Detailed, Step-by-Step NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources Questions and Answers were solved by Expert Teachers as per NCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines covering each topic in chapter to ensure complete preparation.
Environment and Natural Resources NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 8
Environment and Natural Resources Questions and Answers Class 12 Political Science Chapter 8
Question 1.
Which among the following best explains the reason for growing concerns about the environment ?
(A) The developed countries are concerned about protecting 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 pervasive and has reached a dangerous level.
Question 2.
Mark Correct or Wrong against each of the following statements below that describe the Earth Summit.
(A) It was attended by 170 countries, thousands of NGO’s and many MNCs.
(B) The summit was held under the aegis of the U.N.
(C) For the first time, global environmental issues were firmly consolidated at the political level.
(D) It was a summit meeting.
Answer:
(A) True
(B) True
(C) True
(D) True.
Question 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 the sovereign jurisdiction.
(C) The question of managing the global commons reflected the North-South divide.
(D) The countries of the North are more concerned about the protection of the global common than the countries of the South.
Answer:
(A) The earth’s atmosphere, Antarctica ocean floor and outer space are considered as part of the global commons.
Question 4.
What was the outcome of the Rio Summit ?
Or
What was the ‘Earth Summit’ ? How : . far did the summit prove to be useful ? Explain. (C.B.S.E. 2016) :
Answer:
In June 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, It is also called the Earth Summit. The conference was attended by 170 countries and thousands of NGO’s and Multi-National Corporations. After a lot of discussion in the Rio Summit, many conventions were produced dealing with climate change, bio-diversity, forestry, etc. It also recommended a list of developments practices under the title Agenda 21.
In the Rio Summit, there was a consensus on combining economic growth with ecological responsibility. This approach is known as sustainable development. The United Nations Framework Convention on climate change 1992 provided that all the nations should cooperate to protect the environment.
Question 5.
What is meant by the Global Commons ? How are they exploited and polluted ?
Or
What are ‘Global Commons’? Why is : it said that international co-operation over the Global Commons is not easy ? (C.B.S.E. 2016)
Or
What is meant by Common Property Resources ? Explain with example ? (C.B.S.E. 2014)
Answer:
Global Commons are those areas, objects or resources of the world which are not part of the exclusive jurisdiction of any one state. Examples of Global Commons are earth’s atmosphere, the ocean floor, air space, outer space, Antarctica. Global Commons are also called world heritage because they are passed on by the present generation to the next generation and so on. Global environment is also a Global Common and world heritage.
Cooperation over the Global Common is very difficult due to lack of consensus on commons environmental agendas. Generally countries use Global Commons ruthlessly and never think of their obligations to protect it also. For example, Commercial ships, war ships, passenger ships, boat’s, etc. freely use sea water and sealine communications.
Sea water is polluted by these ships because these are driven by diesel power. Moreover, developed countries dumped their waste in the sea. People living on the banks of rivers also throw their waste in rivers. Developed and nuclear countries pollute the environment by their nuclear experiments.
Question 6.
What is meant by Common but ; differentiated responsibilites ? How could we implement the idea ?
Or
“States have common but differentiated responsibilities towards environment.” Analyse the statement giving suitable examples. (C.B.S.E. 2013)
Answer:
The relevant part of the Rio Declaration says that States shall cooperate in the spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem. In view of the different contributions of global environment degradation, states have common but differentiated responsibilities.
The developed countries accepted the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressure their societies place on the global environment and of the technological and financial resources they command.” The largest share of historical and current global emissions has originated in developed countries. Per capita emissions in developing coutries are still relatively low.
Hence India, China and other developing countries ere exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. Under Kyoto Protocol industrial countries are required to cut their green house gas emissions. Following the principle of common but differentiated responsibility India is of the view that major responsibilities of curbing emission rests with the developed countries which have accumulated emissions over a long period of time.
Question 7.
Why have issues related to global environment protection become the priority concern of states since the 1990 ?
Answer:
The issues related to global environment protection have become the priority concern of states since 1990 due to following reasons :
- Agricultural land is reducing and its fertility is also reducing.
- According to human Development Report 2006 of United Nation Development programme about 1.2 billion people in developing countries have no accesss to the safe drinking water where as about 2.6 billion people have no sanitation facilities.
- Natural forests are being cut down as large scale and have people being displaced.
- There is a steady decline in the total amount of ozone in the Earth’s stratosphere poses a real danger to ecosystems and human health.
- Coastal pollution is increasing globally. The coastal water are becoming pulluted due to land based activities.
Question 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 the South on environmental issues.
Answer:
The developed and rich countries of the first world are generally known as the ‘Global North’ while the poor and developing countries of the third world are called the ‘Global South’, ‘Global North’ were pursuing a different environmental agenda than the ‘Global South’ Northern states were more concerned with ozone depletion and global warming, while Southern states were anxious to establish the relationship between economic development and environmental management.
At Rio Summit, Convention dealing with climate changes was produced. There was a consensus on combating economic growth with ecological responsibility. This is called sustainable development approach.
India, China and other developing countries were exempted from the requirement of the Kyoto Protocol because their contributions to the emi ssion of greenhouse gases during industrialisation was insignificant. At the G-8 meeting in June 2005, India pointed out that the per capita emission rates of developing countries are tiny fractions of those in the developed world, India is of the view that the major responsibility of curbing emission rests with the developed countries.
Even United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) acknowledged that developed countries are responsible for most historical and current greenhouse emission, and emphasized that economic and social development are the first and overriding priorities of the developing countries politics.
Question 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:
Modern state is a welfare state and welfare state’s main aim is to raise the standard of living of the people and this aim can be achieved through economic development. America, England, France, Japan and other developed countries have made tremendous economic development. But the major challenge before the modern state is to pursue economic development without causing further damage to the global environment.
This problem can be solved by adopting following measures :
- Need of Holistic or Integrated Thinking. In European world emphasis is on materialistic philosophy. But the need is to change the thinking of human being. Need is to follow Holistic or Intergrated thinking of India.
- Control over population. Rapid population growth is the major factor responsible for environment pollution. Hence the need to the check the growth of world population. States should take effective measures to check the growth of population.
- To protect Forests. To protect the environment it is very essential to protect the forests. In India Council of Forestry Research and Education is working successfully.