10.1 ENVIRONMENT
10.1.1 Definition of Environment
The environment is everything we inherit on Earth, including all resources. It involves living things (like birds, animals, plants, forests, and fisheries) and non-living things (such as air, water, land, rocks, and sunlight). To understand the environment, we need to look at how these living and non-living things interact with each other.
10.1.2 Functions and Role of Environment
The environment has four important jobs:
- Providing Resources: Resources can be renewable (like trees and fish that continue to be available) or non-renewable (like fossil fuels that get used up).
- Supporting Life: The environment, which includes the sun, soil, water, and air, is crucial for human life. We need to make sure we don’t use resources faster than they can replenish, and we produce waste that the environment can handle.
The environment keeps life going by having a “carrying capacity.” Without it, there wouldn’t be any life.
It also deals with the waste we create. When we produce and use things, we make garbage. The environment takes in this garbage.
Additionally, the environment makes life better. Think about oceans, mountains, and deserts – these natural places add to the good parts of life for people.
10.1.3 Global Environment Issues
There are several big environmental problems around the world:
Global Warming:
a. Global warming is a slow increase in the Earth’s average temperature because of more greenhouse gases from industries.
b. People burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees have mostly caused global warming.
c. Main causes are burning coal and oil, cutting down trees, methane from animals, and more cattle farming.
- d. The Earth Summit in 1992 talked about climate change, but some warnings were ignored. Global warming can lead to melting ice caps, higher sea levels, and problems like storms and diseases.
Ozone Depletion:
a. Ozone depletion means there’s less ozone in the upper air that shields us from the sun’s harmful rays.
b. Using certain chemicals, like CFCs in fridges, causes ozone depletion.
c. Effects include skin cancer, lower production of sea life and plants.
- d. The Montreal Protocol is an agreement to stop making these harmful chemicals.
Environmental Crisis:
a. The world is in an environmental crisis because of more people and the rich world using too much.
- b. Many resources are gone, and the environment can’t handle all the waste. This is a crisis.
- Rise in Opportunity Cost of Negative Environmental Impacts:
- Opportunity cost is what we lose when we damage health by harming the environment. Treating diseases from bad air and water quality costs a lot.
- Supply Demand Reversal of Environmental Resources:
- We’re using up resources faster than they can come back. This is hurting the environment.
- Massive Overuse and Misuse of Environmental Resources:
- People are using too much and using things the wrong way. For example, cutting down too many trees or using chemicals that harm the ozone layer and cause global warming.
Objective Type Questions
1. What does the environment include, according to the passage?
A) Only living things
B) Only non-living things
C) Both living and non-living things
D) Only renewable resources
Answer: C) Both living and non-living things
2. What is the “carrying capacity” of the environment mentioned in the passage?
A) It refers to the amount of waste produced.
B) It is the capacity of the environment to carry heavy loads.
C) It is the environment’s ability to support life sustainably.
D) It is the total area covered by natural places.
Answer: C) It is the environment’s ability to support life sustainably.
3. What is the main cause of global warming mentioned in the passage?
A) Planting more trees
B) Burning fossil fuels
C) Using renewable resources
D) Melting ice caps
Answer: B) Burning fossil fuels
4. What is the impact of ozone depletion mentioned in the passage?
A) Increased sea life production
B) Higher sea levels
C) Skin cancer and reduced sea life production
D) Decreased use of harmful chemicals
Answer: C) Skin cancer and reduced sea life production
5. What is the Montreal Protocol mentioned in relation to?
A) Controlling global warming
B) Stopping harmful chemical production
C) Planting more trees
D) Regulating ozone levels
Answer: B) Stopping harmful chemical production
6. Why is the world considered to be in an environmental crisis?
A) Due to fewer people using resources
B) Because of more people and excessive resource use
C) Because of reduced waste production
D) Due to the scarcity of resources
Answer: B) Because of more people and excessive resource use
7. What does “opportunity cost” refer to in the context of environmental impacts?
A) The cost of treating diseases
B) The loss when damaging health by harming the environment
C) The cost of renewable resources
D) The financial cost of using environmental resources
Answer: B) The loss when damaging health by harming the environment
8. What is mentioned as a consequence of the massive overuse and misuse of environmental resources?
A) Increased biodiversity
B) Improved air and water quality
C) Harm to the ozone layer and global warming
D) Sustainable resource management
Answer: C) Harm to the ozone layer and global warming
9. What does the rise in the opportunity cost of negative environmental impacts indicate?
A) Decreased healthcare costs
B) Increased environmental benefits
C) Higher costs associated with environmental harm
D) Reduced demand for environmental resources
Answer: C) Higher costs associated with environmental harm
10. What is highlighted as a problem in the “Supply Demand Reversal of Environmental Resources”?
A) Efficient use of resources
B) Sustainable resource management
C) Using up resources faster than they can come back
D) Increased availability of environmental resources
Answer: C) Using up resources faster than they can come back