UK Climate Change C/S

Question 1

Emissions per capita UK 2021

Answer 1

5 tons of CO2/capita in 2021

Question 2

Current environmental threats
ecosystems

Answer 2

increasing temps in Northern Scotland puts ecosystem under threat as animals (mainly birds) that rely on snow and front for camouflage could disappear

Question 3

Current enviro impacts UK
species changing

Answer 3

Increasing invasive species as temperatures change such as Colorado beetle
Increasing sea temperatures will push out white-beaked Dolphins, Atlantic Salmon and seabirds

Question 4

current enviro opportunities UK

Answer 4

increasing temps and longer growing season - so increased NPP - good for bio-diversity and most ecosystems
rainbow fish now regularly seen

Question 5

Current socio-economic impacts - threats/negative

Answer 5

sea level rise (around 40cm by 2050) will threaten low lying areas - Somerset levels, Thames and Clyde estuaries
Flooding already occurring on Somerset levels
Worsening winter storms are big threat in North East - Glasgow flooded 3 times in last decade
Drought and water shortages a problem for South East and London - esp in Summer
Urban heat island will make temps unbearable in London in Summer

Question 6

Current socio-econ opportunities

Answer 6

increasing temps and longer growing season means new crops like olives and grapes can be grown in South of England
tourist destinations within the UK will benefit and climate becomes like S Spain in Summer

Question 7

Mitigation strategies UK
Climate Act

Answer 7

2008 UK climate Act - legally binding target to originally decrease by 80% by 2050
Updated in 2019 - net zero aim by 2050

Question 8

Mitigation strategies UK
grants/subsidies

Answer 8

grants available to sell surplus energy from renewable sources
subsidies for renewable energy projects - mainly offshore wind

Question 9

Mitigation strategies UK
investment

Answer 9

£200 bil investment into renewables since 2012
£20 bil investment into CCS in 2023
2 new nuclear plants being built to help fuel shift
£1 bil investment into insulation

Question 10

Mitigation Strategies UK
Cap and trade

Answer 10

UK only ETS (emissions trading system)
compulsory for some industries

Question 11

Challenges for mitigation UK
political

Answer 11

political - Brexit - left EU ETS, threatens investment into renewable energy - EU had invested £4bil in renewables
political - Climate change act may be too aspirational and instead was used as political tool for image - may be beyond political capability to achieve it
Political - lack of action to back up policies - insulation scheme will take 200 years at current rate

Question 12

Challenges for mitigation UK
Socio-economic

Answer 12

socio-economic - NIMBYism - people objecting to 1/3 windfarms in the UK despite liking the idea of renewable energy
economic - reliance on TNCs who are still producing significant emissions

Question 13

Challenges for mitigation UK
tech/education

Answer 13

tech - fuel shift to nuclear will require huge amounts of technical knowledge and infrastructure

Question 14

adaptation UK strategies

Answer 14

investment into flood defences and coastal protection such as Thames Barrier
investment into new tech - air cooling on Jubilee tube line
urban heat island - London investing into green walls
Water scarcity - introducing controls on water extraction when flows are low to stop unsustainable extraction
- hosepipe bans quickly introduced during periods of drought/heat

Question 15

UK adaptation challenges

Answer 15

tech - not sustainable to keep building bigger walls to stop floods - shifts problem elsewhere
political - retreat strategies hard to implement and unpopular to move entire settlements - e.g. Somerset levels
socio-economic - cost of further strategies like Outer Thames barrier - another £20bil - is too great to implement - areas like Humber cannot be protected as cost too great