IAS Environment & Biodiversity Test - 1

ANSWER: Only 1 and 2

Explanation:
CBD, CITES are for nature conservation. Kyoto is for Atmospheric conservation. Stockholm Convention, Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention, etc are for hazardous material.

ANSWER: Only 1 and 4

Explanation:
The Aichi targets are of period 2011-2020. There are 5 strategic goals –

Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society
Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use
Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services
Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building

ANSWER: Financial commitment to achieve Aichi targets

Explanation:
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, announced India’s ratification of the Nagoya Protocol and announced the “Hyderabad pledge:” US$50 million during India’s two - year COP presidency, focused on enhancing India’s human and technical resources to attain the CBD’s objectives, and for promoting capacity building in developing countries. It established the foundation for the mobilization of resources to achieve the Aichi targets.

ANSWER: Land degradation in dry lands resulting from various factors

Explanation:
UNCCD is one of the Rio conventions that focusses on desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD). Dry lands include arid, semiarid and dry sub humid regions. It does not connote spread of deserts.

ANSWER: Only 2 and 3

Explanation:
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer acts as a framework for the international efforts to protect the ozone layer. However, it does not include legally binding reduction goals for the use of CFCs, the main chemical agents causing ozone depletion. These are laid out in the accompanying Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. It is one of the most successful treaties.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
It includes household wastes and incinerator ash (residue that comes from incinerating household waste) under other wastes.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
It was constituted in the Public Account of India. National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) is created for funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technologies.

ANSWER: Only 1 and 2

Explanation:
The third main goal is sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way.

ANSWER: Nagoya Protocol

Explanation:
It addresses traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources with provisions on access, benefit - sharing and compliance. It also addresses genetic grant access to them.

ANSWER: Use of solar lanterns

Explanation:
LaBL is a TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) initiative. It’s an initiative to provide clean lighting access to bottom of the pyramid communities. Lighting a Billion Lives is a global initiative to facilitate clean energy access and the delivery of last mile energy services for basic and productive use. The initiative enables energy poor communities to transition from traditional and inefficient energy sources to modern, more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
These United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties (Conferences of the Parties) (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change. Year 2005: COP 11 / CMP 1, Montreal, Canada; Year 2009: COP 15 / CMP 5, Copenhagen, Denmark; Year 2012: COP 18 / CMP 8, Doha, Qatar; Year 2013: COP 19 / CMP 9, Warsaw, Poland; Year 2014: COP 20 / CMP 10, Lima, Peru; Year 2015: COP 21 / CMP 11, Paris, France.

ANSWER: Only 1, 2, 3 and 5

Explanation:
Green Carbon refers to carbon removed and stored in plants and soil by processes like photosynthesis. Cap and Trade method is used by Kyoto protocol.

ANSWER: Only 1 and 3

Explanation:
Blue Carbon refers to coastal, aquatic and marine carbon sinks held by indicative vegetation, marine organisms and sediments. Green Carbon refers to carbon removed and stored in plants and soil by processes like photosynthesis. Black and Brown Carbon contribute to atmospheric green house gases.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
It has interfered with the hydrological cycle by reducing evaporation and may have reduced rainfall in some areas. Global dimming also creates a cooling effect that may have partially counteracted the effect of greenhouse gases on global warming. In basic terms, less sunlight is reaching the Earth because of visible air pollution, which is reflecting the light back into space.

ANSWER: MCX

Explanation:
A carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one ton of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide. Carbon credits and carbon markets are a component of national and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Emission,s trading have been facilitated by the Kyoto Protocol. Europe has already started trading in the carbon credits.

ANSWER: BSE

Explanation:
It’s launched in collaboration with the UK government and tracks the performance of companies in terms of their commitment to reduce emission of green house gases.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Apart from Adaptation and mitigation, geo - engineering is another strategy to tackle climate change. Scientists suggest geo - engineering as a supplementary strategy and not a sole method to be adopted as the effects it has in the long term is not known. It is also very costly and risky. No known large-scale climate engineering projects have taken place to date. All the strategies are either theories or computer models or in nascent stage of small scale testing mode.

ANSWER: All of the Above

Explanation:
These three market based mechanisms encourage GHG reductions. But only a part of the targets can be reduced by these ways. Rest has to be done by action on domestic front – that is reduce emissions onshore.

ANSWER: Emission reduction through Forest Resources

Explanation:
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) is a mechanism with the objective of mitigating climate change through reducing net emissions of greenhouse gases through enhanced forest management in developing countries. REDD+ (or REDD-plus) also includes the conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

ANSWER: Only 1, 3, 4 and 5

Explanation:
There are Eight National Missions - National Solar Mission, National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, National Water Mission, National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, National Mission for a "Green India", National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.

ANSWER: 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:
There are four new initiatives - A market based mechanism to enhance cost effectiveness of improvements in energy efficiency in energy - intensive large industries and facilities, through certification of energy savings that could be traded (Perform Achieve and Trade); Accelerating the shift to energy efficient appliances in designated sectors through innovative measures to make the products more affordable (Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency); Creation of mechanisms that would help finance demand side management programmes in all sectors by capturing future energy savings (Energy Efficiency Financing Platform); Developing fiscal instruments to promote energy efficiency (Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development).

ANSWER: 4 Regions and 4 Thrust areas

Explanation:
The report provides an assessment of impact of climate change in 2030s on four key sectors of the Indian economy, namely Agriculture, Water, Natural Ecosystems & Biodiversity and Health in four climate sensitive regions of India, namely the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the Coastal Area and the North - East Region. It has used the PRECIS model based on Hadley Regional Climate Model.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Other sources – Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, chlorine, halons, hydrobromofluorocarbons and methyl bromide.

ANSWER: Both b and c

Explanation:
All UVC is blocked by diatomic or by ozone (triatomic oxygen) in the atmosphere. The ozone layer then blocks most UVB. UVA is hardly affected by ozone and most of it reaches the ground.

ANSWER: Only 1, 3 and 4

Explanation:
Its objective is to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture covering crops, livestock and fisheries to climatic variability and climate change through development and application of improved production and risk management technologies.