Carbon last minute Flashcards
(22 cards)
France Energy mix
41% nuclear - produces 70% of electricity
Imports most of its other 59% - oil and gas all imported
USA energy mix
90% non renewables
very little is imported
Iceland energy mix
66.6% renewables - geothermal
History of non renewables
In the twentieth century, oil took over from coal as the most used fossil fuel
Today, oil is now being challenged by gas as the number one fossil fuel
nationalised non renewable line?
An estimated 50% of the big players in oil and gas (e.g., BP, ExxonMobil) are state owned and so under government control which means technically they are not TNCs.
This means they are not profit maxers and prioritse social welfare.
OPEC?
OPEC currently has 13 member countries owning around two-thirds of the world’s oil reserves between them
Talk about oligopoly / monopoly power without the economics
What is the leading renewables
Currently, the main sources of renewable energy are hydro, wind, solar , geothermal and tidal
What determines whether a country can use renewables
Physical Geography - Iceland 66.6% but geothermal not accessible everywhere
Political views
Economic stage
Economic views - China
How can you challenge renewables?
Oil prices drastically fell in 2015 and so renewables became less attractive.
Solar / Wind can disrupt homes
HEP dams negatively impact enviroment - 3 gorges destroyed so much.
Or associate nuclear with chernobyl / fukushima
What would the overall argument be for renewalbes vs fossils
Make sure you do not make the mistake of saying that renewable sources of energy will completely replace fossil fuels.
This is not the reality, the hope is that renewable energy sources will reduce our use of fossil fuels producing lower carbon emissions
What are biofuels?
Biofuels are derived immediately from living matter, such as agricultural crops, forestry or fishing products and various forms of waste
Primary biofuels which include fuelwood, wood chips and pellets that are used unprocessed for heating, cooking or electricity
Secondary biofuels are derived from the processing of crops (e.g., sugar cane, soybeans and maize) where two type of fuel are extracted (bio-alcohol and biodiesel) which are used to fuel vehicles and generate electricity
In the UK, the two main crops that are used are oilseed and sugar beet
In Brazil this is taking up land = deforestation indirectly.
What are the 2 radical technologies?
CCS - expensive, can leak from underground
Hydrogen Fuel Cells - A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water. Hydrogen fuel cells are considered to be one of the best strategies for reducing carbon emissions that has very little impact on the carbon cycle.
It is accepted that coal will always be part of the global energy mix due to its abundance and its cheap cost
2 unconventional sources of energy you SHOULD use (name the other 2 aswell)
Tar Sands - Mix of clay, sand and thick viscous oil - mined and injected with steam to allow oil extraction - 40% of Canada’s oil
Shale Gas - Pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into sedimentary rock to force gas out. - 60% of USAs gas supply - name of extraction is Fracking
Deepwater Oil - Brazil
Oil Shale (rocks with oil in) - Wyoming, USA
Deforestation stat
10M hectares a year
Impacts of deforestation on water cycle?
Reduced interception by vegetation so infiltration to soil and groundwater changes
Increased erosion and surface run-off, increasing sediment eroded and transported into rivers
Less transpiration = less precipiation as there is a big drop in atmospheric moisture.
Impact of deforestation on carbon cycle?
Reduced storage in soil and biomass
Reduced carbon dioxide intake during photosynthesis
Increased carbon influx to atmosphere by burning and decomposing vegetation
you can use human activty on soil in both water and carbon
Ocean Aciditity Stat
The acidity of the ocean today is estimated to be on average about 25% greater than it was during pre-industrial times
However, if slow enough ecosystem resilience is important - animals adapt.
Forests stat
An estimated 1.6 billion people depend on forests and more than 90% of these are in developing countries
4 impacts of global warming on oceans
Bleaching
Acidification
Rising sea levels
Loss of sea ice
importance of ocean health?
Fish
500M need fish
Fish
Fish
Tourism - reefs
Reefs protect coastal areas from waves - Hawaii
Fish
Fish
Adaptation strategies for future CO2 emissions?
Land Use Zoning - flood protection
Resilient Agriculture systems
Water Conservation and Management
Mitigation strategies for future Co2 emissions?
Pollution Permits
Carbon tax
Renewables subsidies
CCS
Afforestation / Reforestation
