Before we can focus on interventions, we need to consider the implications of climate change for life in earth.
Implications for life on earth
- Higher levels of carbon in the atmosphere will lead to higher temperatures as currently experience which will lead to higher rates of melting of polar ice. As a result, will lead to an increase in the magnitude of freshwater entering global oceans leading to a eustatic sea level rise of around 2mm a year, which will inundate low lying places like Kirabati which has set that date for 2050.
- Deeper waters means an increase in the frequency of destructive waves forming which can lead to higher rates of erosion like at the Holderness coastline where oceans rates of up to 9m a year can be seen at Great Cowden, Hull.
- Higher temperatures will lead to more extreme weathers and unpredictable weather patterns like more droughts in dry areas.
- Can lead to conflict where droughts can reduce crop yield and make water a scarce commodity, hence leading to both water and food shortages as seen in Cape Town, South Africa in 2015 with the Day Zero incident.
Interventions
There are three main strategies that I will consider, but your teacher may have taught you examples going into more detail.
Carbon capture storage
- CCS ( carbon capture storage)- Carbon capture storage Is when released carbon from power stations because of the combustion of fossil fuels, is trapped and sent through cooling pipes which condenses the gas into a liquid form. It’s then pumped into underground stores where once cool, it becomes sealed. This is to reduce the magnitude of carbon in the atmosphere.
| Positives | Negatives |
| Creates 100,000 jobs just for the UK economy alone | The added costs onto the power stations is then passed on to consumers in the form of higher energy bills |
| Provides a use for abandoned quarries and mines | Underground stores have to meet a strict geological criteria so it can be stored |
| Traps approximately 90% of carbon that would have been released | Risk of the carbon leaking and percolating into soils and underground stores of water |
| Aids our target to reach carbon neutral by 2050, | Expensive to add onto power stations |
| It can be added to existing power stations |
Changing rural land use
The biggest change would be to reduce deforestation. This can be done through policies which prevent landowners from destroying Greenland. For example, in Indonesia by law landowners are not allowed to fell 30% of their forests. Similar policies have been implemented in Sri Lanka who 2015 had managed to prevent its mangrove forest from getting any smaller .
Another strategy is through selective logging. This is a more sustainable form of deforestation where specific trees are felled which allows younger saplings to be able to compete for sunlight and space. However, in doing so some trees in the closest proximity or destroyed.
Reforestation is when in area that was once a forest becomes big forest again by planting saplings. Charities like team trees have aimed to plant 20 million trees by the end of 2020 with success as well.
Improved transport practice
Improved transport practise- whether is an increase in the use of public transport and not private vehicles. I am going to use London as an example:
- Improved transport practise- whether is an increase in the use of public transport and not private vehicles. I am going to use London as an example:
- Crossrail and H2S rail projects that was to increase the capacity of public transport making it easier to be able to commute into more places than ever before.
- The cycle for hire scheme nicknamed Boris Bikes in conjunction with the cycle superhighway scheme makes it easier for cyclists to ride around.
- The hopper fare of £1.65 where passengers can make unlimited journeys within an hour.
Part of getting the highest marks in geography, is being able to consider scale.
On an international scale have seen a rise in the number of agreements to tackle climate change. In 2021, under the Biden in its administration has seen the US ratify the Paris accord 2015 agreement which has now incentivised more economies so follow. This is because prior to the ratification other smaller countries have not done much in reducing their carbon footprint because the US is one of the largest polluters on earth, so if the biggest polluter on earth is not doing much to reduce their own carbon footprint, why would other countries take the time and effort to reduce their own footprint. Therefore, the ratification of the Paris agreement has led to no excuses for smaller countries to take action in reducing their carbon footprint. In November 2021, the COP 26 in Glasgow saw a more commitment being made, but nations like China and India backing out a little bit cause such agreements would hinder their economic growth.
On a local scale, the UK government have subsidised households to use solar panels which reduces their reliance on fossil fuels. Also, more houses are being encouraged to install a more sustainable form of housing like glazed windows and cavity walls.