Chapter 8 – Environment and Natural Resources Questions and Answers: NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science (Contemporary World Politics)

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED

1.Which among the following best explains
the reason for growing concerns about
the environment?
(a) The developed countries are concerned about projecting nature.
(b) Protection of the environment is vital for indigenous people and natural habitats.
(c) The environmental degradation caused by human activities has become pervasive and has reached a dangerous level.
(d) None of the above.

Answer. (c) The environmental degradation caused by human activities has become persuasive and has reached a dangerous level.

2. Mark correct or wrong against each of the following statements about the Earth Summit:
(a) It was attended by 170 countries, thousands of NGOs and many MNCs.
(b) The Summit was held under aegis of the UN.
(c) For the first time, global environmen¬tal issues were firmly consolidated at the political level.
(d) It was a summit meeting.

Answer. (a) Correct (b) Wrong
(c) Correct (d) Wrong

3. Which among the following are true about the Global Commons?
(a) The earth’s atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space are considered as part of the Global Commons.
(b) The Global Commons are outside sovereign jurisdiction.
(c) The question of managing the Global Commons has reflected the North- South divide.
(d) The countries of the North are more concerned about the protection of the global Commons than the countries of the South.

Answer. (a) The Earth’s atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space are considered as a part of global commons.

4. What were the outcomes of Rio-Summit?

Answer. 1. Rio-Summit produced conventions dealing with climate change, biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of development practices called Agenda 21.
2. It gave the concept of sustainable development to be combined economic growth with ecological responsibility.
3. Rio-Summit developed various contentious issues like Commons, Global Commons in global politics of environment.

5. What is meant by Global Commons? How are they exploited and polluted?

Answer. The areas or regions located outside the jurisdiction of any one state and region, common governance by international community are Global Commons i.e. Earth atmosphere, Antarctic Ocean floor and outer space. They are exploited and polluted due to
1. Vague scientific evidences, their lack of consensus on common environmental issues

2. North-South inequalities and their exploitative activities and competition lack proper management area out space.
3. Technological and Industrial development have also affected the earth’s atmosphere and ocean floor.

6. What is meant by ‘Common but differentiated responsibilities’? How could we implement the idea?

Answer. Common but differentiated responsibili¬ties mean that the state shall cooperate in the spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the earth’s ecosystem. As the states have common but differ¬entiated responsibilities over various contributions of global environmental degradation. The developed countries acknowledge that the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the tech-nological and financial resources they command.
We could implement the idea with the help of conventions and declarations:
1. The Rio-Summit held in June 1992 produced conventions dealing with climate change, biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of developed practices called Agenda 21.
2. The 1992 United Nations Framework convention on climatic change (UNFCCC) also emphasised that the parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities;
3. An international agreement known Kyoto Protocol set targets for industrialised countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions which support for global warming.

7. Why have issues related to global environmental protection become the priority concern of states since the 1990s?

Answer. Issues related to global environmental protection became the priority concern of states since the 1990s because at global level, the environmental issues drew attentions of various states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio-de-Janerio, Brazil in June 1992 through Agenda 21:
1. Rio-Summit 1992 dealt with climatic change, bio-diversity and forestry.
2. Agenda 21 combined economic growth with ecological responsibilities.
3. Kyoto Protocol set targets for greenhouse emissions. The above mentioned conferences and summits raised the environmental issues at the global level to take steps by various states to check environmental degradation in a co-operative manner.

8. Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies required by states to save Planet Earth. Substantiate the statement in the light of the ongoing negotiations between the North and South on environmental issues.

Answer. Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies to save Planet Earth by the states but the states from North and South have different notions towards environmental issues:
1. The Northern States (Developed) are concerned with ozone depletion and global warming whereas southern states (Developing) want to address the relationship between economic development and environmental management.
2. The developed countries of the North want to discuss the environmental issues which stand equally responsible for ecological conservation.
3. The developing countries of the south feel that much of the ecological degradation in the world is created by developed countries through their industrial projects.
4. And if developed countries cause more environmental degradation they are supposed to take more responsibility onwards.
5. The developing counties are under process of industrialization and they should be exempted from restrictions imposed on developed countries through various conventions like protocol etc.
6. The special needs of developing coun¬tries must be taken into consider¬ations in the process of development, application and interpretation of rules of International Environmental Law.
All the above mentioned provisions were accepted in Earth Summit, 1992 while adopting common but differentiated responsibilities.

9. The most serious challenge before the states is pursuing economic development without causing further damage to the global environment. How could we achieve this? Explain with a few examples.

Answer. The economic development can be achieved even without damaging global environment by following practices:
1. In June 1992, Earth Summit provided some conservative measures for sustainable growth without damaging environment anymore.
2. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 covered Global Commons for mutual economic development.
3. Kyoto protocol cut greenhouse emissions from industrialised countries to protect environment and to develop industries also.
4. Resource Geopolitics allocates and ‘ distribute natural resources among
the nation states of global arena for sustainable development of nations. Hence, the above mentioned practices protect the global environment and even though the states are developing we could achieve this challenge only if we follow the provisions and practices mentioned in all these conferences and summits.
Very Short Answer Type Questions [ 1 Mark]

1. What does the UNEP stand for?

Answer. UNEP stands for the United Nations Environment Programme to hold international conferences to promote coordination to effective response to environmental problems.

2. What is Agenda 21?

Answer. Agenda 21 is a list of developed practices ecological responsibility to promote sustainable development.

3. What do you mean by Global Commons?

Answer. Global Commons are the common governance by international community over the areas or regions which are located outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any one state or authority.

4. What is  UNFCCC?

Answer. The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC) provides that the parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of equity and in accordance with the common but differentiated responsibilities.
Very Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks]

1. Suggest any two steps to be taken by the government to check pollution and save environment.

Answer. (i) India’s National Auto-fuel Policj7 mandates cleaner fuels for vehicles. The Energy Conservation Act, passed in 2001, outlines initiatives to improve energy efficiency.
(ii) The Electricity Act of2003 encourages the use of renewable energy.

2. Mention any two outcomes of Rio- Summit.

Answer. 1. It provided a consensus to combine economic growth with ecological responsibility for sustainable development.
2. It recommended a list of development practices called Agenda 21 which induced climatic change, bio¬diversity, forestry and development practices.

3. Give any two environmental concerns of global politics.

Answer. 1. Ozone layer depletion is an alarming concern for ecosystem.
2. Loss of fertility of agricultural land • due to extreme use of fertilizers and overgrazed grasslands.

4. Explain the most obvious threat to the survival of indigenous people.

Answer. The most obvious threat to the survival of indigenous people is the loss of land
which was occupied by their ancestrals. The loss of land referred to a loss of their economic resource also.

5. How did Earth Summit draw attention of global politics towards environmental issues?

Answer. The Earth Summit drew attention of global politics towards environmental issues because it produced conventions to deal with climate change, biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of development practices called Agenda 21 which combined economic growth with ecological responsibility known as ‘Sustainable Development’ as well as Earth Summit laid stress on the cooperation of states to conserve, protect, restore the health and integrity of the earth’s ecosystems.

6. Mention the major problems of ecological issues.

Answer. 1. Common environmental agenda could not get common consensus due to vague scientific methods.
2. Management of outer space is influenced by North-South inequalities.
3. Technology and industrial development are also the issues over earth’s atmosphere and ocean floor.
4. Ozone hole over Antarctic also revealed the opportunity as well as dangers inherent in tackling global environment problems.

7. What is Kyoto Protocol?

Answer. 1. Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement signed in 1997 in Kyoto for setting targets for industrialised countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Certain gases like Carbon dioxide, Methane, Hydro-fluoro Carbons etc. are considered responsible for global warming.
3. This global warming may rise the global temperature to have catastrophic consequences for life on earth.

8. What do you mean by common property?

Answer. Common property refers to the rights and duties of a group together over a natural resources with the following norms:
1. The group members enjoy rights and duties both over nature, levels of use and the maintenance of a given resource.
2. In India, many village communities have defined members’ rights and responsibilities through mutual understanding.
3. The institutional arrangement for the actual management of sacred groves on state owned forest land appropriately fit the description of common property.

9. What is ‘Resource Geopolitics’?

Answer. ‘Resource Geopolitics’ is concerned with allocation of distribution of natural resources among the nation states of global arena:
1. It is about who gets what, when, where and how.
2. Inter state rivalry and western geopolitical thinking about resources have been dominated by the relationship of trade, war and power.

10. Is there any difference between the prospectives adopted by the rich and the poor nations to protect the Earth? Explain.

Answer. Yes, the rich and the poor nations adopted different prospectives to protect the earth at Rio-Summit:
1. The rich countries were known as Global North whereas the poor countries were called Global South.
2. Northern states showed concern with ozone depletion and global warming whereas southern states showed
? concern for economic development and environmental management.