Reliance on Fossil Fuels- Global action on Fossil Fuel conservation Past Paper Questions

Question 1

Explain why global action on conservation of fossil fuels and climate change is needed. {3}

Answer 1

Conservation is triggered by a realisation that the worlds non-renewable resources are diminishing and that countries are using fossil fuels at a faster rate especially in emerging economies e.g. China, India {1}
Climate change has been linked to increasing use of fossil fuels. {1}
Global action is needed because the impact of excessive resource use affects the whole world. {1}

Question 2

Question; State 2 pieces of evidence presented by the global scientific community linking the combustion of fossil fuels with global warming and climate change. {2}

Answer 2

Any 2 from; 
Weather patterns – Floods, Increased storms and famines. 
Sea temperature rises. 
Ecology changes. 
Polar Ice caps melting. 
Rise in sea levels.

Question 3

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that the combustion of fossil fuels, and subsequent increase in global carbon emissions, is linked to global warming and climate change.
Describe three different pieces of scientific evidence that link the combustion of fossil fuels to global warming and climate change. {3}

Answer 3

Any 3 from;
• Levels of carbon dioxide has increased markedly.
• There are fewer cold days, nights and frist events.
• Hot days, nights and heat waves are more common.
• There is an increase in ocean temperature.
• There are increases in drought and heavy precipitation events.
• There is an increase in hurricane activity.

Question 4

Carbon trading has been put forward as a method of monitoring and reducing global carbon emissions. Describe two issues surrounding the use of carbon trading. {2}

Answer 4

• Complexity of the market.
• Difficulties surrounding governance of the market. Carbon markets open to fraud and manipulation.
• Economic cost of trading carbon credits.
• Difficulties in setting the size of credits / credit limits for countries.
• Difficulties surrounding measurement of emissions.

Question 5

Outline one advantage and one disadvantage of carbon trading as a viable option for reducing global carbon emissions. {2}

Answer 5

•Carbon trading should result in less carbon entering the air so reducing the greenhouse effect.
• Carbon trading should provide a government control of the carbon emitted by its industries.
• Organisations which have earned unused credits can sell them.
Any one disadvantage from;
• The market can be open to fraud and manipulation.
• Some businesses could be unwilling to get involved in the trade, as they do not want to incur costs that will reduce profit margins.
• Credit limits available in a country may be too high to produce a significant decrease in harmful emissions.
• The measurement of carbon emissions is very difficult.