MCQ Online Test: Environment- 2 - UPSC MCQ

Answer d

Explanation: It is also known as Rio 2012, Rio+20 or “Earth Summit 2012” was the third international conference on sustainable development aimed at reconciling the economic and environmental goals of the global community. Hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro from 13 to 22 June 2012, Rio+20 was a 20-year follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit / United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in the same city, and the 10^th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

Answer: a

Explanation: It is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Convention was opened for signature on 22 March 1989, and entered into force on 5 May 1992.

Answer d

Explanation: All three are sources of methane. Natural gas and petroleum systems are one of the largest sources of CH4 emissions. Methane is the primary component of natural gas. Some CH4 is emitted to the atmosphere during the production, processing, storage, transmission, and distribution of natural gas. Methane emissions from passenger cars (automobiles) have however dropped, as the use of catalytic converters increased. Methane is generated in landfills as waste decomposes and in the treatment of wastewater. As one of the most significant natural sources of atmospheric methane, wetlands remain a major area of concern with respect to climate change.

Answer a

Explanation: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an international agreement on biosafety, as a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Answer a

Explanation: The Basel Convention is for the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. It was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Answer c

Explanation: 12 persistent organic pollutants. These were the 12 initial compounds that were listed under the Stockholm convention.

Answer c

Explanation: 2010 was the International Year of Biodiversity and 2016 is the International Year of Pulses.

Answer d

Explanation: Biosphere reserves are created by merely a notification and they DO NOT require legislation. National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves, community reserves, conservation reserves are backed up by the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Answer c

Explanation: The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.

Answer a

Explanation: Project Tiger was launched in 1973. Indian Forest Act was introduced in 1927. Project Elephant started in 1992 and Wildlife Protection Act was introduced in 1972.

Answer b

Explanation: The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. The Convention was signed in 1979 in Bonn (hence the name) and entered into force in 1983.

Answer b

Explanation: UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) adopted the UNFCCC text at the Earth Summit in Rio, Brazil.

Answer c

Explanation: The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known simply as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste.
 

Answer d

Explanation: A Red Data Book contains lists of species whose continued existence is threatened. Species are classified into different categories of perceived risk. Each Red Data Book usually deals with a specific group of animals or plants and fungi. They are now being published in many different countries and provide useful information on the threat status of the species.

Answer c

Explanation: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003. It is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another.

Answer b

Explanation: Kyoto Protocol of COP-3 to the UNFCCC is a legally binding agreement for Annex-I countries to reduce their collective Green House Gas emissions by 5.2% from 1990 level. The reduction obligation under Kyoto Protocol is additional to the CFCs and industrial gas emissions covered under the Montreal Protocol.

Answer b

Explanation: On Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. The treaty was opened for signature on September 16, 1987, and entered into force on January 1, 1989.

Answer a

Explanation: It is for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. It is a Multilateral Environmental Agreement. It was agreed upon at the Vienna Conference of 1985 and entered into force in 1988. It has been ratified by 196 as well as the European Union.

Answer c

Explanation: An international environmental treaty negotiated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992. The objective of the treaty is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The treaty itself set no binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no enforcement mechanisms. It entered into force on March 21, 1994. As of May 2011, UNFCCC has 194 parties. The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change.

Answer: b

Explanation: The second statement is a simple fact, which you must know. A tiger reserve has two zones – core and buffer. In the buffer zone, human activity is allowed.

 Answer: a)

Explanation:  Oil Spills make the water deficient in oxygen. This causes problem for the marine animals. Algal bloom is associated with eutrophication, and oil spills have no role here. On the contrary, oil spills kills algae. Spilled oil can harm the environment in several ways, including the physical damages that directly impact wildlife and their habitats (such as coating birds or mammals with a layer of oil), and the toxicity of the oil itself, which can poison exposed organisms.

Answer: d

Explanation: Very important point to be remembered – biosphere reserves are created by merely a notification and they DO NOT require legislation. National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves, community reserves, conservation reserves are backed up by the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. UPSC often asks question on the basis of differences of these protected areas

 Answer: a)

Explanation:  Oil Spills make the water deficient in oxygen. This causes problem for the marine animals. Algal bloom is associated with eutrophication, and oil spills have no role here. On the contrary, oil spills kills algae. Spilled oil can harm the environment in several ways, including the physical damages that directly impact wildlife and their habitats (such as coating birds or mammals with a layer of oil), and the toxicity of the oil itself, which can poison exposed organisms.