The Carbon Cycle EQ3

Question 1

What are the benefits of grasslands?

Answer 1

-Maintain natural habitats
-Terrestrial carbon store
-Carbon sink (lung effect)

Question 2

What are the disadvantages of converting grasslands?

Answer 2

-Reduces lung effect
-Removal releases CO2 from soils
-Natural habitat reduced

Question 3

What are the benefits of afforestation?

Answer 3

-Carbon sequestering
-Provides habitat
-Reduces flood risk due to interception

Question 4

What are the negatives of afforestation?

Answer 4

-Modifies biomes so may introduce non native species
-Reduced revenue due to loss of agricultural space

Question 5

What is radical technology?

Answer 5

Exciting, new methods of providing energy which may be currently underdeveloped but could be explored in the future on a large scale

Question 6

What is carbon capture and storage (CCS)?

Answer 6

-Capturing CO2 from the source
-Gas is compressed and liquified
-Transported into permanent storage

Question 7

What are the problems of CCS?

Answer 7

-Expensive
-May not be many sustainable sites
-Ocean acidification if CO2 is released into deep ocean

Question 8

What are the benefits of CCS?

Answer 8

-Cut global emissions by 19%
-Create thousands of skilled jobs in the UK

Question 9

What are hydrogen fuel cells?

Answer 9

Combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water

Question 10

What are the benefits and problems of hydrogen fuel cells?

Answer 10

Benefits:
-Will never lose charge if hydrogen is always supplied
Problems:
-Requires large amounts of energy to get the hydrogen

Question 11

What are the benefits and problems of electric vehicles?

Answer 11

Benefits:
-Reduce air pollution levels
-Zero carbon emissions
-Reduce noise pollution
Problems:
-Expensive to buy
-Safety concerns over no noise
-Not enough places to charge

Question 12

What are the impacts of rising temperatures on the water cycle?

Answer 12

-Warm water flowing into arctic
-Shrinkage of sea ice
-Rising local air temperatures

Question 13

What are the impacts of rising temperatures on the carbon cycle?

Answer 13

-Methane emissions from thawing permafrost
-CO2 emissions from forest fires due to dried out forests

Question 14

What are the natural factors of climate change?

Answer 14

-Sun spots
-Milakovitch cycles
-Volcanic eruptions
-El nino years

Question 15

What are the human factors of climate change?

Answer 15

-Burning fossil fuels
-Deforestation
-Industrialisation
-Population growth

Question 16

What is a tipping point?

Answer 16

An abrupt, possibly irreversible large scale change over a few decades or less

Question 17

What are the examples of tipping points?

Answer 17

-Increased number of pests and fires in boreal forests
-Complex forests can become drought and fire adapted
-Thinner ice may increase albido

Question 18

What is positive feedback?

Answer 18

Changes taking place which amplify the original process

Question 19

What is negative feedback?

Answer 19

Changes taking place to reduce or dampen the original process

Question 20

Why is climate change so uncertain?

Answer 20

-Physical factors and sinks (oceans and terrestrial)
-Human factors
-Peatland
-Permafrost

Question 21

Why is permafrost uncertain?

Answer 21

-Uncertainty over how much the temperature of permafrost has risen
-When permafrost melts it releases trapped carbon into the atmosphere

Question 22

Why are human factors uncertain?

Answer 22

-Future population growth uncertain
-International agreements/governments may take long time to implement

Question 23

What is adaptation?

Answer 23

Any change that reacts and adjusts to changing climate conditions
E.g.
-Water conservation and management
-Resilient agricultural systems
-Land use planning
-Flood risk management

Question 24

What is mitigation?

Answer 24

Any action that reduces or eliminates the long term risk and hazards of climate change
E.g.
-Carbon taxation
-Renewable switching
-Energy efficiency
-Afforestation
-Carbon Capture and Storage
-Solar radiation management

Question 25

What are the advantages and disadvantages of carbon taxation?

Answer 25

A tax on carbon used by companies, governments and citizens Adv: -Makes people stop using carbon -Cheap to implement Disadv: -Expensive for companies and citizens

Question 26

What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable switching?

Answer 26

Switching from fossil fuels to low carbon energy sources Adv: -More sustainable -Reduce carbon emissions Disadv: -Expensive

Question 27

What are the advantages and disadvantages of energy efficiency?

Answer 27

Technological improvements making vehicle engines more efficient Adv: -UK government say it should save energy use of 9 million homes -Improved efficiency of cars by 57% in USA between 1970-2008 Disadv: -Expensive

Question 28

What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar radiation management?

Answer 28

Geo-engineering projects to intervene in the climate system to counteract global warming Adv: -Reduces global warming Disadv: -Expensive ($5 trillion) -Cause unpredictable weather changes -Affect stability of O Zone layer and cause acid rain

Question 29

What are the advantages and disadvantages of water conservation and management?

Answer 29

Using less water and using water in a more efficient way Adv: -Fewer resources used -Less groundwater abstracted Disadv: -Efficiency and conservation cannot meet increasing demands -Needs promotion and enforcement from governments

Question 30

What are the advantages and disadvantages of resilient agricultural systems?

Answer 30

Developing new drought resistant crops and healthier soils Adv: -Resistance to climate change -Resistance to diseases -Improve CO2 sequestration and water storage Disadv: -Unavailable to poorer farmers -High energy costs

Question 31

What are the advantages and disadvantages of land use planning?

Answer 31

Avoiding developing areas that are prone to flooding Adv: -Low cost -Infiltration can occur naturally -Reduces surface run off Disadv: -Often too late for many areas -Strong governance required

Question 32

What are the advantages and disadvantages of flood risk management?

Answer 32

Strengthening flood defences Adv: -Reduces deforestation -More afforestation Disadv: -Compensation -Needs constant maintenance -Lapses in management can increase flood risk

Question 33

What is the 1997 Kyoto Protocol?

Answer 33

The first major international effort to encourage both long and short term climate change mitigation

Question 34

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Kyoto Protocol?

Answer 34

Adv: -Global approach -Supports 75 developing countries in creating less polluting technology Disadv: -May not be the reason emissions reduced -Slow ratification and some countries withdrew

Question 35

What is the Paris Agreement 2015:

Answer 35

-Global agreement -195 countries promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to almost 0 by 2065 -Countries will monitor and report progress every 5 years -But there is little force to meet targets and reporting may not be accurate -Scientists suggests that the target is unrealistic