Week 6: Climate change

Question 1

Hysteris meaning

Answer 1

Dependence of the state of a system

Question 2

Tipping point meaning

Answer 2

A threshold beyond which the system changes rapidly to a new state

Question 3

The climate we experience is influenced by

Answer 3

External energy sources + internal systems variability + human forcing

Question 4

Instrumental record of climate data

Answer 4

The direct measurement of climate variables at well-maintained stations

Question 5

Climate archives

Answer 5

Evidence of the past recorded in geologic and biologic materials

Question 6

Anthropogenic

Answer 6

Human produced

Question 7

To investigate further back in time

Answer 7

We need samples of materials that formed in the past

Question 8

Examples of materials that formed in the past

Answer 8

1. Ice cores (capture annual layers of snowfall)
2. Air bubbles (CO2, CH4, O2, N2O)
3. H2O isotopes: temperature
4. Dust, sea salt, volcanic ash

Question 9

The relationship between carbon emissions and global warming

Answer 9

GHGs in atmosphere, basic physics + data instrumental and archives

Question 10

Earth’s carbon cycle has

Answer 10

Fast and slow components

Question 11

Fast earth carbon cycle

Answer 11

Biological and ocean - atmosphere exchanges

Question 12

Slow earth carbon cycle

Answer 12

Geographical processes (making and weathering rocks)

Question 13

What makes a fast transfer from rocks to atmosphere that can only be drawn back down slowly (into the ocean, then rocks)

Answer 13

Burning fossil carbon

Question 14

Global warming impacts

Answer 14

1. Temperature (warmer with more heat extremes, including during winter and night)
2. Precipitation (changing patterns, more extreme floods and droughts)
3. Sea level rise (higher coastal flooding and tides, saltwater incursion into coastal freshwater aquifers)

Question 15

Ecological footprint

Answer 15

Measures our demands on ecosystems relative to their capacity to be restored

Question 16

How many hectares are needed for restoration of our ecological footprint and how many are available

Answer 16

20.8 billion hectares required
12.2 billion hectares available

Question 17

Global 2.6 GHA demand =

Answer 17

1.7 earths

Question 18

NZ GHA demand =

Answer 18

5.4

Question 19

The models used to stimulate observed change can also be used to

Answer 19

Project future change if we know what emissions pathway humanity will choose

Question 20

Climate risk

Answer 20

The potential for adverse consequences for human or ecological systems, recognising the diversity of values and objectives associated with such systems.

Question 21

Risks arise from

Answer 21

Impacts of climate change and human responses to them

Question 22

IPCC

Answer 22

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Question 23

Exposure definition

Answer 23

The presence of people, livelihoods, infrastructure and assets, or species and ecosystems in place and settings that could be adversely affected

Question 24

Vulnerability definition

Answer 24

The tendency of the exposed area and its components to be adversely affected from interacting risks)

Question 25

Sources of vulnerability

Answer 25

Demographics, geographic context, socioeconomic status, sociopolitical systems, governance and adaptation

Question 26

Sensitivity definition

Answer 26

The degree to which a system or species is affected

Question 27

Adaptive capacity

Answer 27

The ability of systems, institutions, people and other organisms to adjust, take advantage of opportunities, or respond to consequences

Question 28

Co-benefits

Answer 28

Positive effects a policy or measure of one objective on others, responsive of the net effect on overall social welfare

Question 29

Emission scenarios consider different future pathways including

Answer 29

Different social, economic, technogical, policy and governance choices

Question 30

Different future pathways lead to

Answer 30

Different global mean warming, rates of change and impacts

Question 31

Risk =

Answer 31

Hazard + exposure + vulnerability

Question 32

3 steps to analysing risk

Answer 32

1. Who is responsible for managing this
2. Who should be consulted
3. What do you think the council should do

Question 33

Possible futures from the rate of risk

Answer 33

1. Fossil fuels + cement production
2. Land use, land use change
3. Gross emissions = fuel combustion + cement production + land use change (deforestation)
4. Net emissions = gross emissions - removals

Question 34

Mitigation definition

Answer 34

Limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing activities that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere

Question 35

What should we be doing right now for mitigation goals

Answer 35

The emergency response requires quick wins: actions we can take now that yield immediate decarbonization without requiring new infrastructure

Question 36

Quick wins in the built environment involve

Answer 36

1. Lower cost
2. Existing technology
3. More solar and wind
4. Efficiency and optimisation
5. Weatherization, insulation, building automation
6. Fuel efficient vehicles and alternative transportation
7. Sustainable diets and reduce food waste
8. Stop deforestation and start restoration/reforestation

Question 37

To keep a low carbon future, we need

Answer 37

New infrastructure, to support existing and new low carbon technology

Question 38

New infrastructure in a low carbon surface involves

Answer 38

1. New planning required, complex, replacement
2. May be new or higher cost
3. Industrial fuel switching
4. Electrification from renewable sources
5. More distributed electricity generation
6. Update buildings for efficient electrification
7. Terminal and tracks mass transit: busses and trains
8. Charging infrastructure
9. New farming practices (reducing carbon, CH4, N2O etc)
10. Waste sorting and recovery

Question 39

Some activities require new technology because they are hard to

Answer 39

Decarbonise (manufacturing cement and steel, jet fuel)

Question 40

Industrial and chemical processes may be a possible way to draw down

Answer 40

CO2 (however research suggests they emit more than they bring down)

Question 41

The only assured way to achieve draw down goals

Answer 41

Storage approaches