Week 2 Climate Mitigation and Sustainability Flashcards
What is Climate Mitigation?
Human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.
What are sinks?
A reservoir where a greenhouse gas, aerosol, or a precursor is stored.
What is the Paris Climate Accords
- International treaty on climate change
- First global commitment to mitigation
- Limit warming below 2C
What are NDCs?
Nationally determined contributions
- A plan for climate action that a country will take to reduce GHG emissions
- Include actions to build resilience and adaptation.
What is NZ’s approach to climate mitigation?
- Net Zero emissions of all GHG other than methane by 2050.
- 10% reduction below 2017 methane by 2030.
- 24~47% reduction below 2017 methane by 2050.
What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
When there is a shared resource, the people who have access to it act in self-interest to the detriment of the common good.
Unrestricted access leads to depletion/deterioration/over-exploitation.
What is sustainability?
Maintain balance over time in the face of change.
How can we ensure sustainability in engineering?
- Maintenance methods
- Aim for longevity
- Improvement in techniques
- Material choice
What is the Triple Bottom Line?
The three pillars of sustainability
- People
- Planet
- Prosperity
Worst GHG emitting sector (globally)
Energy (mainly from industry)
What GHG is most present in the atmosphere?
CO2
Which income group emits the most?
High income
Which region of the world emits the most (per capita)
North America then Oceania
What are the main fuel types producing CO2 emissions in NZ?
Oil (cars), gas (heating), coal (electricity)
Which sector emits the most GHGs in NZ?
Agriculture then transport
