12 mark questions

assess the extent to which one or more country you have studied is energy secure

1. UK - vast energy mix, price ie north sea decomissioning with big 6 and fuel poverty, geoploitical conflicts and NIMBYism

2. US - less NIMBYism, shale gas revolution, market led approach but not LT secure

3. france - state led, nuclear

depends on diff timescales, changing due to public attitudes and geopolitical tensions

assess the geopolitical risks to the world on its reliance on fossil fuels

exposed as rely on long international supply chains and concentrated reserves

1. piracy - specific regions, ie Somali coast, its a persistent risk but contained with little global impact

2. blockages - at major chokepoints, ie Suez Canal, high impact but temporary and can be prevented

3. conflict - flows, prices and LT policy, ie Russia vs Ukraine, demonstrates weaponisation of fossil fuels

assess the role of oceans in the carbon cycle

50x greater store than atm

1. physical pump - thermohaline, downwelling vs upwelling

2. biological pump - phytoplankton photosynthesis, marine food web, marine snow

3. carbonate pump - carbonate ions for shell building organisms, die

assess the importance of renewable energy in reducing the risks of further planetary warming

low C, replenishable but limited by intermittency and cost

1. agree - cut CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuels slowing EGE, ie Gansu windfarm, China

2. limits - energy wasted, 7000 turbines require steel and concrete, some countries lack investment capital

3. CCS - process ie Quest CCS, but expensive and complex

assess how successful different countries have been in achieving energy security

1. domestic and low risk resources - state led ie France

2. renewable - reduces import reliance, ie Thames Estuary but UK still imports 50% natural gas ie Russia-Ukraine

3. unsuccessful - nuclear power and Japan ie Tohoku tsunami

assess the impact of increasing ocean acidification on people and marine ecosystems

process mechanism

1. habitat loss - harder for corals to calcify, 25% marine life

2. livelihoods and food security - food, less fish means global food insecurity and more pressure on meat, livelihood loss with incomes and jobs

3. safety - biological buffers, 97% wave energy so protect from erosion and storm surges, people become climate refugees and salt water intrusion

assess the likely impacts of climate warming on the components of the carbon cycle shown in the figure

figure = litter, vegetation, SOC, permafrost thaw

1. ST stores - alters photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition, quick but small in magnitude compared to deeper stores

2. medium stores - SOC vulnerable as warming accelerates microbial activity, more CO2 and CH4 (more as anaerobic) released, creates +FL

3. LT stores - most critical, tipping point, contains almost 2x amount CO2 in atm, CH4 more potent

assess the roles of different energy players in securing energy supplies

1. TNCs - exploitation, extraction and refining. own tech and deep sea rigs so crucial for supply BUT prioritise profit so not ‘secure’ if poor nation

2. OPEC - market regulators, 78% reserves and 45% oil production. role in price security as crash economies ie 1973. BUT diluting power as renewable shift

3. govs - set policy, renewable subsidies (EU). provide legal framework. they decide TNC role and thus energy mix

assess the extent to which reliance on fossil duels to drive development is still the global norms

1. renewables - wind and solar ie gansu china, suggests new norm for capacity has shifted BUT doesnt yet account for majority energy mix

2. fossil fuels - china coal paradox due to renewable intermittancy, norm for industry security and emerging unwilling to risk on renewables alone

3. fossil fuels - germany energy phase but failed with russia-ukraine showing default norm for national survival

assess potential environmental impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect

1. ocean acification - absorb anthropogenic CO2, coral reefs importance ie great barrier reef

2. water vapour feedback - one degree 7%, more intense flooding leading to soil erosion and river sedimentation ie amazon 2014

3. arctic - reducing sea ice albedo so absorbs more, arctic amplification, new plants (+ve) but more algal blooms with more oceans exposed to sunlight, permafrost

arctic largest - irreversible on human timescales and methane time bomb

assess the extent to which the disruption of energy pathways is the greatest threat to energy security

1. geopolitical disruption - pathways are arteries of global economy disruption causes immediate high magnitude shocks ie suez canal transit chokepoints and russia pipeline weaponisation

2. natural hazards - destroyed processing ie tohoku. climate change with increasing storm surges makes it a growing unpredictable threat

3. internal threats - can have secure pathways that lack energy security due to domestic political stalemates ie UK fracking

assess the role of the carbon cycle in maintaining the health of the water cycle

1. regulates temps - more ghg so water vapour feedback, causes more climate variability like evaporation and precipitation

2. ocean health - maintains ocean health which protects physical water cycle. acidification and barrier reefs

3. cryosphere - carbon cycle regulates state of water ie arctic. snowmelt earlier and reduced stream flow

4. vegetation - carbon stores and pump for water cycle as drive transpiration ie amazon recycle 40% rainfall