lesson 18+19- climate change mitigation

Question 1

what countries are the biggest carbon polluters as a whole?

Answer 1

China
US
India

Question 2

what country is the biggest carbon polluters per person?

Answer 2

Quatar-38 tonnes per person per year

Question 3

how much of carbon produced do oceans absorb

Answer 3

26%

Question 4

what is climate change mitigation?

Answer 4

reducing or preventing emission of greenhouse gases
-new technology
-renewable energy
-changing behavior or practices

Question 5

what effect does global warming have on the oceans

Answer 5

reduces CO2 solubility, so oceans can take in less carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Question 6

why should you not drain peatlands and peat bogs

Answer 6

releases a huge amount of greenhouse gas

Question 7

what is carbon capture

Answer 7

a method used to catch up to 90% of CO2 emissions produced in usage of fossil fuels or natural processes
-CO2 rich gas is extracted,processed and compressed, transported and injected underground via pipes
-Icelands “Orca” carbon capture plant

Question 8

what is post combustion

Answer 8

CO2 is separated from the chimney gas by bubbling the gas through an absorber column which contains liquid solvents which remove CO2

Question 9

what is Oxyfuel

Answer 9

burning fossil fuels in normal air produces many gases, whereas just burning them in an atmosphere of pure oxygen produces only CO2 and water vapour, easy to seperate

Question 10

what is pre combustion?

Answer 10

coal is gassified to produce a synthetic gas, which is reacted with water to produce CO2 and Hydrogen, Co2 is captured, and Hydrogen is diverted and burned for energy

Question 11

how can changing land use mitigate climate change

Answer 11

conversion from arable agriculture (crops) to pastoral (animals) decreases ploughing
(+explanation of ploughing effect)

-using land to produce renewable energy, reduces fossil fuel usage, and is infintite

-farming with perennials (persists for several years), soil cover reduces erosion, and photosynthesis

Question 12

how can improved transport mitigate climate change

Answer 12

-petrol and diesel cars production stopped by 2030 in the UK
-containerisation
-new trains and public transport (elizabeth line), Bullet train in Japan releases around 1/12 of the carbon of a flight from Tokyo to Osaka
-ultra low emission zones charge petrol and diesel cars in London

Question 13

what is carbon sequestration

Answer 13

where CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and held as a solid or liquid

Question 14

how do clouds effect climate change

Answer 14

low clouds- act as an umbrella, shield earth from solar radiation