Unit 4: How can we ease the problem of climate change? Flashcards
How can we ease the problem of climate change?
- Mitigation: reduce the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere
- Adaptation: minimise the losses caused by climate change
Mitigation: reducing the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere
improving:
1. energy efficiency
2. building design
3. farm management
4. Replacing fossil fuels -> renewable energy resources
5. developing low-carbon transport system
6. recovering energy from solid waste
7. capturing + storing CO2
8. protecting forests + afforestation
9. encouraging sharing culture
replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy resources
- renewable energy resources:
solar power, wind power, HEP - use more biofuels (NO MORE FOSSIL FUELS!!!)
examples:
1. ethanol
made from crops (sugar cane, corn)
2. Biodiesel
made from plant oil (soybean oil, palm oil, animal fats)
advantages:
1. inexhaustible
2. environmentally-friendly
3. no GHG emissions
examples of biofuels
- ethanol
made from crops (sugar cane, corn) - Biodiesel
made from plant oil (soybean oil, palm oil, animal fats)
examples of renewable energy resources
- solar power
- wind power
- HEP
advantages of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy resources
- inexhaustible
- environmentally-friendly
- no GHG emissions
advantages of solar powers
- No GHG emission after installation -> clean
- low maintenance costs
- few location requirements (solar panels can be set up anywhere to produce solar power as long as the place receives sunlight)
- safe
disadvantages of solar powers
- high installation costs of solar panels
- price of electricity generated maybe higher than other means
- can not harness power during
- cloudy days
- storms
- night
- causes visual pollution
- occupies relatively large area
advantages of wind power
- No GHG emission after installation -> clean
- price of electricity generated low
- low operating costs
disadvantages of wind power
- high installation costs
- causes visual + noise pollution
- birds may be killed by the blades
- can interfere with microwave transmissions
- can only be harnessed at certain locations where wind speed is high + over a long period of time
advantages of hydroelectric power (HEP)
- No GHG emission after installation -> clean
- safe
- low operating costs
- lake formed behind dam -> recreational resource
- long lifespans
disadvantages of hydroelectric power (HEP)
- huge construction costs
- disrupts natural river environments + aquatic ecosystems
- cannot harness power when there are droughts
- building of dam floods farmland -> people need to be relocated from homes
advantages of geothermal power
- low maintenance costs
- occupies relatively small area
- not weather dependent like solar/wind power (geothermal heat pumps work year-round)
- clean
- reliable
disadvantages of geothermal power
- geographical limitations -> only a few sites have potential to develop this kind of energy
- high construction costs
- power plants are a safety concern -> (in extreme cases) cause earthquakes
advantages of tidal and wave power
- no GHG emission after installation -> clean
- reliable + predictable
- long lifespans -> cost-competitive resource
- high energy efficiency compared to other energy resources
disadvantages of tidal and wave power
- high construction and maintenance costs
- geographical limitations -> only a few sites have potential to develop this kind of energy
- limited electricity generation -> can only produce electricity during tidal surges
- spinning turbines may kill animals + fish
advantages of Biofuel
- less expensive + more affordable
- lower GHG emissions compared to fossil fuels
- can be sourced from a variety of natural materials such as:
- corns
- sugar canes
- plant oils
-» more effective
disadvantages of Biofuel
- High costs of initial investment
- requires a relatively large area of land
- farms may grow crops for biofuel production (not stable food) -> reduce food supply -> increase food prices
- large number of crops needed to generate same amount of energy as fossil fuels -> lower energy efficiency
improving energy efficiency
- improve energy efficiency in thermal power plants -> reduce use of fossil fuels -> decreases carbon dioxide emission
e.g. decrease coal usage + natural gas for power - improve energy efficiency of machines and electrical appliances -> reduces energy consumption -> decrease carbon dioxide emissions
renewable energy resources
- solar power
- wind power
- hydroelectric power (HEP)
- geothermal power
- tidal + wave power
- biofuel
the areas in developing a low-carbon transport system
- vehicle design
- transport system
vehicle design in low carbon transport system
design:
1. energy-efficient vehicles -> reduce emissions of GHGs
e.g. hybrid vehicles -> emitting only half of GHGs than those on petrol
- electric vehicles + promote the use of them (lower GHG emissions than trad vehicles)
- vehicles that are powered by fuels with low or no carbon emissions
e.g. hydrogen-powered cars
transport system in low-carbon transport system
- develop mass transit railway systems
- encourage use of public transport
-> discourage use of private cars -> reduce carbon emissions
buildings with passive solar design in winter (low angle of the sun)
- large windows -> allow direct sunlight to pass through -> collect more solar power -> keep the building warm
- well insulated roof + floor + double-glazed windows -> store more solar power -> reduce heat loss
-> decrease energy consumption for heating
buildings with passive solar design in summer (large angle of the sun)
- large windows -> let hot air out + summer breeze blow into the house
- well-insulated roof -> reduce heat gain
- overhanging -> block direct sunlight
-> prevent overheating -> reduce energy consumption for cooling
improving building design for reducing the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere
green roof -> insulator to help lower room temperature -> reduces consumption of air conditioning -> reduce GHG emissions
recovering energy from incinerators and landfills in reducing the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere
recovering energy from incinerators and landfills
1. burning of solid waste in incinerators -> heat produced -> generate electricity -> reduces combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity
- capture landfill gas -> generate electricity ->
reduces: - emissions of methane from landfills
- combustion of fossil fuels -> generate electricity
capturing and storing CO2 in reducing the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere
power plants + oil refineries -> carbon dioxide -> captured + stored deep underground (e.g. depleted gas fields) -> reduces amount of carbon emitted into atmosphere