Lecture 33: Anthropocene Flashcards
What is Mitigation?
Human interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental pollutants, with an aim of slowing and ultimately halting root causes of anthropogenic climate change
What is an example of Mitigation?
Reducing CO2 emissions
What do all energy sources come with?
Some degree of a carbon footprint (even solar and wind)
What can the carbon footprint of renewable energy come from?
The manufacture of renewable energy infrastructure
Which energy source has the lowest CO2 footprint?
Nuclear energy, a non-renewable resource
Which energy source has the largest carbon footprint?
Coal
How does the fabrication of cement for building material produce a lot of carbon?
To make cement, this required mining of material which causes a large carbon footprint
Why is using concrete less sustainable?
Because it is a major source of greenhouse gases
What should concrete be replaced with?
Renewable building materials such as timber
What are the three major vectors that can make transportation more efficient?
- Cleaner fuels
- Greener vehicles
- Smarter transportation infrastructure
What increases sequestration of anthropogenic carbon?
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
* Increasing carbon sinks (ex. reforestation)
How does Carbon Capture and Storage work?
You recapture carbon and put it deep underground
What is Adaptation?
A set of actions we can take to handle the coming impacts of global climate change
What are the adaptations to sea level rise?
Construction of seawalls to prevent potentially catastrophic sea level rises in urbanized areas
What will water management be informed by?
Hydrologic models that predict changes in precipitation, overland flow and streamflow in light of various climate change scenarios
What are ways to manage water in terms of adaptation?
More efficient water treatment facilities, irrigation methods, reduced commercial and domestic applications
How will tropical diseases be affected by warm weather?
The range of many tropical diseases will expand as climate warms
What is the Antropocene?
A proposed new geological unit within the Geologic Time Scale the would be seen as an epoch in the quaternary period
What would the Anthropocene represent?
The modern age where many geologic and climatic processes have been altered by human activities
What is the debate for where the anthropocene should start?
Some say it should start at the industrial revolution an some say it should start at the onset of globalization in the 1950s
Why do some say the Anthropocene should start at the beginning of the industrial revolution?
Because that is when Gts of carbon began being released into the atmosphere
What was the trend of CO2 about 8000 years ago?
It was declining but then something that caused it to uptick
What is the prediction for what caused CO2 emission to uptik?
Deforestation, to grow crops
What was the trend of CH4 about 5000 years ago?
It was decreasing then there is an uptick
What is the prediction for what caused CH4 emissions to uptik?
Farmers flooding lowland areas to form bogs which created methane
What everted the onset of another glaciation?
Early human activity
When were the GHG emissions accelertaed?
After the industrial revolution during globalization
What date did they choose for the start of the Anthropocene?
The 1950 date during the great acceleration after the industrial revolution during globalization
