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What is sustainable development?

It is development that "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”.

When was the first Earth Summit held and where?

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 5, 1972

What is CSD?

Commission on Sustainable Development

What is UNCED?

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

What is ‘biodiversity’?

It is the variety of living organisms of all sources, viz. terrestrial, marine and avian, that are interdependent
and mark the complexities of our ecology.

What are ‘biodiversity hotspots’?

These are areas around the world that support a rich complex of biodiversity. There are 18 such hotspots
around the world, among which the Western Ghats and the Himalayas in India figure.

What is genetic diversity?


It is the sum of information which is found in the genes of individuals, plants, animals and micro-organisms.

What are the major problems that face the environment?


Loss of habitat and wildlife trade

What are ‘exotic species’?


Animals and plants that are introduced from other countries and are not otherwise found locally.

What are wetlands?

Areas lying across the banks of rivers, lakes and around the coasts, for eg. Chilika Lake in Orissa is the
largest brackish water lagoon. It was declared the Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1981.

Aerobic composting

It is a method of composting organic waste using bacteria that needs oxygen.

Aerosols

Particles of solid or liquid matter that can remain suspended in the air from a few minutes to many months.

Biome
A climatic region characterised by dominant vegetation.

Bio reserves

Areas rich in ecosystems and species diversity which are reserved for conservation

Biota
All flora and fauna and funaria (moss varieties)

CFC
Chloroflorocarbon

Desertification
The progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover is desertification. 2006 was the Intl.
Year of Deserts and Desertification.

Ecology

The study of relationships between the biotic and the abiotic components, i.e. the living and the non living in
the environment.

Flyash
Airborne solid particles that result from the burning of coal and other soild fuel

Geothermal energy
Heat generated by natural processes within the earth, viz. hot dry rock, magma and geysers or hotsprings

Hazardous waste
Waste that is reactive, toxic, corrosive and dangerous to living beings

Incineration

Burning solid waste and other material under controlled conditions to ash

Leachate
The liquid that seeps or filters through land from the surface

Poaching
Illegal hunting of animals

Symbiosis
Two different organisms living together

Thermal energy
Energy through heat

Project Tiger
Launched in 1973

Tibet and China, worst culprits of poaching

States in India with the highest forest cover


Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh
Longest mangrove forest

Sunderbans

Hole in the ozone layer first detected in 1985 over Antarctica on Sep 16

2007 is the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol


What is Terra Green?
A bimonthly newsletter issued by TERI to promote consciousness and sensitivity about environmental
issues.

There are two most powerful forces controlling global weather. One is the seasons and the other is a
phenomenon that is being studied for more than 50 years and occurs irregularly every 3 to 7 years. What is
this force known as?

El Nino

Most lakes and streams have a pH between 6 and 8. How does acid rain increase the acidity in water
environments?

By lowering the pH level

This aquatic plant can form impenetrable mats of floating vegetation. As many as 5,000 seeds can be
produced by a single plant and are the cause of extensive eutrophication of water bodies. Which plant is
this referring to?

Water hyacinth

One of the following could be used at sites where oil spills have occurred and damaged the soil to
encourage the growth of bacteria that break down petroleum products in the soil. What are we referring to?

oxygen release compound

All green plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through their leaves, but the amount fluctuates
greatly. Rainforest trees absorb about 20-25kg annually -- roughly the amount of exhaust your car releases
in an hour. Of the following group which kind of trees would absorb the most carbon dioxide?

Older trees
Trees in cold climates
Young trees
Desert trees

What international post has the Dir Gen of TERI been appointed to?

Chairman, Intergovtl Panel on Climate Change

Today, there are over 6.2 billion people in the world. At the current birth rate, what is the population likely to
be in 2060?

12 billion

Global climate has increased by what degree in the past 100 years?

0.6 deg Celsius

What country is the largest source of global warming pollution?

USA (though has only 4% of world pop. produces 25% of CO2 pollution from burning fossil fuels; more
than that of India, China and Japan put together.
How many millions face severe water shortages?

More than 300 million; likely to grow to 3 billion in 2025

How many species are at driven to extinction per day/ per year?

137 per day and 50, 000 per year ( 25% of all mammals are at risk because of degradation and loss of
habitats and 11% of birds too)

What percent of the world’s forest cover does not exist?

50% (another 30% is degraded or fragmented since our use of wood for fuel, umber, paper and other
products has doubled in the past 50 years)

How many countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol?

164

The main cause of Global Warming is:

orbital eccentricities of Earth and variations in the Sun's output

The Greenhouse Effect is caused primarily by:

a) water vapor

What documentary won an Oscar recently? Who features in this?

An Inconvenient Truth featuring Al Gore (former VP of the USA) crusading against global warming

What Is the fastest growing energy source?

Solar energy

What percent of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed?

20 (attributed directly to human activities like coastal dev.

Worldwide, forested areas contracted by an area equivalent to what country?

Italy

A wildlife species that does not exist in the wild in its native country but does so outside the country is
called

An extirpated species
What does petroleum mean?

Rock oil (from petra + aloe in Greek)

What percent of energy used by the world comes form fossil fuels?

90%

Which fossil fuel emits the lowest amt of CO2 on use?

Natural gas

How much CO2 does a litre of gas used by an average car emit?

2.4 kg

If we didn’t have the natural greenhouse effect on Earth, what would the av temp have been

- 18 deg C

How much more CO2 is there in the atmosphere than in 1860?

25 % more

How many tonnes of CO2 are released into the atmosphere each year due to deforestation?

2 to 5 billion tonnes

How fast is the Arctic warming in comparison with the rest of the world?

Twice as fast

Acid rain can have an unforeseen effect on climate change. What is it?

It can slow it down by reducing methane levels

Which country has the highest per capita CO2 emissions?

UAE with 6.17 metric tonnes of carbon

Figures compiled by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center show UAE's per
capita emissions are highest at 6.17 metric tonnes of carbon, followed by Kuwait with
5.97, the US with 5.4, Australia with 4.91 and the UK with 3.87. If total greenhouse gas
emissions are compared, however, some analysts say Australia comes out higher than
the US.

Emissions trading has become a key concept in reducing greenhouse gases worldwide. Which
country invented it?

The US has been operating emissions credit trading programmes to tackle non-
greenhouse pollutants since 1977.

In the twentieth century, approximately how much did the average global temperature over land and
ocean areas increase?
The answer is: 1.08° F or 0.6 deg C

Of the following gases, which is not considered to be a greenhouse gas (GHG)?

The answer is: Nitrogen

(Water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the two largest contributors to the greenhouse effect—
warming caused by certain gases which trap heat within the Earth’s atmosphere. Methane (CH4), nitrous
oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride are present only in trace amounts, but
can still have a powerful warming effect due to their heat-trapping abilities and their long residence time in
the atmosphere)

In addition to the United States, which of the following countries did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol?

The answer is: Australia

(As defined by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement
“under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2
percent compared to the year 1990. The goal is to lower overall emissions from six greenhouse gases
calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12.” According to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as of August 2, 2005, 153 states and regional economic
integration organizations have “deposited instruments of ratifications, accessions, approvals or
acceptances.” The U.S. and Australia are the only two developed countries of the six countries that did not
ratify, accede, approve or accept the Protocol. The remaining four countries are Zambia, Croatia, Monaco)

The European Union signed on to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a
single party, and is therefore considered to be one of the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters. Which of the
following are currently the world’s top five greenhouse gas emitters?

The answer is: United States, China, European Union, Russia and India

(According to a report from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, if the European Union is counted as
a single entity, as it is in the Kyoto Protocol, it and the four other largest emitters—the United States, China,
Russia, and India—contribute approximately 61 percent of total global emissions. The United States alone
accounts for 20.6 percent of total GHG emissions. )
Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change

5. In which of the natural systems have effects of recent warming already been observed?

Climate change experts agree that there will be a range of impacts on natural systems caused by higher
atmospheric temperatures. Coastal beach erosion, melting glaciers, retreat of forests, and increased
desertification are just a few examples. These environmental consequences of global warming will also
lead to direct impacts on human life. Currently, warming in some areas of the world have extended
agricultural growing seasons once limited by lower temperatures in the mid and high latitudes and at higher
elevations. How water resources for agriculture may change as a result of climate change in any given
region is uncertain.
Source: Rosenzweig and Solecki, 2001

6. Which of the following is associated with increasing global temperatures?

As a result of 20th century warming, glaciers have been retreating and snow cover extent has decreased.
Arctic sea-ice thickness during the summer and early autumn has declined and tide gauge data show that
sea level has been rising. Observational evidence indicates that regional changes in climate have already
affected biological systems in many parts of the world. Additionally, some evidence suggests that natural
hazards such as flooding, storms and hurricanes have increased both in severity and intensity due to
warming. According to Climate Change Information Resources, climate change could also contribute
indirectly to at least three classes of health problems: incidence of certain vector-borne diseases such as
West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, and malaria may rise; water-borne disease organisms may become more
prevalent; and photochemical air pollutants may increase.
Source: IPCC (2001) ; CCIR

8. What decade is widely known as the “hottest decade” since 1861 when scientists began to keep reliable
records of air temperatures?

The answer is: 1990s

(The U.S. National Climatic Data Center reported in January 2004 that data collected from weather and
climate stations, satellites, ships, buoys and floats indicate that 2003 tied with 2002 for the second highest
average global temperature on record. The ten warmest years have all occurred since 1990. According to
New Scientist magazine, 1998 remains “the hottest year in the hottest decade of the hottest century of the
millennium,” though 2005 is on target to beat that record. )
Source: New Scientist Magazine

10. To understand the Earth’s climate history and make future projections based on their findings, scientists
study a range of proxy or indirect elements. What is studied by climate scientists in order to understand the
climate?

Climate scientists reconstruct the Earth's climate history by studying proxy records including ice cores,
sediments from the ocean, corals, and tree rings. From these proxies, they reconstruct Earth's climate
history and compare climate changes of the past with observations of recent climate changes and their
projections of climate change in the 21st century. According to derived data, recent human-induced climate

The largest glacier on Mount Kenya has lost 92% of its mass
Sea levels have risen by 10 - 25 cm
Thickness of sea ice in the arctic has decreased by 40%

2007 is the International Polar Year

Coral bleaching, caused by increased sea temperatures, is causing die-offs amongst coral reef
communities from Australia to the Caribbean

Polar bear populations are coming under threat as food becomes harder to hunt (nos. in the wild:
22,000)

The sex of sea turtle hatchlings, for example, is temperature dependent with warmer temperatures
increasing the number of female sea turtles at the expense of males.

Those species that are unable to adapt are facing extinction. In fact, predictions estimate that up to 1
million species may become extinct as a result of climate change including Boyd’s forest dragon and
Brazil’s Virola sebifera tree.

The recently extinct Golden Toad and Gastric Brooding Frog have already been labeled as the first victims
of climate change.

The Biodiversity Safety Net

The links between biodiversity and climate change run both ways: biodiversity is threatened by human-
induced climate change but, biodiversity resources can reduce the impacts of climate change on people and
production:
the conservation of habitats can reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere Currently
deforestation is estimated to be responsible for 20% of human-induced CO2 emission
conserving certain species such as mangroves and drought resistant crops can reduce the disastrous
impacts of climate change effects such as flooding and famine
the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can strengthen ecosystem resilience, improving the
ability of ecosystems to provide critical services in the face of increasing climatic pressures

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