Exam study Flashcards
- What are the three main supply-side land mitigation pathways?
Reduction/prevention, sequestration, substitution
- List 3 criteria the IPCC use to assess land mitigation options (apart from cost).
Technical potential, ease of implementation, timescale for implementation.
- List 5 main categories of co-benefits and trade-offs of mitigation strategies.
Institutional, social, economic, environmental, technological
- Are externalities positive or negative?
Externalities can be both positive or negative - an effect of a market transaction on individuals or firms other than those directly involved in the transaction.
Example: Global warming most significant negative externality.
- What is the formula for determining present value in a CBA (cost-benefit analysis)?
Formula:
PV= x/(1+r)^n
Where:
x = future value
r = discount rate
n = number of years
Cost-benefit analysis: A tool for policy analysis that attempts to monetise all the costs and benefits of a proposed action, in order to determine the net value. Costs and benefits often occur over different time periods, so net present value is determined using a discount rate.
- Which economic review used a low discount rate of 1.4% and highlighted the need for immediate action?
The Stern Review
Stern used a low discount rate of 1.4%, which meant that high long-term damages were more costly than talking aggressive mitigation action today.
- Why might elasticity of demand change in the long-term?
Firms and individuals have time to adjust to changes in prices by seeking alternatives to their consumption patterns. Also R&D may (and often does) produce new solutions.
OR
Firms/individuals have time to seek alternatives to their consumption patterns.
- List 3 incentive-based mechanisms.
- Subsidies
- Taxes
- ETS (transferable permits)
*** check table for advantages and disadvantages
- List 4 key elements of the Australian Labor Governments Clean Energy Future Plan.
- A carbon price (Carbon pricing mechanism)
- Renewable energy (CEFC, ARENA, RET)
- Energy efficiency initiatives (Low Carbon Communities program, energy savings initiatives)
- Action on the land (carbon farming initiative) - creates credits from trees, livestock methane reduction, savanna burning that can be sold to CPM polluters, voluntary market or exported.
- What is the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC.
Stabilise GHG concentration and prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with climate systems.
Or
The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994.
The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations “at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human induced) interference with the climate system”. It states that “such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner”.
- Who is in Annex I to the convention?
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) and EITs (Economies in transition).
Or
Annex I countries include those in the OECD and also countries with EITs from central and Eastern Europe. As they are the source of most past and current greenhouse gas emissions, industrialised countries are expected to do the most to cut emissions.
Annex I countries were expected by the year 2000 to reduce emissions to 1990 levels.
- What are the 2 commitment periods of the UNFCCCs Kyoto Protocol.
- First 2008-2012 Australia’s target was 108% of 1990 emissions
- Second 2013-2020 Australia’s target is 5% below 2000 levels by 2020. This could be expanded to 25% below 2000 if certain conditions met.
- What is the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.
Limit increase to well-below 2c and pursue 1.5c limit.
Or
Goal to limit global temperature increase to well below 2c, with aim to limit to 1.5c. This means we need to aim for global net zero emissions by 2050.
- Who coined the term “wicked problem”?
Rittel and Weber (1973)
- How are they different to tame problems (wicked problems)?
I’ll defined, ambiguous and have strong moral, political and professional issues.
