Environment and natural resources
Here are 100 short questions with answers from the chapter "Environment and Natural Resources", designed for quick revision and conceptual clarity:
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Basic Concepts
1. Q: What is the environment?
A: The surroundings in which living organisms exist, including air, water, land, and ecosystems.
2. Q: What are natural resources?
A: Materials provided by nature used by humans for survival and development.
3. Q: Name two types of natural resources.
A: Renewable and non-renewable.
4. Q: What are renewable resources?
A: Resources that can be replenished naturally, like sunlight and wind.
5. Q: What are non-renewable resources?
A: Resources that cannot be replenished quickly, like coal and oil.
6. Q: What is biodiversity?
A: The variety of life in all its forms on Earth.
7. Q: What is sustainable development?
A: Development that meets present needs without compromising future generations.
8. Q: What is deforestation?
A: The clearing of forests for non-forest use.
9. Q: What is desertification?
A: Degradation of land in arid areas due to overuse.
10. Q: What is global warming?
A: The rise in Earth's average temperature due to greenhouse gases.
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Causes of Environmental Degradation
11. Q: What is the greenhouse effect?
A: Warming of Earth due to trapped heat by greenhouse gases.
12. Q: Name a major greenhouse gas.
A: Carbon dioxide (CO₂).
13. Q: What is pollution?
A: The contamination of the environment by harmful substances.
14. Q: What is air pollution?
A: Contamination of the atmosphere by harmful gases and particles.
15. Q: What causes water pollution?
A: Dumping of industrial waste and sewage into water bodies.
16. Q: What is soil erosion?
A: The removal of topsoil by wind or water.
17. Q: What is the main cause of deforestation?
A: Logging and land use change for agriculture.
18. Q: What is acid rain?
A: Rainfall made acidic by air pollution.
19. Q: Name a human activity that affects the environment.
A: Industrialization.
20. Q: What is ozone depletion?
A: Thinning of the ozone layer caused by CFCs.
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Major Environmental Issues
21. Q: What is climate change?
A: Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns.
22. Q: What is the main cause of climate change?
A: Greenhouse gas emissions.
23. Q: What is loss of biodiversity?
A: Extinction of species and reduction in variety of life.
24. Q: Name one consequence of global warming.
A: Melting of polar ice caps.
25. Q: What is overexploitation of resources?
A: Excessive use of natural resources beyond sustainable limits.
26. Q: What is a natural disaster?
A: A catastrophic event caused by natural forces like floods or earthquakes.
27. Q: What is urbanization?
A: Expansion of cities leading to environmental strain.
28. Q: What is industrial waste?
A: Toxic waste released from factories.
29. Q: What is e-waste?
A: Waste from discarded electronic devices.
30. Q: What is habitat destruction?
A: Loss of natural home of wildlife due to human activities.
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Resource Management
31. Q: What is resource conservation?
A: Careful management of natural resources.
32. Q: What is afforestation?
A: Planting trees in barren areas.
33. Q: What is reforestation?
A: Replanting trees in deforested areas.
34. Q: What is rainwater harvesting?
A: Collecting rainwater for future use.
35. Q: What is water conservation?
A: Saving water and preventing its wastage.
36. Q: What is energy conservation?
A: Reducing energy consumption.
37. Q: What is waste management?
A: Disposal and recycling of waste responsibly.
38. Q: What is eco-friendly energy?
A: Energy from renewable sources like wind and solar.
39. Q: What is green technology?
A: Technology that reduces environmental damage.
40. Q: What is environmental education?
A: Awareness and understanding of environmental issues.
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International Initiatives
41. Q: What is the Kyoto Protocol?
A: A treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
42. Q: What is the Paris Agreement?
A: Global pact to limit global warming to below 2°C.
43. Q: What is the UNFCCC?
A: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
44. Q: What is Agenda 21?
A: A UN action plan for sustainable development.
45. Q: What is COP?
A: Conference of the Parties under UNFCCC.
46. Q: What is the IPCC?
A: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
47. Q: What is the Earth Summit?
A: 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development.
48. Q: What is the Montreal Protocol?
A: Agreement to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
49. Q: What is CITES?
A: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
50. Q: What is the Ramsar Convention?
A: Treaty for wetland conservation.
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India and Environment
51. Q: Name one Indian environmental law.
A: Environment Protection Act, 1986.
52. Q: What is the role of the Ministry of Environment in India?
A: To implement policies for environmental protection.
53. Q: Name one Indian river cleaning project.
A: Namami Gange.
54. Q: What is Chipko Movement?
A: Forest conservation movement in India.
55. Q: What is Project Tiger?
A: Conservation program for tigers in India.
56. Q: What is the Forest Rights Act?
A: Recognizes the rights of forest dwellers.
57. Q: What is NGT?
A: National Green Tribunal.
58. Q: What is Green India Mission?
A: Afforestation and forest conservation program.
59. Q: What is the role of the Central Pollution Control Board?
A: Monitoring and controlling pollution in India.
60. Q: Name a renewable energy source promoted in India.
A: Solar energy.
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Energy and Resources
61. Q: What is fossil fuel?
A: Energy source formed from ancient plants and animals.
62. Q: Name a fossil fuel.
A: Coal.
63. Q: What is nuclear energy?
A: Energy from atomic reactions.
64. Q: What is hydropower?
A: Electricity from flowing water.
65. Q: What is biomass energy?
A: Energy from organic materials.
66. Q: What is geothermal energy?
A: Heat energy from inside the Earth.
67. Q: What is solar energy?
A: Energy from sunlight.
68. Q: What is wind energy?
A: Energy from moving air.
69. Q: What is a carbon footprint?
A: Total greenhouse gases emitted by a person or group.
70. Q: What is sustainable energy?
A: Energy that can be maintained without harming the planet.
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Conservation and Ethics
71. Q: What is eco-tourism?
A: Responsible travel to natural areas.
72. Q: What is wildlife conservation?
A: Protection of animal species and habitats.
73. Q: What is ecological balance?
A: Natural balance between living organisms and environment.
74. Q: What is carbon trading?
A: Buying and selling of carbon emission allowances.
75. Q: What is green economy?
A: Economy aimed at reducing environmental risks.
76. Q: What is environmental ethics?
A: Moral relationship between humans and environment.
77. Q: What is environmental justice?
A: Fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.
78. Q: What is carbon sink?
A: Natural systems that absorb CO₂, like forests.
79. Q: What is ecological footprint?
A: Impact of a person or society on nature.
80. Q: What is environmental sustainability?
A: Maintaining natural resources for future generations.
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Biodiversity and Ecosystems
81. Q: What is an ecosystem?
A: A community of organisms interacting with their environment.
82. Q: What is a biosphere?
A: The part of Earth where life exists.
83. Q: What is a food chain?
A: Sequence of organisms eating one another.
84. Q: What is a food web?
A: Network of interlinked food chains.
85. Q: What is a keystone species?
A: A species crucial to ecosystem balance.
86. Q: What is an endangered species?
A: Species at risk of extinction.
87. Q: What is a biodiversity hotspot?
A: Region with high biodiversity under threat.
88. Q: Name one biodiversity hotspot in India.
A: Western Ghats.
89. Q: What is ecological restoration?
A: Rebuilding damaged ecosystems.
90. Q: What is the importance of wetlands?
A: They filter water and provide habitat.
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Miscellaneous
91. Q: What is the main source of freshwater?
A: Rivers and groundwater.
92. Q: What is land degradation?
A: Decline in land quality due to human activity.
93. Q: What is sustainable agriculture?
A: Eco-friendly farming methods.
94. Q: What is organic farming?
A: Farming without synthetic chemicals.
95. Q: What is urban sprawl?
A: Expansion of urban areas into rural land.
96. Q: What is green belt?
A: Area of vegetation around urban regions.
97. Q: What is eco-sensitive zone?
A: Environmentally fragile area needing protection.
98. Q: What is environmental impact assessment (EIA)?
A: Study to predict environmental effects of a project.
99. Q: What is sustainable forestry?
A: Managing forests without harming biodiversity.
100. Q: What is carbon neutrality?
A: Balancing emitted and absorbed carbon.
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