Climate change and energy production

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What are the three main categories of energy sources?

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Fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear energy.

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What are the three main categories of energy sources?

Fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear energy.

What are the pros of fossil fuels?

High energy density and established infrastructure.

What are the cons of fossil fuels?

Non-renewable, high greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental degradation.

List types of renewable energy sources.

Solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass.

What are the pros of renewable energy?

Sustainable, low or zero emissions, and decentralized energy production potential.

What are the cons of renewable energy?

Intermittency issues, initial high costs, and land use concerns.

What is nuclear energy produced from?

Splitting atoms, typically uranium, in a process called fission.

What are the pros of nuclear energy?

Low carbon emissions and high energy output.

What are the cons of nuclear energy?

Radioactive waste management, safety concerns, and high initial costs.

What factors influence energy choices?

Availability, sustainability, technology, cultural attitudes, politics, economics, and environment.

What is energy security?

The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.

What are key aspects of energy security?

Adequate supply, reliability of infrastructure, and affordability.

What are some methods to improve energy efficiency?

Upgrading industrial processes, implementing smart grid technologies, and improving building insulation.

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather is day-to-day atmospheric conditions; climate is the average over a long period.

What are major anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases?

Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, industrial processes, and waste management.

What is the greenhouse effect?

Solar radiation warms the Earth, which emits infrared radiation that greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit, causing warming.

What are potential impacts of climate change?

Water availability issues, biome shifts, biodiversity loss, coastal flooding, and ocean acidification.

What are positive feedback mechanisms in climate change?

Ice-albedo feedback, water vapor feedback, and permafrost thawing.

What are mitigation strategies for climate change?

Reducing emissions and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through natural and technological solutions.

What are adaptation strategies for climate change?

Water management, coastal protection, agriculture adjustments, urban planning, and health systems improvements.

What is the purpose of the Paris Agreement?

To limit global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

What criteria are used to evaluate climate change strategies?

Emissions reduction, cost-effectiveness, scalability, co-benefits, equity, and resilience.