Case Study 16: Climate Change UK

Question 1

What is being done in the UK to tackle climate change

Answer 1

1. Set carbon budgets which say how much carbon is allowed to be emitted
2. Use statistics on greenhouse gas emissions to inform climate change policy
3. Every home to have smart meters
4. Encourage people to use less energy through the green deal
5. Provide over £2 million of funding for innovation in low carbon technologies
6. Take an active role in encouraging local authorities and the EU to adopt low carbon technology

Question 2

Attitudes to climate change

Answer 2

Not everyone believes that climate change is a major problem. Some countries originally signed the Kyoto agreement did not ratify ( make it official)

Question 3

What is being done internationally

Answer 3

1. The Kyoto protocol is an international treaty that sets binding obligations on industrialise countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses
2. The protocols major feature is that it has mandatory targets on greenhouse gas emissions for the worlds leading economies which have accepted it
3. there are 192 parties to the Convention: 191 States (including all the UN members except Andorra, Canada, South Sudan and is United States) and the European union. The United States signed but did not rectify the protocol and Canada withdrew from it in 2011

Question 4

Effects on the UK

Answer 4

If the F gets hotter, these are some of the things that could happen in the UK:

1. Water expands when it is heated so see levels could rise causing erosion of British coast and floods
2. The change in see temperature could also affect the diversity life ecosystem – meaning this UK is fishing industry could suffer
3. Animal species might become extinct as habitats change die out
4. There could be more floods, especially near the coasts and rivers
5. Places that usually get lots of rain and snow fall might get hotter and drier
6. Rivers and lakes to dry up
7. There could be more droughts, make it harder for farmers to grow crops
8. Less water would be available for households and agricultural purposes
9. Some plants and animals might become extinct or migrate to other climates because they cannot cope with the higher temperatures of the UK
10. Hurricanes, tornadoes another storms which are caused by changes in the heat and water evaporation may get more common here in the UK