LECTURE 12 Flashcards

Question

What are the four volumes of each IPCC report?

Answer 1

Each report = 4 volumes (3 from working groups) Working Group 1 – The Scientific Basis (review of climate science) Working Group 2 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (impacts of climate changes, assess possible adaptation options and vulnerable groups) Working Group 3 – Mitigation (reviews mitigation options) 4th volume – Executive summary

Answer 2

Assessment Reports AR1 - human pollution is the cause of increases in atmospheric CO2, and this will likely result in climate change AR2 - a discernable change in global climate has already occurred, caused by GHG emissions AR3 - climate change is occurring more rapidly than any time in the past 10,000 years AR4 - the planet is unequivocally warming, and it will continue to warm for centuries even if we take rapid action to reduce GHG pollution AR5 - it is urgent that we act now to avoid high costs later (mitigation and adaptation costs)

Answer 3

Provisions for trading carbon reduction (Kyoto Protocol) Cap-and-trade pollution strategy to limit the amount of pollution allowed and reducing costs overall - Countries can purchase the right to pollute from ones that will likely be lower than target emissions - Factories can pair up with ones in other countries (based on whether cheaper to update technology or buy Carbon credits from an already updated factory)

Answer 4

EU --> carbon market to achieve reductions in most cost-effective way possible

Answer 5

The EU market is the largest.

Answer 6

Reduced emissions from deforestation & degradation Deforestation = ~ 1/6 of global CO2 emissions Cease / offset deforestation to meet UNFCCC objectives Most of current deforestation is in the Tropics (temperate forests are increasing) Tropical countries excluded from Carbon markets (developing countries exempt from emissions reductions) COP-11 (Montreal, 2005) --> Tropical forest countries pushed for deforestation to be included in emissions framework REDD guidelines --> allows reductions in deforestation to be quantified, rewarded and traded on Carbon market

Answer 7

Leakage Equitable distribution of revenues

Answer 8

Leakage - Risk that deforestation from one country will move into neighbouring ones (no ↓ net in emissions) - National and regional deforestation reduction plans need to account for leakage

Answer 9

Equitable distribution of revenues - Nations participate in UNFCCC and REDD - Local people are the ones impacted by emissions reduction strategies - Local people should receive most of rewards of carbon payments, but national governments are ones getting $

Answer 10

Science behind climate change more complex than behind ozone hole so it is easier for climate deniers to denounce UNFCCC and IPCC --> sound science, but we may not be able to overcome obstacles in time to effect real change

Answer 11

False - Reducing GHG emissions is NOT enough to stop climate change. You need to stabilize atmospheric GHG concentrations (GHG emissions = 0)

Answer 12

CO2 >400 ppm for first time in 2015

Answer 13

Targets difficult to achieve = led to overshoot strategies (allow GHG to surpass target level, then bring them down later on) Problem with overshoots = natural systems may undergo two climate transitions instead of one (more damage?)

Answer 14

Early shift to more energy-efficient and renewable technologies Energy efficiency - 2 billion cars to hybrids - high efficiency light bulbs, better insulated buildings, increased fuel efficiency in cars Renewable E sources - existing wind energy - photovoltaic solar energy - photovoltaic solar E with H fuel cells - biofuel from crops With above technology, we have two efficiency and four renewable E wedges --> one less than needed to meet demands of ‘triangle’ There are 15 technologies in existence --> can fill 12 wedges

Answer 15

Solar thermal - solar E carrier fluid used to drive another process Solar voltaic (or photovoltaic cells) - electrons excited by photons and solar E captured

Answer 16

Solar E reaches PV array and releases electrons Electrons are captured and channeled by silicon of PV cells Rooftop PV could meet ~ 50% of world’s E demands with no land use demands

Answer 17

Global-installed wind energy currently >60 gigawatts Increased 12X between 1995 and 2005 Almost all = electricity-generating turbines Global-installed capacity  1 terawatts by 2020 (total E demands ~ 2-3 terawatts at that time) Could provide ~ 50% of world’s E by 2050 Limited by # of high-wind potential areas

Answer 18

Can use same land for photovoltaic panels and other land uses (e.g. on residential roofs or in open spaces), reducing the impact on natural habitats

Answer 19

Conversion of solar energy into plant materials for liquid fuels (e.g. ethanol – gas substitute in newer cars) Ex) Brazil Most advanced biofuel program in world ~ 40% of gasoline use replaced with ethanol Ethanol (mostly sugar cane waste) Other countries limited because biofuel competes with agriculture for food (both require same spaces)

Answer 20

Generate electricity by running a turbine with water held back by a dam Currently ~ 20% of world’s power and >50% of Canada’s power China --> greatest potential for hydro growth Limitation = most of potential sites for high dam hydropower already in use Greater potential for expansion of small to medium sized hydropower projects

Answer 21

Nuclear Power Non-renewable, but does not produce GHG pollution TWO TYPES Nuclear Fission – well tested, widely used, produces weapons grade bi-products and radioactive waste Nuclear Fusion – untested commercially, but major projects under construction will likely change this, no weapons grade biproducts and waste is far less radioactive ~450 in world, with another 60 under construction ~78% of power in France nuclear Current global capacity ~ 350 GW (more than all renewables combined)

LECTURE 12 Flashcards

(45 cards)