Climate change Part 2 Flashcards

(261 cards)

1
Q

what are heat waves

A

small changes in mean/variance of temp lead to large chgs in extremes

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2
Q

are single heat waves caused by global warming

A

no, not directly

caused by sationary high pressure in tropsphere
- downward motion of air, causing clear skies + lack of precipitation

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3
Q

how will climate change affect heat waves

A

frequency and intensity

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4
Q

what are some impacts associated with extreme heat

A

heat stress - human health
droughts - crop damage and water supply issues
air quality - poor air quality with heat waves bc temp inversion + lgithw inds trap pollutants

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5
Q

what part of the world is the most vulnerable to human health affects from climate change

A

under developed world

  • malnutrition, deaths, disease, injury from heat waves, floods, storms, fires, droughts
  • infections
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6
Q

with rising temps and increasing precicpiation, what disease is expected to increase as well

A

malaria

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7
Q

what regions is malaria usually restricted to?

A

tropical and subtropics

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8
Q

what is the Zika virus1

A

bite of ifected aedes mosquito
passed from pregnant women to fetus
no vaccina / treatment

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9
Q

about 8 million deaths globally per year are attributed to outdoor and indoor…

A

air pollution

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10
Q

what is lyme disease

A

spreading in eastern canada because of warming climate

tick bite

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11
Q

Arctic sea ice loss will impact..

A

inuit way of life
ecosystem stress
warming positive feedback
increased transportation + development

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12
Q

does melting sea ice increase sea level

A

nope, doesn’t affect it

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13
Q

multi-year ice is thicker and more stable. It’s found only close to Canadian Arctic Islands and Greenland. What does the loss of this ice mean?

A

icnreases chances of irreversible tipping point

ice free summers

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14
Q

what measures the freeboard height of the sea ice above mean sea level, estimating sea ice thickness?

A

Cryo-Sat2

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15
Q

What is the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) ?

A

2 satellites fly in formation
precise measurements of earth’s gravity
measures gravity anomalies
as sea ice removed, greenland’s gravity is reduced

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16
Q

what is the main trend with sea level rise and mass loss of greenland ice sheet?

A

sea level rising

about 0.77 mm per year

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17
Q

why is the greenland ice albedo becoming darker/lowering?

A

black carbon deposits
- comes from soot aerosols being transported from the south, deposited on ice sheet
- increases amount of solar E absorbed by ice sheet surface
accelerates melting

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18
Q

when is the black carbon aerosols (from soot, dust) being deposited on the greenland ice sheet

A

in the summer

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19
Q

why is the west antarctic ice sheet unstable

A

grounded below sea level, so warmer ocean water can intrude below ice sheet

increases melt

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20
Q

why is the east antarctic ice sheet more stable than the west

A

east - solidly locked on continent, above sea level mostly

west - below sea level, water can come up and erode it

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21
Q

what is permafrost

A

permanently frozen ground

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22
Q

what is stored in permafrost

A

methane

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23
Q

if permafrost melts.. what could cause the huge positive feedback?

A

methane release

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24
Q

what layer of permafrost is methane released from?

A

the extra active layer thickness

thicker active layer

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25
what are the different layers of permafrost
active layer - melts in summer permafrost layer - stay below 0 all year methane stored here
26
sea ice extent (greenland), antarctic ice sheets and effects on sea level rise, permafrost... what else is happening in the mountains..
glaciers retreating
27
what causes sea level to change
chemical changes in wind stress surface and deep ocean circuation changes, storm surges exchange of water stored on land by glaciers and ice sheets gavitational effects of ice sheets terrestrial water storage extraction of groundwater, reservoirs, runoff
28
what sea level higher or lower during the last glacial maximum?
lower
29
sea level goes up and down seasonally.. why
nothern hemisphere snowfall and melt
30
Global sea level rise projections from the IPCC - the worst case scenario means we need to... the best case scenario means we need to...
worst case - mitigate best case - adapt to new sea level
31
what are thre 3 main contributors to global sea level rise?
melting land ice (greenland, mountaim glaciers, antarctic) thermal expansion of sea water w temps groundwater depletion
32
the change in the earth climate system is gaining heat because of the reduction in ...
outgoing IF radiation to space caused by extra GGs in atmosphere
33
if more of the wamring goes deeper into the ocean, then the sea surface temp will...
warm less
34
what is ARGO
global array of free-drifting profiling floats measure temp + salinity in upper 2000m of ocean determine density - calculate amount of warming
35
what is the main difference btw CERES satellites and ARGO
CERES - measure energy imbalance for whole earth ARGO - measure ocean warming
36
the Netherlands, New York and Venice are vulnerable to what
coastal deltas | population displacement by sea level
37
explain how tropical cyclones work
get energy from latent head when water vapour evaporated from warm sea surface condenses in atmosphere - makes clouds and rain warmer sea surface temp = more water to be condesned = stronger cyclones w global warming, however number of cyclones unsure
38
the centre of cyclone is called the eye where the air is... | what kind of air surround the eye
sinking eyewall = highest wind speeds and heaviest rain
39
what are the 2 sources for strom surge (rise in local sea level)
1. wind driven stress on the surface 2. pressure effect due to low atmospheric pressure - water rises wind driven surge and pressure surge
40
is there a clear trend in the number of hurricanes?
no clear trend with global warming
41
the small pacific island communities are affected by what
sea level rise
42
the Amazon Rainforests have two features that impact global climate..
biodiveristy carbon storage
43
what caused forest fires in the Amazon in 2005 that released more carbon than all human emissions from Japan and Europe combined
drought
44
what could cause irreversible damage in the Amazon and the rest of the global climate
deforestation and climate change in this region
45
what causes coral bleaching
temp rises can cause permanent damage
46
what are zooanthellae
algae that provides food for corals through photosynthesis
47
when do strong bleaching events occur in corals
El nino events
48
why is coral bleaching correlated with El nino events
warms oceans and atmosphere
49
what is a concern with the rising acidification of the oceans
shelled phyto and zoo plankton stress calcifying organism processes distrupted - corals, echinoderms, coccolithophores, molluscs, plankton
50
what is the theory behind species extinction as ecosystem change
can species move fast enough to stay in same temp regime
51
if the niche is small or ifthe species is located on the niche gradient, will it be sensitive to climate change
yes based on simulated enviro niches for 3 tree species by annual temp and rain doesn't account for species interaction
52
how will the vegetation change in the arctic regions with a warmer climate
more boreal forests
53
the possible reduction in the land biosphere carbon sink in the future the warming exceeds a certain threshold means the land biota may become a net...
source of atmospheric carbon
54
what effect does the western pine beetle in canada have
threat to boreal forest, western canada thrives in warmer climates, winters are no longer cold enough to kill them kill forests
55
Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation what is this?
transports heat to northern north Atlantic
56
Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation if the circulation slows odwn, the heat transport will be reduced resulting in... bu enhanced...
local cooling in Nothern Europe enhanced warming in subtropics
57
Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation too much warming or fresh water from ice melting where deep water forms near Greenland may inhibit.... that will ultimately disrupt thermohaline circulation
inhibit sinking this is a tipping point
58
Tipping point - Collapse of Thermohaline circulation global warming will make surface water around greenland warmer and less salty from ice melting - how would this affect the surface water denistyq
reduce it not dense enough to sink o bottom of Atlantic cutting thermohaline ciculation
59
how would the thermohaline circulation be cut off with warming temperatures
surface waters near greenland warmer + less salty reduce density of surface water not dense enough to sink to bottom of Atlantic reduce transport of heat from tropics to poles in Atlantic
60
what is the tipping point idea for the thermohaline
act like an off/on switch rising temps and less salty ynear greenland, less dense, less sinking, switch off
61
what is the tipping point idea for arctic ice open in summer
ice albedo temp positive feedback - accelerate sea ice loss thinning of ice reach threshold that prevents re-establishment of multi-year ice
62
it would take thousands of years to melt most of greenland by air contact alone. What are some ways to accelerate this?
increase ice flow + calving into oceans
63
What is the tipping point idea of melt water ponds on greenland
melt water flowing under the ice sheet allows ice sheet to move fasater towards oceans **likely take hundreds of year though
64
what are moulins?
allow water to lubricate the bottom of the greenland ice sheet
65
What is the tipping point idea with the West Antarctic Ice sheet and its unstable nature?
breaking up the Ross Ice Shelf allow ice streams on West Antarctic ice sheet to move faster also base below sea level, more warming can occur from water underneath
66
What is ENSO
El Nino Southern Oscillation - atmos-ocean coupled mode of inter annual variability creates weather anomalies around the world changes in El nino affect world
67
tropical-pacific climate regimes swith between...
El nino and La nina
68
What can happen in a strong el nino
``` drought in peru pacific rain fall shift east weaker trade winds sea level higher i neast global air and sea surface temp increases ```
69
what is the tipping point idea with a permanent El nino state
warmer world | more heat in ocean surface
70
regional monsoon failure - whats the tipping point
aerosils from pollution reflect some solar back to space, cooling continent and weaken monsoons
71
destruction of the amazon rainforest - whats the tipping point
die back in forests precipiation in this region usually evaporatde locally loss of vegetation with worsen drying
72
the boreal forest dieback tipping point
forests stressed beyond recovery is local temp increase by 7 deg loss of carbon storage
73
is there more carbon storage in boreal forests or tropical forests
boreal, soils are a big factor for why this is
74
why are boreal forests better at storing carbon than tropical forests
soils in boreal forest store carbon better
75
th rapid release of subsurface frozen methane comes from where
permafrost | methane hydrates in ocean floor
76
methane is stored under high pressure in the ocean floor as methane hydrates. what could happen with warming temps
hydrates could melt cold enough at 500m belo, 200m in arctic - keeps it frozen below sea floow - gets warmer because of geothermal gradient
77
list the type of gas hydrate deposits
permafrost hydrate stability zone in ocean trapped under pressure in mud/seafloor
78
Expansion of oxygen minimu zones in the oceans, caused by stagnation of water - what are the consequences of this happening
reduce oxygen transport from surface to itnermediate depths ocean acidification tipping point for some species
79
increase in severe weather, like more flooding - is this a tipping point
likely not a true tipping point but increase weather extremes and severity
80
A weakening of the north-south temperature gradient in the mid-latitudes may increase frequency of blocking patterns. how will this affect droughts and heavy rain perids
lengthen duration amplification of stationary planetary waves in the westerlies
81
what are the 4 E's for Energy Demand
economy Energy Emissions Environment
82
which type of energy has a greater capacity to do work - low or high entropy
low entropy
83
All activites require two things
raw materials and energy
84
what are 4 types of energy
kinetic, potential, electromagnetic, nuclear
85
what is energy what is power
energy = all entities have it power = rate of energy use amount of energy used per time
86
before industrialization, before machines, before use of animal power, how was energy requirements obtained
humans!!
87
whats one main sustainability issue with the energy source with use today aka fossil fuels
waste
88
pre-industrialization, pre-machine - what was the main source of energy for people
coal and biomass
89
what is primary energy
energy in resources same level as they are in nature
90
can you use primary energy
no, must convert to secondary energy - electricity and fuels
91
what is final energy
energy delivered transported + distributed individual homes, gas stations, etc
92
what is suefull energy
use by the appliances ex. stoves, washing machines, vehicles energy forms of kinetic energy or heat provides energy services
93
explain the conversion of energy from primary through to useful
``` primary secondary final useful energy services ```
94
what are the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector
electrcity + heat agricultre, forestry, land use industry
95
what is the trend with CO2 emission and GDP
right now, CO2 increasing with GDP because countries industrializing, increasing emissions we want to decarbonize the economy - move in direction with less carbon
96
coal releases about 70% more carbon when compared to natural gas - why is this relevant today
coal is on the rise again!!!!
97
what are some sustainable energy sources
``` wind solar hydroelectric waves tides geothermal nuclear (not truly sustainable) ```
98
NS power doesnt use J to compute energy they use kWh which means..
charging based on electrical energy use, personal use
99
in predicting future CO2 emission and other GGs depend on... things that cause uncertainty
rate of human pop growth average emission chgs per person global standard of living efficiency, tech, fuel type, land use chgs
100
there are uncertainties in estimating the atmospheric concentration of CO@ + GGs that depend on the sinks. what are these two sinks
varying ocean sink land biosphere sink
101
what s GDP
Gross Domestic Product value of all products and services per capita = per person
102
what is the kaya identity
way of measuring the total carbon emission or CO2 emissions takes into account population, affluence, energy intesnity, carbon intensity of energy
103
what are the 4 factors of the Kaya identity
population afluence energy intensity Carbon intensity of energy
104
list some social factors that affect population growth
education, religion. culture, health care, women's rights, standard of living, government policies
105
what is affluence
per capita GDP chgs in standard of living only economic measure of standard of living
106
as countries become wealthier and more industrialized, standard of living increases. However GDP can rise and the standard of living stays the same... why?
assume government's economic growth is benefitting its citizens but sometime its not corrupt government stealing wealth of citizens
107
how do you calculate affluence
GDP / Population
108
many lower income countried are trying to increase economic growth, most through industrialization... what is narrowing of the wealth gap called
economic convergence
109
what is energy intensity
energy consumed divided by GDP Energy consumed / GDP measure how much energy is needed to make GDP
110
are energy intensities on the incline or decline
declining
111
why is energy intensity declining? main 2 reasons
rate of GDP growth higher than rate of energy growth 1. becoming more efficient in energy use (conservation) 2. most economic growth from sectors w lower energy - financial vs manufacturing)
112
what is carbon energy intensity
ratio of carbon emitted to energy used relates carbon emission to total energy made + used
113
what determine the carbon energy intensity
types of fuels being used | ex. Coal emits more CO2 per energy output than natural gas
114
what will happen to the carbon energy intensity as we covert to non-fossil fuels
it will decline / fall
115
why has our carbon energy decline so little over the years
takes time to convert to new non-fossil fuel source still get about 85% of our energy from fossil fuels
116
``` when looking at the kaya identity factors, what has been the trend for each one population affluence energy instensity carbon energy intensity ```
GDP growing because of population growth GDP growing because of affluence (per capita growth rate) little decarbonization - so no real change in carbon energy energy intensity declining because more efficient in energy use (conservation) and economic growth from low energy sectors
117
looking at each kaya factor... what will it take to get carbon emissions growth rate to be zero...
population - reduction in childbirth - but with western industrialization this tends to happen Affluence - can't ask countries to accept lower economic growth energy intesity - declining, but limits to how fast this is happening carbon energy intensity - large reduction in emissions, negative emissions
118
is order from highest global primary energy consumption to lowest, what are the sources
``` oil coal natural gas hydro nuclear renewables ```
119
in terms of global electricity consumption, what source is dominating
``` coal natural gas hydro nuclear renewables oil ```
120
what 4 things does the sun drive/sun's energy is needed
hydrological cycles photosynthesis human energy use desert area ofr human needs
121
what are the 2 mediums that we can extract energy from the sun directly as
heat - thermal solar heating, water, fluids electricity - solar cell of PV
122
what drive the hydrological cycle, photosynthesis and winds
sun
123
what do we extract solar energy indirectly fromq
hydroelectric turbines from falling water biofuels wind turbines
124
what are fossil fuels in terms of solar energy
stored solar energy from photosynthesis that made organic material 100's of millions of years ago
125
starts exploded as supernovas and left radioactive elements in what type of energy
nuclear
126
where are the areas with the greatest potential for solar development?
subtropics
127
what are the 2 types of solar power
solar thermal power Solar Cells (PVs)
128
how does solar thermal power work
uses sun to directly heat something ex solar cooking stove hot water pumped through ground steam to drive turbine concentrated solar - focus sunlight to get higher temp for steam turbines
129
steam turbines use concentrated solar.. what is this
focused sunlight to make higher temp so more steam made to drive the turbine
130
Solar Cells of PVs - how do they use sunlight
directly convert sun into electricity using semiconductive tech
131
Solar Cells used semiconductor tech - how does this work
electron gains energy in semiconductor when solar photon absorbed makes a current
132
what is the main problem with solar cells
need to be able to store energy for when sun isn't available
133
what is Concentrated Solar power (CSP) system used for
large scale electricity generation
134
when do heat engines convert heat into useful workd most efficiently
when there is a large temp difference btw hot and cold thermal resevoirs
135
where is europe firs tcommerical concentration solar plant
seville, spain
136
how do wind turbines work
kinetic energy of wind turns blades, rotates magnets in generator, makes current of electricity
137
what is crucial in maximizing win turbine production of electricity
location to maximize wind exposure
138
what are 2 things to take into account when planning usuing wind energyq
location + storage/back up energy when winds are light
139
what type of energy is now competitive with fossil fuels
wind energy
140
what are the 3 main challenges with renewables
fluctuating power supply low energy density transmission grid update
141
how is the hydrological cycle driven by the sun
makes atmos circulations that lift water vapour from oceans and precipiates it into lakes and resevoirs increases its potential energy then converts to kinetic in the rain/waterfalls generates energy in turbines, hydroelectric power plants
142
where is then largest hydro project located in the world
China
143
who is the 3rd largest produced of energy in the world
canada
144
what are the 4 downsides with large hydroelectric projectsq
loss of land to floods population moving sediment and leaching probs destroy habitats
145
What project is taking place in NFLD right now with hydroelectric power
Lower Churchill project in muskrat falls 1/3 of this power will go to S
146
why is using biomass as fuel considered renewable
carbon released in burning organic material is fixed into plants by photosynthesis (as long as you re grow plants)
147
what are the major problems with converting crops into fiel
crops for fuel compete w crops for food large amount of E needed for fertilizer production use a lot of water
148
the developing world relies heavily on ...
traditional biomass wood, dung, rice husks, etc
149
what are some drawbacks for the biomass that developping world rely on... remember that this supplies 1/3 of global energy so it's everyone's issue because it affects everyone
inefficient, slow, dirty methods poor air quality loss of trees and plants locally
150
what plant can ethanol be made from
corn the corn-ethanol effect
151
what the biggest difference between using gasoline compared to using a corn-ethanol method of extraction
super inefficient when compared to gas
152
what a better type of fuel crop than corn-ethanol
sugar cane
153
what is ERoRI
Ratio of Energy Returned to Energy Invested for fuels
154
is ERoEI is low.. is the energy more or less expensive
more expensive
155
does nucelar energy make greenhouse gas emission during operations
nope
156
what are some issues with nuclear power
high cost danger of radioactive waste + storage teribble consequences in case of accidents, terrorism, natural disasters weapons
157
the global nuclear electrcity production - the capacity for this type of energy.. what is the trend in last 20 years
starting to level off
158
what is the difference btw fission and fusion
fission - split of nucleus, energy released | fusion - bringing 2 nuclei together, energy needed
159
what is 3x more abundant in the earth's crust than uranium + what are the difference between these two types of nuclear power
thorium - completely used up in reactors, whereas only a small portion of uranium is used doesn't need to be isotopically separated, less radioactive waste than uranium its more expensive than uranium
160
how does geothermal power work
use hot water from geologically active areas, or underground geothermal gradient, for heat pumps
161
how can you use underground geothermal rocks to make electricity
use hot rocks to convert cold water into hot steam to drive turbine or you can pipe the hot steam/water directly to heat building and stuff
162
in stream tidal turbines - why do they have lower costs usually
avoid building causways, dams, sleuth gates, resevoirs
163
what is fuel cell technology
energy storage system only | - requires an energy source but also stores it
164
how does fuel cell tech work
use electrolysis to separate hydrogen from water needs energy hydrogen is stored and is portable energy made when Hydrogen recombines with oxygen in fuel cell to make water - releasing energy very expensive
165
what is the current drawback with fuel cell tech
expensive
166
what type of energy converts chemical energy of water/of a fuel directly into elextricity without burning it
fuel cell tech
167
what is the cleanest way to use fuel cell tech (what energy sources should supply the energy needed for hydrolysis of water)
wind power or PVs
168
what are 3 types of carbon removal technologies being made today
carbon capture + storage direct air capture + storage Bioenergy w carbon capture + storage
169
what are the 3 basic steps of CCS
capture transport storage
170
Where do you capture carbon using CCS
where Fossil fuels are being burned, large power plants removal is more efficient because of higher concentration source
171
what 3 carbon capture technologies are being studied for CCS tech
pre combustion post combustion oxy-fuel combustion
172
explain the pre-combustion tech being studied for CCs
fuel converted to gas before combustion | CO2 removed, remaining H2 used for fuel
173
explain the post combustion tech being developped for CCS
after combustion CO@ removed using absorption, cryogenics or membrane tech separate Nitrogen gas from cO2 in the exhaust
174
explain oxy-fuel combustion
burn fuel in nearly pure oxygen make almost pure CO2 condensed and transported don't need to separate N2 from CO2 but you need pure oxygen to do this
175
how is the captured carbon transported in CCS
pipelines | CO2 compressed into liquid
176
where can you store CO2 in CCS
geological - depleted oil and natural gas field ocean mineralization - convert CO2 into carbonate - needs a lot of Energy to do this though
177
how does CO2 behave under high pressure but low temperature
it liquifies - making an icy hydrate phase - need to be around 500m down in ocean
178
what an ideal situation for the CCS method
to have capture and storage sites close together so it makes the transport part minimal
179
the first major demonstration plant in the world with full scale CCS in a power plant was where...
Boundary Dam Project in Saskatchewan capture 90% of emissions retrofit cost $1.25 billion - current solar PV price is $2 per watt so for $1.25 you could buy 600 MW!!
180
the boundary dam prohect capture 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually from power station's chimney but still has a number of other stations without carbon capture tech...
just cool to keep in mind. carry on.
181
why is it not economically favourable to pursue CCS
because emitters do not have to pay for emitting CO2
182
EOR - what is it? How is CCS tech helping Canada with this?
Enhance oil recovery - EOR - Canada currently using CCS to help with EOR - this is a loss in the captured carbon though..
183
What are some criticisms by greenpeace of CCS
cannot deliver in time CCS wastes energy - erase efficiency gains + increase resource consumption risk with storing carbon underground cost is expensive liability risk - health, ecosystems, climate
184
with all the risks that come with CCS, what is reccomended we focus one
ramping up renewables but we can't forget CCs and its potential
185
what is the buisness case for CCS as laid out by the global CCS institute
``` can't reach paris targets without it only clean tech capable of decarbonizing industry new energy tech make new jobs abundant storage capacity cost effective been working safely for last 45 years compliment renewables need public confidence to sustain investment ```
186
to prevent more than 2 deg warming we need to cut emission by how much by 2050
50%
187
If we want a maximum of 1.5 deg warming, 50% of our emissions have to be cut by when...
2030
188
what level does the CO2 concentration need to stabilize at for our target goal of 1.5 deg warming
450ppm currently, we are at 412 ppm
189
let's say global warming exceeds that 2 degrees.. what do we do then
well that would suck but there's geo-engineering proposals to mitigate global warming
190
what are the two geo-engineering proposals being put forward
solar radiation management carbon dioxide removal
191
what are geo-engineering projects
global scale projects to mitigate global warming by either solar radiation management or CO2 removal
192
What the Solar Radiation management (SRM) proposal
relfect more solar back to space | offsetting cooling effect that leaves GGs intact
193
what the CO2 removal (CDR) proposal
extract CO2 from atmos | address root problem of global warming
194
if it is determined that an eenvironmental disaster is imminent then it may be necessary to consider using geo-engineering.. however what things to make this untenable
human idiocy jk but huge costs, governance issues could be huge cock blocks for saving the planet/ourselve from human extinction
195
what is the general idea behind CDR and SRM proposals
CDR = fix by removing GGs causing larger downward terrestrial IF radiation SRM = fic by reucing incoming solar IF at surface by increasing planetary albedo - make planet brighter
196
what are four factors to take into account when evaluating gen-engineering proposals
effectiveness time safety cost
197
what are some SRM techniques being proposed
Relfect sun away from earth with mirror in space - this is very expensive increase planetary albedo
198
SRM - increase planetary albedo how
add aerosols to stratosphere (best option) make clouds brihgter w aerosols make surface brighter - not really realistic
199
how will adding aerosols into the stratosphere help cool the climate / increasing planetary albedo
scatters sunlight, reflects it back to space
200
how will they increase the amount of aerosols in the stratosphere
volcanoes cause cooling effect, need to mimic this use high altitude aircraft or balloons to inject sulphu dioxide gas
201
what are the problems with the proposals of adding more aerosols to strato
need to have constant fleet of airplanes releasing SO2 reduced hydrological cyc;e + photosynthesis negative effect on ozone more acid rain - likely a minor global issue
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CDR addressesthe real reaspn global warming is happening by removing CO2 from atmosphere. What are the 2 issues with the method
slow and needs a lot of energy
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what are some suggestions for the CDR proposal
increase land biomass to enhance bio storage of carbon biochar to remove carbon from photosynthetic cycle chemically remove and store CO2 - Direct air capture, geochemical removal of CO2
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why can't we solely rely on reforestation
it takes a long time to regrow new forest, and you'd need about 100 million new hectares per year to offset human emissions we don't have space to keep doing that every year
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what are the 4 major strategies to mitigate carbon emissions through forestry
increase amount of forested land - reforestation increase carbon density of existing forests expand use of forest products to sustainably replace Fossil fuel emissions reduce emissions caused by deforestation + degradation
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Slash and burn agriculture increases CO2 emission. another option is Biochar... what is this
carbon rich product biomass heated in closed container w/o oxygen similar to charcoal, promotes healthier soil without burning new way to store carbon from plants in the ground
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what is the best cost option to mitigate global warming..
put aerosols in the strato
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what are some general problems with reducing solar energy proposals, beside cost and logistics..
oceans still getting more acidic as CO2 rises effect on zone w aerosols, non-uniform cooling hydro cycle weak unpredictable biological feedbacks local effects, legal, public, ogvernnance issues not a proven method control and predictions are a huge problem here
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what are some fears with CDR
time it will take, will it be effective can it remove enough??
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ocershooting the total remaining emissions budget means we will have to...
actively remove CO@ from atmos negative emissions
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negative CO2 emissions is what
active antrhopogenic removal of CO2 from atmos
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how can we actively remove anthropogenic carbon dioxide from atmos
``` afforestation - new forest reforestation direct air capture + storage mineralization BECCS - Bio-energy + Carbon capture w storage ```
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traditional FF burning is a positive adding of carbon FF burning w CCS is neutral Bioenergy plant is neutral how do get negative emission
bioenergy w CCS
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synthetic liquid fuels (hydrocarbons) are made of 3 things...
CO2 hydrogen electricity
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high carbon intesnity synthetic fuel is made of
CO2 from CCS FF plant Hydrogen from steam of natural gas electricity from FF plant
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low carbon intensity synthetic fuel is made of...
CO2 from DAC hydrogen from solar PV electricity from renewables
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Bio-energy w Carbon capture + storage = BECCS... what is this
organic material grown to make biofuels | used in power stations for electricity and capture carbon emissions using CCS tech
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what a big advantage of BECCS
growing additional biomass will help remove CO2
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explain how BECCS works
grow new biomass and use CCS to capture carbon when biomass is burned at power station to achieve net sink of atmos CO2 negative emissions
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WWS Stanford project sets out to do what
eliminate all energy from FFs, nuclear, biomass, carbon capture + storage by 2050 and electrify all energy with no new hydro projects wind, water and solar
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what barriers are set against the WWS plan
mostly political and social issue, not technological and economic
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what are some cost benefits of the plan
prevent premature deaths health care savings less energy consumption because better work and energy ratios , savings on FFs new jobs air pollution savings climate change damage costs reduced limit global warming to less than 1.5 deg stabilize energy prices increase security in energy supplies + reduce international conflict
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what are the 5 reasons end use power demand reductions occur
1 - efficiency of moving low temp building heat w heat pumps instead of combustion 2 - electricity more efficient than combustion 3 - efficiency in battery electric 4 - eliminate energy in mine, transport and process of FFs 5 - reducing energy use + increase efficency
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The goal is affordable rapid, large scale deployment of renewable energy. What's the assumption by the WWS that all energy conumption will be...
electrified
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how will transportion be eletrified
battery electric vehicles for long distance, light0duty transport hydrogen fuel cell cehicles for heavy duty ground transport, long distance ocean shipping, air transport
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how will air heating be powered is energy consuming processed become electrified
heat pumps ground, ir or water source of heat pumps electric resistant heating
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Much of the onshore wind area required alows for spacing btw turbines and can also be used for agriculture.. what's an advantage to land owners putting a wind turbine on their property
derive income from both leasing the land for wind turbines and farming around the turbines
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majority of energy consumption will be powered by what in the WWS plan
solar - 57% second - wind - 37% last 4-5% - hydro, geothermal, wave/tidal
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whats one suggestion by the WWS to increase solar powered energy source
PVs on roofs, buildings,parking lots
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the WWS study is estimating that the consumer, globally, will save in what areas
energy costs health care cost climate change damage costs
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the WWS plan estimates that the system for 139 countries that were considered in this study, will cost $125 trillion for 49.9 TW of installed capacity or about $2.5 million per MV. Is this more expensive than what we are doing now with costs of coal, natural gas, wind power...
nope, WWS plan is cheaper than what we are doing now
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besides the cost saving with the WWS plan, whats another great avantage..
gain of 24 million workers globally so 25 million in construction 27 million in operation compare that to -28 million loss in Fossil fuels expected over a 30 year period...
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with the change proposed by the WWS, what will need to happen to the transmission grid...
upgraded and expanded to handle increase in electricity use power delivery needs to be reliable and stable better ability to store power for the grid to be smart
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where will we see some savings with the WWS
air pollution - reduce mortality costs savings from global warming damages
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what are some timeline required to achieve the energy tranformation goal by 2050
super grids + smart grids no more coal, nuclear, natural gas, biomass, hydro all heating, drying, cooking converted to electric water freight converted to electric all rail, bus, aircraft, road - electris/hydrogen by 2025-2040
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what are some government policies that need to be adopted and implemented
``` promote efficiency measure in homes promote energy supply measures utility planning and incentives transportation industry - financial incentives ```
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cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions is a good predictor for what
amount of global warming
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when talking about culmulative emissions, its important to take into account...
historical culmulative emissions and present-day emissions important when apportioning responsibility for reductions
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what are NDCs
Nationally Determined Contributions - countried unable to agree on enforceable emissions quota allocation - NDCs are voluntary emission reduction rargets submitted by individual countried for the Paris Climate Conference in 2015
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what is the NDCs term used under.. what agreement
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
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What unfortunate about NDCs under the UNFCCC
countries can freely select their own mitigation target type... which isn't helpful because they're not doing enough not agressive in their approach and if one person is lacking, it could really mess up the work that need to be done
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NDC mitigation target types base year target
specify % emissions reduction in some future year compared to actual emissions in chosen past base year try and reduce by this much % in this year
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NDC mitigation target type fixed level target
specify absolute amount of emissions to be reduced or reaching carbon neutrality by some year - most honest approach
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NDCs mitigation target type Baseline scenario target
specify % emissions reduction compared to a buisness-as-usual baseline scenario for some future year not a good target type - manipulate baseline scenario by making baseline emission unrealistically high so reductions look larger
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NDCs mitigation target type intensity target
% emission intensity redution in some future year compared to actual emission instensity in past base year no a target type bc emission intensityies are normalized emission by country GDP
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what are the two NDCs mitigation target types that are not good models
baseline scenario target - they can manipulate the unrealistic goals intensity target - based on normalized emission w GDP- which GDP always rises faster than emissions, so emissions intensity will decrease even though actual emissions continue to rise
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what is the emissions gap
defined as some future year as the difference between global total projected emissions and the emissions required to achieve a final global warming below some target
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what are some negative emission tech/natural/combines systems being developped
``` accelerated weathering direct air apture ocean alkaline enhancement CO2 durable carbon BECCS (natural + tech) nautral: new forest, recovery old forest, soil carbon sequestering, biochard, other land use/wetlands ```
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what are some consequences of delaying strong emission reduction
much steeper rates of global emission reduction need dependence on using new tech for mitigation greater mitigation costs greater economic disruption greater reliance on negative emissions risk of failing to meet 2 degrees target
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what things need to be considered when assessing new renewable energy projects
``` capital cost operating cost capacity factor levelled cost of energy marginal cost ```
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what are capital cost
upfront cost to construct power plant + maintenance work needed to run plant
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are renewables looking to be more expensive in operating costs
nope they'll likely be cheaper
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the capacity factor is...
ratio of average output to peak power that the station could deliver
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why is the capacity factor never 100%
because of maintenance cost, equiment, fluctuation in availliability to primary energy source
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what are capacity factor of solar plants like
typically low | sun is only available during the day
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what are levelized cost of energy
price for generated electricity that makes net present value of installation zero cost of ownership of the plant
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marginal cost is...
dollar amount that needs tobe spent to generate kWh, over cost of investement and operation
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the marginalized cost of solar plants is ...
usually small w=because no fuel requirements and very little maintenance needed
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coupling an economic model with a climate model is called...
integrated assessment model (IAM)
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what do IAM predict
economic growth, climate damages, statement costs
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what is the main goal of IAMs
couple economic theory to carbon emissions to predict future GGs concentrations + temp chgs help develop policies that will minimize sum of costs while maintaining economic growth