Term
| What is the main greenhouse gas contributing to global warming? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the difference between global warming and climate change? |
|
Definition
Global Warming: Rise in average global temperature
Climate Change: Any change in temperature, rainfall, snowfall, etc.
|
|
|
Term
| What are the top 2 contributors to climate change in the US? |
|
Definition
| Transportation (28%) and Electric Power (34%) |
|
|
Term
| What are the 2 main contributors to global warming in the world overall? |
|
Definition
| Energy Supply (25.9%) and Industry (19.4%) |
|
|
Term
| What are some of the differences in the US's contribution to greenhouse gases and the rest of the world's contribution? |
|
Definition
| The global contributions include deforestation, while the US does not. |
|
|
Term
| How did the USA respond to the Kyoto Treaty? Why? |
|
Definition
| The USA rejected the Kyoto Treaty - the Senate did not vote for it. In addition, the USA did not want to reduce its emissions when the developing countries were not required to reduce theirs. |
|
|
Term
| What are the consequences of global warming? |
|
Definition
- Higher number of people and less water
- Acceleration of temperature change and variability
- More frequent and more intense storms
- Lower crop yields
- Increase in disease
- Decline in wildlife/Damage to ecosystem
- Rising ocean levels/coastlines shrinking
- Increasing Desertification
- Ocean Acidification
|
|
|
Term
| Who will likely suffer most from global warming? Why? |
|
Definition
Poor countries; they depend more on farming, and have less money and therefore less ability to adapt to the effects of global warming |
|
|
Term
| What is a Cap-and-Trade program? |
|
Definition
A cap-and-trade program is an environmental policy tool designed to reduce
emissions of a pollutant by placing a
limit (or cap) on the total amount of
emissions that can be released by sources covered by the program during a
fixed time period. |
|
|
Term
| What are the 3 mechanisms of the Kyoto Treaty? |
|
Definition
- Carbon Market (Emissions Trading)
- Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
- Joint Implementation (JI)
|
|
|
Term
| What did the meeting in Durban, South Africa do? |
|
Definition
| Extended the Kyoto Treaty to 2017; created a fund from rich countries to poor countries |
|
|
Term
| What are some ways to reduce emissions? |
|
Definition
- Carbon Tax
- Cap and Trade
- Renewable Energy Portfolio
- Adaptation
|
|
|
Term
| What is the Kyoto Treaty? |
|
Definition
- Set binding targets for Europe and the industrializing nations to set targets for greenhouse gases.
- No penalties stated for violations of protocol
- Reduced emissions by 5% in 2008-2012 compared to 1990 emissions
|
|
|
Term
| Describe the agreement in Durban to extend the Kyoto treaty? |
|
Definition
- Kyoto was extended until 2017
- Countries (rich and poor) have agreed to negotiate a new regime by 2015 and bring it into effect by 2020
- Agreement was reached on a broad design for a global Green Climate Fund
- This will funnel $100 billion that rich countries have promised to make available to poor ones starting in 2020 to help them cut emissions and adapt to climate change. There was, however, little discussion on the question of exactly where the promised money would be found
|
|
|
Term
| What are possible methods to deal with emissions? |
|
Definition
- Cap-and-trade
- Offset method
- Carbon tax
|
|
|
Term
| How did Australia attempt to deal with carbon emissions? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What would be a more pragmatic solution to the problem? |
|
Definition
| Adaptation to the consequences of global warming; at this point, it may not be possible to prevent it. |
|
|
