Environment and Natural ResourcesClass 12 Contemporary World Politics NCERT Solutions
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Q1Questions
Which among the following best explains the reason for growing concerns about the environment? a. The developed countriesa re concemed about protecting nature. b. Protection of the environment is vital for indigenous people and na tural habitats. c. The environmental degradation caused by human activities has become pervasive and has reached a dangerous level. d. None of the above.
Solution
c. The environmental degradation caused by human activities has become pervasive and has reached a dangerous level.
Explanation:
The chapter highlights that environmental concerns have gained prominence in global politics because the negative consequences of human activities have become widespread and critical. The text lists several severe problems:
- A substantial portion of agricultural land is losing fertility.
- Fisheries have been overharvested, and water bodies are depleted and polluted.
- Natural forests are being cut down, leading to loss of biodiversity and climate instability.
- The ozone layer is declining, posing a danger to ecosystems and human health.
- Coastal pollution is increasing globally. These issues are so significant that no single government can address them alone, necessitating their inclusion in world politics. While the concerns of developed countries and indigenous peoples are important aspects, the overarching reason for the growing global concern is the dangerous and pervasive scale of the degradation itself.
Q2Questions
Mark correct orwrong a ga inst ea ch of the following statementsa bout the Earth Summit: a. It was attended by 170 countries, thousands of NGOs and many MNCs. b. The summit was held under the aegis of the UN. c. For the first time, global environmental issues were firmly consolidated at the political level. d. It was a summit meeting.
Solution
a. Correct. The text states, "The summit was attended by 170 states, thousands of NGOs and many multinational corporations."
b. Correct. The text identifies the summit as the "United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992."
c. Correct. The chapter notes that, "The growing focus on environmental issues within the arena of global politics was firmly consolidated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development..."
d. Correct. The text repeatedly refers to the event as the "Earth Summit" and a "summit meeting."
Q3Questions
Which a mong the following are TRUE a bout the global commons? a. The Earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space are considered aspart of the global commons. b. The global commons a re 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.
Solution
The statements that are TRUE about the global commons are:
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a. The Earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space are considered as part of the global commons. The chapter explicitly lists these four areas as examples of global commons.
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b. The global commons are outside sovereign jurisdiction. The text defines global commons as "areas or regions of the world which are located outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any one state."
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c. The question of managing the global commons has reflected the North-South divide. The text states that the management of these areas, such as outer space, is "thoroughly influenced by North-South inequalities," particularly regarding technology and industrial development.
Q4Questions
What were the outc omes of the Rio Summit?
Solution
The Rio Summit, also known as the Earth Summit of 1992, had several significant outcomes:
- International Conventions: The summit produced conventions that dealt with major environmental issues like climate change, biodiversity, and forestry.
- Agenda 21: It recommended a comprehensive list of development practices called 'Agenda 21', which aimed to promote sustainable development.
- Principle of Sustainable Development: There was a global consensus on combining economic growth with ecological responsibility. This approach came to be widely known as 'sustainable development'.
- Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities: The summit formally accepted the argument that states have common responsibilities to protect the environment, but these responsibilities are differentiated based on their historical contribution to environmental degradation. This acknowledged that developed countries bear a greater responsibility.
Q5Questions
What is meant by the global commons? How are they exploited and polluted?
Solution
Meaning of Global Commons:
Global commons refer to resources, areas, or regions of the world that are located outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any single state. Because they are not owned by anyone, they require common governance by the international community. The chapter identifies four major global commons:
- The Earth's atmosphere
- Antarctica
- The ocean floor
- Outer space
Exploitation and Pollution of Global Commons:
The global commons are subject to exploitation and pollution in several ways, often reflecting inequalities between the developed North and the developing South.
- Atmosphere: The emission of greenhouse gases by industrialized nations has led to global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer, as evidenced by the discovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica in the mid-1980s.
- Antarctica: Even though activities in Antarctica are limited to scientific research, fishing, and tourism, the region has been degraded by waste and oil spills.
- Ocean Floor and Coastal Waters: The ocean floor faces threats from unregulated resource extraction. Coastal waters are becoming increasingly polluted due to land-based activities and intensive human settlement.
- Outer Space: The management of outer space is influenced by North-South inequalities. Countries with superior technology and industrial development have greater access to its benefits, leading to unequal exploitation.
Q6Questions
What is meant by 'common but differentiated responsibilities'? How could we implement the idea?
Solution
Meaning of 'Common but Differentiated Responsibilities':
'Common but differentiated responsibilities' is a principle of international environmental law that was formally accepted in the Rio Declaration at the 1992 Earth Summit. It acknowledges that while all states share a common responsibility to protect the global environment, their obligations should be different based on their historical contributions to the problem and their respective capabilities.
This principle arises from the argument made by the developing countries of the South. They contend that the developed countries of the North are historically responsible for the majority of ecological degradation, as it is a product of their industrial development over a long period. Therefore, the North should bear a greater share of the responsibility for undoing the damage. Furthermore, developing countries are still in the process of industrialization and should not be subjected to the same stringent restrictions as developed nations.
Implementation of the Idea:
The idea of common but differentiated responsibilities can be implemented through international agreements and cooperative actions:
- The Kyoto Protocol: A prime example of this principle in action is the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. This international agreement set binding targets for industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However, it exempted developing countries like China and India from these requirements, recognizing that their historical and per capita emissions were relatively low.
- Financial Aid and Technology Transfer: Developed countries can implement this principle by providing financial resources and clean, environmentally-sound technologies to developing countries. This would enable developing nations to pursue economic growth in a sustainable manner without repeating the polluting industrialization path of the North.
- Policy Flexibility: International environmental rules should be developed and interpreted in a way that takes the special needs and developmental priorities of developing countries into account.
Q7Questions
Why have issues related to global environmental protection become the priority concem of states since the 1990s?
Solution
Issues related to global environmental protection have become a priority concern for states since the 1990s for several interconnected reasons:
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Pervasive and Dangerous Degradation: Environmental degradation has reached a critical and pervasive level. Problems such as the loss of fertile agricultural land, overharvesting of fisheries, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, ozone layer depletion, and coastal pollution are no longer localized issues but global threats with severe consequences for human life and ecosystems.
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Transnational Nature of Problems: It became clear that environmental problems do not respect national boundaries. Issues like global warming, climate change, and ozone depletion are caused by collective action and affect all countries. Therefore, no single government can address them effectively on its own, necessitating international cooperation and making it a key issue in world politics.
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Consolidation at the Political Level: While environmental awareness had been growing since the 1960s, the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) firmly consolidated these issues at the highest political level. This summit brought together 170 states and thousands of NGOs, placing environmental protection squarely on the global political agenda.
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Link to Human Security and Development: The direct impact of environmental degradation on human well-being became undeniable. The text cites the UNDP's 2016 Human Development Report, noting that lack of access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries results in the death of over three million children annually. This frames environmental protection as a fundamental issue of human security and sustainable development.
Q8Questions
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.
Solution
The statement that compromise and accommodation are essential policies for saving planet Earth is strongly substantiated by the negotiations between the developed countries (North) and developing countries (South) on environmental issues. The core of these negotiations is a fundamental disagreement over responsibility and the path forward, which can only be resolved through mutual understanding and adjustment.
The North-South Divide:
- The North's Position: The developed countries of the North typically want to discuss the environmental crisis as it exists today and advocate for all countries to be equally responsible for conservation efforts.
- The South's Position: The developing countries of the South argue that the North is historically responsible for the vast majority of ecological degradation due to its long period of industrialization. They insist that the North must take greater responsibility for the damage and that the South's need for economic development should not be hampered by the same environmental restrictions.
Examples of Compromise and Accommodation:
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The Principle of 'Common but Differentiated Responsibilities': This principle, accepted at the 1992 Rio Summit, is a landmark example of compromise. It accommodates the South's demand for historical justice while securing the North's goal of a shared global commitment. The 'common' responsibility reflects accommodation from the South to participate in global efforts, while the 'differentiated' aspect reflects accommodation from the North to accept a larger share of the burden.
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The Kyoto Protocol: This agreement is a practical application of compromise. The North (specifically, the industrialized nations) agreed to binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. In an act of accommodation to the South's developmental needs and low per capita emissions, developing countries like India and China were exempted from these initial requirements.
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Negotiations on Technology and Finance: The South continues to demand that the North provide financial resources and clean technologies to help them develop sustainably. This requires accommodation from the North (providing aid and sharing technology) and compromise from the South (adopting greener development paths).
Without these acts of compromise and accommodation, negotiations would stall, and no collective action would be possible. The North must accommodate the South's right to develop, and the South must compromise by integrating ecological concerns into its development agenda. Therefore, finding a middle ground is not just a diplomatic strategy but a necessity for effective global environmental governance.
Q9Questions
The most serious challenge before the states is pursuing economic development without causing further damage to the global environment. How could we a chieve this? Expla in with a few examples.
Solution
The challenge of pursuing economic development without causing further environmental damage is at the heart of the concept of 'sustainable development', which seeks to combine economic growth with ecological responsibility. Achieving this balance requires a fundamental shift in policies, technologies, and international cooperation.
This goal can be achieved through a multi-pronged approach, as demonstrated by the initiatives taken by countries like India:
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Adopting Cleaner Technologies and Fuels: States can mandate the use of cleaner technologies to reduce pollution. For example, India's National Auto-fuel Policy mandates cleaner fuels for vehicles to curb air pollution. Similarly, encouraging the adoption of clean coal technologies can reduce the environmental impact of a key energy source.
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Promoting Energy Efficiency: A crucial step is to reduce the amount of energy consumed per unit of economic output. The Energy Conservation Act (2001) in India outlines initiatives to improve energy efficiency across various sectors, which helps in reducing the overall demand for resources and curbing emissions.
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Investing in Renewable Energy: Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is fundamental to sustainable development. The Electricity Act of 2003 in India encourages the use of renewable energy. Countries can invest in large-scale renewable energy programs, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, to power their economies cleanly.
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Developing Alternative Resources: Investing in new, sustainable resources can reduce pressure on existing ones. The Indian government's plan to launch a National Mission on Biodiesel, using land to produce a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels, is an example of this approach.
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International Cooperation: Since developing countries often lack the capital and technology for a green transition, achieving this goal globally requires international cooperation. Developed countries must provide developing nations with financial resources and environmentally-sound technology on concessional terms, as argued by India. This enables poorer countries to meet their developmental goals without adding significantly to global environmental degradation.
By implementing such policies, states can work towards decoupling economic growth from environmental harm, thereby achieving the goal of sustainable development.