Impact Of Fossil Fuels And Carbon Sequestration

Question 1

What % of energy consumption is fossil fuels?

Answer 1

84%

Question 2

How much carbon is released by fossil fuels per year?

Answer 2

10 billion tonnes

Question 3

Levels of carbon in the atmosphere

Answer 3

415 ppm

The highest for at least 800 000 years

Question 4

A solution to global warming

Answer 4

Carbon capture and storage

Question 5

Carbon capture and storage potential

Answer 5

Potential to reduce US carbon emissions by 80-90%

Question 6

Carbon capture and storage pilot study

Answer 6

Drax project, N. Yorkshire is designed to capture 2 million tonnes of carbon per year.

Plan for carbon to be transported by pipeline to the North sea and stored in depleted gas reserves

Question 7

Limitation of carbon capture and storage

Answer 7

Big capital costs- Drax project will cost at least £1 billion
Requires storage resevoirs with specific geological conditions e.g. porous rocks overlain by impermeable strata