Geography > carbon case studies > Flashcards

carbon case studies Flashcards

(86 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

How has the energy consumption of the UK changed compared to Norway?

A

Norways use has increased significantly over time
Uks consumption has fluctuated but has an over all decrease

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How has the fossil fuel consumption of the UK changed compared to Norway?

A

Uk fossil fuel usage very high but decreasing
Norway usage significantly lower, fluctuating over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is norways biggest source of energy 2023(%)

A

hydroelectric power - 44%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the Uks biggest source of energy 2023 (%)

A

Natural gas (38%)
And oil (36%)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

When was the last Uk coal plant decommissioned

A

30 September 2024
Closed after 142 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How does physical availability impact the UKs energy mix over time?

A

Until 70s Uk depended massively on domestic coal from Yorkshire and south wales
Among global leaders in nuclear 50s-70s
Discovered large oil and gas reserves in North Sea in 70s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does physical availability impact Norways energy mix over time ?

A

Mountainous Norway has plentiful rainfall so HEP is a natural choice
Much of norways oil and gas found in territorial water is exported (to the Uk)
Coal from Svalbard also exported

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How does cost impact the UKs energy mix over time?

A

North Sea reserves became secure alternative to Middle Eastern oil after price increase in 70s
However North sea oil expensive to extract so less viable when global prices fall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How does cost impact Norway’s energy usage over time?

A

HEP supplies 98% of Norways renewable electricity
HEP low cost after initial investment done
Transfer of electricity from HEP barrages to remote areas expensive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How does technology impact the UKs energy mix over time?

A

UKs current technology and environmental policy make coal extraction unrealistic expensive despite having 150 years worth coal not extracted
Deep water drilling tech allowed them to extract from the North Sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does technology impact Norways energy mix over time?

A

Deep water drilling tech enabled them to extract from the north sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How does political consideration impact the UKs energy mix over time?

A

Privatisation means overseas companies decide which energy sources used to meet Uk energy demand

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How does political consideration impact Norways energy mix over time?

A

Power supply managed by Norwegian water and energy directorate
Royalties and taxes from sale of fossil fuels boost standard of living through government spending
Profits from fossil fuels also go into sovereign wealth fund to prepare for future without fossil fuels and investment in environmentally sustainable processes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the UKs GDP per capita PPP 2023

A

US$49,400

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is Norways gdp per capita PPP 2023

A

US $87,900

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Uk energy use per capita (2014)

A

2800kg oil equivalent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Norway energy use per capita (2014)

A

6000kg oil equivalent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How does environmental consideration impact the UK and Norways energy mix over time?

A

(2015) both agreed to 40% reduction in green house gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What happened in Nigeria 2016

A

Militant group bombed pipelines in south of the country

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How many barrels were prevented from reaching shell export terminal in Nigeria?

A

300000 barrels of oil per day

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What was the militant group’s aim? Nigeria 2016

A

Demanding money from oil shared more equally and used to help reduce poverty

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Why is piracy common off coat of Somalia

A

Ex fishermen in poverty, large ransoms earned to buy back pirated ships

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Example of drilling arctic oil

A

Alaska
Americas largest block of unprotected wilderness - remains unprotected

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

How did the price of oil rise between 2003 and 2007

A

$25 per barrel 2003
$99 per barrel 2007

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What are the social, economic and environmental benefits of drilling arctic oil
Plentiful and untouched reserves Acts as emergency development sites - TNCs have tankers ready to ship oil to USA and canada
26
What are the social, economic and environmental costs of drilling arctic oil
Very dangerous, extreme weather, remote location Lack of infrastructure for response to disasters Pollution of pristine environment from oil spills Direct contact of oil with marine mammals could kill them Impacts food web Indigenous people living in arctic rely on marine mammals for food and cultural practices - particularly walruses
27
Where is an example of deep water drilling ?
Brazil Huge oil deposits discovered off coast of Brazil in 2006
28
How deep below sea level are Brazilian refineries drilling
2000km below sea level
29
How much oil are Brazil aiming to produce per day from offshore drilling
Up to 50000 barrels per day
30
Why are Brazilian officials so happy to extract oil by deep water drilling
Brazil were mostly based on hydroelectric power previously so should be allowed to drill now
31
What are some benefits of offshore drilling in Brazil
Hoping to boost brazils economy and provide money to invest in education and health Good for local politicians and businesses
32
What are some costs of deep water drilling in Brazil
Serious pollution of coastal waters Extremely risky rigs, beyond helicopter range and rough seas make boat travel hazardous Beautiful natural seas transformed into centre for oil and gas Water too dirty to swim in
33
Where is fracking practiced in the USA
New York , Pennsylvania, Texas
34
What is fracking
Recovers gas from shale rock 2000-4000m below ground Involves drilling and injecting water at high pressure to fracture rock and release natural gas
35
Benefits of fracking
Provided 25% USA gas supply in 2015 Can reduce political instability as reduced reliance on fossil fuels Reducing price of gas for countries with adequate reserves Creates jobs in fracking tech
36
Costs of fracking
Can have a large impact on global oil prices - good for USA and con for everywhere else Contaminates groundwater from pumping fluid Can cause surface subsidence Produces airborne pollutants Catalyst to seismic events Can cause explosions
37
What airborne pollutants are released as a result of fracking
Methane Benzene Sulfur dioxide
38
What is an example of tar sands oil extraction
Produces 40% of Canadian oil output In the province of Alberta
39
How is oil produced from tar sands
Large areas of taiga cleared Oil sand scooped out of mine, deposited on trucks Bitumen rich sand ground and sent to extraction plant where it is separated from sand Bitumen mixed with chemical to remove remaining impurities Heated to 900°F to remove C, H added for industrial use
40
Benefits of tar sands
Boosts Canadian economy Provides alternative source of energy when all other alternatives exhausted
41
Costs of using tar sands
Expensive to produce and sell High environmental costs: - Destruction of forest - Production of oil ponds pollutes water ways - Very high energy intensive process, so fuel intensive People not allowed near
42
what are biofuels
fossil fuel substitutes which can be made from a range of crops
43
what % of biofuels was produced by the USA and Brazil in 2015
85%
44
what can biofuels be produced from
animal fats, recycled grease, vegetable oil, soy bean oil, recycled cooking oil
45
costs of biofuels
additional crops grown can lead to algal blooms from increased use of fertilizers irrigation of feedstock requires more water rise in price of wheat (x4 2006-2008) riots and strikes in response to increased price in food destruction of rainforest to make room for new feedstock plantation
46
how much more carbon could biofuels actually be releasing compared to fossil fuels
2-9x more carbon
47
how much of the rise in food prices in 2002-2008 was attributed to biofuels by the world bank
70%
48
examples of riots and strikes in response to increased biofuels production
tortilla riot in Mexico pasta strike Italy both 2007
49
benefits of biofuels
emissions from ethanol re 34% lower than gasoline -including land use changes can increase energy security as more reliable than some other renewable sources
50
what % of Brazil's energy was from renewable sources after diversifying in 1970s?
40% from HEP and biofuels
51
what % of passenger vehicles work on combo of petrol and sugar ethanol in Brazil
90%
52
negatives of rise of ethanol in Brazil
displaces cattle farming more clearance of rainforest to make room for crops
53
how much water does the amazon pump into the atmosphere daily
20 billion metric tonnes
54
how much of the amazon was affected in the 2005 and 2010 droughts?
2005- 30% affected, 5% severely affected with dieback etc 2010- nearly 50% total , 20% severely effected
55
why as the 2010 drought so much worse for the amazon than 2005?
many trees had not recovered from 2005 and was still experiencing problems when 2010 hit
56
how much Co2 was emitted by the amazon in the 2005-2010 droughts
2005- 5 bn tonnes emitted 2010- 8bn tonnes emitted
57
Which countries have had a net loss of forest
North America Africa South America Australia
58
Which countries have had a net gain of forest
europe Asia post 2000
59
1990-2015 what is the % change of forested areas in countries with a high GNI per capita? what is this GNI
$12700 or more +1.2%
60
1990-2015 what is the % change of forested areas in countries with a low GNI per capita? what is this GNI
$1050 or or less -14.2%
61
1990-2015 what is the % change of forested areas in countries with a n upper middle GNI per capita? what is this GNI
$4100-12700 -2.1%
62
1990-2015 what is the % change of forested areas in countries with a lower middle GNI per capita? what is this GNI
$1000- 4125 -9.8%
63
example of an afforesting scheme
Heart of England Forest charity aim to 'create and conserve a magnificent 30000 acre broadleaf forest for the benefit of the environment, wildlife and people'
64
how far is the heart of england charity into their goal
7,000/30,0000 acres in 2023 23%
65
what is the western forest?
20 million trees planted to create 6,100 new hectares of woodland in the west of England working towards legally binding goal of 16.5% woodland in England 2025
66
What impacts does atmospheric warming over the Arctic Ocean have on the hydrological cycle
Warm water flowing into the arctic from the pacific and Atlantic Funnelling of more cold water into the oceanic conveyor belt Rising local air temperatures Shrinkage of sea ice Runoff of fresh cold water from ice which alters marine ecosystems dependent on salty water
67
How thick is arctic sea ice
Average Around 3m
68
What impacts does atmospheric warming over the Arctic Ocean have on the carbon cycle
CH4 and some CO2 released from melting permafrost CO2 increased from forest fires as boreal forests dry out CH4 increased from destabilisation of wetlands and sea floor deposits stored for thousands of years
69
What are the two types of positive feedbacks in the arctic
Loss of Arctic albedo Carbon CO2 feedbacks
70
How is loss of arctic albedo a positive feedback loop
Albedo = how sunlight is reflected from earths surface Ice has high reflectivity index so loss of ice = more sunlight absorbed so heats up so more ice lost etc Albedo decreased by loss of reflective ice with darker forest as tree line advances
71
How is carbon co2 positive feedback created in the arctic
Increased emissions from tundra soils as they degrade Methane hydrates found in permafrosts and ocean sediments in shallow water - destabilise after thawing and release methane
72
How many people is it estimated which fishing supports and how many are from LICs
900 million 90% from developing countries
73
Why is fish an essential food source
Provides 16% of annual protein consumption for 3bn people and main source of cheap protein for over a billion people
74
What % of GDP is due to fish and where
6% Essential protein in 49 small developing island states E.g. Maldives and St Lucia
75
which nations will be able to follow the fish migration and why?
Japan, UK have access to large industrial fishing fleets can shift location
76
how many people in the Maldives are dependent on tourism, how many tourists are attracted to what?
220,000 people in Maldives dependent on coral atolls attracting 1.5million tourists annually
77
how many live in areas protected from destructive waves by coral reefs? give eg of place
200 million globally eg hawaii
78
how are israel conserving and managing water as an adaptation strategy
- smart irrigation - recycling sewage water - reducing agricultural consumption - charging 'real value' costs to reflect cost of supply and ecosystem management
79
where and how are resilient agricultural systems being developed as an adaptation strategy
USA, Syria, Iraq conservation cropping growing crops with a no ploughing approach with fewer fertillisers used benefits include: - increased yield and income for farmers - improved soil structure - water conservation - erosion control
80
how can renewable switching be used as a mitigation technique
Sweden leading way - oil fallen from 75% energy in 1970 to 25% now 83% electricity from nuclear and HEP, power plants using biofuels produce 10% and 7% wind power
81
how are Germany using energy efficiency as a mitigation technique
- requiring residential and commercial buildings to reduce energy consumption by 25% - loans to renovate older, energy consuming properties - subsidies to improve efficiencies in manufacturing
82
who is using afforestation and reforestation as mitigation techniques and how?
Canada and Sweden South Korea turnaround after forest degradation in WW2 and Korean war rehabilitation included reforesting - forested land increased from 4-6.3milllion hectares 11bn trees planted
83
how much of s. korea is forested now and what are the benefits
2/3 restoration of degraded environments and prevention of soil erosion provides carbon sinks
84
where and how is carbon capture used in mitigation strategies
Boundary Dam Project Canada cuts carbon emissions by 90% reduces ghg emissions by 1 million tonnes per year
85
how was the US oil price and supply affected when hurricane harvey hit and why?
2017 forced closure of 25% oil refining capacity colonial pipelines closed due to damage- normally exports 3 million barrels per day oil prices up by 10 cents a gallon within the week
86
how much of russias crude oil was eexported to western europe in 2021
50% many countries stopped importing after invasion of ukraine as unstable energy pathways
Geography
flashcards
Decks in class (39)
# Cards
Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2026 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions