Climate Change: Mitigation & Adaptation (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS): SL)

Exam Questions

35 mins10 questions
11 mark

In the context of climate change and global warming, distinguish between mitigation strategies and adaptation strategies.

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23 marks

Outline how adding compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and iron to the oceans is a climate change mitigation strategy.

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31 mark

Despite significant climate change mitigation efforts, the impact of past greenhouse gas emissions will persist for decades.

Suggest the main reason for this.

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43 marks

Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles that are powered by electric motors instead of petrol or diesel engines.

EVs use batteries to store energy, which is then used to power the electric motors.

EVs are becoming increasingly popular.

i)

In the context of climate change, identify whether our increasing use of electric vehicles represents a mitigation strategy or an adaptation strategy.

[1]

ii)

Explain why.

[2]

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12 marks

Suggest two reasons for net gains in forested areas in some regions of the world.

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24 marks

Explain how biofuel production can be used as a strategy to control greenhouse gas emissions.

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33 marks

Outline three adaptation strategies that can be used to reduce the impacts of climate change.

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42 marks

Ecosystems vary greatly in their ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store this carbon within their living biomass or in the soil below ground.

The figure below contains some data on carbon storage for different ecosystems.

Carbon Storage (metric tons of carbon per hectare)

Marine Ecosystems

Terrestrial Ecosystems

Seagrass meadows

Saltmarshes

Mangroves

Tropical rainforest

Boreal forest

Soil

580

850

1 000

100

130

Living biomass

20

50

400

200

70

Total

600

900

1 400

300

200

Referring to the data, outline the effectiveness of mangroves and tropical rainforests for mitigating climate change.

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17 marks

Discuss how an ecocentric environmental value system can affect the choice of mitigation strategies in response to climate change.

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29 marks

Evaluate the effectiveness of international efforts and conferences to address climate change.

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