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PLSC Environmental > quiz 11/28 envs > Flashcards

quiz 11/28 envs Flashcards

1
Q

Nuclear power plant

A

reactor core in control rods in water produce steam which turns turbines which power generator which produce electricity

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2
Q

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

A

platform exploded, causing history’s largest accidental marine oil spill as of mid-2010

BP 67% liable

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3
Q

The negative effects of Hydraulic Fracturing(“Fracking”)

A

Landscape destruction*

Water depletion*

Groundwater contamination from drilling operations*

Surface and groundwater contamination from wastewater release (thefracking fluid that returns to the surface)*

Surface spill of chemicals*

Methane leaks and CO2 emission from flaring*

Seismic activity*

Intense traffic

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4
Q

natural gas

A

cleaner combustion than coal and oil

only emits 60% GHG

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5
Q

Global use of energy sources

A

fossil fuels 81%

Nuclear power 4.9%

Renewables 13.7%

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6
Q

factors that affect choice of energy source

A

geography

costs

safety

environmental impact

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7
Q

Global reliance on RES

A

9.5% Biofuels
2.5% Hydroelectric
1.6% Solar win geothermal
13.7% total RES

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8
Q

Dam

A

Transmission lines
Dam
Penstock
Generators
Turbines

impoundment dam/diversion dam

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9
Q

What are costs and benefits of hydroelectric

A

electricity production without direct emission of CO2 or other pollutants
can harm habitats or flood areas

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10
Q

Disadvantages of RES

A

SOLAR:
* Weather: needs sun
* Siting: impact on landscape and ecosystems
* Manufacture and disposal of panels
* Challenge is to integrate solar into the national power grid
* Energy storage technology needs development
BIOFUELS:
* Emissions (outdoors and indoors)
* Refining process
* Environmental impact of clearing of land for planting crops
* Intensive agriculture (GHG, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)
* Competes with food crops (price increase and scarcity)
GEOTHERMAL:
* Accessibility: location dependent
* Some emissions (though much lower than gas

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11
Q

Summarizing some of the key outcomes of COP26

A
  1. 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact
  2. Glasgow Leaders Declaration on
    Forests and Land Use
  3. Zero Emission Vehicle Declaration
    (aka Declaration on the Transition to
    Electric Vehicles)
  4. Global Methane Pledge
    * The Global Methane Pledge includes 100+
    countries, led by EU and US (includes Japan
    and Canada) which are responsible for 50%
    of global methane emissions
    * 100+ committed to cut methane emissions
    by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030
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12
Q

OIL states

A
  1. United
    States
  2. Saudi
    Arabia
  3. Russia
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13
Q

Natural
Gas states

A

:
1.United
States
2.Russia
3.Iran
4.China
5.Qatar
6.Canada

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14
Q

Cesare Marchetti says it takes a century
for a NEW energy source to becoming
the dominant source in the energy
market (and 50 years to take over just
10% of the market).
Why?

A

Because the following factors slow the
process down:
* New infrastructure needs to be
developed (e.g., pipelines for gas, a
network of charging stations for EV)
* You need to overcome the resistance
and competition of the older, already
existing energy sources
* Cultural adaptation and changes in
consumer preferences are slow

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15
Q

Nuclear-free countries:

A
  • DK, IRE, POR, AU, ITA, BEL, CH, GER (by
    2022?)
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16
Q

31 countries have nuclear power plants:

A
  • France for @ 70% of its energy
  • Japan (50%)
  • United States (20%) with 99 NPP and 10
    under construction.
17
Q

Nuclear power facts

A

NP generates @ 10% of global
electricity (down from 17% in 1996)
* Average age of NPP is 29 years
* 53 new reactors under
construction in 2017
Global investment in new power
plants from 2000 to 2013:
* 57% in RES
* 40% fossil fuel
* 3% nuclear

18
Q

Arguments used by environmentalists who
oppose increasing our reliance on nuclear
power:

A
  • It is dangerous (risk of malfunctions, natural
    disasters, theft/attacks)
  • Risk of nuclear proliferation (spread of
    fissile material that could be used for
    nuclear weapons)
  • Nuclear power plants are extremely
    expensive to build
  • It is unnecessary because we can switch to
    renewables (RES)
  • Politically unfeasible in light of the public’s
    opposition to nuclear power
  • [what to do with the nuclear waste?]
19
Q

Five key obligations to NPT

A

NNWS will not develop or purchase NW
NWS will not transfer NW to NNWS
Nuclear energy tech is accessible
IAEA access to everywhere
Negotiations for disarmament

States that did not sign and developed: India, pakistan, isreal

20
Q

The FOUR principal Greenhouse Gases we
studied:

A
  • Carbon dioxide CO2
  • Methane CH4
  • Nitrous Oxides N2O
  • Fluorinated gases (e.g., CFC, HCFC, etc.)
21
Q

Different impact of different GHG:

A

GHG differ in terms of their: (i) concentration
in the atmosphere, (ii) their persistence and
their (iii) GWP (global warming potential)

22
Q

Climate Change
in a nutshell

A
  • For more than a century, we have known
    that high concentrations of CO2 (as well as
    those of other greenhouse gases) allow the
    air to trap more heat
  • CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has
    increased steadily over the past decades as a
    result of human industrial, agricultural and
    other activities (see, e.g., the Keeling Curve)
  • Global average temperatures have increased
    during the same period (see, below,
    temperature measurements)
23
Q

how climate change

A

Increase in scope and intensity of certain human
activities (energy consumption, industry,
agriculture, transportation, etc.)
These activities generate greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the
atmosphere rises
GHG trap more heat in the atmosphere
Global average temperatures rise
Global warming contributes to climate change

24
Q

Market based instruments to address climate change

A

Emission trading systems, ETS or
“cap and trade” systems
ii. Carbon taxes: impose taxes on the
emitters of GHG, based on the
amount of GHG they emit

25
Q

ETS cap and trade

A

If it manages to emit
less than its allowance, it can sell the unused
allowance to other states who are having a hard
time keeping within their allowance. A market
for unused allowances develops, where the
latter can be bought and sold.
This is a “market-based” solution to the problem
of climate change because

26
Q

Key MEAs and IGOs

A

1992 UNFCCC
1997 Kyoto Protocol
2009 Copenhagen Accord
2015 Paris Climate Agreement

UNEP
IPCC
UNFCCC Secretariat

27
Q

Who are the Climate Change doubters, skeptics or deniers?

A

The most vocal climate dissenters include:
1. Political leaders and policymakers who:
* Are inspired by and agree with the minority of dissenting scientists,
* Are mostly inspired by ideological motivations, e.g., resistance to government regulation in
general, support for free market, belief that market forces will solve the problem, etc.
* may be influenced by special interest groups who feel threatened by climate change regulation.
These may include large corporate campaign donors, certain labor unions, fossil fuel industry, etc.
* are simply less well informed about the issues.
2. Corporate interests (oils and gas, coal, etc.), as well as certain unions and communities impacted by
climate change regulations and restrictions, who feel threatened by climate mitigation policies;
3. Private citizens who (i) may agree with the dissenting scientists, (ii) may be inspired by ideology,
economic interests or party membership, or (iii) are simply less well informed about the issues.
4. A small minority of scientists who challenge the scientific consensus on climate change; they may
have a variety of personal, political and professional reasons for doing so

28
Q

The IPCC has three
working groups:

A
  • Working Group I,
    dealing with the
    physical science basis
    of climate change;
  • Working Group II,
    dealing with impacts,
    adaptation and
    vulnerability; and
  • Working Group III,
    dealing with the
    mitigation of climate
    change
29
Q

Consequences of climate change

A

Melting of glaciers, sea level rise;
inundation of coastal areas and low
lands;
* Droughts (longer, more frequent) and
water scarcity
* Increased frequency of fires
* Desertification and deforestation from
temperature and weather pattern
disruptions.
* Ocean acidification, coral reefs die
* Ecosystem disruption and habitat
destruction both on land and in the
ocean with accompanying effects on
flora and fauna
* Agricultural production disruption and
fish stock depletion cause food
scarcity and related societal impacts.
* urban dislocations from coastal
flooding, extreme heat waves and
droughts, desertification threaten
hundreds of millions especially in
developing countries (climate
refugees).
* Extreme weather patterns of
increasing frequency and severity.
* Transmissible diseases and invasive
alien species proliferation

30
Q

Science of climate change

A

During the last 150 years, greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere (CO2,
Methane, Nitrous oxides, etc.) have been
rising at an unprecedented rate.
* Atmospheric concentration of CO2 is the
highest in 2 million years
* Higher GHG concentrations cause a warming
of the atmosphere
* There is a strong correlation between the rise
of GHG concentration levels and the
expansion of industrialization, increasing
human production and consumption

31
Q

Component of Paris climate agreement

A

Hold increase in temperatures to max 2 degrees Celsius
Commit to peak GHG emissions ASAP
Commitment to get GHG neutral

32
Q

Desertification regime

A

1994 UNCCD
Developed action plans
Direct involvement In local communities
Wealthy counties must share Substantial financial resources and technology
Africa is a top priority

PLSC Environmental (4 decks)

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