question

What's Happening in the USA

answer

• Consumption Trends • Production Trends = USA becoming a Major Producer • Electricity Generation by Source and Location

question

us consumption

answer

growth of renewables is projected to match the growth in fossil fuel consumption

question

Energy Economics

answer

• *Reserve* = Fossil Fuels that have Not Yet been Mined • *Active Reserves* = Those that are Economically Profitable to Mine • *Possible/Potential Reserves* = Those that Could Be Mined If the Price of the Resource Went Up (These Reserves Cost More to Mine) • *Mineral Endowment* = Not Feasible to Mine Under Current Technology

question

Mineral Endowment

answer

= Not Feasible to Mine Under Current Technology

question

Resource Base Triangle

answer

= Describes the Full Supply of a Mineral on Earth-Separates Economic Resource (Reserves) from Mineral Endowment High Quality | Reserves = Current Use/Current Supply | Low Cost Projected Reserves = Potential Supply Possible Reserves = Possible Supply Low Quality | Mineral Endowment | High Cost

question

Economics Behind Active vs. Possible Reserves

answer

• Profit = Revenue - Cost • Revenue = Price Per Unit (Quantity Sold) • Cost = Cost Per Unit (Quantity Extracted) • Price Per Unit Must Exceed Cost Per Unit for Resource to be Exploited

question

Price and Cost Effects on Energy Production

answer

• Production of Energy Responds to Shifts in Prices (But Also Influenced by Politics) • Higher Prices = Leads to More Production • Lower Prices = Leads to Less Production • Changes in Price Change the Geography of Energy Production • Example = Oil in the Arctic is Only Feasible When Prices are High • Changes in Technology can also Change the Geography of Energy Production • Example = Hydro-Fracking

question

When Technology Changes/Improves, New Geographies of Production Appear/Changes

answer

• Shale Gas Boom • New Technological Innovation = Created Massive New Supply • Impacts on New USA Energy Plant Construction • Impacts on Local Economies

question

What Types of Technologies and Energy Policies are being Implemented or Considered?

answer

• Major Goal = Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Other Goals = Save Money and Enhance Energy Security

question

Major Technological Options for Cleaner/Greener Energy

answer

• Renewable Power • Nuclear Power • Carbon Capture and Storage • Biofuels • Hybrid and Electric Vehicles • Energy Efficiency Measures

question

EROI (Energy Return on Investment)

answer

= Energy Cost of Acquiring an Energy Resource; One of the Objectives is to Get Out More Than You Put In • Decline for Oil • Energy Sources with the Highest Net Energy Content = Becoming More Scarce • Renewables = Very Low EROI at Current Technology

question

Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energies

answer

• Price, Technology, EROI = Play a Key Role • Transportation = Oil is Much More Easily Transported than Coal or Natural Gas, But Renewables are Generally Local and Place Bound • Example = Wind Energy, Solar Energy • Storage = Fossil Fuels are Much More Easily Stored than Renewables

question

Key Challenges for Renewables

answer

• Many Opportunities for On-Site Power Generation = Rooftop Solar Panels, Solar Water Heaters, Small-Scale Wind Generation, Geothermal Heat Pumps • Still Too Expensive for Widespread Adoption • Would Need Incentives (Rebates and Tax Credits) • Problems of Scaling Up, Infrastructure (Grid), and Market Structure that Impede Delivery

question

Biofuels

answer

Types: • 1st Generation = Corn Ethanol, Rapeseed Biodiesel, etc. • 2nd Generation = Cellulosic Biofuels • 3rd Generation = Genetic Modification for Easier Processing • Example = Low Lignin Content Important Considerations: • Energy Balance = Total Amount of Energy Input Compared to the Energy Released by Burning • Example = Corn Ethanol, Net Negative or Net Positive? • Carbon Emissions = Different Calculations (Include Land Conversion or Not?)

question

Increase Efficiency of Renewables

answer

• Room for Greater Efficiency in Many Sectors, Especially Buildings and their Heating and Cooling • Weatherization = Financial Incentives for Building Owners to Take Advantage of Cost and Energy Savings Options

question

Jevons Paradox

answer

= Consumption Increases with More Efficiency • Lower Price = Increased Demand and Market Penetration • Example = As Technology and Efficiency Increase so does Demand Increase Light Consumption Despite More Efficient Use of Energy

question

Radiative (Climate) Forcing

answer

= Capacity of a Gas to Effect the Earth's Energy Balance, Thereby Contributing to Climate Change

question

Global Warming Potential

answer

= How Much Heat a Particular Gas Traps in the Atmosphere Compared to Carbon Dioxide

question

What Accounts for Emissions Differences Among Countries?

answer

• Population? • Wealth/Consumption? • Development/Industrialization? • Energy Sources and Technologies?

question

IPAT Model

answer

= Predicting Emissions by Country IMPACT (Emissions) = f(POPULATION, AFFLUENCE, TECHNOLOGY) POPULATION = # Persons AFFLUENCE = $GDP/Person TECHNOLOGY = CO2/$GDP (TECHNOLOGY = Energy Intensity of Economic Production (Btu/$GDP) *Carbon Intensity of Energy Used (CO2/Btu) = Gives a Measure of CO2/$GDP) Btu (British Thermal Unit) = Unit of Heat/Energy $GDP = Gross Domestic Product in Dollars

question

Global Value Chain

answer

= Spatial Separation of Different Processes That Add Value to Goods and Services • Examples = Production, Marketing, Distribution

question

Discourses on Emissions

answer

Biophysical = Focus on Sources and Measurement • Example = IPAT Approach = Perhaps with Adjustment for International Trade Critical = Focus on the Underlying Social Drivers and Equity Issues • Example = Capitalism, Ideology of Growth and Consumption Dismissive = Stop Worrying = More Development and Greater Affluence will Solve This

question

what are the major climate risks for agri and food production

answer

Changes in >mean temperature and precipitation >Changes in variability (more heat waves, droughts, extreme precipitation events) >length of the growing season >water availability >soil conditions >pests >weeds

question

why pay attention to agriculture

answer

economic commodity - less than 2% of labor force works in agriculture but it is still a major US export commodity

question

how might globalization affect food security?

answer

the expansion of people, cultures, technology, etc will reach more people and hopefully solve more problems

question

agricultural production types

answer

subsistence- farmers that grow for themselves commercial- farmers that grow for the market

question

agri context and key trends

answer

rising productivity and commercialization changing policies consumer demands rise in organic and urban agri

question

globalization and agri policy

answer

markets for staples are global in scope elimination of subsidies are meant to facilitate trade

question

the rise of new farming

answer

CSAs- community supported agri rise of female farmers rise in places like whole foods

question

General Circulation Models: Pros

answer

Can represent the spatial details of future climate conditions for all variables Can maintain internal consistency

question

agri emissions

answer

production side distribution and consumption side

question

climate change and global food production

answer

>Analysis of impact of climate change on global crop yields by major grain crop and by county >Uses different scenarios of climate change, each with different emissions levels >The main variables that represent climate change in this study comes from temp, precipitation and CO2 >The other variables (inputs, soil etc) stay the sam

question

REDD

answer

reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation create a financial value for the carbon in forests, incentives for developing countries pay landowners for the carbon they sequester (get money for not destroying)

question

some issues w redd

answer

leakage additionality measurement of degradation landownership forest expansion is made up through food imports to be effective, emissions must be real! must entail reductions that would be greater than normally happen

question

impact

answer

what is the specific impact of climate change shocks and stresses? how and why impacts vary by crop sector farm or region?

question

vulnerability

answer

who is most likely to be harmed by climate change shocks and stresses? how and why does this likelihood vary by household, farmer, or comm?

question

vulnerability to climate change

answer

the propensity to be harmed by climate change related shocks and stresses assume harm is caused directly or indirectly by climate change

question

exposure

answer

being affected by a climate stress

question

susceptibility

answer

social economic health tech demographic that influence whether someone will be harmed or not

question

coping and response capacity

answer

help influence whether recovery is quick following stress (heat warning broadcasts)

question

adaptive capacity

answer

a function of a combo of social economic and tech social- literacy, gender equality economic- agri share of labor force, land ownership technological: quality of infrastructure and availability of irrigation the ability of a system to adjust to actual or expected climate stresses, or to cope with the consequences (a function of current social-economic-technological conditions)

question

charleston wv

answer

pops predisposed to enviro burdens due to economic desperation (coal) unincorporated townships

question

fracking phenomenon

answer

urban vs rural uneven access to democracy, resources, and vulnerability is diff

question

strengths of crop models

answer

>Measure of the aggregate impact of climate change on total production for large regions or countries >Measures are comparable across places >Can look at and compare many different climate change and emissions scenarios

question

weaknesses of crop models

answer

>Miss climate variability and its impacts on production >Usually only show net result for a large area, not where gains and losses >Don't tell anything about how farmers will respond to climate change (early models assume 'dumb' farmer)

question

Production models

answer

Impacts of climate change on total output in a different sector (e.g. logging; meat production; wine)

question

Ecosystem service models

answer

;Impacts of climate change on water supply ;Impacts of climate change on mosquito habitat

question

Economic models

answer

;Impacts of climate change on tourism (e.g. beach, ski) ;Impacts of climate change on coastal property values

question

modeling agri vulnerability to climate change

answer

;Vulnerability = fn (adaptive capacity, sensitivity, and exposure) ;This is the definition used in IPCC 2001* ;Requires researcher to define and measure adaptive capacity, sensitivity and exposure

question

climate change in india: a vulnerability

answer

;Analysis of regional vulnerability to climate change across districts in India ;Uses scenarios of climate change but also looks at social conditions ;Approach entails examination of each component of vulnerability - adaptive capacity, exposure, sensitivity

question

Sensitivity

answer

the degree to which a system will respond to a change in climate, either positively or negatively (can base this current climatic conditions and response)

question

operationalizing sensitivity

answer

function of dryness and monsoon dependence under normal climate

question

operationalizing exposure

answer

Alter the sensitivity index using GCM climate change scenarios (used data on temperature and precipitation changes under one GCM scenario of climate change)

question

climate change vulnerability

answer

adaptive capacity + sensitivity under exposure

question

vulnerability approach strengths

answer

;Allows identification of regional differences at a finer scale of resolution ;Includes social, economic, institutional measures ;Identifies places that may need help with adaptation - useful for policy makers ;Allows examination of multiple stresses

question

vulnerability approaches: limits

answer

;A lot of work - require a lot of data including climate scenarios, population, economic conditions, technological conditions etc. ;Can reflect existing patterns of poverty and inequality - may not tell us that much that new ;Results aren't comparable across places -e.g. high vulnerability in India is different from high vulnerability in Germany

question

outcome double exposure in indian agri: climate change and trade liberalization

answer

>Agriculture is a critical economic sector (employs 68% of the population) >Highly vulnerable to climate variability and climate change >Vulnerable to import competition and removal of domestic subsidies

question

OUTCOME DOUBLE EXPOSURE METHODOLOGY: steps 1 & 4

answer

Step 1) develop a regional vulnerability profile for climate change (we did this just now) Step 4) investigate double exposure at the local level via case studies

question

Sensitivity to import competition

answer

to import competition: crop productivity, production patterns and distance to ports

question

OUTCOME DOUBLE EXPOSURE METHODOLOGY STEP 3: IDENTIFY AREAS OF DOUBLE EXPOSURE

answer

Step 3) superimpose the profiles to identify districts that are "double exposed;" >Overlay climate change and trade maps to identify areas that are double-exposed >Use the information to inform policy and to suggest areas for case study research

question

OUTCOME DOUBLE EXPOSURE METHODOLOGY: STEP 2: DEVELOP PROFILE OF VULNERABILITY TO GLOBALIZATION

answer

Step 2) develop a regional vulnerability profile for an additional stressor (Agricultural trade liberalization a key dimension of globalization for Indian agriculture Focus on import competition Used IPCC typology of adaptive capacity, sensitivity and exposure)

question

HOW CAN AGRICULTURE ADAPT?

answer

>Mixed crop planting techniques >Plant drought tolerant crop varieties >Plant different crops >Heat stress alleviation using irrigation >Alter timing and location of agricultural production

question

MAPPING MULTIPLE STRESSORS

answer

>Reveals relative distribution of vulnerability to multiple stressors >Areas of double exposure need special attention from policy makers >Vulnerability concept applies to a wide range of stressors -- human dimensions work informs other social science research >Limitation - need to combine macro profiles with local-level investigation

question

INDIA CASE STUDIES: OUTCOME DOUBLE EXPOSURE

answer

>Economic status >Agricultural practices >Coping mechanisms >Access to facilities (electricity, irrigation, health, education, loans, etc)

question

Exposure

answer

relates to the degree of future climate stress upon a particular unit of analysis (base this on projected climatic change from GCM models)

question

operationalizing adaptive capacity

answer

>A function of a combination of social, economic and technological factors >Higher adaptive capacity implies lower vulnerability

question

total contribution of agri production

answer

waste 2-4% processing transport 15-20% land use change and deforestation 15-18% agri production 11-15% other 43-56%

question

General Circulation Models: Cons

answer

>Relatively low spatial resolution >May not accurately represent climate parameters

question

Climate change + poverty

answer

>Climate change is an additional burden to rural and urban people living in poverty: (Direct impacts on the poor: loss of crops, destroyed homes, food insecurity, loss of sense of place) (Indirect impacts on poor: increased food prices) Climate change can push people into poverty traps

question

State Security

answer

The ability of a country to maintain its territorial and/or political integrity, and to protect the human security of its citizens

question

Impacts of Climate Change on Migration

answer

Climate change will have significant impacts on forms of migration that compromise human security: >Extreme climate events have led to significant population displacement (most displaced people return and rebuild as soon as possible) >Long term environmental changes such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and loss of agricultural productivity will have a significant impact on future migration flows

question

Mobility

answer

Mobility is a widely used strategy to maintain livelihoods in response to environmental and social changes.

question

The Arctic

answer

>8 countries: >Russia/Canada- 80% of land mass >Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland- 18% >US (Alaska)- 4%

question

The Arctic Climate

answer

>Winter: -40°C to 0°C; very little sunlight >Summer: -10°C to 10°C; up to 24hrs of sunlight >Extensive snow cover & low precipitation >Sea ice & ice sheets

question

The Arctic Biodiversity

answer

>80% of global goose population >Millions of reindeer and caribou >Polar bears >Significant bird and marine mammal migration to the Arctic during summer

question

The Arctic Population

answer

~ 4 Million People >Gradual influx of migrants to the region following industry development and military

question

The Arctic Indigenous People

answer

>Many different groups, Inuit is most populous >Traditionally hunters and fishers >Rely on nature for food and livelihoods >Differing levels of autonomy in different countries

question

The Arctic Warming Temps

answer

>Highest ongoing and projected increase in temperatures in the world >Changes in precipitation from snow to rain >Reduced snow cover >Feedback: global increase in temperature due to melting of ice (which reflects sunlight)

question

The Arctic Sea Ice Loss

answer

>Loss of sea ice extent and thickness >Projected near complete loss of September sea ice by 2100 >Feedback: global increase of temperature

question

The Arctic Ice Sheet Melt

answer

>Rapid melting of Greenland's ice sheet in recent years ;Loss of 100 sq. mile chunk in 2010 ;Different projections of melting rate ;Feedback: Global sea level rise

question

The Arctic Thawing Permafrost

answer

;Permafrost: sub-surface earth at or below 0°C for more than 2 years ;Thawing permafrost will decrease terrain by 20-35% ;Detrimental impact on infrastructure ;Feedback: Carbon ; methane release contribute to climate change

question

The Arctic Shipping Routes

answer

;Sea ice loss extends shipping routes ;Northern Sea Route ; Northwest Passage significantly reduce shipping times ;Increased connectivity between places ;Questions of sovereignty ;Potential for increased pollution in the Arctic

question

The Arctic Oil ; Gas

answer

;~25% of remaining fossil fuels buried under Arctic ;Sea ice melt makes access to oil/gas reserves easier ;Questions of national jurisdiction and boundaries ;Potential for increased pollution in the Arctic

question

Conflict in Policymakers

answer

Climate change can indirectly increase risks of violent conflicts in the form of civil war and inter-group violence by amplifying well-documented drivers of these conflicts such as poverty and economic shocks.

question

agri as driver of climate change

answer

emissions from crop and livestock production emissions from conversions of forest into agri land

question

How to estimate the effects of Climate Change?

answer

;must input new values for temperature, precipitation, CO2 into the crop models. ;The new values typically come from different scenarios of climate change based from different models of atmospheric circulation (GCMs)

question

Crop yield

answer

; =fn (temperatures, precipitation, soil conditions, inputs, sunlight, CO2) ;yield models are developed by agriculture scientists mostly based on field experiments for different crops grown in different locations

question

how do changing temperatures, precipitation, CO2, evapo-transpiration affect crop production?

answer

;Look at how alterations in temperature and precipitation affect crop production under a range of scenarios ;Typical outcome metric is quantity of production Biophysical discourse on climate change

question

Human security

answer

a condition that exists when the vital core of human lives is protected, and when people have the freedom and capacity to live with dignity

question

extreme weather

answer

flooding, more hurricanes expected, more snowstorms expected, droughts

question

gradual changes

answer

sea level rise marsh die back due to salt water intrusion beach erosion ocean acidification temp increase out migration of fish increase in pests and invasive species

question

non climatic stresses

answer

demo/social- pop inc, decline in enviro/climate awareness economic stresses- recession, budget cuts lack public transit enviro stresses- development runoff pollution

question

coastal new jersey research questions

answer

which economic assets, economic activities, and populations are most vulnerable to climate change? how can coastal new jersey adapt and become more resilient what are the barriers to building resilience?

question

Climate change is a "threat multiplier" for many factors that contribute to human insecurity

answer

Many things that are important to human security - having enough food, having enough water and other resources, stable food prices, having a safe and secure place to live - are sensitive to the impacts of climate change.

question

Cities as drivers of climate change

answer

Cities widely cited as contributed around 80% of all heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions (while occupying only 2% of land mass and accounting for only 50% of global population)

question

Measuring urban emissions in other ways

answer

;If GHGs are attributed to producers and not to consumer cities, than cities emissions are closer to 30-40% ;Full life-cycle accounting versus consumption accounting

question

High vs Low Income Countries

answer

;High income countries: urban residents have lower per capita emissions than surrounding rural residents ;Low- and middle-income countries (China, e.g.), cities are concentrations of wealth. Residents of these cities typically have higher per capita emissions as a function of their greater wealth than residents of surrounding rural areas

question

What other factors affect the emissions of different cities?

answer

;Patterns of mobility and transportation(the way in which people and goods move around the city) ;Sprawl patterns ;Sources of energy ;The design and distribution of buildings (the way people use energy at home and office and how buildings are heated) ;The organization of food and water systems ;Individual lifestyle choices

question

Cities as solutions (emissions)

answer

Municipal governments and other urban actors have been at the forefront of efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs): ;Technological Innovations- e.g. alternative energy ;Governance to Regulate Emissions - e.g. carbon taxes ;Market Based - green economies, green jobs

question

Why does density (urban areas) matter?

answer

;Doubling the average neighborhood density corresponds to a decrease in per-household vehicle use of 20-40 percent, with associated declines in emissions (Gottdiener and Budd 2005 : 153). ;Measured per capita, low-density suburban development is 2.0-2.5 times more energy and greenhouse gas intensive than high-density urban core development (Norman et al 2006)

question

land use and physiological density

answer

agri is most space consuming activity urban expansion puts pressure on arable land

question

reduce vulnerabilities of populations

answer

more evacuation routes better coordination and communication addressing special needs- evac and shelter training of reserve personnel backup power

question

more resilient regions assets to help enviro

answer

diff kinds of tourism aquaculture better land use planning protecting natural ecosystem services

question

resilience barriers

answer

political and cultural- short term, lack of will and denial of climate change, unequal burdens, policy, regulatory and financial- inflexible and inappropriate regulations, expense and dekays entailed in obtaining permit, resistant to change

question

Importance of Agriculture

answer

Economic Commodity (major business): it's the world's leading sector based on population employeed in this sector ; Land Use (economic activity that uses the most land): Arable land constraints are serious concern; 500,000 hectares of arable land lost each year due to urban expansion

question

Physiological Density

answer

The number of people per unit of area of arable land, which is land suitable for agriculture; measure of direct population pressure on local land resources

question

Cultural Importance of Agriculture

answer

Agriculture heritage seen as part of culture that needs to be protected. In NJ: rural character seen as part of quality of life

question

Types of Modern Agriculture

answer

Shifting Cultivation/Slash ; Burn: Grains, oilseeds, corn, wheat, rice, soybeans Pastoral Nomadism: Dairy, livestock beef, pork, chicken Intensive Subsistence: Fruits, veggies, plans, nurseries, mixed livestock and crops

question

Agriculture Context ; Key Trends that Affect the Sector

answer

-Rising productivity and commercialization of agriculture -Changing Policies and globalization -Changes in consumer demands -Rise of organic and urban agriculture -New types of farms and farmers

question

Globalization and agricultural policy

answer

Makes markets for wheat, rice, corn, beef, coffee, etc, global in scope; elimination of all agricultural subsidies in advanced ; developing countries is intended to facilitate global trade

question

Rise of Organics

answer

Rise from both health and environmental concerns; US and Europe are largest consumers; Walmart and Whole foods are largest distributors of organic food in the market

question

New trends in farms/farmers

answer

Rise in female farmers; rise of community supported agriculture (CSA's)

question

Agriculture and climate change

answer

Agriculture as 'front line' climate change; both a contributor to climate change and a vulnerable sector

question

Agriculture as a Driver of Climate Change

answer

• Emissions from Crop and Livestock Production -Emissions from Trade in Agricultural Products -Emissions from Conversion of Forests into Agricultural Land

question

REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation & Forest Degradation)

answer

International effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forest lands and to invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development; pays land owners for carbon they reduce on their land instead of for agricultural products; goals include preventing deforestation, maintaining biodiversity, and reducing carbon emissions

question

Issues with REDD

answer

-Additionality (entailing reductions that would be greater than without REDD in place) -Leakage (when forest expansion in one country leads to more food imports and therefore deforestation in a different country) -Measurement of deforestation -Landownership & common property resources

question

Localization of food production

answer

Eating local to reduce mileage that food must travel

question

REAPP (Reduced Emissions Agriculture Policy & Practice)

answer

-Peri-urban agriculture to reduce food miles -Conservation set-asides to take marginal land out of production -Intensification of agriculture to increase productivity -Changing food consumption to reduce emissions (eating less meat, buying local, not wasting food)

question

Climate Change Risks for Agriculture

answer

-Changes in mean temperature and precipitation -Changes in variability: heat waves, droughts, extreme precipitation events -Changes in length of growing season -Changes in water availability, pests, soil conditions, weeds

question

Crop Yield Models

answer

Explains how changing temps, precipitation, CO2, and evapo-transpiration affect crop production; mathematical representations of climate system Crop yield = fn (temps, water, soil conditions, inputs, CO2) To estimate effects of climate change, one must input new values for temp, water, soil conditions, CO2, taken from different scenarios of climate change based from different models of atmospheric circulation (General Circulation Models)

question

Pros/Cons of General Circulation Models

answer

Pros: Can represent spatial details for future climate conditions for all variables; can maintain internal consistency Cons: Relatively low spatial resolution; may not accurately represent climate parameters

question

Regional Climate Models (RCM's)

answer

High resolution models that are "nested" with GCM's; run with boundary conditions from GCM's; give higher resolution output than CCM's so they are more sensitive to smaller scale factors like mountains and lakes

question

Strengths of Crop Models

answer

Measure aggregate impact of climate change on total production for large regions/countries; measures are comparable across places; can look at and compare different climate change & emission scenarios

question

Weaknesses of Crop Models

answer

Miss climate variability & impacts on production; usually only show net results for large area, not where there are gains/losses; don't touch on how farmers will react to climate change

question

Vulnerability Models

answer

Explain who is likely to be vulnerable to negative impacts; outcome is a relative metric-- a degree of vulnerability as compared to others

question

Modeling Vulnerability to Climate Change

answer

vulnerability = fn (adaptive capacity, sensitivity, exposure)

question

Adaptive Capacity

answer

ability of a system to adapt to climate stresses/cope with consequences; function of current social-economic-technological conditions social: literacy, gender equality economic: agriculture share of labor force, land ownership technological: quality of infrastructure, availability of irrigation

question

Sensitivity

answer

Degree in which a system will respond to change in climate (either positively or negatively); can be based on current climate conditions ; response)

question

Exposure

answer

Degree of future climate stress upon a particular unit of analysis (can be based on projected climate change from GMC models)

question

Vulnerability Equation

answer

Vulnerability = adaptive capacity + sensitivity under exposure; reveals current vulnerability to future climate change

question

Pros ; Cons of Vulnerability Approach

answer

Pros: Allows identification of regional differences at a finer scale of resolution; includes social/economic/institutional measures; identifies places that need help with adaptation which is useful for policy; examines multiple stresses Cons: A lot of work (requires much data); can reflect already existing patterns of poverty and inequality (may not tell us much new); results aren't comparable across places (vulnerability in India is different from vulnerability in Germany)

question

Outcome double exposure in Indian Agriculture (climate change and trade liberalization)

answer

Agriculture is economically critical (employes 68% of population); India is highly vulnerable to climate variability and climate change; vulnerable to import competition/removal of domestic subsidies

question

Outcome double exposure methodology

answer

1. Develop regional vulnerability profile for climate change 2. Develop regional vulnerability profile for an additional stressor (in case of India, globalization) 3. Superimpose profiles to identify districts that are double exposed 4. Investigate double exposure at the local level via case studies

question

How can agriculture adapt?

answer

1. Mixed crop planting techniques 2. Plant drought tolerant crop varieties 3. Plant different crops 4. Heat stress alleviation using irrigation 5. Alter timing/location of agricultural production

question

Human Security

answer

Exists when the vital core of human lives is protected, and when people have the freedom and capacity to live with dignity (IPCC 2014)

question

Climate Change as a threat to human security

answer

having enough food, having enough water and other resources, stable food prices, having a safe and secure place to live - are sensitive to the impacts of climate change; impacts are projected to slow down economic growth, make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security, and prolong existing and create new poverty traps, particularly in urban areas and emerging hunger hotspots

question

Impacts of Climate Change on Livelihood & Poverty

answer

-Direct impacts on the poor: loss of crops, destroyed homes, food insecurity, loss of sense of place -Indirect impacts on poor: increased food prices -Pushes people into poverty traps

question

Predicted poverty outcomes from climate change

answer

-Climate change will create new poor between now and 2100 in low-, medium- and high-income countries. -The majority of severe impacts are projected for urban areas and some rural regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

question

State Security

answer

The ability of a country to maintain its territorial and/or political integrity, and to protect the human security of its citizens

question

Impacts of Climate Change on Migration

answer

-Extreme climate events have led to significant population displacement (most displaced people return and rebuild as soon as possible) -Long term environmental changes such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and loss of agricultural productivity will have a significant impact on future migration flows

question

Migration, Vulnerability, and Adaptation

answer

Mobility is a widely used strategy to maintain livelihoods in response to environmental and social changes. Many vulnerable groups do not have the resources to migrate to avoid the impacts of floods, storms and droughts. Migrants may be vulnerable in destination areas, particularly urban areas of developing countries. Can lead to "trapped populations"-- those most vulnerable to climate change have the least ability to migrate

question

Conflict

answer

Climate Change Vulnerability and Conflict both increase one another (but conflict causing climate change is debatable); Climate change can indirectly increase risks of violent conflicts in the form of civil war and inter-group violence by amplifying well-documented drivers of these conflicts such as poverty and economic shocks.

question

Peace-Building & Adaptation

answer

Natural resource management can help to build peace to avoid conflicts and broker peace in conflict situations. There is strong evidence of formal cooperation among river basin riparian states after World War II (and no evidence of "water wars"). Transboundary water cooperation can form a basis for long term cooperation on a range of contentious issues

question

Climate Change and the Arctic

answer

Economy is natural resource-based; highest projected increase in temps in the world; changes in precipitation from snow to rain; reduced snow cover; feedback causes global temp increase; sea ice will be nearly completely lost by 2100

question

Ice Sheet Melt

answer

Rapid melting of Greenland's ice sheet in recent years; loss of 100 sq. mile chunk in 2010; different melting rate projections

question

Thawing Permafrost

answer

sub-surface earth at or below 0 degrees C for more than 2 years; thawing permafrost will decrease terrain by 20-35%; detrimental impact on infrastructure; carbon ; methane release contribute to climate change

question

Impacts of climate change on arctic biodiversity

answer

decreased habitat quality, invasive species, changes in vegetation, loss of habitat, population declines, fragmentation of habitat, decrease of populations, ecosystem state change, decrease in populations, decrease in spatial distribution, increased vulnerability, extinctions

question

Impacts of climate change on shipping routes

answer

Sea ice loss extends routes; Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage significantly reduce shipping times; increased connectivity between places; questions of sovereignty; potential for increased arctic pollution

question

Oil/Gas ; the Arctic

answer

Approx. 25% of remaining fossil fuels buried under Arctic; sea ice melt makes access to oil/gas reserves easier; questions of national jurisdiction and boundaries; potential for increased Arctic pollution

question

Resilience

answer

Characteristics that allow human, natural, and coupled social-ecological systems to effectively respond, adapt, or recover from various climatic shocks with minimal disruption

question

Scale of resilience

answer

Individual, household, local community, region/city

question

Coastal Zones

answer

Lands and waters adjacent to coasts that impact or are impacted by the sea

question

Coastal Populations

answer

Pop density is 3x greater than other areas; greatest increase in pop density by 2025 (2.75 billion people living within 60 miles of coastlines)

question

Direct impacts of human activities on coastal zones

answer

drainage of wetlands, deforestation, water pollution, diversion of coastal waterways

question

Globalization and Coastal Zones

answer

All port facilities for international trade; major global finance cities are coastal ones; migrants usually first settle in coastal cities

question

Climate change impacts on coastal zones

answer

Sea level rise, changing storm characteristics, increased sea surface temp, ocean acidification, altered wave climate

question

Recent sea level rise

answer

Global sea level risen 1.7 inches from 1993-2008; has risen in some areas and decreased in others; the warmer the level, the greater sea level increase

question

Future Sea Level Rising depends on

answer

Thermal expansion of water due to warming oceans; input of water into ocean from glaciers and ice sheets; increased stream flow after removal of ice shelves; changing elevation of earth's surface

Exam 2 = Climate Change and Society – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards