Final Exam: Climate Change Flashcards
What makes Fracking Regulation different? (What is not required)
Fracking operations do not require federal permits or for operations to disclose the chemicals used in the process. Fracking is also exempt from RCRA wastewater disposal requirements.
What is the “Halliburton Loophole”
Fracking exemption from Safe Drinking Water Act requirements on underground injection of fluids.
What are the three main types of policy instruments?
Regulation, Cap-and-trade, Carbon tax
What was the goal of the Clean Power Plan
CO2 limits for existing power plants and reduce nationwide CO2 emissions by 32% below 2005 levels by 2030. (Invalidated by supreme court in 2022)
What are the four tools to reduce emissions described in the Clean Power Plan
- Make existing coal plants more efficient
- Use existing gas plants more effectively
- Increase use of renewable and nuclear power
- Increase end-use energy efficiency.
What are Clean Energy Mandates
They require electric power generators to provide some percentage of power from clean sources
Describe cap-and-trade
The government sets a cap on emissions. Firms are allocated permits to emit pollutants. Firms can buy and sell permits.
What is Carbon Tax
To impose fee/tax on CO2 equivalent on GHG emissions from a set source
Describe the 1992 UNFCCC Treaty
Long term objective: “Stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”
As a framework, treaty sets out broad strategies for countries to work jointly to address climate change.
Established principles of “common but differentiated responsibilities”
Describe the 1997 Kyoto Protocol
Regulated 6 GHG. Annex 1 countries collectively agreed to reduce emissions by 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012, but actual targets varied by country. Included Mandator targets for emission cuts.
What were the 5 GHG reduction strategies outlined in the Kyoto Protocol
- Develop national policies to lower domestic GHG emissions
- Calculate benefits from domestic carbon sinks
- Participate in transnational emissions trading with other Annex 1 countries
- Development Joint Implementation (JI) programs with other Annex 1 countries
- Design partnership with non-Annex 1 countries through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
Describe the 2010 Copenhagen Accord
UNFCCC parties began to negotiate follow-up to Kyoto protocol. Could not reach an agreement on a formal treaty.
Parties agreed to adopt their own voluntary and widely divergent GHG reduction targets for 2020
Also included a commitment by industrialized nations to raise $30B from 2010 to 2020 (with hopes to raise 100B) to support mitigation and adaptation projects in developing countries
Describe the 2015 Paris Agreement
No one is in agreement on what to do. Each nation committed its own set of emission reduction commitments (“Intended nationally determined contributions”). With intent to Monitor progress, and ratchet up targets over time.
Sets 2 degree C target, with aspirational goal of keeping warming to 1.5 C degrees
Codified (sort of) goal of raising $100B for climate finance
Included recognition of importance of funding for “loss and damage” but no formal liability
What are the 3 broad categories of climate change response.
Mitigation, Adaptation, Geoengineering
