Responding to climate change Details Flashcards
Factors associated with vulnerability
-Exposure
-Sensitivity
-Adaptive capacity
Population groups that are more vulnerable to climate change
-Children
-The elderly
-People with disabilities
-The poor
-Minority groups
-Refugees
-Indigenous people
Locations at greater risk due to climate change
-Low-lying islands
-River mouths and valleys
-Coastal areas
-Regions that derive their water supplies from mountain glaciers
Problems faced by low-lying islands
-Increased coastal erosion
-Saline intrusion into groundwater supplies
-Deterioration of coral reefs
-Out-migration of people
-Loss of income(as a result of a decline in economic activities and infrastructure)
Reasons why indigenous people are vulnerable to climate change
-Often live in extreme environments
-May have limited access to resources(e.g. income, water, etc.)
-Greater reliance on the environment(since they are very adapted to it)
Individual ways of coping with climate change
-DIversifying income sources
-Selling assets
-Saving money
-Evacuating vulnerable members to safer places
-Preserving food and fuel
-Building dykes(with sandbags)
Ways the government can adapt to climate change
-Strengthening public health-care delivery
-Strengthening social security support systems
-Education about the causes/effects of climate change
-Promoting sustainable agriculture(to reduce degradation)
Organisations addressing mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change
-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)
-National Adaptation Programmes of Action(NAPAs)
-United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)
When and where id the world’s governments adopt the UN Framework Conveniton on Climate Change(UNFCC)?
1992, at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit
Main objective of the UNFCC
achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system(Article 2)
Basically, to prevent “dangerous” human interference with the climate system
When did the UNFCC come into effect?
1994
THe UNFCCC went into effect in 1994 but failed to slow down greenhouse gas emissions(T/F)
True
Reasons why the UNFCCC encouraged high-income countries to lead the way in climate change mitigation
-They have the technology required
-They have caused a disproportionate amount of historic CO₂
-They are better able to bear the costs of low-energy carbon developments
-Low-income countries need time to develop their economies
When and where did countries first sign up to the Kyoto Protocol
in 1997, at the third Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC(COP 3), Kyoto, Japan
Aim of the Kyoto Protocol
Its aim was for countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent of their 1990 levels by 2012
When did the Kyoto Protocol come into force?
2005
When did the Kyoto Protocol expire?
2015(it was set to expire in 2012 but was extended)
How carbon trading within countries works(in relation to the Kyoto Protocol)
-Within the Kyoto Protocol, countries were allocated amounts of carbon dioxide they were allowed to emit
-These permitted levels were divided into units
-Countries with emission units to spare are allowed to sell them to countries that have gone or would otherwise go over their permitted allowance
The Kyoto Protocol did not oblige low-income countries to meet specific targets(T/F)
True
Coordinating body of the Kyoto Protocol
the Conference of Parties(it meets every year to discuss progress in dealing with climate change9
Factors which determine the success of international solutions to climate change
-the extent to which governments wish to sign up to international agreements
-whether governments are preventive or reactive
Number of countries that signed up to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997
183
When and where was the Paris Agreement made?
In 2015, at the UN Climate Change Conference, Paris, Francce
Number of countries that signed up to the Paris Agreement in 2015
174
Objectives of the Paris Agreement
-Limit global warming to 2°C compared with pre-industrial levels(key objective)
-Achieving zero net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions between 2050 and 2100
Examples of mitigation strategies to reduce GHGs(in general)
-Reducing energy consumption
-Reducing emissions of nitrous oxides and methane from agriculture(by using fewer chemical fertilizers and reducing the use of intensive livestock farming)
-Using alternatives to fossil fuels
-Geo-engineering
Examples of mitigation strategies for carbon dioxide removal(CDR)
-Protecting and enhancing carbon sinks through land management
-Using biomass as a fuel source
-Using carbon capture and storage(CCS)
-Enhancing carbon dioxide absorption by the oceans(either by fertilizing oceans with nitrogen, phosphorus and iron or by increasing upwellings to release nutrients to the surface)
National and international methods to prevent further increases in mean global temperature
-Controlling the amount of atmospheric pollution
-Stopping forest clearance
-Increasing forest cover
-Developing alternative renewable energy sources
-Improving public transport
-Setting national limits on carbon emissions
-Developing carbon dioxide capture
-Recycling
Percentage of carbon dioxide in greenhouse gases
76%
Key steps of deep decarbonization
-Increasing energy efficiency(e.g. by saving energy in heating, cooling or ventilating buildings)
-Reducing the emissions of CO₂ per MWh of electricity(by increasing the amount of electricity generated by zero-emissions energy, such as wind and solar)
-Fuel shift from direct use of fossil fuels to electricity based on clean primary energy sources
Features of the Desertec Project
-No longer active(at least, not as it was originally intended)
-Designed to link North Africa, the Middle East and Europe into a single grid
-Takes advantage of the strong solar and wind potential of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
-Aimed to supply energy for North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and export the surplus to Europe
Examples of geo-engineering
-Carbon capture and storage(CCS)
-Afforestation
-Ocean fertilization
-Pumping sulfate aerosol particles into the air to dim the incoming sunlight and thereby cool the planet(just an idea)
-Placing giant mirrors in space to deflect some of the incoming solar radiation(also just an idea)
When does UN-REDD stand for?
United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
When was the UN-REDD programme launched?
2008
Aim of the UN-REDD programme
to stress the role of conservation in low-income countries, as well as the sustainable management of forests and the increase in forest carbon stocks
Main forms of carbon capture and sequestration(CCS)
-Capture the CO₂ at the site where it is produced(the power plant) and then store it underground in a geological deposit(e.g. an abandoned oil reservoir)
-“Direct air capture of CO₂”: Allow the CO₂ to enter the atmosphere but then remove it using specially designed removal processes(e.g. collecting the CO₂ with special chemical sorbents that absorb the CO₂)
How carbon offset schemes work
-Offset companies buy carbon credits from projects that plant trees or encourage a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy
-They then sell credits to individuals and companies that want to go “carbon neutral”
Disadvantage of carbon offset schemes
-Dissuade people from changing their behaviour
Examples of adaptation strategies
-Flood defences
-Vaccination programmes
-Desalination plants
-Planting of crops in previously unsuitable climates
Examples of civil societies
-The World WIde Fund for Nature(WWF)
-Greenpeace
-The Climate Action Network
How the World Wide Fund For Nature(WWF) is attempting to tackle climate change
-pressurizing major economies and emerging economies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
-calling on governments to sign up to international agreements to reduce the use of fossil fuels and work towards 100% renewable energy by 2050
-trying to encourage people to use new technologies, have greener lifestyles, and call for climate-smart legislation
Features of the One in Five Challenge(by the WWF)
-Lasted from 2010 to 2015
-Challenges companies to cut one flight out of five and gives public recognition for the achievement
Ethical issues with geo-engineering
Geo-engineering might:
-create conflicts
-create greater/other natural biological problems
-could cause harm to people(chemicals)
-increase inequality(potential divide between countries which can afford geo-engineering and those who can’t)
-Other countries may be affected by one country’s geo-engineering practices
-Green washing
-Change weather patterns
Technical solutions to climate change(both mitigation and adaptations)
-Internet-of-Things(IoT) can reduce electricity usage
-Smart grids(manage and reduce electricity usage)
-Soil moisture sensors and smart irrigation systems(optimize crop production and minimizing water usage and reducing costs)
-Genetic modifications of crops/livestock(to enhance the usage of production and yield)
-Using alternative energy-sources(non-fossil fuels)
-Alternative greener transportation systems
Examples of non-fossil fuel energy sources
-Wind power
-Solar energy
-Geo-thermal energy
-Tidal energy
-Hydro-electric power
-Nuclear power
-Biomass
-Fusion power
