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Earth resources, Impacts and Sustainability > Pre-reading > Flashcards

Pre-reading Flashcards

1
Q

What is the expected total population growth from 2012 to 2030 and how will the affecet the global middle class?

A

Total population will go from 6 to 9 billion
Middle class will increase from 1 to 4 billion

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2
Q

what 4 catergories can ecosystem services be catergorised into?

A
  1. provisioning services (direct products)
  2. Regulating services (pollination etc)
  3. Support services (nutrient, water cycle)
  4. Cultural services (spiritual, recreational etc)
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3
Q

What did the Millennium Ecosystem Assesment 2005 determine?

A

The majority of the worlds valuble ecosystem services are being degraded or used unsustainably

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4
Q

What is biomass?

A

biogenic material derived from living or recently living organisms

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5
Q

How are the broad land use classes distinguished by Erb et al?

A

Settlement and infrastructure
Croplands
Grazing and other land
Forestry
Unused lands

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6
Q

How much land and biomass is produced from forestry?

A

35Mkm*2
3.3Gt/year

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7
Q

How much land and biomass in produced by grazing and other land?

A

46.9Mkm*2
3.8 Gt/year

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8
Q

How much land does cropland cover?

A

15.2Mkm*2

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9
Q

How much of total human biomass is derived from cropland?

A

> 50%

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10
Q

How much land do settlements cover?

A

1.4Mkm*2

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11
Q

What would a global transition to plant based diets do?

A

Strongly reduce the demand on the food supply system

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12
Q

What is 3/4 of the unused land like?

A

Very unproductive (arctic, apline tundra and deserts)

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13
Q

What is causing a reduction in biomass yearf by year?

A

Harvest of biomass (food, feed , raw of wild living hetereotrophs or carbon sequestration)

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14
Q

Why is the use of timber over steel or concrete for contruction beneficial for the environment?

A

Reduce GHG emissions

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15
Q

What is ~60% of biomass used by humans for?

A

Feeding livestock

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16
Q

What is the energy conversion loss between trophic levels?

A

~90%

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17
Q

How is biomass produced?

A

primary production which convert inorganic chemical compounds (CO2 and water) into sugars.

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18
Q

What has been the annual increase in installed renewable technologies?

A

2-30%

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19
Q

How much of total energy production was derived from renewables in 2013?

A

19% (50% traditional biomass)

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20
Q

What is the split of energy production for different renewables largest to smallest?

A
  1. Hydrological
  2. Wind
  3. Solar-Pv
  4. Bio-power
  5. Geothermal
  6. Concentrated solr power
  7. ocean energy
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21
Q

How has renewable energy investment chnaged from 2004 to 2016?

A

$40 billion to $214 billion

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22
Q

Who is the biggest investor in renewables in 2016?

A

China ($56 billion)

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23
Q

What has the trend been with employment in renewables from 2004 to 2014?

A

Doubled from 3 to 6 million

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24
Q

What happened to the price of solar-pv from 2010 to 2014?

A

50% decrease

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25
Q

What is the conversion efficieny of solar-pv?

A

25%

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26
Q
A
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27
Q

What is the environmental benefit of solar-pv?

A

significanlty reduced atmopsheric input with emissions being linked to manufacturing of cells

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28
Q

How long does it take a wind turbine to “pay back” its energy?

A

3-6 months

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29
Q

What is the economical/ technical lifespan of a wind turbine?

A

20 years

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30
Q

What is the capcity factor of wind turbines?

A

the fact they are not able to run all the time (high winds) this is around 28-40%

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31
Q

What was the economic value of wind energy in 2013?

A

57 billion euro

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32
Q

What temperature of reservoir is required for geothermal energy production?

A

100c or higher for traditional but with lower temp evapouration fluids can be 80c

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33
Q

How does geothermal enegry production work?

A

by producing hot fluids/ vapor by tapping into hydrothermal reservoirs

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34
Q

What is the main challenge of food systems?

A

Ability to satisfy food demand

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35
Q

What is the aim of the UNEP sustainble food system programme?

A

improve resource use efficiency and reduce the polluting intensity of food systems from production to consumption

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36
Q

what do all food systems rely upon?

A

water
biodiversity
fertile soil
or
the sea

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37
Q

What is responsible for the biggest withdrawal of global water?

A

Agriculture 70%

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38
Q

What does rapfish mean and who produced this thesis?

A

Rapid appraisal for fisheries
University of British Columbia

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39
Q

What is the purpose of Rapfish?

A

A way to analyse and evaluate sustainability and fisheries

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40
Q

What indicators does Rapish use to asses fisheries?

A

Ecology
Technology
Economy
Social
Ethics

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41
Q

Who is the largest producer and exporter of rare earth materials?

A

China 90% of market with 23% of reserve

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42
Q

What problems are associated with Chinas rare earth metal production?

A

Low efficiency
Over-exploitation
Environmental pollution

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43
Q

What was found to be the main factor affecting rare earth material development in China?

A

A lag in the development of environment protection and rare earth protection systems

44
Q

What elements are considered REEs (Rare Earth Elements)?

A

the 15 lanthanides and yttrium and scandium

45
Q

In what areas are REEs used mostly?

A

New energy
New material
Energy conservation
Environmental protection
Aerospace

46
Q

What is the proven global reserve of REEs said to be according to the US Geological Surveys Mineral commodities survery 2018?

A

130 million tonnes

47
Q

What the trend in chinas sustainble development of REEs between 2006-2016?

A

Increasing

48
Q

What was the main that is responsible for china sustainability growth?

A

Rare earth industrial industry development policy
AND
The Rare earth industry medium- and long-term developmnt plan

49
Q

How much of earths land has been changed by human activity?

A

1/2

D.Jackson (2002)

50
Q

Who said the quote “Water sustains all life on Earth; energy sustains human society”?

A

Gerhard et al 2002

51
Q

What is electrochemical CO2 reduction?

A

Green and efficient process of converting CO2 to high value products i.e. alcohols, acids and chemicals

52
Q

What is the main barrier to electrochemical CO2 reduction?

A

Efficient and low cost when scaling up the process

53
Q

Why are Heteroatom-doped porous carbon based catalysts used in CO2 electrochemical reduction?

A

Great surface area
Electrical conductivity
tailorable structure
Easy synthesis
High yiled from inepnesive and abundant earth materials

54
Q

What do ground source heat pumps do?

A

Take heat from the ground and raise it to a higher temperature

55
Q

How much larger can the output from Ground source heat pumps be than the electrical input?

A

3-4 times greater

56
Q

What is geothermal energy?

A

Thermal energy stored within the earths crust

57
Q

What 3 distinct groups can geothermal energy be split into according to ASHRAE (2002)?

(less

A

High temperature (150+)
Intermediate temperature (30-150)
Low temperature (less than 30)

58
Q

What type of geothermal energy is predominantly used by Ground source heat pumps?

A

Low temp for cooling and heating

59
Q

How do closed loop ground source systems work?

A

Circulating a heat carrier fluid through a heat exchanger in a sealed loop of pipework in trenches or boreholes

60
Q

How do open loop ground source systems work?

A

Pump ground water and extract heat from or reject to the ground water by passing through a heat pump or exchnager

61
Q

Can the ground be used as a store for thermal energy?

A

Yes due to it being a large and stable thermal mass

62
Q

What is an example of using the ground as a thermal store for ground source heat pumps?

A

waste ehat from summer cooling can be stored and then re-used in winter

63
Q

What are the general advantages to ground source heat pumps over conventional heaters and coolers?

A

Large potential carbon, energy and revenue savings

64
Q

What is coal formed from generally?

A

Decaying plant life i.e. ferns, trees and other plants

65
Q

What is the formation period for coal?

A

50 to 300 millions years ago

66
Q

What is the grade of coal?

A

A factor that distinguishes coal based on the quantity of ash or sulfur it contains

67
Q

How does devolitazation affect coal?

A

Will mean there is less volatile matter, oxygen and moisture

68
Q

What are the different ranks of coal?

A

Anthracite
Bituminous
Subbituminous
Lignitic
Channel

69
Q

What are the subdivisions of anthracite?

A

meta-anthracite
anthracite
Semianthracite

70
Q

What is the fixed carbon and volatile % of metaanthracite?

A

Fixed carbon content of 98% and volatiles of 2% or less

71
Q

What is the fixed carbon and volatile % of anthracite?

A

Fixed carbon: 92-98%
Volatiles: 2-8%

72
Q

What does anthracite look like/ characteristics?

A

Iron-black color
Dull to brilliant lustre
Conchoidial fracture

73
Q

What are the characteristics of burning anthracite?

A

Short pale blue flame
Little odour
Does not coke

74
Q

What is the fixed carbon and volatile matter % of semianthracite?

A

Fixed: 86-92%
Volatile: 8-14%

75
Q

What are the characteristics of semianthracite?

A

Ill defined conchodial fractures
More cleats so more friable

76
Q

What is believed to be the factor that differentiates between semianthracite and anthracite?

A

The process of metamorphism was not carried as far maybe being less intense

77
Q

What happens burning semianthracite?

A

HIgher volatile % means easier kindling
Short yellow flame
Short rapid combustion = more efficient than anthracite

78
Q

What subdivisions of bituminous coal are there?

A

Low volatile
Medium volatile
High volatile (A,B,C)

High volatile = 3 seperate groups

79
Q

What is the fixed carbon % of low volatile bituminous?

A

78-86%

80
Q

What is the fixed carbon % of medium volatile bituminous coal?

A

69-78%

81
Q

What name is given to low and medium volatile bituminous coals when burning?

A

Smokeless coal

82
Q

What are the characteristics of low and medium bituminous coal?

A

Minutely jointed thus tender and friable

83
Q

How are high volatile ABC bituminous coals classified?

A

Joule (Btu) content
A: >/= 14.7 MJ
B: 13.7-14.8 MJ
C: 12.1-13.7 MJ

84
Q

What are the characteristics of bituminous coal?

A

Long yellow flame, suffocating odour
Essentially laminted
High lustre variability per layer (resinous, silky, earthy, pitchy or dull)
Pitch black to dark gray
Fracture irregular to splintery

85
Q

How many classes of subbituminous coal are there?

A

3(A,B,C)

86
Q

What is the heating range for subituminous ABC?

A

8.8-12.1MJ

87
Q

What are the varying characteristics of subbituminous coal?

A

Some are banded like bituminous coal and some are cannel like physically and chemically

88
Q

What is cannel coal?

A

A coal which is very rich in volatile matter and high in hydrogen

89
Q

What is cannel coal composed of?

A

entirerly of spores, spore cases, seed coats, resinous or waxy parts of plants from the time of coal frming swamps

90
Q

What are the 2 subdivisions of lignite?

A

Lignite group
Brown coal group

91
Q

What is the joule (Btu) value of lignitic coals?

A

less than 8.8MJ

92
Q

What is the differemce between lignite and brown coals?

A

Lignite is consolidated while brown coal is unconsolidated

93
Q

What is the link between social media and natural resource governance?

A

Countries with higher social media levels enjoy natural resource governance of better quality than countries with low levels of social media

94
Q

What are the general benefits of nuclear compared to other low-carbon energy producers?

A

operate at a low cost with greater realiability

95
Q

What is the consistency of nuclear power generation like?

A

operate 24 hours a day at near full capacity with only having stops to refuel every 18-24 months

96
Q

What is the one major downside to nuclear power which might not make it avaliable to all?

A

The set up of a nuclear powerplant is very capital intensive

97
Q

What is the comparison between a uranium pellet and coal?

A

one fule pellet (finger nail size) produces the same enegry as 1 tonne of coal

98
Q

Is uranium a common resource?

A

Yes fairly common and thus relatively cheap as avaliable as tin or zinc

99
Q

what is the ultimate goal of a nuclear reactor?

A

to reach criticality and thus create a chain reaction of atoms splitting

100
Q

What will a amture uranium province look like?

A

Many types of uranium will be present all having formed at different points thus being at different stages of the uranium fractionation process

101
Q

What is the average uranium concentration in continental crust?

A

1.7ppm with the upper part being 2.7ppm

102
Q

What rock types is uranium most common in?

A

Silicic magmatic rocks (rhyolites)
Sediemntary organic carbon rich (black shales)
Phosphorous

103
Q

What are the 2 varying methods of uranium deposit classification?

A

Descriptive features of mineralisation
or
Genetic aspects

104
Q

What are conventional uranium resources?

A

Uranium which is recoverable as a primary product, co product or important by-product

105
Q

What are unconventional uranium resources?

A

Uranium is only recoverable as a minor by-product

106
Q

What is the curie point?

A

Exact reproducible temperature at which a ferromagnetic material loses its magnetism

107
Q

What is the majority of earths crust composed of?

A

Silica

Earth resources, Impacts and Sustainability (12 decks)

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