mocks cramming - topic 7 Flashcards by Mitchell Wilson

Energy security

ability to secure affordable, reliable, efficient energy for needs of a country

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Coal +/-

pos
+ Cheap to burn
+ plentiful supply

neg
- co2 (non-renewable)
-smog + lung disease

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Oil +/-

pos
+ high heat of combustion
+ once found = cheap

neg
- oil spill danger
- co2 emitted when burned

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natural gas +/-

pos
+ cheap
+ cleaner than oil/coal

neg
- Leaks are dangerous
- still not very clean

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nuclear fission +/-

pos
+ no co2
+ Small mass of radioactive material
produced a lot

neg
- high extraction costs
- reactors are expensive
- really bad if wrong.

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hydroelectric +/-

pos
+ good safety record
+ creates water reserves

neg
- dams (ecological impacts)
- costly to build + run

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biomass +/-

pos
+ cheap + readily available
+ if crops replanted: sustainable

neg
- if not replanted: unsustainable
- burned = GHG

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solar photovoltaic +/-

pos
- can be distributed (green jobs)
- Safe to use
- infinite

neg
- costly maintenance
- needs sunshine

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solar photovoltaic - what is it

the conversion of light into electricity using photovoltaic cells (solar cells)

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wood +/-

pos
+ cheap/readily available
+ trees replaced = sustainable

neg
- low heat of combustion
- high transportation costs

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concentrated solar +/-

pos
+ renewable
+ cost same as fossil stations

neg
- new so still improving

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what is concentrated solar

using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight into a receiver. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat

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solar passive +/-

pos
+ Minimal cost if properly designed

neg
- Needs good architects

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passive solar - what is it

the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces by exposure to the sun.

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wind +/-

pos
+ Green jobs

neg
- Noise pollution

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wave +/-

pos
+ Island countries
+ Small operations

neg
- Storms damage them
- Construction is costly

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tidal +/-

pos
+Ideal for island countries
+Prevent flooding

neg
-Construction is costly
-Impact on wildlife

geothermal +/-

pos
+ Infinite supply
+ Used successfully in NZ

neg
- expensive to set up
- only volcanic activity areas

Ozone in troposphere vs in stratosphere

troposphere: GHG
stratosphere: acts as a coolant

Climate change adaptation strategies

Change land use through planning legislation
- Build to resist flooding
- Change agricultural production (rainwater harvesting, growing diff crops, drought tolerant
crops)
- Managing the weather (planting trees)
- Migrating to other areas
- Managing water supplies (desalination, increasing reservoirs)
- Vaccination against water borne diseases

energy efficiency

the goal to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services

climate vs weather

Climate: describes how the atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time,

Weather: describe the condition in the atmosphere over a short period of time.

effects of higher levels of GHGs (basically what is climate change)

an increase in the mean global temperature
increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events
the potential for long term changes in climate and weather patters
rise in sea level.

Human contributions to higher levels of GHGs

Burning of fossil fuel which release carbon dioxide
Deforestation affects earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide
Agriculture increase the methane level
Use of fertilizers lead to higher nitrous oxide

natural greenhouse effect vs enhanced greenhouse effect

natural: more heat escapes into space enhanced: more GHGs, less heat escapes into space

what do GHGs do

absorb infrared radiation, causing global temperatures to be higher than they would otherwise be.

potential impacts of climate change (6)

- changes in water availability - distribution of biomes and crop growing areas - loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services - coastal inundation - ocean acidification - damage to human health

positive feedback mechanism associated w climate change

- melting of polar ice lowers albedo

Negative feedback mechanism associated w climate change

- increase in carbon dioxide in atmosphere leads to increased plant growth

arguments that climate change is natural

- Greenhouse gases can be produce by natural: volcanic activity; release of methane by animals and peat bogs; sunspot activity - Earth’s tilt and variation in orbit around the sun leads to seasonal and regional changes in temperatures - Ocean currents can lead to warming or cooling - Global dimming: the cooling effects of air pollution

global dimming

- decline in the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface. - caused by atmospheric particulate matter

problems with accuracy of climate model predictions

- Use of incomplete data sets. - Use of data measured using different protocols and equipment. - Yet unknown tipping points. - Difficulty in predicting human behaviour and associated GHG emissions. - Differences in interpretation of information from models leading to differing predictions

what is climate change mitigation

- basically reducing climate change - either by reducing sources of GHGs, or enhancing the “sinks” that accumulate and store them (eg. oceans, forests and soil).

what is climate change adaptation

- adapting to life in a changing climate - The goal is to reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change

some mitgation strategies to reduce energy consumption

- **Carbon taxes** - require emitters to pay a free for every ton of greenhouse gases emitted - **Carbon trading** - countries or companies emitting above the target level can buy carbon storage credits from clean developments or reforesting degraded land in other countries - **Lifestyle changes** - individual actions to reduce climate change (eg choices of transport, energy use and consumer goods and services) - **fuel efficiency standards** for cars/trucks/appliances

methods - reduction of emissions of nitrogen oxides and methane from agriculture

- reduce chemical fertilizer use - reduce intensive livestock farming

carbon capture and storage (CCS)

a process by which carbon dioxide from industrial installations is separated before it is released into the atmosphere, then transported to a long-term storage location.

example of carbon capture and storage

- CO2 is captured from an **LNG facility** on an island in the **Barents Sea.** - The captured CO2 is stored in an **offshore subsurface reservoir. ** - **>4 million tons** of carbon dioxide have been stored.

The estimate for climate lag, the time between the cause (increased greenhouse gas emissions) and the effect (increased temperatures)

40 years

climate adaptation strategies

- **Building design** - improved air conditioning and circulation in building in the temperate zone - **Emerging diseases** - monitoring and control of spreading tropical diseases - **Coastal management** - improved sea defenses or managed retreat from low lying coastal areas