Topic 7 Flashcards
What energy security needs to be
Reliable & affordable
Maintain national security
Depends on energy price fluctuations & political changes
Need to invest in multiple sources
Energy choices
Availability (domestic or intl) Tech developments (already exist? Potential?) Politics Economic (cheaper to import or produce) Cultural attitudes Sustainability Environmental considerations
Energy crisis
Bottleneck in supply of energy resources to an economy
Driven by increase in demand, drop in supply, or political tensions/war
Greenhouse gases
Water vapor, CO2, methane, CFCs/HFCs, nitrous oxide, ozone
Greenhouse effect
Insolation for earth after green house gases reflect back
Ozone layer
Absorbs UV rays, CFCs put hole in ozone layer
Stages of atmosphere
Tropo-sphere, ozone, strato-sphere
Influencing factors for climate change
Fluctuations in solar insolation affecting temperature
Changing proportions of gas released in atmosphere by organisms
Impacts of climate change
Ocean and sea levels Polar ice caps Glaciers Weather patterns Food production Biodiversity and ecosystems Water supplies Human health Human migration National economies
Precautionary mitigation
International committees, national actions, personal lifestyle changes
Mitigation strategies
Stabilize or reduce GHG emissions
Remove CO2 from atmosphere
Geo-engineering
Stabilize or reduce GHG emissions
Reduce energy consumption
Reduce agricultural methane emissions
Use alternatives to fossil fuel
Remove CO2 from atmosphere
Increase photosynthesis, carbon capture and storage, use more biomass
Adaptation strategies
Change land use Build to resist flooding Change agricultural production Manage weather Migrate Vaccinate Manage water
Montreal protocol
International agreement to ban ozone depleting substances worldwide (CFCs)
Pro: very successful
Con: US didn’t sign
