Download Climate Models, Alternative Energy, and Global Warming Solutions and more Exams Advanced Education in PDF only on Docsity!
ATMS 11 1 Test 3 With
Complete Solution
Climate Models - ANSWER predict the climate using computers; incorporates GHG concentration, ocean dynamics, energy balance, oceans, and sea ice
Why are climate models important? - ANSWER help us understand possible future climates
Weather Prediction Trends - ANSWER have improved drastically in the past 60 years in terms of accuracy and extensiveness
Weather Forecasting vs. Climate Forecasting - ANSWER Weather model goals= predict weather; climate model goals= predict climate; time range= days; time range= years; relevance of initial conditions= high (taken from weather balloon networks and satellites); relevance of initial conditions= low (only ocean and sea ice really matter); importance of GHG emissions
Chaos - ANSWER when small changes make a big and unpredictable difference
The Butterfly Effect - ANSWER we can't observe every butterfly, so weather forecasts can't predict the exact path/strength of storms after 2 weeks-- limits weather forecasts, but not climate forecasts since they focus on seasons rather than initial observations
Global Climate Modeling - ANSWER composed of 1) fluid motion equations on a rotating sphere (mass is neither created nor destroyed; heating/cooling
changes temperature; forces change momentum); 2) heat sources (shortwave and longwave radiation; condensation; surface fluxes); 3) need to parameterize small-scale processes (clouds, moist convection)
GCM Grid Size - ANSWER 100 km x 100 km (for a sea, land, atmosphere, or ocean grid cell)
Sea Ice Projections - ANSWER went down faster than predicted by any models
Climate Model Forecasts - ANSWER have been strenuously tested and have been shown to give reliable results-- successful predictions examples= more warming at night than day, wet gets wetter, expansion of deserts, least warming around Antarctica, most warming around Arctic,
Climate Scientists Agree on Climate Change - ANSWER many people are misinformed-- only 48% believe there's consensus among scientists that the Earth is warming
Science Rules! - ANSWER 1) required to describe methods exactly, mention all assumptions made and why-- anyone should be able to replicate experiment ;2) don't claim your study says more than it does (correlation is not causation)
Peer Review - ANSWER peers look over a paper to make sure it follows good scientific practices and that the argument makes sense + determines if a scientific paper can be published
Self-Proclaimed Think Tanks - ANSWER often funded by oil and gas companies-- exist to help achieve a desired goal, use disinformation and scare tactics to do this, along with creating uncertainty about climate change example= Global Climate Coalition (GCC), Competitive Enterprise Institute
Wedge Strategy - ANSWER A strategy to drastically reduce emissions without decreasing economic growth-- Phase 1: no further increase in emissions until 2054, with energy production still increasing rapidly, ramping up existent technologies to do this; Phase 2: after 2054, rapid reductions in global emissions, final emissions of all GHGs must level off by 2100 to 1.5 Gt/yr
The Emission Stabilization Triangle - ANSWER the amount we need to reduce emissions by in order to stabilize CO2 emissions
Wedge - ANSWER a strategy to reduce carbon emissions that grows in 50 years from 0 to 1.0 Gt/yr
Why are we optimistic about reaching interim goal? - ANSWER world today has a terribly inefficient energy system; carbon emissions have just begun to be priced; most of the power plants of 2055 have not been built
Wind Electricity - ANSWER electricity generated by wind; 318,000 MW (2013) so 1/6 there, upward trend (8% annual increase needed for a wedge)
Solar Power - ANSWER electricity generated from the Sun; 137 GW (2013), upward trend (14% annual increase needed for a wedge by 2055, we're currently at 30%)
Nuclear Electricity - ANSWER need 700 GW for a wedge by 2055, decreased since 2004 and currently trending in the wrong direction
Fuel Switching - ANSWER Switch from coal-fired facilities to natural gas electric plants; need to sub 1400 natural gas plants for the same amount of coal-powered plants for a wedge by 2055
Carbon Capture and Storage - ANSWER need to implement this at 800 GW coal electric plants for one wedge by 2055-- there are currently 3 worldwide,
need over 1,000 times that amount
Efficient Use of Electricity - ANSWER need a 25-50% reduction in electricity use in commercial and residential buildings for one wedge by 2055
Efficient Generation of Electricity - ANSWER improve coal power plant efficiency from 40-60% for one wedge by 2055
Efficient Use of Fuel - ANSWER decrease number of miles driven per car from 10,000 to 5,000/yr; for 1 more wedge, double fuel efficiency per car from 30 mpg to 60 mpg
Biofuels - ANSWER 2 billion cars run on these instead of gasoline and diesel; 250 million hectares to produce the biofuels
Deforestation - ANSWER The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves; must eliminate all tropical deforestation for 1 wedge by 2055
Reforestation - ANSWER planting trees to replace lost forestland; must plant new forests over an area the size of the continental US for 1 wedge by 2055
Conservation Tillage - ANSWER must use conservation tillage on all cropland (1600 Mha) for 1 wedge by 2055; currently practiced on less than 10% global croplands and 40% of US croplands
Wind Power - ANSWER The use of a windmill to drive an electric generator; main problem= intermittency (wind not blowing), can fix this by having a grid with sufficiently large area; windiest over oceans and in mid-West
Wind Power Myths/Fears - ANSWER 1) harms birds-- only a little bit, can prevent this by placing them away from migration patterns; 2) aesthetics-- wind turbines can block views
Cons of Solar Power - ANSWER expensive now; somewhat limited by location
Geothermal Power - ANSWER taps into hot rocks under the surface of the Earth-- US top producer
Pros of Geothermal Power - ANSWER Reliable supply; Relatively simple facilities; Inexpensive; Small land footprint compared to wind and solar
Cons of Geothermal Power - ANSWER * Regionally limited; Releases a little CO2 and other more harmful gases from ground; Creates a bit of seismic activity
Nuclear Power Trends - ANSWER grew rapidly in the 1970's-80's, hasn't grown in last 15 years
Pros of Nuclear Power - ANSWER Produces no greenhouse gas; Available 24 hours a day; Plenty of uranium in US
Cons of Nuclear Power - ANSWER Expensive to build; Hazard waste storage; Requires water; Weapons/plutonium concern
Carbon Capture and Storage - ANSWER captures carbon from the air and sequesters it underground
Clean Coal - ANSWER 1) wash coal to remove harmful chemicals 2) gasify coal by heating it to release and capture sulfur dioxide; 3) produce synfuels (which are burnt later)-- none of this reduces CO2 emissions, so it's not really clean
Problems with Coal - ANSWER -Coal mining disasters; Black lung disease in miners; Respiratory concerns with air quality; Haze; Acid rain (from the sulfate emissions); water usage in mines; water quality near mining areas; impacts on wildlife/forests/fish
Tar Sands - ANSWER mixtures of sand, water, and a dense form of petroleum; conversion process requires lots of water and energy
Oil Shale - ANSWER carbonate rock rich in "kerogen" which is usually refined to convert to fuel
Problems with Oil - ANSWER Oil spills; Benzene and other hydrocarbons in crude and gasoline are highly carcinogenic; Contamination of runoff/soils; Carbon monoxide pollution; Uncombusted fuel air quality issues; Smog/particulate matter pollution; Respiratory problems; In US, mostly
for most cars
Hydrogen Fuel - ANSWER uses hydrogen and can be generated through electrolysis
Cons of Hydrogen Fuel - ANSWER not naturally occurring in large quantities and requires lots of energy and produces CO2, takes up a lot of space and and transport can be difficult
Geoengineering - ANSWER Manipulation of earths climate system to counteract the effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions
Why are we considering geoengineering? - ANSWER Many see slow progress in mitigation efforts; Potential for unanticipated climate catastrophes; Could be a cheaper solution than mitigation; Hard to rule out high climate sensitivities
Solar Radiation Management - ANSWER reduce the amount of shortwave radiation that gets to the surface; this would lead to less energy coming in, so less energy would come out
Can Dimming Skies perfectly Cancel CO2? - ANSWER no! Solar radiation and greenhouse gases have different events
Other Effects of Dimming the Skies - ANSWER ocean acidification would continue, climate would dry out more; we would have to do this forever because if stopped, Earth would experience very rapid warming
Stratospheric Sulfur Injections - ANSWER Designed to imitate volcano eruptions; shoot sulfate aerosol into the atmosphere then forms sulfuric acid and eventually small particles; these aerosols increase earth's albedo by reflecting solar radiation back to space; cons= large uncertainty to how much/how often you have to inject sulfur into the stratosphere to cancel warming effect of increased CO2 + not clear injecting sulfur works
Cloud Modification - ANSWER Controlled enhancement of the albedo and longevity of low-level maritime clouds; Shoot a very fine spray of sea water into the air, which makes cloud droplets smaller and thus more reflective of sunlight; cons=cloud feedbacks are uncertain
Air Scrubs - ANSWER chemically removes CO2 from the atmosphere by passing air through a scrubber
Fertilizing the Ocean with Iron - ANSWER promotes photosynthesis and thus removes CO2 from the atmosphere; con= studies show increase phytoplankton bloom
Tragedy of the Commons - ANSWER situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community
Cap and Trade - ANSWER a method for managing pollution in which a limit (cap) is placed on emissions and businesses or countries can buy and sell emissions allowances
Carbon Tax - ANSWER emissions tax on carbon-based fossil fuels
Grandfathering - ANSWER permits are distributed for free based on past emissions
Cap and Trade Success - ANSWER used for sulfuric acid during George HW Bush's term-- reduced 20% below required levels, amendment added to the Clean Air Act
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) - ANSWER cap and trade program happening in the US started in 2008; states sell carbon allowances during quarterly auctions and proceeds go to energy efficiency and renewable energy-- led to reduction in energy costs by 15-30% and reduced emissions from power sector by over 40%
California Cap and Trade - ANSWER passed in 2006, began in 2012, the goal is to reduce emissions to 1990 levels, accomplished this year-- new goal to reduce by 40% by 2030
BC Carbon Tax - ANSWER places a cost on carbon emissions from coal, oil, and natural gas; reduced emissions by 15% and dropped fuel usage
GHG Regulation by the EPA - ANSWER ruled as mandatory by the Supreme Court in 2003 (Massachusetts vs. EPA)
EPA Bills - ANSWER Light-Duty vehicles regulations= would cut emissions by 1.6 Gt; rules for new power plants= must have less than 1100 lbs of CO emissions per kw hour
Green New Deal - ANSWER ties emissions reductions to economic stimulus-- could include elements like job guarantees
IPAT - ANSWER method for analyzing CO2 emissions; I= impact, P= populations, A= affluence (per capita income), T= technology (emissions per unit of income)
Contraction and Convergence - ANSWER ultimately, all countries should be allowed to emit the same per capita; worldwide emissions decrease to a
degrees Celsius between 2010 and 2040
Paris Accords (2015) - ANSWER aims to keep temp rise below 2 degrees C, keep rise to 1.5 degrees C , each country make their own pledge; developed countries provide financial assistance to developing countries for adaptation and mitigation
