The UK hosted the COP26 (26th Conference of the Parties) United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2021. In the build up to this, leaders of GeoWeek in May (1-9th May) led field visits in their local areas to discuss ‘Net-Zero by 2050 - what will this mean for our area?’ with members of the public.
• How will the ‘net-zero’ target affect your local area?
To give more background to our prospective field leaders, the Earthlearningidea Team prepared a series considering what the different local options might be. These are listed below:
Possible mitigation measures
Use alternative energy sources to the fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases, such as:
• energy from solar farms
• energy from waves
• energy from wind turbine arrays
• energy from a tidal barrage
• energy from nuclear fuel
• storage of high-level radioactive waste
• growing biofuel
• producing blue hydrogen fuel
• producing hydrogen of many colours (situation in UK)
• extracting geothermal energy - ‘hot dry rocks’
• extracting heat (geothermal) from flooded coal mines
• local ‘Archimedes screw’ hydroelectric projects
• installing ground or air source heat pumps
• energy from non-recyclable waste incineration
• using waste output methane to fire brick kilns
Use fossil fuels but stop them releasing greenhouse gases by:
• storing the carbon that would have been released (carbon capture or carbon sequestration)
Store energy from sources that give irregular energy supplies by:
• more efficient networks of batteries
• producing green hydrogen fuel
• hydroelectric pumped storage
• storing compressed gases underground
Provide raw materials for new technologies to reduce carbon emissions, such as for:
• electric cars and the electric charging network
• enhanced insulation of buildings
Remove carbon from the atmosphere by:
• supplying and spreading crushed rock for enhanced weathering - Extension
• planting trees extensively
Possible adaptation measures
• in response to rising sea level and coastal flooding - coastline management measures
• in response to increased likelihood of inland flooding from higher storm rainfall - flood management measures
• in response to increased likelihood of landslides and rockfall - extra monitoring and addressing of problems
• in response to reductions in surface or groundwater supply - identifying new water sources. (No Earthlearningidea)
• agricultural responses to a different climate - exploring new methods and crops
• more summer heatwaves – installing methods for cooling homes efficiently. (No Earthlearningidea)
• developing the local structures necessary to cope with these problems, including educating the local population. (No Earthlearningidea)