ```

Question 99

How will global warming impact the frequency of drought?

Answer 99

- It will increase the frequency - Water will evapourate more easily - El Nino more common - Atmospheric circulation changes

Question 100

How does deforestation cause drought?

Answer 100

- Less transpiration

Question 101

How does shifts in the ITCZ cause drought?

Answer 101

- ITCZ moves north and south because of tilt of the Earth, leaving some areas with less than usual rainfall

Question 102

Explain what happens in an El Nino year, compared to a normal year?

Answer 102

- Weaker trade winds means warm water travels less far across the Pacific. - Means warm water builds up in the middle of the Pacific instead of near Australia - Results in an area of low pressure over middle of the pacific instead of off the coast of Australia. - Atmospheric circulation causes air to sink over Australia and South America, and australia experiences colder and dryer conditions, while South America experiences much warmer and dryer conditions.