climate solutions

Question 1

mitigation

Answer 1

reduce amount of GHGs in the atmosphere

Question 2

adaptation

Answer 2

physical and social ways of coping with the inevitable impacts of climate change

Question 3

The need to reduce emissions

Answer 3

• RCPs show the need to reduce emissions by 50-80% by 2050
• Unrealistic
• Potential economic impacts that may disproportionately affect poorest economies
• Staged approach to reducing emissions, makes task more achievable, energy efficiency saving and move to renewables

Question 4

Solar energy

Answer 4

• Photovoltaic production (PV) = photons as a form of energy, fastest growing renewable, improved efficiency, better suited to low latitudes
• Thermodynamic power plants = heat as a form of energy, concentrating sun’s energy using large mirrors to superheat water/oil/salt (molten salt used as energy store) to then drive turbines

Question 5

Biomass and biofuels

Answer 5

• Biomass burnt directly e.g. wood pellets
• Biomass refined through extreme heat, enzymes or fermentation to produce biofuel
• Algae as a biofuel under development
• Problems with land availability, deforestation

Question 6

Wind energy

Answer 6

• Scale and size of turbines increasing
• Offshore wind farms expanding
• Can generate a lot of energy
• Requires wind >11km/h
• Problems with risk for birds and bats

Question 7

Wave and tidal energy

Answer 7

• Magnet moving up and down in water column
• Potential to generate large amounts of energy
• Highly predictable
• Cost of installation decreasing, reliability increasing
• Sustainable

Question 8

Hydroenergy

Answer 8

• Damming rivers
• huge potential in energy generation
• restricted to large rivers with large changes in latitude
• Ecological impacts
• Loss of upstream habitats
• Rotting vegetation produces methane
• Prevents downstream flow of silt

Question 9

Geothermal energy

Answer 9

• Reliable
• Geographically limited to tectonically active regions

Question 10

Nuclear energy

Answer 10

Nuclear fission
- Clean, pollution/radiation is contained
- Very efficient
- Advancements in safety
- No way to get rid of radioactive waste
Nuclear fusion
- Technology still in development, decades away
- Could produce infinite amounts of clean energy

Question 11

methods of carbon removal

Answer 11

• Afforestation, captures carbon and stabilises local weather patterns
• Seeding oceans with micronutrients stimulates phytoplankton growth, relatively small scale
• Carbon capture and storage
• Geoengineering (solar radiation management)
• methods to increase albedo (ethical and technological concerns)

Question 12

Carbon capture and storage

Answer 12

• Capturing carbon as it is released from combustion of fossil fuels/ biomass and converting into mineral that can be stored in the ground or used in materials e.g. concrete
• Removal from the air, costly, only small amounts can be removed at once

Question 13

Stratospheric aerosol injection

Answer 13

• Geoengineering method
• Particles of sulphur dioxide injected into atmosphere
• Could increase albedo leading to global cooling
• Cooling would not be uniform
• Could lead to reduced rainfall

Question 14

Transport

Answer 14

• Accounts for 14% GHG emissions globally
• International agreements mean there is not tax on aviation fuel
• Investment in public transport infrastructure is needed to avoid use of short haul flights

Question 15

Electric cars

Answer 15

• Not many purchased by UK consumers due to expense and lack of efficiency
• Government subsidies may incentivise sales
• Increase in sales would greatly increase energy demand, not enough infrastructure or green energy

Question 16

Carbon taxes

Answer 16

• Per carbon content released, 35USD/ton proven to be effective in reducing emissions in countries reliant on heavy coal consumption such as China
• Price passed on to consumers drives down demand
• Easy to administer worldwide
• Can redistribute taxes into better causes
• Can also be applied to shipping, forestry, cement manufacturing industries etc.

Question 17

carbon trading

Answer 17

• Kyoto protocol (1997) set a quota of emissions to polluters, enforced in 2005
• 1 carbon credit = reduction/avoidance/removal of 1 ton of carbon or equivalent GHG
• Creates a market for carbon, extra credits can be traded to jurisdictions that are over their quota

Question 18

Carbon offsetting

Answer 18

• type of carbon trading
• Polluters can invest in units to offset their emissions
• RMU = removal unit, based on land use, land use change and forestry e.g. reforestation
• EMU = emissions reduction unit, allows a country to invest in an emissions reduction scheme/emissions removal project elsewhere
• CER = certified emission reduction, investment in a
  project in the developing world to limit carbon emissions

Question 19

Issues with carbon offsetting

Answer 19

Reforestation
- Forests have low albedo and trap heat, increasing temperatures locally
- Much of the land that is classed as available for afforestation worldwide already is vegetated
Social issues, carbon-colonialism
- Big carbon polluters allowed to continuously emit GHGs and buy up land in developing countries
- Sovereignty and greenwashing issues e.g. Dubai royal family bought up area size of UK in southern Africa to afforest

Question 20

REDD+ scheme

Answer 20

Introduced in COP19 (2013)
= reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries
- Emphasis on protection of remaining forests
- Outlines importance of forests as sources of food, energy, shelter, biodiversity, reducing air pollution, spiritual sites, mental health and medicine, not just a carbon store

Question 21

Social adaptations

Answer 21

Flooding
- UK invested heavily in forecast and warning systems since 2000 flooding
Hurricanes/cyclones
- Bangladesh = cyclone preparedness programme (CPP)
High temperatures
- France creates HHWWS (early warning system and protocols) following 2003 heatwave

Question 22

examples of physical adaptations

Answer 22

• Better sea defences
• Better river flood defences
• More reservoirs (water security)
• Wetland restoration (to buffer coasts)
• Retrofitting adaptive technology e.g. air con, insulation, ventilation

Question 23

Problems with physical adaptations

Answer 23

• Some areas are undefendable due to the scale of extreme climate events
• Size of flood events are increasing
• Rapid rainfall in short periods are overwhelming existing defences
• Planning and building major infrastructure is slow and very costly e.g. Thames Barrier

Question 24

adaptation framework for buildings at risk of flooding

Answer 24

• Retreat model =restrict development completely close to coasts/rivers, move existing buildings back
• Accommodate model = building regulations to include mitigation for extreme events for risk management e.g. raised homes with floodable basements
• Protect model = flood defences/drainage mechanisms to reduce effect

Question 25

adaptation framework for wetlands at risk of flooding

Answer 25

- Retreat model = allow wetland migration inland (managed realignment) - Accommodate model = balance between reservation and development - Protect model = extend foreshore/ reclaim land and plant with vegetation to reduce risk of inundation

Question 26

adaptation framework for agricultural land at risk of flooding

Answer 26

- Retreat model = relocate production - Accommodate model = switch to other forms of agriculture e.g. aquaculture - Protect models = hard/soft structures to protect farmland e.g. dykes, pumping systems