Climate Change and Energy Resources Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from homework assignments on climate change impacts, greenhouse gas data, demographic trends, and energy resources.

Greenhouse Effect

The process in which greenhouse gases trap heat in Earth's atmosphere, without which Earth would be significantly colder and unable to support life.

Weather vs. Climate

Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate describes the long-term pattern or average of weather in a given region.

Major Effects of Climate Change

The three primary physical effects are temperature change, precipitation change, and sea-level rise.

Impact Areas of Climate Change

The six key areas affected by climate change are health, forests, coastal areas, species/natural areas, water resources, and agriculture.

Top Contributing Greenhouse Gases

Carbon dioxide ($\text{CO}_2$) accounting for 60\n\% and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) accounting for $16\%$ of listed greenhouse-gas emissions.

Top GHG Emitting Sectors

Energy supply ($34\%$) and industry ($24\%$) according to 2019 sectoral data.

Economic Class and Emissions

Higher-income households emit more average tons of $\text{CO}_2$-equivalent per year because higher wealth leads to higher consumption of goods, housing, transportation, food, and services.

Highest Per-Capita GHG Emitting Country

Qatar ranked highest in the 2020 per-capita emissions chart, followed by nations including Brunei, Kuwait, Gibraltar, Bahrain, UAE, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.

Top Overall GHG Emitting Countries

China, the United States, and India are the top three overall producers of greenhouse gas emissions.

Ocean Warming and Acidification

Oceans absorb atmospheric heat and $\text{CO}_2$; absorbed heat raises ocean temperatures, while absorbed $\text{CO}_2$ causes acidification, creating stress on marine ecosystems, species, and coastal environments.

Historical and Current Atmospheric $\text{CO}_2$ Levels

Atmospheric $\text{CO}_2$ was approximately $290\,\text{ppm}$ in 1870 and reached around $410\,\text{ppm}$ in 2017, far exceeding natural preindustrial levels.

Predictions for 2100

Projections for the year 2100 include $\text{CO}_2$ levels of $600-900\,\text{ppm}$, temperature increases of $1.8-6^\circ\text{C}$ ($3-10^\circ\text{F}$), and sea-level rise of $2-6\,\text{feet}$.

Pandemic Emission Reductions

A temporary drop in daily global $\text{CO}_2$ emissions caused by reduced economic activity and fossil-fuel consumption, particularly in transportation and industry.

Climate Change Refugee

A person forced to leave their home because climate-related environmental changes render their location unsafe or uninhabitable.

Methane Emissions from Cattle

Cattle release methane—a potent greenhouse gas—primarily as a byproduct of their digestive process.

Human Population Milestones

Global population reached $1\text{ billion}$ in 1804, $8\text{ billion}$ in 2024, and is projected to reach $9\text{ billion}$ in 2048.

Expanding Middle Class and Emissions

An expanding middle class increases global demand for transportation, housing, food, energy, products, and services, driving higher overall greenhouse-gas emissions.

Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Finite energy sources (coal, oil/petroleum, natural gas, uranium) that are consumed faster than naturally formed; they accounted for about $80\%$ of global energy in 2022.

Fossil Fuel Formation

Energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) created over long periods from ancient organic matter subjected to high pressure and heat deep underground.

Nuclear Fission Power Plant

A facility that splits heavy atomic nuclei to generate heat, creating steam that turns a turbine connected to a generator to produce electricity.

Pros and Cons of Nuclear Fission

Pros: Low operational greenhouse emissions, low operating costs, high capacity; Cons: High construction costs, safety/accident risks, and long-lived radioactive waste.

Nuclear Fusion Power Plant

A power source that combines light atomic nuclei under extreme temperatures and pressures to produce energy without long-term waste or fission chain reactions.

Pros and Cons of Nuclear Fusion

Pros: No reaction greenhouse gases and virtually limitlessness fuel (deuterium from seawater and tritium bred in-reactor); Cons: Unproven at commercial scale and requires extreme temperatures/containment.

U.S. Nuclear Power Consumption Share

The United States consumed $31.4\%$ of the world's nuclear power according to 2018 consumption data.

Renewable Energy Resources

Energy sources replenished naturally on a human timescale (hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass), representing about $20\%$ of world energy in 2022.

Most Utilized Renewable Energy Source

Hydropower, which makes up $44.44\%$ of total renewable energy consumption.

Hydroelectric Power Plant

An electricity generation facility where water flowing through a dam/reservoir turns turbines driving electric generators, featuring adjustable output levels.

Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power

Pros: Renewable, reliable, flexible output; Cons: Ecosystem/water flow disruption, high construction costs, and susceptibility to droughts.

Tidal Energy

An alternative form of hydroelectric power that harnesses the movement of ocean tides and water to turn turbines and generate electricity.

Reasons for Continued Nonrenewable Energy Dependence

Extensive existing infrastructure, high energy demand, dispatchability and reliability, established technologies, liquid fuel dependence in transportation, and the massive scale of current fossil-fuel systems.