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Apr 3, 2024
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Uploaded by MajorProton13374
GEOG 5
Lab (Week 8): California – People and Climate
Overview:
The purpose of this lab is to gain an understanding of some of the conflicting priorities that underlie
conservation efforts in California. Using data obtained from multiple sources (government, industry,
activist, and editorial) you will explore and synthesize data concerning California’s efforts to decrease its
carbon emissions (and your own “carbon footprint”) through investment in renewable energy systems. At
the same time, you will review the environmental impact associated with the creation of one of the world’s
largest solar power plants – Ivanspah, in the Mojave Desert. Ultimately, you will have to try and answer
the question: Does reducing our carbon footprint justify destroying the habitat of endangered species?
Instructions:
Part One: Carbon Emissions and Renewable Energy
Begin your research by going to the Tableau+Public interactive map on CO2 emissions (2014).
Go to the map (
https://tinyurl.com/StateCO2
) and take a look around the site.
Click on California.
1) What is the per-capita value of emissions in metric tons?
9.3
2) What is the total value of CO2 emissions in thousands of metric tons?
359,130
3) Where does California rank in terms of CO2 production in the United States?
Out of all the 50 states California is ranked at 48
Next, calculate your carbon footprint.
Visit the “Cool California” Carbon footprint calculator (
https://tinyurl.com/CAcarboncalcu
) and this article
(
https://tinyurl.com/WPCAemissions
) and answer the following questions:
4) The average annual carbon footprint for a household living in Los Angeles, CA.
2.28 tons of carbon
5) Your household carbon footprint (as best you can)
62 tons per year
Review the California legislative report on GreenHouse Gas (GHG) reductions:
Go to the California EPA Air Resources Board – GHG Emissions report for 2019
(
https://tinyurl.com/ye3hvs7j
)
6) What is the trend for GHG emissions in California since 2004? What is the per capita GHG emissions
change between 2001 and 2019 in tonnes per person and as a percentage? (page 4)
The trend is generally dropping. The change is 3.5 tonnes per person. It went from 14 tonnes per person
to 110.5 tonnes per person in 2019, a 25 percent decrease.
7) What percentage of emissions were produced through the “Electric Power” sector in 2019, and how
does that rank against the other sectors highlighted? (pages 8 and 12)
14.1%, the use of electric power compared to other sectors falls in the middle it is the 3rd highest ranked
sector.
8) In 2019, what percentage of California’s in-state and imported electricity production was generated
from alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, and nuclear power? (page 14)
48%
Next - explore one of the world’s largest solar collector arrays!
Visit the Department of Energy (DOE) website for the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System
(
https://www.energy.gov/lpo/ivanpah
) and click through the site.
9) When was Ivanpah completed? How much did it increase U.S. solar energy production?
January 2014, Ivanpah nearly doubled the amount of solar thermal energy produced in the United States
in previous years
10) How much energy does Ivanpah generate in a year?
e
xpected to generate 940,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy per year
11) How many metric tons of CO2 emissions did Ivanpah eliminate each year? Using your answer from
Question 2, what percent of all 2014 California CO2 emissions did the Ivanpah eliminate?
500,000 metric tons, 53% of CO2 emissions were eliminated.
Part Two: Solar Power vs. the Desert Tortoise
Read “Can solar energy and wildlife coexist?” by the Washington Post
(
tinyurl.com/solarenergyandwildlife
)
12) Why do the Desert Tortoises have an uncertain future and with current strategies mentioned in the
article, what do you think is the best way to balance solar power and wildlife?
Roads, urban sprawl, and development make it hard for the recovery of this species. The budding
industry and urban development of desserts could impact them greatly causing an uncertain future. Some
strategies put into place are setting aside, protecting, and managing large tracts of suitable habitat to
ensure adult tortoises survive. Another strategy is roping off mirrorless areas known to hold sensitive
species. In my opinion, I think if solar power does not take up a vast majority of deserts then wildlife can
still survive. Solar power is important but also we must protect wildlife. I think if people shift their mindset
and realize that protecting wildlife and their home is important this can lead to their survival. I think some
methods that can allow the two to coexist are having a designated area for solar power and designated
areas for wildlife. As well as providing extra care for those animals that are more at risk by not building
their habitats.
By way of contrast, read the 2011 Newsletter for the WesternWatershedsProject.Org (WWP)
environmental protection group, concerning the impact on the Desert Tortoise
:
(
https://tinyurl.com/WWPTortoise
)
13) How many tortoises do the WWP & the Bureau of Land Management report claim will be impacted by
the completed construction of the Ivanpah Solar Project, in total?
1,025 adult tortoises and 2,349 juveniles, so 3,374 in total.
Read the 2014 Opinion piece from the High Country News by Peter Laufer, calling the Desert
Tortoise “collateral damage” in the push for renewable energy:
(
https://tinyurl.com/HCNTortoise
)
14) How does the author describe the idea of “translocation” as a conservation process, and where does
he source his quotes from? The author describes it as a horrible idea, and that it does not work. His
source comes from a biologist
hired to try to save tortoises
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