(c) Rolex award money

(d) Animals can not be saved without saving their habitats

(c) Water shortage

(d) All the above

The world of living organisms is known as biotic environment. Example: plants and animals. The world of non-living element is known as abiotic environment. Example:

Pledge for environmental conservation –

We should plant trees on special occasions like – birthday, festival, death day)

Different levels of environmental conservation 

(a) Individual 

(b) Family 

(c) Public 

(d) Official (Working place) 

(e) School 

(f) Administrative level

It is important for us because it is the provider of air, water, food and land— the basic necessities of life

The two causes of water pollution are as follows: 

1. Waste water given out from factories are let into water bodies without processing. 

2. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used in agriculture which seep into the soil and finally flow into rivers with rainwater.

The two causes of air pollution are as follows: 

1. Fuels are burnt in vehicles, give out certain poisonous gas and smoke. 

2. Industries let out some poisonous gases into the air.

(a) The lithosphere is the outer crust of the earth, constituted, up of soil, rocks and minerals. 

(b) Hydrosphere is constituted by the water content of the earth that includes water vapour in the air, water on the earth’s surface and underground water. 

(c) The atmosphere is constituted of the air that covers the whole of the Earth like a blanket.

Correct option is (a) conservation

Lithosphere is the solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth. It is made up of rocks and minerals. It is covered by a thin layer of soil. It is an irregular surface with various landforms such as mountains, plateaus, desert, plains, valleys etc. Lithosphere plays an important role in our life. It provides us forests, grassland for grazing , land for agriculture and human settlements. It is also a treasure of various minerals.

Correct option is (c) pollution

The reasons of air pollution are increasing use of vehicles and growth of industries.

1. Forests have been cut down to make place for various reasons of man’s need. 

2. Forest provide shelter and food to the wild animals. 

3. If the plants on the earth are destroyed the number of animals also fall day by day. 

4. Because of hunting, the population of wild animals is falling.

Lithosphere provide us forests, grasslands for grazing land for agriculture and human settlements. It is a rich source of minerals.

The biotic components of natural environment is Plants

It is important to conserve the living components of the environment because:

1. Due to human intervention in nature the non living components are getting polluted. 

2. So the living things are threatened. 

3. Several living things have already become extinct. 

4. If one factor of the environment is damaged, it disturbs environmental balance. 

5. The process of extinction is increasingly fast. 

6. This will be a threat to the whole living world.

The two major components of the biotic environment are plants and animals.

The needs of human beings are increasing day and day. Hence, they modify natural environment to fulfil these needs. Sometimes they even destroy their environment Human beings have made cars for their convenience. These cars release fumeswhich pollute the air. They have established factories on land. These factoriesmanufacture various items such as containers. This is how they modify naturalenvironment.

(i) To reach the centre of the earth one will have to dig a hole 6000 km. deep on the ocean floor. This is quite impossible and therefore we cannot go to the centre of the earth.
(ii) Rocks break down into small fragments known as sediments. These sediments are transported and deposited by wind, water, etc. These loose sediments are compressed and hardened to form layers of rocks known as sedimentary rocks.
(iii) Limestone is changed into marble because igneous and sedimentary rocks change into metamorphic rocks under a great heat and pressure.

1. Lithosphere
2. Atmosphere
3. Hydrosphere
4. Biosphere
5. It is the solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth. It is made up of rocks and minerals and covered by a thin layer of soil. It provides us forests, grasslands and land. It is a source of mineral wealth.
6. It is the thin layer of air that surrounds the earth. The gravitational force of the earth holds the atmosphere around it. It protects us from harmful rays and scorching heat of the sun. It consists of various gases, dust and water vapour.
7. It refers to various water bodies such as rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc. that exist on the earth.
8. Biosphere or the living world is comprised of plant and animal kingdom. It is a narrow zone of the earth where land, water and air interact with each other to support life.

Human beings from the early times have been interacting with the environment and modifying it according to their needs. Early humans adapted themselves to the natural surroundings. They led a simple life and fulfilled their requirements from the nature around them. But their needs kept on increasing. They became varied also. To fulfil these varied needs, humans learnt to grow crops, tamed animals and began a settled life. The wheel was invented, surplus food was produced, barter system emerged, trade started and commerce developed. Industrial revolution made possible large scale production. By and by transportation became faster. Information revolution made communication easier and speedy across the world. In this way human beings adapted to the environment in order to fulfil their needs.

The basic components of natural environment are land, water, air, plants and animals.

a) to become very competent foresters.

The forested mountains are the sources of water and the source of rain. So when we deforest we cause a shortage of water and a change of rainfall patterns and therefore people are not able to get food and water. In such a way people’s basic needs are connected with the environment.

As per the view of Maathai, women are responsible for the protection of environment because women are in need of food, clean drinking water, and fodder for their animals. Women work on farms, they plant, they cultivate, they produce food and they manage the environment.

Yes, the childhood environment of Wangari Maathai is entirely different from the environment I live in at present. Her childhood environment was very pristine, very beautiful, and very green whereas my environment includes all the human made things, and the natural things like plants and trees are scarcely found. Her environment is pollution free one with fresh air whereas mine is damaged because of comfortable means of living and indiscriminate destruction of forests.

This is an interview with Wangari Maathai, Environmental Activist and Nobel Prize winner. Wangari Maathai started the Green Belt Movement and also fought for equal rights for women in Africa. She is the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

From the very beginning Wangari Maathai understood that she has to rehabilitate the environment as the rural people are asking for clean drinking water, for food, for energy, for building material, for fodder for the animals. She thought peace is connected to a good environment because there won’t be any conflicts if natural resources are abundant. She insists that conflicts over natural sources are even at the global level. When she was a child, which was almost more than fifty years ago, the environment was very pristine, very beautiful and very green but as she grew the people destroyed all the local biological diversity. All the flora and fauna disappeared. One thing she noted is that not only did the rain pattern change, became less, but also the rivers started drying up. So she started campaign to restore the vegetation and to restore the land and to rehabilitate the forests. When she started working with the women she taught them how to plant trees. In the beginning it was difficult, but they soon gained confidence and they became very competent foresters. She called them “Foresters without Diplomas.”

Wangari Maathai thinks that the women responded well to her message because it is a need for them. She has seen three transformations. One of the biggest was that ability of an ordinary illiterate woman to get to understand and to be able to plant trees. The other two transformations are the transformation of the landscape, the willingness of people to fight for their rights. 

Wangari Maathai also influenced the rest of Africa by her efforts. She finally concluded that the greatest activity is to plant a tree which is a wonderful symbol for the environment.

Plants and animals are interdependent. Plants consume carbon dioxide and give oxygen to air and prepare food, thus are producers. Animals consume plants and plant products. They also absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide for plants. The dead and decaying animals act as nutrition to plants. Forests are the natural habitat for wild life.

The environment is our basic life support system. To fulfill his needs, man builds homes and factories and modifies the environment and its mineral wealth. For food, shelter and agriculture, he cuts forests and utilizes water. Due to industrial revolution and technological advancement, man has used fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum and has invaded animal habitat for his own development.

(a) Man modifies his environment to fulfil his needs and make his life comfortable. He also modified his environment to adopt himself to the natural surroundings.
(b) Plants and animals depend on each other for their own sake. Plants release oxygen that anim als breathe and absorb carbon dioxide that animals release.

Water hyacinth are formed in rivers and lakes due to pollution. That is mainly due to mixture of detergents in the water. To control it the water hyacinth should be removed and waste water from households or washing clothes in water should be banned.

In order to avoid the deforestation reducton in green cover etc. LPG and globar gas plants are being provided by the governments.

1. LPG:

It is a clean fuel. It reduces household pollution to a large extent. Also, energy wastage is minimised.

2. Provision of gobar gas plant: 

The government in providing gobar gas plants through easy loan and subsidy for gobar gas plant to function, cattle dung is fed to the plant and gas is produced which is used as fuel while the slurry which is leftover a Very good organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

India has abundant natural resources in terms of rich quality of soil, hundred of rivers and tributaries, lost green forests, plenty of mineral deposits beneath the land surface, vast stretch of the indian ocean, ranges of mountains, etc.

The black soil of the Deccan plateau is particularly suitable for cultivation of cotton, leading to concentration of textile industries in this region. The Indo-Gangetic plains-spread from the Arabian sea to the Bay of Bengal are one of the most fertile intensively cultivated and densely populated regions in the world. India’s forest, through unevenly distributed provide green cover for its wildlife large deposit of iron-ore coal and natural gas are found in the country.

India alone accounts for nearly 20% of the world’s total iron- ore reserve, bauxite, copper, chromite, diamonds, gold, lead, lignite, manganese, zinc, uranium, etc. are also available in different parts of the country. However, the developmental activities in india have resulted in pressure on its finite natural resources besides creating impacts on human health and well being.

Better method of pest control: many steps have been taken to bring in better method of pest control.

1. Pesticides based on plant products are being used neem trees are proving to be quite useful several types of pest control chemicals have been isolated from neem and these are being used.

2. Mixed cropping has been adopted.

3. Different crops are being grown in consecutive years.

4. Awareness 15 being awakened about various animals and birds which help controlling pets

Environment is defined as the total planetary inheritance and the totality of all resources.

1. Renewable resources: 

Trees, Fish, Water.

2. Non-renewable resources:

Petroleum, Coal, Iron-ore

Class 12 Economics MCQ Questions of Environment and Sustainable Development with Answers were prepared based on the latest exam pattern. These MCQ Questions for class 12 Economics with solution are prepared by our team of expert teachers who are teaching class 12 in schools for years. If students will practice the MCQ Questions they will remember any of the concepts in these Chapters easily.

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1. Which of the following is not a biotic element?

(A) Birds
(B) Sunlight
(C) Forests
(D) Animals

2. Which of the following is a renewable resource?

(A) Fish
(B) Coal
(C) Petroleum
(D) Iron-ore

3. Which of the following is an impact of global warming?

(A) Deforestation
(B) Rise in sea level
(C) Waste generation
(D) Rapid increase in population

4. In which of the following layers of the atmosphere is ozone shield found?

(A) Troposphere
(B) Exosphere
(C) Stratosphere
(D) Mesosphere

5. Which of the following is a consequence of ozone layer depletion?

(A) Skin cancer in humans
(B) Lower production of phytoplankton
(C) Hampers growth of terrestrial plants
(D) All of the above

6. When was the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) set up?

(A) 1964
(B) 1974
(C) 1984
(D) 1994

7. World Environment Day is observed on

(i) 5 June
(ii) 15 August
(iii) 1 January
(iv) 5 September

8. Which of the following is not a biotic element?

(i) Birds
(ii) Sunlight
(iii) Forests
(iv) Animals

9. Sustainable development can be achieved by

(i) controlling pollution
(ii) controlling the growth of population
(iii) restricting use of renewable resources
(iv) all of these

10. In which of the following layers of the atmosphere is ozone shield found?

(i) Troposphere
(ii) Exosphere
(iii) Stratosphere
(iv) Mesosphere

11. In which of the following layers of the atmosphere is ozone shield found?

(i) Troposphere
(ii) Exosphere
(iii) Stratosphere
(iv) Mesosphere

12. Which of the following is an impact of global warming?

(i) Deforestation
(ii) Rise in sea level
(iii) Waste generation
(iv) Rapid increase in population

13.  ________ is the total planetary inheritance of all resources which surrounds us. 

a)Sustainable development
b)Environment
c)Infrastructure
d)All of the above

14. Study of environment is the study of _________ between biotic and abiotic components.

a)Sustainable development
b)Interrelationship
c)Environment
d)None of the above

15.  _______plants use the energy of such streams to move small turbines.

a)CFC
b)Mini hydel
c)Thermal
d)Nuclear

16.  _________ implies that the waste generated is within the assimilation capacity of the environment.

a)Inter relationship
b)Carrying capacity
c)Sustainable development
d)None of the above

17.Global warming is a result of _____.

a)Environmental degradation
b)Industrial revolution
c)Carrying capacity
d)Absorptive capacity

18. __________ of negative environmental impacts are high.

a)Carrying capacity
b)Absorptive capacity
c)Opportunity cost
d)None of the above

19. The government set up the Central Pollution Control Board to control …………………

(a) noise pollution
(b) air pollution
(c) deforestation
(d) land pollution

20. Sustainable development can be achieved by ……………….

(a) controlling pollution
(b) controlling the growth of population
(c) restricting use of renewable resources
(d) all of these

21.Which of the following is an impact of global warming?

(a) Deforestation
(b) Rise in sea level
(c) Waste generation
(d) Rapid increase in population

22. In which of the following layers of the atmosphere is ozone shield found?

(a) Troposphere
(b) Exosphere
(c) Stratosphere
(d) Mesosphere

23. Which of the following is a consequence of ozone layer depletion?

(a) Skin cancer in humans
(b) Lower production of phytoplankton
(c) Hampers growth of terrestrial plants
(d) All of these

24. When was the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) set up?

(a) 1964
(b) 1974
(c) 1984
(d) 1994

25. How many industrial categories have been identified as significantly polluting by the CPCB?

(a) 17
(b) 25
(c) 27
(d) 31

Answer:

1. Answer (B) Sunlight

2. Answer (A) Fish

3. Answer (B) Rise in sea level

4. Answer (C) Stratosphere

5. Answer  (D) All of the above

6. Answer (B) 1974

7. Answer (i) 5 June

8. Answer (ii) Sunlight

9. Answer (iv) all of these

10. Answer (iii) Stratosphere

11. Answer (iii) Stratosphere

12. Answer (ii) Rise in sea level

13. Answer (B) Environment

14. Answer (B) Interrelationship

15. Answer (B) Mini hydel

16. Answer (B) Carrying capacity

17. Answer (B) Industrial revolution

18. Answer (C) Opportunity cost

19. Answer (b) air pollution

20. Answer (d) all of these

21. Answer (b) Rise in sea level

22. Answer (c) Stratosphere

23. Answer (d) All of these

24. Answer (b) 1974

25. Answer (a) 17

1. Use of nonconventional sources of energy: 

India is hugely dependent on thermal and hydro power plants to meet its power needs both of these have adverse environmental impacts, thermal powerplants emit large quantities of carbon dioxide which is a green house gas. Hydroelectric project inundate forests and interfere with the natural flow of water in catchment areas and the river basins.

2. LPG, Gobar gas in rural areas:

Households in rural areas generally use wood, dung cake or other biomass as fuel. This practice has several adverse implication like deforestation reduction in green cover, wastage cattle dung and air pollution. To rectify the situation subsidised LPG is provided and gobargas plants are provided. LPG is a cleanfiiel it reduces household pollution to a largeextent. Also, energy wastage is minimised.

3. CNG in urban areas:

In Delhi, the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel in public transport system has significally lowered airport and the air has become cleaner in the last year.

4. Wind power:

In areas where speed of wind is usually high. Windmills can provide electricity without any adverse impact on the environment. Wind turbines move with the wind and electricity is generated. No doubt, the initial cost is high. But the benefits are such that the high costs get easily absorbed.

5. Solar power through photovoice cells:

India is naturally endowed with a large quantity of solar energy in the form of solar energy in the form of sunlight. We use it in different way. eg. we use sunlight. We use sunlight to get the clothes grains dried to keep our body warm in winter with the help of photovaUic cells. Solar energy can be converted into electricity. These cells use special kind of materials to capture solar energy and then convert the energy into electricity. This energy is extremely useful for remote area and for place where supply of power through grid or power lines is either not possible or powers very costly.

6. Mini – hydel plants:

Mountainous regions, stream can be found almost everywhere. A large percentage of such streams are perennial. Mini hydel plants use to energy of such streams to move smaU turbines the turbines generate electricity which can be used locally, such power plants are more or less environment-friendly as they do not use pattern in areas where they are located, they generate enough power to meet local demands. This shows that they can reduce the requirement of large scale transmission tower and cables and avoid transmission loss.

7. Traditional knowledge and practices : 

TraditionaUy, Indian people have been close to their environment. They have been move a component of environment and not its controUer. With the sudden onslaught of the western system of treatment. We were ignoring our traditional system such as Ayurveda, Unani, Tibetan and folk systems. Nowadays every cosmetic produce, hair oU, toothpaste, body lotion, face cream and what not is herbal in composition, not only are these products environmentfriendly, they are relatively free from side effects and do not large scale industrial and chemical processing.

8. Biocomposting:

In our quest to increase agricultural production during the last five decades or so, we almost totally neglected the use of compost and competely switched our to chemical fertilisers. The result is that large tracts of productive land have been adversly affected.

Water bodies including groundwater system have suffered due to chemical contamination and demand for irrigation has been going up year after year. In certain parts of the country, cattle are maintained only because they produce dung which is an important fertilizer and soil conditioner earthworms can convert organic matter into compost faster than the normal composting process. This process is now being willdely used.

9. Bio pest control:

With the advent of green revolution, the entire country entered into a frenzy to use more and more chemical pesticides for higher yield. soon, the adverse impacts began to show food products were contaminated, soil, water bodies and even groundwater. Water was polluted with pesticides, even milk, meat and fishes were found to be contaminated. To meet his challenge efforts are on to bring better method of post control with use of pesticides like neem are proving to be quite useful. Mixed cropping and growing different crops in consecutive years on the same land have also helped farmers.

The rising population of the developing countries and the affluent consumption and production standards of the developed world have placed a huge stress on the environment in terms of its first two functions.

The per capita forest land in india is 0.08 hectare.

When the rate of resource extraction exceeds that of their regeneration, the function, i.e it fails to prefer an important junction ie it fails to sustain life by providing genetic and biodiversity, this results in an environmental crisis. Presently the entire world is facing this situation.

The rising population of the developing countries and affluent consumption and production standards of the developed world have placed a huge stress on the environment. Many resources have become extinct and the wastes generated are beyond the absorptive capacity of the environment.

Four pressing environmental concerns of india is:

1. Land degradation :

Land in India suffers from varying degrees and types of degradation stemming. Mainly from unsuitable use and in appropriate management practices.

2. Biodiversity loss:

In India, the per capital forest land is only 0.08 hectare against the requirement of 0.47 hectare to meet basic needs resulting in an excess feeling of about 15 million cubic meters forests over the permissible limits similarly with soil, soil is being eroded at a rate of 5.3 billion tonnes a year for the entire country as a result of which the country losses 0.8 million tonnes of nitrogen 1.8 millions tonnes of potassium every year.

3. Management of fresh water:

In our country management of freshwater is altogether faulty. Unplanned urbanization, loss of rainwater cast seeps into the earth faulty system of waste disposal are responsible for polluted water. 

4. Air pollution: 

Air pollution is very dangerous for plant, animals and human beings. It is a serious concern mainly in urban areas. Where the dust and smoke emitted by factories, vehicles, etc. Pollute the environment very badly.

Four pressing environment concerns of India are

1. Land degradation.

2. Biodiversity loss

3. Air population with special reference to vehicular pollution in urban cities.

4. Management of fresh water and solid waste management. Correction for environmental damages involves opportunity costs as explained below.

a. The industrial development in past has polluted and dried up rivers and other aquifers making water an economic good, cleaning up of polluted rivers and replenishing water resources require huge investments.

b. The intensive and extensive extraction of both renewable and non – renewable resources has exhausted some of these vital resources and huge amount of funds need to be spent of technology and reserach to explore new resources.

c. The health costs of degraded environmental quality are also present as decline in air and water quality have resulted in increased incidence of respiratory and water – borne diseases.

d. Global environmental issues such as global warming and ozone depletion also contribute to increased financial commitments for the government.

Following are the factors responsible for land degradation are:

1. Loss of vegetation occurring due to deforestation 

2. Unsustainable fuel wood and fodder extraction

3. Shifting cultivation

4. Encroachment into forest lands

5. Forest fires and overgrazing.

6. non-adoption of adequate soil conservation measure.

To solve the problem of environmental degradation global warming and one depletion etc. The government has to make extra efforts and expenditure. These expenditures are known as opportunity cost of those useful projects which had to be left because of finite resources and diversion of these resources towards resolving the above mentioned problem.

This opportunity cost is very high because the development process has ignored the environment and ecological balance. The rectify this more efforts are needed involving heavy expenditures.

The environment on the earth consists of three major elements-land, water and air. All these elements are very important and lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere are three realms of the earth.

The world environment day is celebrated on 5 June.