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ATMS Test 3 > ATMS Exam 4 > Flashcards

ATMS Exam 4 Flashcards

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1
Q

Climate Change is

A

simple, serious, & solvable

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2
Q

simple

A

meaning we understand the problem
(well-understood science that goes back to 1800s)

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3
Q

serious

A

meaning that it is already impacting us and the impacts are accelerating
(impacts are already being felt & will only accelerate)

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4
Q

solvable

A

meaning that we have the knowledge and tools to avoids the worst impacts
(we have what we need to make changes)

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5
Q

Non-Linearity in Climate Change

A

refers to the disproportionate, unpredictable, and accelerating impacts of climate change.

Small increases in greenhouse gases can lead to sudden, dramatic changes in climate systems

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6
Q
  1. Feedback Loops
A

Postive Loops:
Melting ice reduces albedo, increasing heat absorption.
Negative Loop:
Increased plant growth absorbs CO2, slightly moderating warming.

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7
Q
  1. Tipping Points
A

Abrupt, irreversible changes when critical thresholds are crossed:
Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
Amazon Rainforest dieback

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8
Q
  1. Disproportionate and Cascading Impacts
A

Small temperature increases can lead to a significant rise in extreme weather events.
Ecosystem collapse can trigger food security and health crises.
Example: Heatwaves worsening droughts, increasing wildfire risks.

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9
Q
  1. Non-linear Economic & Social Impacts
A

Agriculture: Beyond temperature thresholds, crop yields can plummet.
Health: Rapid spread of diseases due to changing climate zones.
Rising costs and economic losses as impacts escalate disproportionately.

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10
Q
  1. Cumulative & Compounding Effects
A

Combined effects of multiple climate impacts can be more severe.
Example: Rising sea levels amplifying storm surge damage.
Interconnected systems lead to complex, unexpected outcomes.

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11
Q

Implications of Non-linearity

A

Urgent need for early and effective climate action to prevent reaching tipping points.
Importance of adaptive strategies to manage unpredictable, accelerating impacts.
Non-linear effects make precise predictions challenging, highlighting the need for precaution.

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12
Q

Unmanaged Systems at Risk

A

Natural ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change:
They lack direct human management and cannot easily adapt.
Risks include loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, and shifts in species distributions.
Ecosystem disruptions can impact human livelihoods dependent on natural resources.

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13
Q

Risk =

A

Hazard, Exposure, & Vulnerability/ Susceptibility

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14
Q

Hazard

A

Anticipated harmful thing

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15
Q

Exposure

A

who or what experiences the hazard

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16
Q

Vulnerability

A

how much someone or some place is impacted by the hazard

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17
Q

Physical vulnerability and sensitivity

A

Age, health status, pregnancy

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18
Q

Social vulnerability

A

Language, immigration status, economic status (poverty, access to transportation)

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19
Q

Discrimination as a source of social vulnerability

A

Gender, Race, LGBTQ+

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20
Q

Adaptation

A

Attempts to reduce the risk associated with climate change

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21
Q

Adaptation reduces risks associated with climate change by

A
  1. Reducing the hazard
  2. Reducing exposure
  3. Reducing vulnerability
  4. Increasing adaptive capacity & resilience
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22
Q

Managed Retreat

A

involves the purposeful, coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks

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23
Q

Risk is countered by adaptive capacity

A

The ability to react in a way that reduces the negative impact or enhances the positive impact of a change or exposure to a hazard

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24
Q

Risk is countered by resilience

A

the ability to keep functioning despite change

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25
Adaptation reduces risk not the amount of climate change To reduce risk we need to know
1. what the hazards are 2. what the exposures are 3. who and/or what is vulnerable and in what way
26
US Climate Resilience Tool Kit
1. Explore Hazards 2. Assess Vulnerability & Risks 3. Investigate Options 4. Prioritize & Plan 5. Take Action
27
BRACE
B = Building R = Resilience A = Against C = Climate E = Effects
28
Resilience
refers to the ability of a system to recover from or bounce back after a disturbance or stressor.
29
Adaptive Capacity
refers to the ability of a system to adjust to long-term changes, uncertainties, and challenges.
30
Risk is countered by adaptive capacity
the ability to react in ways that reduces the negative impact or enhances the positive impact of a change or exposure to a hazard.
31
Risk is countered by resilience
the ability to keep functioning despite change.
32
What is adaption?
reduces the risks associated with climate change, but doesn't necessarily reduce the amount climate change.
33
What is mitigation?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
34
What drives emissions?
I = P A T
35
I =?
impact (emissions)
36
P =?
population
37
A =?
affluence
38
T =?
technology (greenhouse-gas intensity)
39
GHG intensity is
EI * CI
40
EI
energy intensity
41
CI
carbon intensity
42
Reduce energy intensity
Increase energy efficiency (the amount of energy it takes to generate 1 dollar of a service or good)
43
Reduce carbon intensity
switch to less carbon intense fuels (the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per joul of energy generated)
44
Using the Market
Carbon Cap & Trade, Carbon Tax
45
Cap & Trade System
a way to control the total amount of greenhouse gases that companies are allowed to emit.
46
Carbon Tax
a fee that governments charge to businesses or individuals based on the amount of CO2 they emit.
47
What is geo-engineering?
solar radiation management, carbon cycle engineering
48
Solar radiation management means:
reduce incoming energy or increases outgoing energy
49
6 strategies for solar radiation management (important to learn)
1. space mirrors 2. earth parasol 3. stratospheric aerosol injection 4. Marine cloud brightening 5. surface albedo manipulation 6. high-cloud thinning
50
Carbon cycle engineering means
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere Enhancing biomass carbon sinks Enhancing geological carbon sinks Capture and storage (not associated with fossil fuel combustion)
51
Capture and storage (not associated with fossil fuel combustion)
Biomass energy with carbon capture and storage - BECCS Biochar Direct air CO2 capture and storage - DACCS
52
3 responses to climate change
1. adaptation 2. mitigation 3. geo-engineering
53
Adaptation, Mitigation, Geo-engineering? A city installs permeable concrete sidewalks to absorb water during flood events.
adaptation
54
You get a more fuel-efficient car mostly to save money. Is it still mitigation?
yes
55
Adaptation, Mitigation, Geo-engineering? A county constructs several additional reservoirs to collect and store spring snowmelt runoff
adaptation
56
Adaptation, Mitigation, Geo-engineering? A state encourages people to drive low-emission vehicles by allowing electric vehicles to use carpool lanes.
mitigation
57
Adaptation, Mitigation, Geo-engineering? A coastal city changes its building codes to prohibit new development within 1 mile of the beach.
adaptation
58
You put solar panels on your house to deal with the public safety power shutoffs. Is this mitigation, adaptation, or both?
Both
59
Adaptation, Mitigation, Geo-engineering? A country pledges to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the year 2030.
Mitigation
60
Adaptation, Mitigation, Geo-engineering? The world agrees to global scale cloud seeding.
geo-engineering
61
Climate Policy
refers to actions and rules created by governments, organizations, or international groups to address climate change. These policies aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, and protect the environment while promoting sustainable development.
62
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
is a major US law passed aimed at reducing inflation, supporting clean energy, and addressing climate change.
63
Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
a US government agency established to protect human health and the environment.
64
Renewable Energy Sources
- Solar Power - Wind Power - Hydropower - Geothermal Energy
65
Solar Power
converts sunlight into electricity without emissions
66
Wind Power
harnesses wind energy to generate electricity
67
Hydropower
uses water flow to generate electricity with minimal emissions
68
Geothermal Energy
extracts heat from the earth to generate energy
69
Challenges for renewable energy
Intermittency: weather-dependent, causing inconsistent energy supply Storage: need for efficient storage technologies Land Use: large-scale installations require significant space
70
Energy Storage Technologies
- Batteries - Pumped Hydro Storage - Compressed Air Energy (CAES)
71
Batteries
store energy for use when demand is high
72
Pumped Hydro Storage
pumps water uphill and releases it to generate power
73
Compressed Air Energy (CAES)
uses compressed air for energy storage
74
Challenges for Energy Storage
High Costs: battery storage is still expensive Efficiency Losses: some storage methods are not 100% efficient Material Supply: dependency on rare earth elements for batteries
75
Carbon Capture
captures CO2 before released into the atmosphere
76
Carbon Utilization
converts captured CO2 into products
77
Carbon Storage
stores CO2 in geological formations
78
Challenges for Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage
High Costs: expensive infrastructure & technology Energy-Intensive: CCUS itself consumes a significant amount of energy Storage Risks: risks associated with long-term CO2 storage (leak etc)
79
Advanced Nuclear Energy
- Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) - Fusion Energy (emerging)
80
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
provide scalable, low-carbon energy
81
Fusion Energy (emerging)
potential to generate energy without radioactive waste
82
Challenges for Advanced Nuclear Energy
Safety Concerns: public perception affected by past disasters Waste Disposal: long-lived radioactive waste remains an issue Cost Overruns: nuclear plants are capital-intensive with cost overruns
83
BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage)
- Bioenergy - BECCS
84
Bioenergy
uses organic materials for energy production
85
BECCS
combines bioenergy with carbon capture to remove CO2
86
Challenges for BECCS
Land Use Conflicts: competes with food production and natural ecosystems Carbon Neutrality Debate: emissions form biomass harvesting can offset benefits Cost: BECCS is an expensive & challenging technology to scale
87
Direct Air Capture (DAC)
DAC Technology: captures CO2 directly from the air for storage or use in products
88
Challenges for DAC
High Costs: DAC is expensive due to its energy and infrastructure Energy Requirements: The technology requires a lot of energy, which could come from non-renewable sources Scalability: large-scale deployment of DAC technologies is not yet feasible
89
The Tobacco Strategy
create doubt about health risks through misleading science led to delayed policy action and increased confusion on climate science
90
Ozone Depletion
1974: Discovery of CFCs' role in ozone layer depletion. 1987: Montreal Protocol phased out ozone-depleting chemicals like CFCs. Protocol is considered one of the most successful global environmental agreements.
91
Acid Rain
1970s-1980s: Acid rain was identified as a major environmental threat from industrial emissions. 1990 Clean Air Act amendments introduced cap-and-trade to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. Successful reduction of acid rain highlights the importance of science and policy action.

ATMS Test 3 (2 decks)

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