Final Flashcards
Adaptions
Actions that cushion against impact of climate change
Mitigation strategies
Actions that will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted
Geoengineering
Deliberate modifications of the earth’s environment to affect the climate
Life Cycle analysis
Quantifying emissions released at all stage - production, distribution, use, eventual disposal
Fossil Fuels
Essential non-renewable due to time needed to form Coal, Oil and Natural gas
Fuels that don’t produce greenhouse gases directly
Nuclear, hydro power
Coal
Energy derived from photosynthesis of prehistoric wetland plants, high energy to weight ratio, burning coal releases huge amounts of pollutants
Oil
Result from decay of plankton and other matter at bottom of oceans. Used for transportation and heating
Natural gas
Made of methane, contains more H and less C than oil, one of the “cleanest” forms of fossil fuels.
Nuclear Power
Energy comes from chain reaction - bombard isotopes with neurons. Splits into lighter atoms, releasing more neutrons creates more fission, huge amount of energy released, produces no greenhouse gases
Hydropower
Mechanical energy of moving water
No direct emissions of greenhouse gases
Indirect - decay of flooded vegetation in reservoirs, behind dams, C stored in soil
Energy Efficiency
Portion of unit of delivered energy that is used in the specific, desired way for which that energy is sought
Double paned window
Reduce heat transfer, simple window-heat transferred when there is temp different on tighter side of glass
Geothermal heat pumps
Uses relatively constant temp. of the earth as a heat sink-heat source
Green roofs
More expensive to build but absorb rainwater, provide insulation, habitat for wildlife
Fuel cells
Use chemical reactions to create electric currents
Fueled by oxygen and hydrogen
Batteries
Lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles
Bioenthanol
Corn, wheat, sugarcane, molasses. Produced by enzymatic digestion, fermentation of sugars and starch, distillation and drying
Solar Power
Thermal
Passive - orienting or using materials that have favorable thermal mass
Active- pump a heat absorbing material through a collector. Used for hot water, home heating
Photovoltaic cells
Convert solar radiation to direct current electricity
Wind Power
Limited geographically, faster growing renewable resource, expensive storage during peak times to offset non-windy times
Geothermal
Power extracted from heat stored in the earth - high pressure, high temp steam fields that exist around edges of continental plates
