Environmental Issue Test - 1

Concept:

Greenhouse Effect: The solar energy trapped by the earth atmosphere and radiate it slowly so to cover our earth with a warm blanket. This is the natural process of the greenhouse effect on earth to maintain its temperature and makes the earth perfect for life.

Greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases are methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone. 

Values of radiation absorbed by the greenhouse gases are as follow:

Explanation:

• Tropical forest trees, like all green plants, take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis
• Plants also carry out the opposite process known as respiration in which they emit carbon dioxide, but generally in smaller amounts than they take in during photosynthesis; The surplus carbon is stored in the plant, helping it to grow
• When trees are cut down and burned or allowed to rot, their stored carbon is released into the air as carbon dioxide.
• So, the levels of carbon dioxide will increase and cause global warming

• And this is how deforestation and forest degradation contribute to the increase in greenhouse gases and hence global warming.

Mistake Points

Global Warming

• An increase in the average temperature of the earth surface due to the greenhouse effect is called global warming
• It also refers to the increase in average temperature of the air and sea at the earth's surface

The correct answer is the Montreal Protocol.

• Montreal protocol is designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out substances responsible for ozone depletion.

Key Points

• Montreal Protocol-
  •   The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone-layer depletion.
  • It was decided on 16 September 1987 and came into force on 16 September 1989.
  • The main objective of the protocol is to phase out the production and consumption of compounds that deplete ozone in the stratosphere such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, methyl chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride.  

The correct answer is South America.

Key Points

• The Amazon rainforest is located in South America and spreads over an astounding 5.5 million square kilometers.
  • It spans nine countries - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
  • ​The Sahara Desert impacts the Amazon rainforest to a great extent by supplying phosphorus which is essential for fertilization. 
  • The Amazon rainforest fire raging for over 20 days in August 2019 is produced a devastating effect on the region.

Additional Information​ 

• The Amazon River :
  • It runs through the Amazon rainforest is the world’s second-longest river after the Nile.
  • It is also the world’s largest by water volume.
  • It comprises hundreds of waterways that stretch across 6,840 km.
  • It has 17 tributaries that drain 55 million gallons of water every second into the Atlantic Ocean.
•  More than 3000 types of fruit which are grown in the Amazon are edible like - oranges, lemons, avocados, coconuts, grapefruits, mangoes, and pineapples.

The stratospheric ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation, preventing dangerous UV rays from hitting the Earth's surface and harming living organisms.

• The UV rays that reach the earth has ultraviolet A, ultraviolet B and ultraviolet C (UVA, UVB and UVC) rays.
• UV A (wavelength 400-315nm) is not absorbed by the ozone and penetrate deep into the skin causing DNA changes and skin cancer.
• UV B (wavelength 315-280nm) is mostly absorbed by the ozone layer and is the main cause of sunburn and cataract.
• UV C (wavelength 280-100nm) is completely absorbed by the ozone layer.

Thus, UV A rays are not absorbed by the ozone layer.

TRIM-Trade-related Investment Measures", an agreement within the Uruguay Round trade negotiations.

TRIPS- Agreement on "TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS"

The correct answer is option 4, i.e. Brazil.

Amazon rainforest is present in the country Brazil.

• A devastating fire occurred in Amazon forest in the year 2019. It has alarmed environmentalists and government from worldwide.
• The forest has experience more than 72000 fires after the month of January 2019 and 80% increase in the fire as compared to last year data.
• The fire was mainly caused by clearing of land by farmers and it gave the light on anti-environmental policies by President Jair Bolsonaro.
• Amazon is a rainforest stretch across 5.5 million square km. in is present in Brazil (60%), Peru (13%), Columbia (10%), Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and France. The forest is home for one in 10 species of Earth.
• According to Brazil Space Research Centre 80% increase in fires from last year and it can be seen from the space.
• Fire is used to clear land for agriculture, ranching and logging etc, which will increase during the dry season.
• Rainforest is important because of the influence in the water cycle in the global and regional level. It is home to the indigenous community which is in threat due to encroachments by the Brazil government and foreign corporations for economic activities.
• Scientist suggests that further deforestation of Amazon rainforest will transform the world’s largest rainforest to a Savanna. It will be also a loss of important carbon sink on Earth.

The correct answer is 1st January 1995.

Key Points

• The WTO was founded in Geneva on 1st January 1995 year.
  • The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade between nations.
    • It officially commenced operations on 1st January 1995, pursuant to the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was established in 1948.
  • The WTO is the world's largest international economic organization, with 164 member states representing over 96% of global trade and global GDP.
  • The organization prohibits discrimination between trading partners but provides exceptions for environmental protection, national security, and other important goals.
• Hence, option 2 is correct. 

Additional Information

• Function:
  • Part of the function of the World Trade Organization is to get the Understanding of Rules and Procedures Governing Dispute Settlement administered.
  • The Trade Policy Review Mechanism shall be administered by the WTO to cover trade-related intellectual property rights, services, and goods. 
  • It provides a forum for negotiations and for settling disputes.
  • It oversees the implementation, administration, and operation of the covered agreements.

The correct answer is Ozone concentration.

Key Points 

• The Dobson Unit is the most common unit for measuring ozone concentration.
• One Dobson Unit is the number of molecules of ozone that would be required to create a layer of pure ozone 0.01 millimeters thick at a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 1 atmosphere.

Additional Information

• A column of air with an ozone concentration of 1 Dobson Unit would contain about 2.69x1016 ozone molecules for every square centimeter of area at the base of the column.
• Over the Earth’s surface, the ozone layer’s average thickness is about 300 Dobson Units or a layer that is 3 millimeters thick.

Important Points

• Most atmospheric ozone is concentrated in a layer in the stratosphere, about 9 to 18 miles (15 to 30 km) above the Earth's surface.
• Commercial jet aircraft fly in the lower stratosphere, because there is no weather change.

Barriers of trade:

• The trade barriers are imposed by the government by placing rules and regulations, tariffs, import quotas, and embargos.
• The four different types of trade barriers are Tariffs, Non-Tariffs, Import Quotas, and Voluntary Export Restraints.
• Tax on imports is an example of a trade barrier.
• It is called a barrier because some restriction has been set up.
• Governments can use trade barriers to increase or decrease (regulate) foreign trade and to decide what kinds of goods and how much of each, should come into the country.

Important Points

Hence, only tax is a barrier to free trade.

• The Amazon Rain Forest is known as “the lungs of the planet earth" since it produces 20% of oxygen on Earth. It is situated in South America and covers countries like Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, etc. 
• The mangrove forests occur worldwide in tropics and subtropics and span around 118 countries and territories.
• Tundra biomes are usually the tree-less regions in the high mountains and the Arctic. The vegetation found here is low-growing.
• Taiga forests are known as snow forests and have coniferous trees such as larches, spruces and pines.