ENR 2155 EXAM 2
As a part of emissions trading schemes Voluntary programs
2 types of Carbon Offsets
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A barrel of oil is XX gallons
Cap and Trade
A gov't-mandated market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. Indirect tax
Cap
A limit on the amount of a pollutant can be emitted
Carbon Tax
A price instrument because it fixes the prices while the emission level is allowed to vary according to economic activity.
RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standards)
A regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal.
Subsidies
A sum of money granted by the gov't or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service my remain low or competitive
Carbon offsets
A unit of CO2-equivalent that is reduced, avoided, or sequestered to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere
Feed-in-Tariffs
An arrangement whereby utilities agree to pay a fixed rate, generally above prevailing market rates, for energy from renewable sources
Keystone XL Pipeline
An oil pipeline running from Canada to the US
Allowances, credits
Companies or groups are required to hold a given number of these. Can be sold, bought, traded, between companies.
Buyer
Company that needs to increase their emission allowance from those who pollute less, paying a charge for polluting . (They buy credits/allowances)
Hydrocarbon
Compound of Hydrogen and carbon, such as any of those that are the chief components of petroleum and natural gas
Emissions Regulations
Direct tax, cap 'n trade, carbon offset permits
No, 27 states have passed RPS
Does the US have a federal cap & trade for GHG emissions?
Grid parity, guaranteed grid access, long term contracts for electricity
Examples of Feed-in-Tariffs
Grants, tax methods, trade restrictions, direct gov't investment
Examples of Subsidies
Clear air, clean water act
Existing legislation for Carbon Offsets
Public Policy
Generally made by gov't, interpreted/implemented by public and private actors, what the gov't intends to do
Disclosure Strategy
Getting strategic info into open public debate especially where the availability of direct citizen enforcement mechanisms can make info regarding threats actionable by members of the public.
To reduce emissions
Goal of emissions trading
Other groups can by credits and hold on to them
How can groups/companies drive up the price of credits?
Mining, mountaintop removal
How do we get coal out of the ground?
CO2 increase is almost directly related to the Industrial Revolution
How do we know that the increase in CO2 is caused by the burning of fossil fuels?
It is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and land clearing
How do we know the CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing?
19.4 Million
How many barrels of oil does the US consume per day?
94 million
How many barrels of oil does the world consume per day?
Upstream
Includes searching for potential underground or underwater crude oil and natural gas fields, drilling exploratory wells, and subsequently drilling and operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil and/or raw natural gas to the surface
Midstream
Involves the transportation, storage, and wholesale marketing of crude or refined petroleum producuts
Current Energy Policy
Large Scale Capital Intensive Largely Based on fossil fuels Oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power Electricity generated by fossil fuels
Clean Energy Policy
Low Carbon Future Renewable Energy, conservation & efficiency Promote solar, wind, water, geothermal
Lower cap
Lowered over time, aim at national emissions reduction target
Who started recording the heightened levels of CO2 in the atmosphere?
Manua Loa Observatory, Charles Keeling, Hawaii
Shale Oil (Texas), Oil Shale (Estonia), Shale Gas (Eastern Ohio), Coalbed methane (New Mexico), Tar/Oil Sands (Canada)
Name the 5 Unconventionals
Cap and trade at the federal level
New Legislation for Carbon Offsets
Energy efficiency
Obtaining most energy from resources given
Distributed Power
Production and Transportation of power uses many systems
Renewable energy policy
Promote renewables Combat global climate change Low Carbon future
Short wave radiation
Radiant energy with wavelengths in the visible light, that contains a lot of energy
Downstream
Refining and marketing of crude or refined petroleum products
Enrichment
Removing the proper amount of U-235 from U-238
Ernest Moniz
Secretary of Energy
Micropower
Smaller, distributed systems for production of electricity
Retire credits
Sometime credits must be disposed every time a trade is made
EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)
Systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the environmental effects of proposed actions and projects
Peak Oil
The hypothetical point in time when the global production of oil reaches its maximum rate, after which production will gradually decline
EU-ETS (European Union Emissions Trading Scheme)
The largest active trading system for greenhouse gasses
Carbon Sequestration
The process of capturing CO2 and keeping it underground or in the deep ocean to prevent carbon emissions from adding to atmospheric greenhouse gasses
Radioactive Decay
The process whereby a radioactive nucleus emits one or more high-energy particles, thus turning into a different nuclear species
Centralized Power
The production and transportation of power is housed in a few large organizations
Half-life
The time it takes half the nuclei of a given radioactive substance to decay
Trade
The transfer of allowances
Seller
Those who pollute less, being awarded for this. (They sell excess credits/allowances)
Nuclear Storage
Typically in water filled pools
Gina McCarthy
USEPA Administrator
Command and Control Strategy
Use of regulation, direct, or indirect taxes
Energy conservation
Using less energy
Water Vapor (H2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Ozone (O3), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's)
What are the 6 common greenhouse gasses
production of oil declined, even though hubberts theory was found wrong in later years
What did the US do in the 1970's oil production peaked?
Airbourne fraction, greenhouse gas spends more time in the atmosphere and gains energy. Provides insulation via greenhouse effect.
What happens to a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere?
The price after the peak will only increase
What happens when we reach peak oil?
They release CO2
What happens when you burn a fossil fuel?
Plants (Ferns)
What is coal made of?
Oil comes from tar sands. Getting oil out of tar sands is harmful to the environment
What is controversial about the Keystone XL Pipeline?
Plankton
What is most oil and gas made of?
Sandstone
What is the conventional reservoir rock for oil and gas?
Utica Shale
What is the shale gas/oil formation currently being produced in eastern Ohio?
Shale
What is the source rock for conventional oil and gas?
Shale Gas
What new unconventional has radically changed US oil production?
Making coal
What process is this? Plant matter transforms into peat through heat, bacterial decay, and time. Peat is buried under sedimentary rock and after much compaction, heat, and time, physical and chemical changes transform the peat into coal.
Gasoline, plastic, diesel, jet fuel, propane, lubricants, still gas, petroleum coke
What types of products are refined out of a barrel of oil?
Early Carboniferous Period. 300 million year ago.
When was the organic matter that became oil/gas/coal deposited (name and time)
US, France, Russia
Which countries produce the most nuclear power?
France
Which country uses nuclear for most of their electricity needs
Natural Gas
Which fossil fuels produce the least CO2 per unit of energy?
Coal
Which fossil fuels produce the most CO2 per unit of energy?
Hubbert in 1956
Who developed the idea of Peak Oil? What year?
Provides optimum percent of U-235 to be used in a nuclear reactor
Why do we need Uranium Enrichment
Undergoes fission at a slow rate, emits radiation. Lighter than Uranium 238
Why is Uranium 235 used in nuclear reactors?
Nuclear Radiation
high-energy particles produced in the decay of radioactive nuclei
Emission Permits
issued to companies or other groups
Long wave radiation
radiant energy with wavelengths in the infared light that contains less energy