Carbon Footprint

Question 1

What is the physical mechanism of the greenhouse effect?

Answer 1

Percentage of solar energy is absorbed by atmosphere, some is transmitted to earth, and some is reflected back into space.

Question 2

Impact of albedo and ice sheets melting?

Answer 2

Ice sheets melting –> decrease in albedo –> increase in solar energy trapped in system

Question 3

Who is monitoring climate change?

Answer 3

The intergovernmental panel on climate change

WHO, UNEP, AR

Question 4

How is data gathered?

Answer 4

GHG concentration in the ice core (air bubble analysis)

NASA satellites measure concentrations in atmosphere from space

Question 5

Which sector has the highest greenhouse gas emissions?

Answer 5

Energy (Fossil Fuels)

Question 6

Consequences of accumulation of energy in Earth’s climate system?

Answer 6

Temp changes
level and pH of sea water
atmosphere circulations
precipitations
cryosphere
extreme climate events
ecosystems and agricultue
human well being

Question 7

What is biotope and biocenosis?

Answer 7

Biotope: the region of a habitat associated with a particular ecological community.
Biocenosis: an association of different organisms forming a closely integrated community.

Question 8

What are the 4 types of ecosystemic services?

Answer 8

support services
regulatory functions
supply services
cultural services

Question 9

What is the calculation for a carbon footprint?

Answer 9

Inventory emissions x CF of specific value

Question 10

What is the CF for global warming potential (GWP)?

Answer 10

Integral of the absorption of thermal radiation * residual atmosphere fraction of emission i as a fn of time

OVER

the integral of a co2 * C co2

Integral of emission over integral of CO2

Question 11

Why does the GWP change with the chosen time horizon?

Answer 11

• Not the same time for the different GHGs to decay

- Not the same capacity to absorb energy

Question 12

What are the two categories in climate change?

Answer 12

1. Rate with which climate change occurs in the short term perspective (Global Warming Potential, GWP)
2. Long term temperature increase which determines the climate change of the planet in centuries to come (Global temperature change potential, GTP)

Question 13

GWP vs GTP?

Answer 13

GWP: normalized cumulative metric
Global temperature change potential (GTP): instantaneous normalized metric (more concrete, reflects policy targets, more uncertain)

Question 14

How is the damage to humans by climate change expressed?

Answer 14

Disable Adjusted Life Year (DALY)

Question 15

How is climate change damage to ecosystems expressed?

Answer 15

Expressed as potential disappeared fraction species

Question 16

Where is carbon footprint used?

Answer 16

Reporting -> Gov/Reg, Financers, Emissions Trading

Consumers (Eco labelling)

Question 17

What are the boundary issues associated with carbon footprint?

Answer 17

Direct - sources own or controlled by organization (scope 1)
Indirect - source owned by another party but directly caused by your organization (scope 2)
Other indirect - energy consumed during consumer use (scope 3)

Question 18

What are the boundary issues associated with carbon footprint?

Answer 18

Direct - sources own or controlled by organization (scope 1)
Indirect - source owned by another party but directly caused by your organization (scope 2)
Other indirect - energy consumed during consumer use (scope 3)

Question 19

What is scope 1, 2, and 3 in carbon footprint?

Answer 19

Scope 1: direct (company facilities and vehicles)
Scope 2: indirect (Purchased for own use)
Scope 3: indirect (processes that lead to emissions)

Question 20

What does LCA do in the context of carbon footprint?

Answer 20

• Assess and monitor carbon footprints
• Hierarchize actions
• Control burden-shifting