Mid Term2 Study Guide 403

Question 1

While fires set by ranchers have been the most notorious source of fires in the Amazon over the last decade, what other climate-related problem is driving the current wave of fire outbreaks throughout the region?

Answer 1

Massive decrease in rainfall

Question 2

Provide two motivations for Australia to agree to the Singapore solar project?

I.
II.

Answer 2

I. Provide job
II. Huge market

Question 3

T/F. China is the second largest builder of coal-fired power stations in the world, behind India.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In a favoured phrasing, the IPCC report states that since the last report in 2014 heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and other extreme events have all increased in intensity and frequency “f_____ b________ n_________ v________.”

Answer 4

Far beyond natural variability

Question 5

The stated aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep global temperature rise “well below” ___ degrees Celsius and to “pursue efforts” to limit it to ___ degrees Celsius Celsius.

1 … 2
1.5 … 2
1.5 … 2.5
2 … 2.5

Answer 5

1.5 … 2

Question 6

What type of country is considered the ‘canary in the climate coal mine’?

Answer 6

Small island countries

Question 7

Briefly, define ‘net-zero’.

Answer 7

Carbon emissions equal carbon capture

Question 8

S____________ A______ refers to unburned or unused fossil fuel resources, whose value (if 2 degree C is the limit) would reach trillions of dollars.

Answer 8

Stranded Assets

Question 9

Contributing to their lacking of funding for spending on climate projects, many poor developing countries have what other significant international payments they must make, which reduces their spending power?

Answer 9

International debt pay

Question 10

According to the IPCC, what sector is the most important to decarbonize as fast as possible?

Answer 10

Power sector

Question 11

T/F. One of the key advantages of renewable energy systems in the U.S. is that while new infrastructure will have to built for them, those infrastructures can be much smaller than traditional energy infrastructures.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

T/F. According to the IPCC, the limiting of temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C will be impossible without some form of carbon removal.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

The targeting of lifestyle and behavior changes is an aspect of D_______ -S______ mitigation options and will require transformation in the C__________ A____________ of our consumption patterns.

Answer 13

Demand - Side
Choice Agriculture

Question 14

In order to cut down on methane in the atmosphere, the IPCC suggests targeting “F___________ emissions”, the methane that escapes during extraction and transportation of natural gas or from abandoned oil wells.

Funnel
Fugitive
Failure
Final

Answer 14

Fugitive

Question 15

In terms of the IPCC’s goals for green buildings, while there have been an increasing number of zero-carbon buildings constructed around the world, what are the two primary goals that still need considerable focus and investment?

I.
II.

Answer 15

I. The standard of new building must to be green
II. Revocation of the old buildings

Question 16

What are the three key policies for cities to pursue reductions in their transport sector emissions levels?

I.
II.
III.

Answer 16

I. Non-car travel
II. High density
III. Electrified transportation

Question 17

List two of the reasons discussed in lecture for why it is a problem that much of the potential for carbon emission reduction from environmental protection, restoration, and sustainable management exists in developing countries.

I.
II.

Answer 17

I. Lack of science expertise
II. Lack of funding

Question 18

The IPCC’s fourth scenario, in which global temperature rises to 3.t degrees C by 2100, is defined by the collapse of what?

Answer 18

Collapse of international cooperation

Question 19

T/F. While not the current largest emitter, the U.S. has historically emitted more carbon dioxide than any other country.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

If the U.S. wants to “D_____________”, it must stop getting its electricity from fossil fuel sources and shift to renewable sources like solar, wind, and geothermal.

Answer 20

Decarbonized

Question 21

What is the ‘elegant solution’ that Saul Griffith suggest for the U.S. economy to enhance the effect of shifting its electricity grid to renewable energies?

Answer 21

Shift everything possible to electricity

Question 22

In the Vox video, the graph that breaks down the carbon emissions in the U.S. by sector has what percentages for the following? (28, 28, 21, 14, 12)

Electricity _____%
Transportation _____%
Residential _____%
Industrial _____%
Commercial _____%

Answer 22

Electricity 28%
Transportation 28%
Residential 14%
Industrial 21%
Commercial 12%

Question 23

Provide a succinct definition of ‘tipping point’ as it relates to climate change.

Answer 23

Threshold passed and irreversible changes

Question 24

Ocean heat waves cause mass coral bleaching; and if global average temperature rises by merely 2 degrees C, ____% of tropical corals are projected to be lost.

27% 55% 75% 99%

Answer 24

99%

Question 25

What crop boomed in the 1990s and drove higher rates of deforestation? And how was it connected to cattle ranching?

Answer 25

Soy, high protein feed for cattle

Question 26

What is the bigger catastrophe that the collapse of the Thwaites glacier could cause?

Answer 26

Ice sheet melting, sea level rise

Question 27

In addition to the obvious loss of land due to sea level rise, what two other worries do island nations and dependencies worry about related to sea level rise? I. II.

Answer 27

I. Water supply II. Tourism

Question 28

Globally, ___ out of the world’s 10 largest cities are near a coast.

Answer 28

8

Question 29

T/F. Researchers expect intense tropical cyclones to become more frequent globally, but for there to be significant regional variation and for there to be possibly less tropical cyclones overall.

Answer 29

True

Question 30

Which of the following factors did the lecture list as contributing to rising intensities of hurricanes? Warmer ocean temperatures from increased energy absorption create conditions for hurricane development Warm air holds more water vapor than cold air Less cold, subsurface ocean water that normally acts as natural breakingmechanism Destruction of coral reefs that normally act as break on storms surges along coasts.

Answer 30

Warm air holds more water vapor than cold air Less cold, subsurface ocean water that normally acts as natural breakingmechanism Destruction of coral reefs that normally act as break on storms surges along coasts.

Question 31

Briefly explain why vulnerable communities have most to fear from polluting industries during bad storms.

Answer 31

Class and racial bias in where people live

Question 32

T/F. Since so much of the U.S. farmland is in the interior of the country, the ‘breadbasket’ of the U.S. is likely to be spared significant destruction from climate-change related flooding.

Answer 32

False

Question 33

Besides death, name two other ways flooding causes health problems. I. II.

Answer 33

I. Mental health II. Bacteria infection

Question 34

The effects of drought on ecosystems and people are sometimes referred to as H____________ S_____________.

Answer 34

Hydrological Stress

Question 35

What is the primary way that droughts can affect energy systems?

Answer 35

Through hydroelectric dams

Question 36

(a) What is the rare ‘weather double whammy’ (that is, what are the two interrelated problems intensifying each other?)? (b) And what kind of events do they increase the changes of? (a) I. II. (b)M______________

Answer 36

(a)I. Prolong heatwave II. Prolong drought (b)Megadroughts

Question 37

Which of the following were listed in lecture as key causes of increased fires due to climate change? Rising temperatures dry soils and make vegetation more flammable Larger and longer melting winter snowpacks Shifting rain patterns moving away from fire prone regions Insect outbreaks weaken trees and make them more vulnerable to fire

Answer 37

Rising temperatures dry soils and make vegetation more flammable Shifting rain patterns moving away from fire prone regions Insect outbreaks weaken trees and make them more vulnerable to fire

Question 38

List three of the negative impacts of fires discussed in lecture. I. II. III.

Answer 38

I. Loss of carbon sink II. Dispatched animal III. Smoke inhalation

Question 39

What two factors are expected to cause a 50% increase in the food needed to feed Earth’s people between 2010 and 2050? I. II.

Answer 39

I. Growing world population II. More middle class diet

Question 40

What two features of Africa’s agricultural production make it especially vulnerable to climate change’s effects on food production? I. II.

Answer 40

I. Rain-fed agriculture II. Small plots

Question 41

The biggest fear many analysts now concerns the predominance of a few basic crops in the global diet, their geographical concentrations of production, and the growing possibility of simultaneous M___________ B____________ F__________.

Answer 41

Multiple Breadbasket Failure

Question 42

What is the difference between direct and indirect economics costs of a country’s disease burden? Direct: Indirect:

Answer 42

Direct: Medical cost Indirect: Labor productivity cost

Question 43

Briefly explain how deforestation and wildfires are causing more disease problems in human populations.

Answer 43

Drive close contact between wild animal and human

Question 44

What are three key threats to trees due to climate change? I. II. III.

Answer 44

I. New pests and diseases II. More heatwave III. Drought/ fire

Question 45

With estimates rising, how many people does air pollution kill each year, according to recent research?

Answer 45

10 million

Question 46

What percentage of global air pollution-related deaths occur in developing countries? 25% 55% 75% 95%

Answer 46

95%

Question 47

What two principles are ‘balanced’ in the Principle 21? I. II.

Answer 47

I. Right to exploit natural resources II. Do not harm environment of another state

Question 48

T/F. Due to pressure from rich countries, the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ is not a part of the Montreal Protocols, which many observes credit as being a key reason for its success.

Answer 48

False

Question 49

How did the Kigali Amendment divide up the world’s countries, and what key difference does it make between them?

Answer 49

Develop country vs Developing country Difference by rate of reduction

Question 50

What (I) regular set of meetings and what (II) regular climate report have come out of the creation of the UNFCCC?

Answer 50

I. The cop II. IPCC report

Question 51

T/F. Despite significant support for the proposal, technology transfers from rich to poor countries were not included in the final version of the Kyoto Protocol, which was a significant mistake said critics then and now.

Answer 51

False

Question 52

What was at the center of the key environmental/trade case at the WTO between the U.S. and India, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand? That is, (i) what was the U.S. policy? And (ii) how did the other countries say this violated WTO rules? I. II.

Answer 52

I. Ban of shrimp catching II. WTO encourage people trade but U.S. ban of shrimp catching lead to other country can’t trade easily

Question 53

What are two other non-GHG related benefits of reducing deforestation and forest degradation? I. II.

Answer 53

I. Keep soil quality II. Biodiversity protection

Question 54

List three of the criticism discussed in lecture of the REDD+ program. I. II. III.

Answer 54

I. Insufficient funding II. Fail to change local economic incentives III. Accounting problems

Question 55

(a) Which type of countries pushed to include in the Paris Agreement a separate on loss and damage? (b) Which country most strongly opposed such a section? (c) And what was the final compromise?

Answer 55

(a) Small island countries (b) U.S. (c) No legal liability

Question 56

What are two of the significant signs of progress post-Paris Agreement listed in lecture? I. II.

Answer 56

I. Solar and wind energy breakthrough II. Electrical vehicle

Question 57

What are two of the key criticisms of the Paris Climate Agreement listed in lecture? I. II.

Answer 57

I. No penalties II. Poor accountability

Question 58

Briefly summarize the dispute between developed and developing countries over who should bear the burden of climate financing.

Answer 58

Developing country: developed countries should pay for the cost Developed country: larger countries like China also need to pay

Question 59

Explain why the poor in Pakistan have been suffering the most from this shake-up in the energy sector.

Answer 59

Poor people unable to swift to solar panel because they can’t afford it and also can’t afford the high prices of energy

Question 60

How does the deal the Pakistani government signed to save its traditional energy grid now prevent it from investing in new green technologies?

Answer 60

They need to use money to pay debt instead of green energy

Question 61

Nuclear plants generate about ______% of the electricity we use around the world. Nuclear plants generate about _____% of the electricity the U.S. uses. Nuclear plants generate about ______% of the electricity in the U.S. not from fossil fuels.

Answer 61

10% 20% 52%

Question 62

What are two aspects of a “Climate Hawk”? I. II.

Answer 62

I. Very high priority in climate change II. Support aggressive policies action

Question 63

What are the three scenarios in the IEA reports? I. II. III.

Answer 63

I. Stated policies II. Net zero timeline III. Announced pledges

Question 64

What are the Net Zero targets for the following countries/ organizations. China _____ EU _____ India _____ U.S. _____ Paris Agreement _____

Answer 64

China 2060 EU 2050 India 2070 U.S. 2050 Paris Agreement 2050

Question 65

Which of the following does the IEA recommend for the world to reach Net Zero by 2050? Fossil fuel use must decrease by 30% by 2030 Total stop of approval of new coal power plants and oil and gas furnaces to new buildings Renewables energy must reach 60% of electricity generation by 2030 EVs must reach 65% of new global sales by 2030.

Answer 65

Fossil fuel use must decrease by 30% by 2030 Total stop of approval of new coal power plants and oil and gas furnaces to new buildings Renewables energy must reach 60% of electricity generation by 2030 EVs must reach 65% of new global sales by 2030.

Question 66

What is the ‘bad news is good news’ about China’s economy and the climate?

Answer 66

Slower economic growth meanwhile slower emission growth

Question 67

List three features of U.S. environmental laws from the 1970s (including specific policies, agencies, or programs) that have been internationally influential for designing environmental regulations. I. II. III.

Answer 67

I. Environmental Protection Agency/ E.P.A II. Clean air and water act III. Gasoline and endangered species act

Question 68

What are two criticisms made of the Environmental Kuznets Curve? I. II.

Answer 68

I. Developed countries exporting pollution to developing countries II. Not all environmental issues better as countries get richer

Question 69

What are the twi primary ways that Washington Consensus development policies hindered the development of effective environmental policies in the developing world? I. II.

Answer 69

I. Environmental regulations II. State capacity

Question 70

T/F. While many pro-environment groups argue that current regulations do not go far enough, pro-business interests say environmental regulations are too expensive, hurt economic growth, harm international competitiveness, and cause layoffs and firm closures.

Answer 70

True

Question 71

Briefly explain what a ‘Green Bond’ is.

Answer 71

Debt issue to fund sustainable project

Question 72

What are three of the benefits of public climate spending projects? I. II. III.

Answer 72

I. Able to do long-term and large scale investment II. Leverage government fund III. Reduce price/ provide public good in low cost

Question 73

(a) What is a principal reason it is so hard for governments to get rid of consumption subsidies? (b) What is a principal reason it is so hard for government to get rid of production subsidies?

Answer 73

(a) Products became expensive which will anger the consumer (b) Power of political influence of the industry

Question 74

Briefly explain Germany’s feed-in tariff program.

Answer 74

Guarantee producers a premium price

Question 75

Briefly, what is the significance of Suntech.

Answer 75

First solar company in China

Question 76

List three benefits of carbon tax programs as discussed in lecture. I. II. III.

Answer 76

I. Drive up carbon based process and product, more expensive II. Help boost low carbon alternative III. Raising revenue

Question 77

List three costs of criticisms of carbon tax programs as discussed in lecture. I. II. III.

Answer 77

I. Regressive tax II. Prices are too low III. Hard to decide and agree on what that level should be

Question 78

In a cap and trade program, polluters that expect to emit more than their permits allow must do one of what two actions?

Answer 78

Payoff or innovate