Climate change Mitigation
What are climate change impacts?
water security agriculture natural ecosystem fisheries human health large-scale effects with unforeseen impacts
What are the two routes to mitigating climate change?
we can try to stop producing greenhouse gases or we can try to get rid of them once they are produced.
What do we need to consider when mitigating climate change?
we want to minimise the effects of climate change while keeping sustainable development and equality
Are CO2 emissions still increasing year on year?
yes
When was the sharpest rise in CO2 emissions?
2,000-2010 it was a rise of 2.2% per year
When was the first commitment of the kayo protocol?
2008 and it ended 2012
When did the copenhagen accord occur?
2009
How much energy does gas produce?
24%
How much energy does coal produce?
30%
How much energy does oil produce?
33%
What was the goal for the first agreement period of the Doha amendment?
37 industrialised countries and the european community committed to reduce GHG emissions to an average of 5% against 1990 levels
How much electricity is made from non-hydro renewables?
4.4%
In the EU how much goods transport is by road?
44%
When was terra pretax made?
450 BC and 950AD
How many Gt of CO2 were released in 2010?
49
How much CO2 did china emit in 2010 per capita?
5.8 metric tons
Between 1970 and 2000 what has happened to the number of cars in the EU?
62.5 million to 175 million
How much electricity is made from fossil fuels?
67.2%
In the EU how much passenger transport is by road?
79%
How much CO2 emissions are accounted for by road transport?
84%
How much energy do fossil fuels produce?
87%
How much CO2 could carbon capture potentially remove?
90%
What are geotechnical solutions for climate change?
Cloud modification ocean fertilisation carbon capture and storage
What activities generate GHGs?
Energy production is a major contributor. (25%) Transport (14%) industry production (21%) Buildings 6.4% other (9.6) AFOLU agriculture, forestry, forest fires, decay of peat ext (24%)
What are the negatives of solar power?
Not everywhere gets equal amounts of sun
What are the downsides to biofuels?
land will have to be cleared creating a monoculture.
what were the results of the Doha amendment?
more countries signed up There was a greater commitment for a greater reduction in greenhouse gas emissions but still a global response was still lacking
What is wave and tidal power?
movement of water is harnessed for electricity by machinery in the sea
What was the goal for the second agreement period of the Doha amendment?
parties committed to reduce GHG emissions by at least 18% below 19900 levels in the 8-year period from 2013 to 2020
How are biofuels made?
produced directly or indirectly by organic matter (plant materials or animal waste) It involves extracting biofuels form crops, wood and waste
What is the definition of mitigation?
the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something Mitigation of clima
What was the objectives of the UNFCC?
"The ultimate objective of this Convention [...] is to achieve [...] stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. This was in 1992. Since then we are still seeing a rise in greenhouse gas emissions. We have still not reached the peak of emissions even though there are lots of mitigation strategies around. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner."
What are mitigation options?
Biofuels Wind Solar Tidal Wave Biochar Geotechnical solutions Carbon capture & storage
what was the COP-20 Lima agreement?
anotehr agreement to reduce emissions
How much electricity is made from hydro?
16.6%
What was the rise in CO2 emissions between 1970-2000?
1.3%
How much of the total world energy demand is covered by biofuels?
10%
How much electricity is made from nuclear?
11.9%
How much CO2 emissions are accounted for by air transport?
13%
What are the mitigation options?
Biofuels Wind Solar Tidal Wave Biochar Geotechnical solutions Carbon capture & storage
Who are the smallest emitters of CO2?
Africa and greenland
What are the good points of Soalr power?
Based on solar radiation we could theoretically power the whole earth with just a small surface area of panels. The energy is hard to store it has a lot of potential as energy source
What are the main GHG?
Carbon dioxide Water vapour Nitrous oxide Methane F-gases: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's), Perfluorocarbons (PFC's) Sulphur hexaflouride (SF6)
Who are the biggest producers of CO2 emissions?
China and the US
How can you change cloud reflectivity?
Cirrus striping Cloud brightening
When was the kyoto protocol?
In JApan on 11th December 1997
what are the cons of carbon capture and storage?
It can go ver wrong if the sites are not totally leak proof It takes a lot of initial capital to set up
How does wind energy work?
It converts kinetic energy from wind into mechanical power. It can be direct like a windmill or indirect when it is converted to mechanical energy
How much has air transport increased between 1990 -2010?
It has gone form 4- 8%
What are the negatives?
It has unforeseen consequences Once it is done it cannot be undone You cannot really have a test run implementing tehse changes will need a lot of energy and could be polluting
What is so special about tera preta?
It has very high carbon and nutrient content and high levels of microorganisms which are important in soils. They retain their nutrients for thousands of years
What is green soil?
It is a type of soil called terra preta. It made the relatively infertile amazonian soil very fertile.
What is green coal?
It is biochar which is a charcoal used for soil fertilisation. biochar i a stabel solid It is rich in carbon
What is happening to Scotland coal power station?
It is closing because it is the most polluting power station in the Uk relative to the amount of power it generates It is a big employer
How can we capture carbon?
It is naturally captured by soils and trees
What is iron fertilisation?
It is the iron fertilisation of the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton blooms Iron is a trace element which is a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth
How does carbon capture and storage work?
It is the removal and storage of carbon dioxide at points of production and then storage for the long term and potentially forever
What is most biomass used for?
It is used unprocessed by developed countries for cooking, heating and fuels
What si RED?
It is where financial incentives are offered if people do not cut down rees. offers carbon credits retains and sequests carbon in trees Forest carbon payments can occur either for carbon sequestion or by protecting carbon sinks
How does solar energy work?
It uses photovoltaic systems which convert energy from the sun into electricity
What happened in the 2015 paris agreement?
It was approved by 195 countries
What was the kayo to protocol?
It was controversial and not many countries signed up to it. It was the first time that developed countries said that they were responsible for the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and that they have a bigger burden to mitigate these emissions than developing nations. An international agreement linked to the UNFCCC, which committed its Parties to internationally binding emission reduction targets. It recognised that developed countries are principally responsible for current levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, therefore the protocol placed a heavier burden on developed nations.
What was longannet power station?
It was converted to store CO2. The emissions go through a solution which traps the CO2 and lets out other non-damaging things It was a 2 year trial It was not financially viable and was shut down.
What is the unfcc article 2?
It was formed due one of the outcomes of Rio
What happened in 1997?
Kyoto Protocol. Developed nations pledge to reduce their yearly emissions by an average of 5% by 2008-2012 (relative to 1990). US does not ratify treaty.
How does Cloud brightening work?
Low cloud tends to be highly reflective to slight, especially when white due to small droplets. If you seed low level clouds you can effect the sunlight before it reaches the Earth. The low clouds can then be modified to make them more reflective and therefore cooling it.
What sites are used for carbon storage?
Mainly underground in old gas and oil wells mines
Who signed up the kayoto protocol?
Most europe Canado Japan Signed to reduce their emission Russia, and a few other countries signed up to keep their emissions constant Most did not sign up
Are CO2 emissions evenly distributed across the globe?
No
What happened in 1992?
Rio Earth Summit agrees on the (convention for climate change )UNFCCC objective: 'stabilisation of GHG [...] at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
What are the cons of iron fertilisation?
Starting a massive amount of organic growth in the ocean could create too much food for higher trophic levels which will lead to a strange distribution change of all levels of biodiversity in the ocean It could also change the nature of the pH of the ocean. The downstream effects are hard to test on side a wide level
what were happened in the COP-20 Lima agreement?
US and China took part on this Developing nations were getting increasingly angry with the demand placed on them - they argued that the problems did not arise because of them There was increasing panic from low lying island nations because they are most under threat It was an agreement that included all countries
read:)
Strategies to mitigate climate change can have positive or negative influences on other goals we have in our society. We could think that by mitigating climate change and implementing more renewable technologies we are creating a better local environmental quality we may also be helping biodiversity. We could also be negatively influencing our society by removing jobs or displacing people. Mitigation and adaptation can positively or negatively influence the achievement of other societal goals.
What happened in 1988?
The IPCC set up to collate/assess evidence for CC
What are the good points of wave and tidal power?
it is predictable which means you plan how much energy you will get
what can biochar be used for?
The long term secession of carbon dioxide can last thousands of years it can be implemented on a fairly small scale but can be very useful as it also makes the soils more nutrient rich.
What was the problem with the kayo to protocol?
The problem was not that many countries signed up to tae on the challenge of reducing levels.
What was the Doha amendment 2012?
it was an amendment to the kayo to protocol when it ended its first timeframe for limitation
What happened in the decoupling of global emissions?
There was a decoupling of global emissions and economic growth this is due to the increased uses of renewable energy and increased energy efficiency generally across sectors that produce emissions This happened when there was still increasing economic growth proving you could reduce emissions and increase economic growth
What are the good points of wind energy?
They are clean non-polluting Cheap once in place you cannot exhaust the supply of wind
Whata re the downsides to wind energy?
They can be noisy and windy.
What has happened to the numb roof cars in the EU in the last 30 years?
They have doubled
What are liquid biofuels?
They re processed Used for transport 2% of biofuels are used for this It accounts for 1% of the energy usege in transport
How have the emissions attributed to china changes between 2010 and 2014?
They were 17% of global CO2 emissions and in 2014 they emit 23%
Why is global production on the rise?
This is attributed to the fact that people think their a good investment and biofuel usage is on the increase.
What did the copenhagen agreement decide?
To push forward a legally binding agreement which would be more global in scope It was not legally binding China an the US were involved There was no timeframe Most countries gave it there support.
How does cloud reflectivity modification work?
We can change the amount that the clouds reflect light.
How do you iron fertilise?
You add iron sulphate to the ocean it stimulates really large growths of phytoplankton. As they grow they will request carbon into themselves until they are massive. At this point they will drop to the bottom of the sea taking the carbon with them.
what was the 2015 paris agreement?
an agreement to keep global temperatures will below 2 degrees they had no strategy for this To limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same level that trees, soil nd oceans can absorb naturally (to begin 2050 to 2100) tehy reviewed each countries contribution to cutting emissions every 5 years so they can scale up the challenge for rich countries to help poorer nations bu providing climate finance to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy there was a much more global approach where there was much more interaction between different nations
How is terra preta made?
by mixing: bone blood charcoal manure into soil
How are we releasing carbon?
deforestation is 1/5th of many made CO2 emjmissions
What accounts for 3/4 of all GHG emissions in Scotland?
energy transport business
What accounts for 80% of all GHG emissions within the EU?
energy production
How does cirrus stripping work?
high cold cirrus clouds let light through but reflect infra-red back to the Earths surface Thinning these clouds reduced their reflectivity to infra-red and results in a net cooling to the earth
What is climate policy influenced by?
how individuals and organisations percieve risks and uncertainties
What is the definition of mitigation of climate change?
human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.
What are the negatives of wave and tidal power?
it can eb dangerous for wildlife, fisherman and shipping tehya re expensive to implement and maintain A lot of risk assessments must be done before they are put in place You often have to decide how much marine life you are willing to kill
Between 1970 and 2010 what has happened to the amount of fright haulage?
it has increased by 50%
How is biochar made?
it is made by the pyrolysis of organic biomass in an airless burning process