Carbon case studies

Question 1

Patterns of energy consumption UK and Norway: Physical availability

Answer 1

 UK: Domestic coal used until 1970s, nuclear popular from 1950s to1970s, then the discovery of oil and gas in the North Sea changed usage.
 Norway: HEP is the natural energy choice due to mountainous terrain. Oil and gas in territorial waters are exported.

Question 2

Patterns of energy consumption UK and Norway: Cost

Answer 2

 North Sea reserve became a secure alternative to Middle East oil but reserves are declining, forcing the UK to import more.
 Over 600 HEP sites supplying 97.5% of Norway’s renewable electricity. Transferring it to urban areas from remote production regions is expensive.

Question 3

Patterns of energy consumption UK and Norway: Technology

Answer 3

 Coal reserves available but has lost political support although the technology for extraction still exists.
 Deepwater drilling technology enable both Norway and the UK to develop North Sea oil and gas extraction.

Question 4

Patterns of energy consumption UK and Norway: Politcal considerations

Answer 4

 Increased reliance on imported energy sources and privatisation of energy supply industry means overseas companies decide energy sources in the UK.
 Interventionist approach prevents foreign companies from owning primary energy sources and taxes are used to prepare for a future without fossil fuels.

Question 5

Patterns of energy consumption UK and Norway: Level of economic development

Answer 5

UK has a lower GDP and energy use than Norway but also lower energy costs.

Question 6

Patterns of energy consumption UK and Norway: Environmental priorities

Answer 6

 UK committed to a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in 2015, but also abandoned its “Green Deal”.
 Norway also committed to a 40% reduction. A domestic target of being carbon neutral was launched in 2016.

Question 7

How long does a nuclear power plant generate electricity for?

Answer 7

Almost 90% of its annual time.

Question 8

Nuclear power plant disaster?

Answer 8

Evacuation took place of people who lived within a 20km zone of the Fukushima power plant after the earthquake.

Question 9

Hinkley point C?

Answer 9

An £18 billion project in the UK which aims to provide energy for 60 years.

Question 10

Evaluation of nuclear power?

Answer 10

Can be used to meet energy demand but needs to be safer.
Not renewable energy and there’s potential environmental damage when extracting uranium.

Question 11

Wind power: Hornsea project outline

Answer 11

Hornsea project 1 in Yorkshire powers more than 1.4 million homes in 2025.
Hornsea 3 will power 3 million homes.

Question 12

Hornsea wind project pros

Answer 12

Turbines can last up to 25 years before needing to be replaced.
Newer technology makes wind turbines quieter.
It is good on a local scale.

Question 13

Solar power example?

Answer 13

The Solar Park in Qinghai China cost £721.3 million and can now produce 850MW of power, enough to supply up to 200,000 households.

Question 14

Disadvantage of solar power?

Answer 14

Often productive agricultural land is used to hold large solar farms (issues on food security/pricing of increased imports).

Question 15

Advantages of solar power?

Answer 15

Scalable, energy can be produced for local or national use so good alternative to fossil fuels.

Question 16

Hydropower example?

Answer 16

The Three Gorges Dam spans the Yangtze river and is the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500MW).

Question 17

Disadvantages of Three Gorges Dam

Answer 17

High construction cost and maintenance.
Silt built up behind dam affects aquatic life in the reservoir.
Climate change may reduce output in the future.

Question 18

Advantages of hydropower

Answer 18

More power produced than wind and solar and is scalable.

Question 19

How much CO2 do cars running on bioethanol produce?

Answer 19

80% less CO2 than petrol drivers.

Question 20

By how much has Brazil’s use of biofuels reduced emissions by?

Answer 20

Since 2003, Brazil’s use of biofuels has reduced the country’s CO2 emissions by more than 350 million tonnes.

Question 21

Disadvantages of biofuels?

Answer 21

May not be carbon neutral as land needs to be cleared.
Knock-on effects on the water cycle.
Not scalable as countries need land to grow the crops.

Question 22

Advantages of biofuels?

Answer 22

Easy to grow and does not need specialist equipment.
Provides rural inward investment and local development projects.

Question 23

Carbon capture and storage facts (Canada + emissions)?

Answer 23

In 2014 Canada opened the first coal fired plant with CCS at boundary dam, costing US $1.3 billion.
Could theoretically cut global CO2 emissions by 19%.

Question 24

How many hydrogen fuel celled buses does TFL have?

Answer 24

20

Question 25

How much is the electric vehicle industry valued at?

Answer 25

$500 billion, and is predicted to triple by 2032.

Question 26

How many charging points are in the UK for EV?

Answer 26

76,840

Question 27

Why did the Madagascan government encourage deforestation?

Answer 27

Growing international demand for hardwood, an expanding population, and debt repayments.

Question 28

How much forest did Madagascar lose between 1950 and 1985?

Answer 28

2/3 of its forests.

Question 29

What effect did deforestation have on soil erosion?

Answer 29

Caused soil erosion to exceed 400 tonnes per hectare per year in some areas.

Question 30

What does the EU's Afforestation Grant Scheme encourage?

Answer 30

The planting of forests for their value as terrestrial carbon stores and for the ecosystem services they provide.

Question 31

Issues of afforestation?

Answer 31

monoculture reduces biodiversity It may be treated as a solution of deforestation which it isn’t Possible introduction of invasive species risk the loss of native trees.

Question 32

Role of the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 32

Regulates the local, regional and global climate systems by releasing moisture into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration, affecting humidity and rainfall patterns.

Question 33

When were the Amazon droughts and what caused them?

Answer 33

Droughts in 2005 and 2010 caused by climate change.

Question 34

What happens during droughts in the Amazon?

Answer 34

Photosynthesis slows down and less carbon is removed from the atmosphere Forest wildfires are more common and so CO2 is released.

Question 35

American Midwest (Prairies) context?

Answer 35

Prone to dry summers and so is at risk of wind-blown soil and erosion.

Question 36

Why is grassland being converted and what benefits are being lost?

Answer 36

Converted to grow biofuel crops. Benefits: trapping moisture, absorbing toxins from soil, providing cover for dry soil and acting as carbon stores.

Question 37

How much CO2 produced by burning fossil fuels is absorbed by oceans?

Answer 37

50%

Question 38

How much has ocean acidification lowered the pH of the ocean by?

Answer 38

0.1

Question 39

what temperatures can coral live in and how many marine species do they shelter?

Answer 39

Coral can only live in temperatures between 23-29 degrees and shelter 25% of marine species.

Question 40

Social impacts of changing temps in the Arctic?

Answer 40

Loss of culture for indigenous people, infrastructure subsidising in Canada due to melting permafrost.

Question 41

What "effect" takes place in the Arctic?

Answer 41

Albedo effect occurs in a positive feedback loop, melting of permafrost.

Question 42

Economic impacts of melting ice in the Arctic?

Answer 42

The melting of sea ice has increased the number of shipping vessels using the northern sea routes (the North-West Passage).

Question 43

How much did ice area fall by?

Answer 43

22% between 1958 and 2008.