Énergie et changement climatique

Energy

• Energy is a physical quantity that measures changes in a system.
• History shows fire use predates (500,000 years ago), followed by renewable energy sources (wind, wood, sun, and water power, 3,500 years ago), then petroleum (3,000 years ago) and coal (1,000 years ago).
• Modern characteristics include vast energy converters (machines), escalating energy use for higher efficiency, and the fact that no energy is completely clean.

Climate and Climate Change

• Increasing fossil fuel (coal, oil) consumption has resulted in:
  • Increased CO2 emissions.
  • Global warming.
• Example: 98% of transportation relies on petroleum despite electric motors' higher efficiency.

Natural Resources

• Energy dependence:
  • Renewable energy sources occupy more space and need larger grids.
  • Fossil fuels enabled global population growth.
• Average energy consumption per person:
  • Global average equals 200 "energy slaves".
  • High-income individuals use as many as 1000 "energy slaves".

Biodiversity

• Renewable energy sources, like wood, can also be highly polluting.
• Land use conflicts (agriculture, forestry, renewable energy) impact biodiversity.

Social and Economic Impacts

• Reduced agricultural work creates more opportunities for education, leisure and office jobs.
• Urbanization rises.
• Modern lifestyles (divorce, individual homes, consumerism) lead to increased energy consumption.
• Economic growth correlates with energy consumption.

Climate and Climate Change (Continued)

• Distinction between weather and climate:
  • Weather: current temperature and rainfall in a specific location.
  • Climate: long-term average weather patterns.
• Climate change: Natural climate variations accelerated by human activities.
• Greenhouse gases (GHGs): CO2, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapor drive the natural greenhouse effect, but human emissions increase this effect.
• History: Svante Arrhenius demonstrated in 1896 that doubling CO2 leads to an average 4°C temperature increase.
• Human activities that contribute to climate change include:
  • Fossil fuel use (industry, transportation).
  • Economic growth requiring more energy and machines, increasing CO2.
• Impacts of climate change:
  • Rising temperatures: some areas become uninhabitable.
  • Sea levels rise: affects ports, refineries and other infrastructures
  • Extreme weather events (heatwaves, floods, cyclones, droughts).
  • Impacts on agriculture.
  • Forest fires.
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Impacts on health.
  • Migration
• Possible solutions: International agreements (COPs) and research (IPCC).

Natural Resources (Continued)

• Metals: use and needs (steel, aluminum, manganese, chromium, copper, zinc...).
• Energy transition:
  • It requires vast amounts of energy and raw materials.
  • Example: 100 wind turbines are needed to replace one nuclear reactor.
  • Future demands: copper demand might double or even explode in a "green" transition.
• Availability versus reserves:
  • Resources: present in the soil.
  • Reserves: economically and practically extractable at a particular moment.
• Trends:
  • Metal deposits have decreased tenfold over the last 100 years.
  • Improvements in extraction technology partially offset this decline, but extraction limits are still occurring.
• Environmental costs of extraction:
  • Pollutants (heavy metals)
  • Resource depletion
  • Waste production
  • Energy use
• Mining examples and impacts:
  • Palabora (South Africa): similar area as the French city Grenoble; intensive mining.
  • Hambach (Germany): significant greenhouse gas emissions and forest destruction.
  • Norilsk (Russia): substantial sulfur dioxide emissions and water pollution.
  • Grasberg (Indonesia): high waste and water contamination.

Ce quiz explore les concepts d'énergie, les ressources naturelles et leur impact sur le climat. Il examine l'évolution de l'utilisation des énergies renouvelables et fossiles, ainsi que leurs effets sur les émissions de CO2 et le réchauffement climatique. Testez vos connaissances sur la dépendance énergétique et la consommation mondiale d'énergie.