reducing change in the carbon cycle Flashcards
what is mitigation
mitigation is the reduction of the output of greenhouse gases and/or increasing the size and amount of greenhouse gas storage or sink sites.
what are some examples of mitigation
-setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
-switching to renewable sources of energy
-capturing carbon emissions and/or storing them
what is adaptation
it is changing lifestyles in order to cope with the new environment rather than trying to stop the changes
what are some examples of adaptation
-developing drought resistant crops
-managing coastline retreat in areas which are vulnerable to sea-level rise
-investing in better quality fresh water provision to cope with higher levels of drought
what is the kyoto protocol
it is a legally binding document which has national targets for carbon dioxide emissions compared to what they were at in 1990
what are the successes of the kyoto protocol
-the protocol has paved the way for new rules and measurements on low carbon legislation
-by 2012 the carbon emissions in the EU were 22% lower than they were in 1990, exceeding the expected 5% set by the protocol
-the clean development mechanism supported 75 countries in developing less polluting technology
-it started with a global approach to dealing with anthropogenic climate change and more UN conferences on climate change followed
what were the failures of the kyoto protocol
-slow ratification
-by 2015 there was an increase of 65% of global carbon emissions above the 1990 levels, this would be due to the rapid developments which occurred in India and China
- in order to offset emissions some countries set up complex carbon trading systems and some carbon sinks were allowed
-only industrialised countries were involved with emerging economies like India and China being left out
what is the COP21 (Paris) agreement 2015
this was a conference which took place in Paris. they had six main outcomes that they hoped would be achieved:
-global temperatures should not increase more than 1.5 degrees by 2100
-greenhouse gas emissions will be allowed to rise but sequestration should be started to be implemented
-emission targets will be set by countries separately and then reviewed every 5 years
-wealthy countries will share their science and tech relating to low greenhouse gases
-wealthy countries will make affordable finance available for those poor nations most affected by anthropogenic climate change
-countries that have historically emitted a lot of greenhouse gases will recognise the less and damage inflicted on poor countries
what was the regional approach that the EU had
they had a 20/20/20 vision which states that there would be a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a commitment of 20% of energy coming from renewable sources and a 20% increase in energy efficiency
