Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

Question 1

What are the 3 main carbon sinks and their functions

Answer 1

The ocean, forests as well as soil, sequesters CO2 from the atmosphere

Question 2

What is the main source of carbon

Answer 2

Much of the sources have come from the lithosphere, from fossil fuels.

Question 3

How does land use contribute to climate change

Answer 3

Land clearing & deforestation is a major contributor to climate change, cutting down carbon sinks and disrupting microbial balances within the soils.

Question 4

How can we minimise emissions as an individual

Answer 4

• Food consumption: beef, lamb, mutton, cheese, and beef all use greater amounts of energy and greater land use than vegetables.
• Creating carbon sinks by creating garden communities, trees and soils help with sequestering carbon.
• Voting and political awareness: being aware of the policies of certain political parties (can be misleading, whether they are following scientific ideas to enact change)

Question 5

What are mitigation strategies

Answer 5

Mitigation strategies involve reducing the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (“climate-friendly”)

Question 6

What are adaptation strategies

Answer 6

Adaptation strategies involve helping individuals and communities deal with the effects of climate change (“climate safe”)

Question 7

What is urban design

Answer 7

Urban design is categorised in individual houses, communities and whole cities. They be both mitigation and adaptations
* Insulation (hay bales) against rising temperatures as an adaptation
* Trees for community cooling act as both adaptation & mitigation - They transpire and provide shade, as well as acting as a carbon sink.
* Adaptations against rising sea levels.
* Carbon storage/sinks materials like timber, removing away from concrete as a mitigation - Singapore is becoming a carbon sink as an entire sink.

Question 8

What is geo-engineering

Answer 8

Geo-Engineering refers to both to carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management.
Engineering that can be used using the world.

Question 9

What are examples of geo-engineering?

See doc for more

Answer 9

• Carbon Dioxide Removal (Afforestation or reforestation)
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
• CO2 CRC Otway Stage 3 monitoring
• Marine Engineering
• Iron fertilisation
• Solar Engineering

Question 10

What are alternative energy sources?

Answer 10

Alternative Energy Sources are not renewable energy sources, but many renewable are alternatives. They are an alternative to releasing greenhouse gases and mitigate the effects by reducing the number of greenhouse gases being released.
An energy source can be
* Alternative & not renewable (e.g nuclear)
* not alternative & renewable (e.g biofuels)
* alternative & renewable (e.g wind)

Question 11

What are the strengths and limitations of nuclear fission

Answer 11

• Strengths: reliable, doesn’t produce emissions
• Limitations: mining uranium, safety factors of the radiation & waste product disposals

Question 12

What are the strengths and limitations of hydroelectricity or tidal power

Answer 12

Water at a higher level and spins a turbine to generate electricity
Limitations: needs a strong enough tide to turn the turbine

Question 13

What are the strengths and limitations of wind power

Answer 13

• Strengths: renewable
• Limitations: costly, expensive, mining of the substances

Question 14

What are the strengths and limitations of geothermic power

Answer 14

Strengths: natural movement of energy (applies for wind & water)
Limitations: volcanic hazards, can only work in areas with volcanic activity, needs the right conditions (applies for wind, & water)

Question 15

What are the strengths and limitations of solar power

Answer 15

Strengths: does not need a turbine to spin.
Limitations: efficiency depends on region of the Earth, expensive, socio-economic costs of building solar farms.