Mid Term 2 Flashcards
While estimates vary, a consensus estimate of deforestation and land degradation’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is what %?
2.5% 5% 15% 35%
15%
Briefly, explain why reforestation programs are not sufficient responses to the effects of deforestation.
Deforestation happened rapidly, but reforestation is slower and need longer term.
What are two other non-GHG related benefits of reducing deforestation and forest degradation?
I.
II.
I. Protect fishery/ biodiversity
II. Keep soil quality
What are two primary aims REDD+ seeks for developing countries?
I.
II.
I. Helping countries reduce emissions
II. Provide sustainable practices
What was the ‘simple strategy’ at the core of REDD+ ambitions?
Rich country pay poor country to protect their forest
T/F. Absent sufficient funding, REDD+ is merely a voluntary set of guidelines that merely encourage countries to craft national plans, set reference levels, and establish effective monitoring programs according to international standards.
T
List three of the criticisms discussed in lecture of the REDD+ program.
I.
II.
III.
I. Insufficient funding
II. Fail to change the economic incentives
III. Accounting problems
- What two organizations are now the primary financial mechanisms for REDD+ programs?
I.
II.
I. Green climate fund
II. World Bank
NDCs are the core of the Paris Agreement. (a) How often are they expected to be reset? And (b) what are the two requirements for the setting of NDCs?
(a) Every 5 years
(b) Ambitious and Progressive
T/F. The standards for reporting on NDCs are ‘universal’, meaning that the same accounting standards are used for everybody and everyone is treated equally in terms of accounting capacities.
False
T/F. The Paris Agreement reaffirmed the financial obligations of developed countries to help developing countries to build clean, climate-resilient societies.
True
The G_______ C________ F_____ is the central financial institution tasked by the Paris agreement to oversee the allocation of investment, aid, and technology, most especially to the vulnerable developing countries.
Green Climate Fund
T/F. The Paris Agreement excluded and thus ended the technology transfer program (the Clean Development Mechanism) set up during the Kyoto Protocols.
False
T/F. While often it has had a minimal focus in previous climate agreements, the Paris Agreement articulates a clear commitment to adaptation, even calling for ‘a balance’ between investment oriented towards adaption and mitigation.
True
(a) Which type of countries pushed to include in the Paris Agreement a separate section on loss and damage? (b) Which country most strongly opposed such a section? (c) And what was the final compromise?
(a) Small island countries
(b) U.S.
(c) No legal liability
List three of the key differences between the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
I.
II.
III.
I. U.S. involved in Paris but not Kyoto
II. Paris agreement not treaty
III. Kyoto has legally binding aspects, Paris does not
Which of the following does the lecture list as frequently cited positives of the Paris Agreement.
Powerful symbol, recognition of the urgent need for ambitious action on climate
Universal agreement that significantly bridged the divide between developed and developing countries
A major breakthrough in U.S.—China bilateral climate relations
Pledged reductions at least (open question on whether they are kept) are sufficient to reduce emissions enough to keep global temperature rise below 2 degree C
Powerful symbol, recognition of the urgent need for ambitious action on climate
Universal agreement that significantly bridged the divide between developed and developing countries
A major breakthrough in U.S.—China bilateral climate relations
What are two of the key criticisms of the Paris Climate Agreement listed in lecture?
I.
II.
I. No penalties
II. Poor accountability
What was the key factor to keep the Paris Agreement intact while the U.S. left the Agreement during the Trump administration?
China step up
T/F. A recent report suggests that the global economy will suffer 2 billion dollars in losses per day by 2030 due to the impacts of climate change enhanced weather events.
True
What are two of the significant signs of progress post-Paris Agreement listed in lecture?
I.
II.
I. Paris help shape solar technology
II. Electrical vehicle
Where was the COP 28 held? And where is COP 29 held? And what does about both of these countries makes them seemingly odd choices to hold a climate conference?
COP 28:
COP 29:
Both of them:
COP 28: Dubai
COP 29: Azerbaijan
Both of them: Petrol State
What was the major agreement reached at COP 28? And how was it watered down and by whom?
Transition away from fossil fuel, petrol state Saudi Arabia and Russia watered down by facing out transition away
What are two of the criticisms of this year’s COP host?
I.
II.
I. Petrol State
II. Arthurian government
COP 29 has been called the “F________ COP.”
Finance
What are the two top issues COP is expected to focus on?
I.
II.
I. Carbon offset standards
II. Increase green climate fund
Briefly summarize the dispute between developed and developing countries over who should bear the burden of climate financing.
Developing countries: developed countries should pay the cost
Developed countries: larger countries like China also need to pay
What other abuse in addition to (and likely compounding) the typhoon has contributed to Myanmar’s refugee and disaster response problem?
Civil war
What two effects of the typhoon were responsible for most of the over 300 deaths in Vietnam?
I.
II.
I. Flooding
II. Land loss
T/F. Around 20 major storms and typhoons batter the Philippines every year.
True
What is the nickname of the Amazon, given for its role in the world’s oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle?
Lungs of the planet
T/F. While the drought in the Amazon is a currently serious issue, its scale and intensity are historically ‘unexceptional’ say scientists, noting the frequency of droughts in the region.
False
The Amazon contains what percent of the world’s species?
10%
Deforestation is undermining what two ways trees naturally help protect against higher temperatures in the Amazon?
I.
II.
I. Produce its own clouds, more moisturizer
II. More sunlight/ heat into the forest floor
In a sign of progress, the rate of deforestation has declined during Lula’s presidency, and he has pledged to halt all deforestation in the Amazon by what year?
2030
T/F. Droughts can effect coffee plants by causing flowers to not bloom, fail to produce cherries, and produce lower quality beans.
True
What is the world’s second largest producer of coffee? And which market for coffee does it dominate?
Vietnam, Instance coffee.
How to storms this year affect future coffee production?
Need couple years to take back normal level after facing natural disaster
Increased coffee demand from what region is also contributing to rising world coffee prices?
Asian consumers, more middle class
What are the two ways that climate change is damaging coffee harvests?
I.
II.
I. Extreme weather
II. Less available land
T/F. Reports on the ground in Portugal suggest recent fires are displaying unprecedented intensity and violence.
True
The intensity of the fires is indicated by Portugal achieving its highest ever total what?
Highest total carbon emissions
What does PM stand for? What is its relationship to fires and public health?
Particulate matter (PM2.5), fire produce PM, PM gets into human lungs and blood
T/F. More than 20 years of NASA satellite data showed that severe burns more than doubled in frequency between 2003 and 2023.
True
Forest scientists argue that some of the damage from the fires is due to changes in Portugal’s forest management, including a shift in many areas away from a M________ landscape towards a M__________.
Mosaic, Monoculture
Give three reasons why Florida’s Big Bend region has become so susceptible to hurricanes.
I.
II.
III.
I. Warming ocean water
II. Sea grass act as natural breaks for hurricanes
III. Long continental shelf
Increases in storm speeds of 35 mph in a 24 hour period are called a R_______ I_______________, and more and more large storms are undergoing this process.
Rapid Intensification
While normally storms weaken as they move over land, Helene at times strengthened as it moved over areas already wet from ‘P_____________ R_______’. This is a destructive phenomenon scientists have identified in many large storms in recent years, which they now call the B_________ O_________ E_____________.
Precursor Rain, Brown Ocean Effect
T/F. Luckily, in contrast to many poor countries in which post-disaster response is hampered by areas affected by poverty and lack of development, the U.S. response has not struggled to reach any of the places hit by the storm.
False
T/F. The recent shutdown of its last coal-fired power plant makes Britain first among the world’s major, industrialized economies to wean itself off coal.
True
T/F. As they done when surrounding coal mining operations that used to feed the plant were shut down back in the late 80s, local labor unions criticized the decision and wanted the plant to remain open.
False
While by 2023 coal had fallen to only 1 percent of Britain’s power source, it had fueled its Industrial Revolution and even in 1990 it accounted for _____% of Britain’s electricity.
80%
What two countries now consumer the vast majority of the world’s coal?
India and China
What turning point is the IEA hopeful for in 2024?
China coal consumption will peak this year
What is so contentious about the nuclear site Microsoft is helping to reopen?
1979 disaster
To power what kind of operation is Microsoft signing a 20 year lease with a nuclear energy company?
Data centers
T/F. Currently Microsoft is the only large tech firm trying to secure nuclear energy rights, as all others consider it too ‘non-green’ to support.
False
What is the main reason that so many Pakistani businesses have been recently rushing to put solar panels on their rooftops?
Increase energy prices by the state own companies
In addition to domestic cost considerations, what two other motivations does the owner of Forward Sports cite as main motivations for rapidly increasing its green energy sources?
I. Facing low cost competitors (China and India)
II. Buyer want supply chain to be green
T/F. Pakistan is now buying huge amounts of solar panels from China, even while many of the investors in its traditional energy grid (investors they are now struggling to pay in part because of the increased solar panels) are also from China.
True
Explain why the poor in Pakistan have been suffering the most from this shake-up in the energy sector.
Poor people unable to swift to solar panel because they can’t afford it and also need to face the high prices of energy
How does the deal the Pakistani government signed to save its traditional energy grid now prevent it from investing in new green technologies?
They need to use money to pay for debt instead of green energy
While the federal government struggles with declining demand for its energy grid, what have regional governments decided to do?
Huge subsidies for renewable energy
T/F. Prior to its closure the Indian Point nuclear facility provided New York City with the majority of the energy that it did not get from fossil fuels.
True
Nuclear plants generate about ______% of the electricity we use around the world
Nuclear plants generate about ______% of the electricity the U.S. uses
Nuclear plants generate about ______% of the electricity in the U.S. not from fossil fuels.
10%, 20%, 52%
T/F. The number of working nuclear reactors in the U.S. has been increasing.
False
Today in the U.S., when a nuclear reactor is shut down, what type of energy source replaces it?
Natural gas
The fear of what was important factor in turning public opinion against Indian Point (and nuclear energy in the U.S. in general)?
Fear of terrorist attack
T/F. Based on deaths caused historically, even nuclear advocates admit that nuclear energy is much less safe than fossil fuels.
False
Besides human safety, what other issue motivated opposition to Indian Point?
Environmental concerns
T/F. In the last ten years, the price of electricity from renewables and natural gas has plummeted in the U.S., while the prices of nuclear energy have risen (due to regulatory costs).
True
One advantage of nuclear energy over renewables at the moment is that it provides F________ power, available whenever and as much as needed, not dependent on the weather as renewables can be.
Firm
What are the two aspects of a “Climate Hawk”?
I.
II.
I. Very high priority on climate change
II. Support aggressive policies action
(a) What does IEA stand for? And (b) what does it do?
a. International Energy Agency
b. Provide energy market analysis
T/F. While the IEA provides reports on the state of the fossil fuel industry, it’s annual world energy report so far avoids detailed analysis and policy recommendations related to renewable fuel sources, a consequence of its being funded mostly by large oil producing countries.
False
What are the three scenarios in the IEA reports?
I.
II.
III.
I. Net zero timeline
II. Stated policies
III. Announced pledges
T/F. The IEA has concluded that a pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5 C is very difficult — but remains open.
True
What is the most noteworthy prediction from the IEA’s World Energy Report 2023?
Peak demand for fossil fuel in the decades
T/F. According to the report, while coal demand starts to decline by 2023, the demand for oil flattens out, and the demand for natural gas continues to rise by another 40% by 2050.
True
