NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 25
INTEXT QUESTIONS 25.1
1. Name the national environmental agencies.
Ans:
- (i) Ministry of Environment and Forests
- (ii) Central Pollution Control Board
- (iii) State Pollution Control Board
- (iv) Indian Board for Wildlife
2. What are the main functions of MoEF?
Ans: For planning, promoting, coordinating and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country.
3. When was CPCB established?
Ans: September 1974
4. Expand the following: CPCB, NAAQM, IBWL.
Ans:
- CPCB: Central Pollution Control Board
- NAAQM: National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring
- IBWL: Indian Board for Wildlife.
5. When was IBWL reconstituted, and who is the head of this organisation?
Ans: 2001. The Honourable Prime Minister of India.
INTEXT QUESTIONS 25.2
1. What does UNEP stand for? Who created it, and where is its headquarters located?
Ans: United Nations Environment Programme. It was created by the United Nations General Assembly, Nairobi (Kenya)
2. What kind of programme does UNEP fund and implement?
Ans: UNEP is active in funding and implementing environment-related development projects for promoting sustainable development.
3. What is the full form of WHO, and what is its main objective?
Ans: World Health Organisation. Its objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
4. Which is the first disease in history to be eliminated by human efforts?
Ans: Smallpox is the first disease eradicated/eliminated in 1980 by human efforts.
5. What does HELI stand for?
Ans: Health and Environment Link Initiative
6. Who created FAO? Mention it’s one important function.
Ans: FAO is created by the United Nations, and its objective is to defeat hunger.
INTEXT QUESTIONS 25.3
1. What is the full form of CSD, and when was it established?
Ans: Commission for Sustainable Development, established in December 1992.
2. What is the aim of UNFCCC?
Ans: It is an international body to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable.
3. What is the Kyoto Protocol, and when was it adopted?
Ans: Kyoto Protocol is an international and legally binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. It started to work on 16th February 2005.
INTEXT QUESTIONS 25.4
1. What is the full form of IUCN, and where is its headquarters located?
Ans: The International Union for Conservation of Nature, its headquarters located in Gland, Switzerland.
2. When and where was the WWF formed?
Ans: WWF was formed as a charitable trust, 11 September 1961 at Morges, Switzerland, under the name World Wildlife Fund.
3. What is the present full form of WWF, and what was its earlier full form?
Ans: The Present full form is World Wide Fund for Nature, and the earlier full form was World Wildlife Fund.
4. Which ecosystem contains the most biodiversity in the world?
Ans: Forests, freshwater ecosystems and oceans and coasts contain most of the world’s biodiversity.
INTEXT QUESTIONS 25.5
1. What is the full form of TERI, and what was its basic purpose?
Ans: Teri is at Tata Energy Research Institute. It was established in 1974, and the basic purpose of setting up this institute/organisation was to tackle the acute problems of the earth’s depleting finite energy resources.
2. What is Down to Earth?
Ans: Fortnightly environment magazine published by CSE (Centre for Science and Environment).
3. When was Kalpavriksh established, and what is the main function it performs?
Ans: 1979, and the main functions are environmental awareness, campaigns, litigation, research and other areas relating to environmental issues.
4. What is the mission of Development Alternatives?
Ans: Is to promote sustainable national development.
5. Who founded Sulubh International? What sort of work does this organisation undertake?
Ans: Dr Bindeshwar Pathak founded Sulubh International in 1970. It’s a social service organisation which provides human rights, environmental sanitation, and non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education.
TERMINAL EXERCISE
1. What is the full form of CPCB, and what are its main functions?
Ans: Central Pollution Control Board. Its main functions are,
- (i) To promote the cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution.
- (ii) To improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.
2. What are Rio+10 and where was it held?
Ans: The United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002, is known as RIO+10.
3. Which is the wildlife conservation body in India, and what is it called?
Ans: Indian Board for Wildlife (IBWL)
4. Which agency of the United Nations develops policy guidelines for environmental programmes at the international level?
Ans: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
5. Which disease was totally eradicated by the WHO in 1980?
Ans: Smallpox.
6. Write the full form and brief description of the following:
- i. SARS
- ii. AIDS
- iii. WHO
- iv. FAO
- v. NGO
- vi. CSE
- vii. UNFCCC
- viii. TERI
- ix. IUCN
- x. WWF
Ans:
- i. SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
- ii. AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- iii. WHO: World Health Organisation
- iv. FAO: Food and Agriculture Organisation
- v. NGO: Non-Governmental Organisations
- vi. CSE: Centre for Science and Environment
- vii. UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- viii. TERI: Tata Energy Research Institute
- ix. IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature
- x. WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature
7. Who is the founder of Sulubh International? State three functions of this organisation.
Ans: Dr Bindeshwar Pathak founded Sulubh International in 1970. It’s a social service organisation which provides human rights, environmental sanitation, and non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education.
8. Match the following
| A | B |
| Kalpavriksh | Environment magazine |
| Gobar Times | Indian NGO Concern with environment |
| Down to Earth | An Island |
| Greenpeace | Children’s magazine |
| Amchitka | International NGO concerned with environment |
Ans:
| A | B |
| Kalpavriksh | Indian NGO Concern with environment |
| Gobar Times | Children’s magazine |
| Down to Earth | Environment magazine |
| Greenpeace | International NGO concerned with environment |
| Amchitka | An Island |
9. What does HELI stand for and why was it created?
Ans: HELI stands for Health Environment Link Initiative (HELI). It is a global effort by the WHO and UNEP to support action by developing country policymakers on environmental threats to health. It encourages countries to address health and environmental issues as integral to economic
development. It supports the valuation of ecosystem ‘services’ to human health and wellbeing services, ranging from climate regulation to provision or replenishment of air, water, food and energy sources and generally healthy living and working environments. HELI activities include country-level pilot projects
10. Write the main functions of the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Ans: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation ) of the United Nations. It aims to modernise and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It ensures food security for all.
11. What are the main objectives of the Kyoto Protocol?
Ans: The Kyoto Protocol, an international and legally binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, entered into force on 16 February 2005.
- The Convention places the heaviest burden for fighting climate change on industrialised nations, since they are the source of most past and current greenhouse gas emissions. These countries are asked to do the most to cut what comes out of smokestacks and tailpipes, and to provide most of the money for efforts elsewhere. For the most part, these developed nations, called “Annexe I” countries because they are listed in the first annexe to the treaty, belong to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
- These advanced nations, as well as 12 “economies in transition” (countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including some states formerly belonging to the Soviet Union), were expected by the year 2000 to reduce emissions to 1990 levels. As a group, they succeeded.
- Industrialised nations agree under the Convention to support climate-change activities in developing countries by providing financial support to these countries. A system of grants and loans has been set up through the Convention and is managed by the Global Environment Facility. Industrialised countries also agree to share technology with less-advanced nations.
12. What are the major objectives and functions of IUCN?
Ans:
- To influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
- Nature provides all the basic requirements of life, including water, food, clean air, energy and shelter, so it must be protected and used wisely. But social and economic development must also continue to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives.
- The backbone of all life on earth, including our own, is biodiversity – the intricate network of animals, plants and the places where they live. Conserving biodiversity – stopping the extinction of animal and plant species, and stopping the destruction of natural places – is the core of IUCN’s work.
- Profoundly linked to biodiversity are four of humankind’s greatest challenges: climate change, energy, livelihoods and economics. IUCN therefore works on each of these four areas through its core work on biodiversity.
Additional Study Materials
- Chapter 21 Concept of Sustainable Agriculture
- Chapter 22 Cleaner Technology
- Chapter 23 Environmental Legislation
- Chapter 24 Environmental Impact Assessment
