The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement`s Role Class 11 English Hornbill

Key Points of the Story

• This chapter will be focusing on the causes that are responsible for the weakening health of this planet. 
• This chapter is initially an article. 
• The writer of this article is Nani Palkhivala. 
• This article was published in ‘The Indian Express’ on the 23rd of November in the year 1994. 
• In this article, the writer deliberates about the Green Movement. 
• The ailing planet: the green movement’s role summary talks about how a zoo declared humans as “world’s most dangerous animals”.

Detailed Summary

The author discusses the shift in societal perspectives from materialism to a holistic, ecological view of the world. People are now concerned about the environment, considering Earth as a living organism with its own metabolic functions. The concept of Sustainable Growth, defined as meeting current needs without compromising future generations, is highlighted. The responsible use of natural resources is emphasized to fulfill present needs while conserving resources for the future. The author emphasizes the importance of considering humans as partners, not just inhabitants, of the planet, acknowledging the interconnectedness with other species.
The writer refers to the book "Global Economic Prospect," pointing out four major biological systems—fisheries, forests, croplands, and grasslands—that provide raw materials for industries. There's concern about the unsustainable utilization of these resources, particularly the reduction of forest land. The misuse of natural fertilizers and the lack of appropriate implementation of environmental laws, such as Article 48A of the Indian Constitution, are noted. The author cites a Parliamentary committee report indicating a significant decline in forest area annually and highlights the alarming global environmental deterioration according to United Nations assessments.
Additionally, the author addresses the challenges posed by rapid population growth. While development is crucial, the high population makes it difficult. The necessity of effective family planning is stressed to control overpopulation. Industries are also urged to take responsibility for a healthier ecosystem, emphasizing the positive shift in people's attitudes toward ecology.

Conclusion

Difficult Words

• Declining– falling, 
• relevance–Importance, 
• recall–bring to mind, 
• gripped–held firmly, 
• movement–campaign, 
• looked back–stopped, 
• shifted–moved off, 
• Irrevocably–finally, 
• mechanistic–like a machine, 
• holistic and ecological view–treating as a whole and affecting all the components as parts of Nature,
• perceptions–understanding, 
• Revolved–moved, 
• consciousness–awareness, 
• organism–organic structure with its parts working together,
• enormous–huge, 
• metabolic needs–chemical changes continually growing on; 
• vital processes–essential activities,
• preserved–saved,
• vital sign—life symptoms, 
• reveal–show, 
• declining–drooping, 
• ethical–moral, 
• obligations–duties, bindings,
• stewards–manager. 
• trustees–one who holds the management of a property in trust, 
• legacy–inherited property, 
•  concept–Idea, 
• sustainable development-development that does not deprive the future generations of their due;
• compromising–sacrificing, making unfair deal, 
• stripping–robbing, laying bare, exhausting, 
• dawned–came as an understanding, 
• domination–total authority, 
• catalogued–made a list of, 
• reckon–count, say; 
• languish–growing weak or dying, 
• species–classes, 
• ignominious–hateful, shameful,
• Interalia–among other things; 
• ecology– The relation of all living creatures and plants to each other and to their environment;
• distinguished–eminent,
• successor–the coming generation, 
• scorched–dried, 
• advancing–extending, spreading, 
• impoverished–made poor, damaged, 
• landscapes–land scenery, 
• ailing–sickly, 
• global–of the whole world,
• prospect–future, chances, 
• principal–chief, 
• croplands–land suitable for cultivation, 
• Virtually–almost, actually, 
• derived–obtained from, 
• synthetics–artificial or man-made compounds, 
• unsustainable–which cannot be maintained, 
• impaired–weakened, damaged, 
• collapse–fall below danger level, break down, 
• converted–changed, 
• barren–infertile, 
• deteriorate–get worse, 
• decimated–destroyed,
• procure–get, 
• evolution–development, 
• species–kinds, 
• extinction–death, disappearance, 
• precede–come before. 
• ancient–very old, 
• patrimony–parental or ancestral inheritance, 
• eroding–dying slowly, 
• dung–excreta of cattle,
• deprives–robs,
• Endeavour–make efforts, 
• anguish-pain, 
• enforced–applied, made effective, 
• Instance–example,
• bonded–put under contract, 
• abolished–finished, 
• flourish–prosper. 
• highlighted–shown prominently, 
• catastrophic–disastrous, 
• depletion–act of growing less,
• decade–a period of ten years,
• reliable–worthy of being believed, 
• data—figures, 
• designated–set apart, declared, 
• virtually–almost, 
• indicated–shown, 
• statistics–the collection of figures. 
• aerial–taken from above, 
• investigated–examined, surveyed, 
• distorting–spoiling, deforming, 
• fertility–birth rate, productivity,
• contraceptive–a means to check conception, 
• beget–produce, father, 
• merely–only; 
• sterilised–made incapable of fathering children, 
• alternative–way out,
• voluntary–of one’s own free will, 
• coercion–use of force, 
• perpetuation–never-ending process.
• priority–first Importance,
• transcending–surpassing, 
• concern–worry, 
• holistic–complete; 
• demise–end, death; 
• emerging–rising, coming up; 
• ushered In–Introduced; 
• era–age;
• Integrated- joined,
• dissociated–separated, 
• crucial–critical,
• transformation–change, 
• effected–brought about,crate,
• existence–the state of being active, 
• excel–do much better,
• felicitous–delightful, appropriate. 
• freehold–proprietorship, 
• life tenancy–the right to live until we die, 
• repairing–maintenance,  Keeping in order; 
• lease–contract for a limited period, 
• inherited–receive something from somebody after their death.