Carbon Cycle Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the energy security issue in Europe?
Reliance on natural gas from Russia
In 2017, 14 EU countries got more than 50% of their natural gas from Russia
In 2021 45% of the EUs gas was still imported from Russia
Recently in 2024 only 14% of EU gas consumed was from Russia
The REPowerEU plan is to phase out Russian gas by 2027
Before the war in 2022 Germany imported 55% of their gas from Russia
Now Norway provides around 48% of their gas
Germany still imports some natural gas from Russia
What was the UK’s energy mix in 2024?
Wise
Goblins
In
Norway
Build
Solar
Houses
Saving
Coal
Reduced consumption by 23% since 1990
Wind - 30%
Gas - 26%
Imports - 14%
Nuclear - 14%
Biomass - 7%
Solar - 5%
Hydro - 2%
Storage = 1%
Coal - 0.6%
Renewables = 44%
Fossil fuels = 26.6%
Imports = 14%
Nuclear 14%
Reduced consumption by 23% since 1990
China’s coal industry and how are they becoming more sustainable
In 2022 China produced over 1/2 of the worlds coal at over 4 bn metric tonnes
In 2023 China consumed over 1/2 of the worlds coal at 5 bn metric tonnes
More sustainable by:
Heavily focused on Solar and wind energy
Wind and solar account for a total of 37% of their energy mix now
Increases of 45% for solar and 18% for wind in capacity in 2024 compared to 2023
General stats about energy security
Germany import 50% energy
70% of Frances electricity is from nuclear power
Saudi Arabia have 266,578,000,000 oil barrels which is over 200 times of proven resource compared to its annual consumption = has a 1/4 of worlds known oil
USA import 13% of energy needs
Norway produce 45% their energy from renewables = but energy consumption has risen by 27% since 1990 and its use of renewables has dropped from 53%.
What countries use the highest share of renewable energy?
Hydro:
- Norway
Biofuels and waste:
- Brazil
Wind, Solar etc:
- New Zealand
What countries use the highest share of fossil fuels?
Coal:
- South Africa
Oil:
- Singapore
Natural Gas:
- Netherlands
Amazon rainforest - South America (world’s largest tropical rainforest)
Spans 9 countries, ~60% in Brazil
5.5 million km²
Home to over 10% of known species
Major carbon sink – stores ~100 billion tonnes of carbon
Deforestation: ~17% lost since 1970 due to Cattle ranching (65%), logging, soy farming, road building
Reduced biodiversity, climate change, disruption to water cycle
Risk of tipping point toward savannisation
REDD+ schemes, ecotourism, protected areas
Satellite monitoring to combat illegal logging
up to 20% of the Amazon, particularly the southeastern region, has already become a net carbon source, meaning it’s emitting more carbon dioxide than it absorbs
Forests function
- Estimated 1.6 billion people depend on forests = 90% in developing countries
- source of 80% of global biodiveristy
- 1.1% of the global economy income
- 13.2 million ‘formal’ and 41 million ‘informal’ jobs
- Fuelwood source for one in three people globally
- An estimated 13 million hectares of forests between 2000 and 2010 were affected by deforestation
Trees = 42 million a day - 15bn a year
Regulation of Earth Systems:
- Earth’s ‘green lungs’ regulating climate, floods, disease
- Water purification
- A genetic pool: a source for improving plant strains and medicine
Cultural Value:
- Aesthetic
- Spiritual
- Educational
- Recreational
Supporting functions:
- Nutrient cycling
- Soil formation
- Primary production
Provision of goods:
- Food
- Freshwater
- Wood and fibre
- Fuel
Kuznet’s curve
Measures the correlation between environmental degradation and economic growth (GDP per capita)
- Pre industrial economies = environment worsens
- Industrial economies = turning point
- Post-industrial economies = environment improves
Uk = post industrial society and according to the model the environment should be improving
China = just before the ‘tipping point’ as they have a mixture of an industrial economy and national parks
It is hoped that the sustainable management of forests will reduce deforestation and as a result reduce carbon emissions from forests
Unconventional fossil fuels
Tommy
Owns
Shitty
Downton
Tar sands:
- Mixture of clay, sand, water and bitumen (a heavy, viscous oil)
- Mined and injected with steam to reduce the viscosity of the tar so it can be pumped out
- Biggest deposits are in Canada (40% of Canada’s oil output) and Venezuela.
Oil shale:
- Oil-bearing rocks that are permeable enough to allow oil to be pumped out
- Mined or shale is ignited so that the light oil fractions can be pumped out
- Little exploration has taken place
Shale gas:
- Natural gas that is trapped in fine-grained sedimentary rocks
- Fracking - pumping in water and chemicals forces out the gas
- In 2015, shale gas provided 25% of the USA’s gas supply - leading producer and exporter
Deepwater oil:
- Oil and gas found offshore and at considerable oceanic depths
- Drilling takes place from ocean rigs
- Deposits discovered off coast of Brazil in 2006
Benefits:
Provide a source of fuel whilst renewable energy sources are developed further
Drawbacks:
- Threatens carbon cycle and global warming
- Expensive = needs complex technology
- Environmental damage
- Contamination due to oil spills
- Waste produced = impacts ecosystems
Alternatives to fossil fuels
Renewable energy
Recyclable energy
Biofuels
Radical technologies
- Carbon capture and storage
- Hydrogen fuel cells
What evidence proves the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions?
China overtook the USA as a result of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation which indicates a positive relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions
Top 5 countries that emit Co2
Clouds
Rise
Up
In
Rainy
Journeys
China = 35.4% = around 35%
Rest of world = 26.6% = around 27%
USA = 19%
India = 8.9% = around 9%
Russia = 6.3% = around 6%
Japan = 3.8% = around 4%
Mitigation strategies - summarised
Clever
Rabbits
Eat
All
Carrots
Carbon taxation = sets minimum price companies have to pay to produce Co2 - policy unpopular and frozen in 2015
Renewable switching = provides intermittent electricity
Energy efficiency
Afforestation
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Adaptation strategies
Wolves
Run
Fast
Like
Shadows
Water conservation and management
Resilient agricultural systems
Land-use planning
Flood-risk management
Solar radiation management
How are the arctic affected by global warming?
Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets have lost mass and glaciers are shrinking
Ice reflects more solar radiation than darker surfaces = positive feedback (the albedo affect) leading to increase in melting
Permafrost thaws = methane and Co2 released the melting can also lead to subsidence
Arctic sea ice/spring snow cover in the northern hemisphere continue to decrease in extent and thickness
The Arctic acts as a barometer or early warning system for the environmental impacts resulting from the burning of fossil fuels
Arctic temperatures have risen twice as fast as the global average in the past few decades
What factors affect a country’s access to and consumption of energy?
Physical availability
Cost
Technology
Public perception
Level of economic development
Climate
Environmental priorities
The USA vs France energy mix
USA: 2nd largest consumer
10% = renewable energy
8% = nuclear
13% = imports
France: 10th largest consumer
10% = renewables
41% = nuclear energy
46% = imports
70% of Frances electricity is from nuclear power
5 players involved in the world of energy?
TNCs
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Energy companies
Consumers
Governments
