Passage Based Questions: Environment and Natural Resources | Political Science Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Passage -1

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
The growing focus on environmental issues within the arena of global politics was firmly consolidated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992. This was also called the Earth Summit….
It was evident at the Rio Summit that the rich and developed countries of the First World, generally referred to as the "Global North," were pursuing a different environmental agenda compared to the poor and developing countries of the Third World, called the "Global South." These differences in approach led to the adoption of the principle called "Common but Differentiated Responsibilities."

(i) How did the environmental concerns of the Global North differ from those of the Global South?
Ans: The developed countries of the Global North were concerned with issues like ozone depletion and global warming, while the developing countries of the Global South were more focused on the relationship between economic development and environmental management.

(ii) In what ways did the principle of "Common but Differentiated Responsibilities" address and resolve the differences between the Global North and the Global South?
Ans: (a) The principle acknowledged the significant environmental degradation caused by the Global North and recognized their greater responsibility for addressing this damage. The Global South argued that the North, having caused much of the environmental harm, should bear a greater burden in rectifying it.
(b) Additionally, it considered that developing countries, which are in the process of industrialization, should not face the same restrictions as developed countries.
(c) The principle thus accommodated the special needs of developing countries while acknowledging the different contributions to global environmental degradation, advocating for shared but differentiated responsibilities.

Passage - 2

(i) How did the environmental agenda of the First World countries differ from that of the Third World countries at the Rio Summit?
Ans: (a) The First World countries, or the Global North, were primarily concerned with issues like ozone depletion and global warming and wanted everyone to share equal responsibility for ecological conservation.
(b) The Third World countries, or the Global South, were focused on the link between economic development and environmental management, arguing that much of the environmental degradation was due to the industrial activities of the North, which should bear greater responsibility for rectifying the damage. 

(ii) Substantiate the impact of global warming with three examples.
Ans: (a) Declining agricultural productivity due to loss of fertile land, overgrazed grasslands, and overharvested fisheries, alongside depletion and pollution of water bodies, which restricts food production.
(b) The steady decline in the ozone layer, which threatens ecosystems and human health.
(c) The destruction of natural forests, which destabilizes climate, disrupts water supplies, and leads to loss of biodiversity as forests are cut down, displacing people and species.

Passage - 3

(i) What does the cartoon depict?
Ans: It represents 'Industrial Pollution,' commenting on 'Global Warming.' 

(ii) Why are the fingers depicted like chimneys and the world shaped like a lighter?
Ans: The fingers symbolize pollution emitted from industrial chimneys, while the lighter represents the burning and depleting of natural resources.

(iii) What message does the cartoon convey?
Ans: The cartoon highlights the critical issue of industrial pollution and its impact on global warming, emphasizing that continued pollution will deplete flora and fauna and disrupt the ecosystem balance.