Chapter 7 Environment & Natural Resources in Global Politics

 Q.1:- WHAT WERE THE OUT COMES OF THE RIO-SUMMIT?

OR

WHAT WERE THE OUT COMES OF EARTH SUMMIT.?

ANS:- The United Nations Conference on environment and development

was held in Rio-de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992. This was also called the

earth summit. The summit was attended by 170 states, thousands of NGOs

and many multinational corporations. The Rio-Summit {Earth Summit}

produced conventions dealing with climate change, bio-diversity, Forestry

and recommended a list of development practices called Agenda 21. Rio-

summit also declared that “states shall

co-operate in the spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and

restore the health and integrity of earths ecosystem.

Q.2:- HOW IS ENVIRONMENT POLLUTED?

OR

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE GLOBAL COMMONS? HOW ARE THEY

EXPLOITED AND POLLUTED?

ANS:- Global commons:- Global commons are those areas or regions of

the world which are located outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any one

state, and therefore require common governance by the international

community. They included the earths atmosphere, Antarctica, the ocean

floor, outer space, air space, global environment etc.

HOW ARE GLOBAL COMMONS POLLUTED AND EXPLOITED:-

OR

CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION?

{1}The indiscriminate use of the atmosphere by the advanced countries has

created serious problems, the noxious gases and particles from our

cooking, heating, industrial activities and various modes of transportation

have given rise to problems like, acid rain, persistent smog, increasing

atmosphere carbon dioxide, and disturbance of the stratospheric ozone

layer.

{2}The mining of the water from underground, discharge of industrial

effluents, and sewage into streams and lakes etc. have also produced

adverse effects. Ground water and surface water is no longer safe to drink

and has also diminished or destroyed fisheries.

{3}Increasing production of food by ploughing more land and using heavy

dose of fertilizers or irrigation has resulted in erosion and loss of soil depth

and loss of agricultural land by salinization of soils etc.

{4}The cutting of forests (Deforestation) for fuel and timber and process of

urbanization and industrialization have also led to change in landscape.

Likewise construction of Dams to augment our water needs, supply power

to our homes and factories or control floods have also brought change in

landscape.

{5} Over fishing in rivers, lakes and oceans and our hunting of game

animals etc, have posed a threat to ecology. For the preservation of the

complex web of life on this planet, it is desirable that the various

components of the global commons must be utilized Keeping in mind the

future well-being of the humanity.

QNO3;-WHICH FACTORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL

POLLUTION?

ANS;-The following factors are responsible for environmental pollution;

(1) Increase in population (2) Rapid industrialization (3) Means of

transportation

(4)Deforestation.

QNO4;-WHAT IS MEANT BY “COMMON BUT DEFFERENTIATED

RESPONSIBILITIES” HOW COULD WE IMPLEMENT THE IDEA?

ANS;-In view of the different contributions of global environmental

degradation, states have common but differentiated responsibilities. The

developing countries of the South are of the view that much of ecological

degradation in the world is the product of industrial development

undertaken by the developed countries, & if they have caused more

degradation, they must also take more responsibility for undoing the

damage now. The Developing countries are in the process of

industrialization & they must not be subjected to the same restrictions

which apply to the developed countries. This argument was accepted at

Rio declaration at the Earth summit in1992 & is called the principle of

“common but differentiated responsibilities”.

QNO5;- WRITE A DETAILED NOTE ON NORTH-SOUTH DIALOGUE

OVER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?

OR

Compromise & accommodation are the two essential policies

required by states to save planet Earth. Substantiate the statement in

the light of ongoing negotiations between the North & the South on

Environmental issues?

ANS;-North stands for the rich & developed countries of the first world

known as “global North” & “South” stands for the poor & developing

countries of the 3rd world known as “Global south” . First world countries

of North were perusing a different environmental agenda then the 3rd world

countries of the South. Northern states were more concerned with ozone

depletion & global warming while Southern states were anxious to establish

the relationship between economic development & environmental

management. In this regard the principal of common but differentiated

responsibilities were accepted at Rio summit in 1992. India, China & other

developing countries were exempted from the requirements of Kyoto

protocol of 1997, because their contributions to the emission of greenhouse

gases during industrialization are insignificant. India is of the view that the

major responsibility of curbing emissions rests with the developing

countries. At the G-8 Summit in June 2005 India pointed out that the per

capita emissions rates of developing countries are tiny fractions those in

the developed world. Even United Nations framework convention on

climate change (UNFCCC) acknowledged that developed countries are

responsible for most historical & current greenhouse emissions , &

emphasized that economic & social development are the first & over riding

priorities of the developing countries politics.

QNO6: DESCRIBE REMIDIES TO CHECK ENVIRONMENTAL

POLLUTION?

OR

WHAT STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

FOR THE PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT?

Ans: - Environmental pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing

modern world. All the nations of the world will have to come on one single

platform to deal with this problem. Following steps have been taken

globally for environmental protection

(1) UN Environmental Programme (UNEP). (2) Rio-summit 1992.

QNO7;-THE MOST SERIOUS CHALLENGE BEFORE THE STATE IS

PERSUING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT CAUSING

FURTHER DEMAGE TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. HOW COULD

WE ACHIEVE THIS? EXPLAIN

ANS;-Today a major challenge before the modern state is to peruse

economic development without causing further damage to the global

environment As we know that Modern state is a welfare state & welfare

states main aim is to raise Standard of living of the people, & without

economic development this aim cannot be achieved. This economic

development is necessary to raise the standard of living of people. The

following steps should be taken to solve the problem of economic

development without causing damage to global environment.

(1) Protection of forests is necessary for the protection of environment. In

India, Indian council of forestry research and education is working for the

purpose.

(2) There is need to change the thinking of human being.

(3) Population explosion is the major factor responsible for environmental

pollution. Thus states should take effective measures to check the growth

of pollution. China has already adopted the one child norm (Now two child

norm) to control its growing population.

(4) There is the need to awaken the coming generation about the

environmental problem. Environmental education & awareness have been

included as subject at all levels of education.

QNO7:- WHAT STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL

FOR THE PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT?

OR

Describe the steps taken at global level for environmental protection?

Ans: - Environmental protection is one of the biggest challenges facing

modern world. All the nations of the world will have to come on one single

platform to deal with this problem. Following steps have been taken at

global level for environmental protection.

(1) United nations environmental programmer (UNEP):- In 1972 UN

held a conference to deal with environmental problem and launched UNEP.

The activities of UNEP cover a wide range of environmental problems.

(2) Rio-summit or earth summit. A UN conference on environment &

development was held in Rio-de-Janero Brazil in June 1992. The summit

was attended by 170 states, thousands of NGOS and many multi-national

corporations.

Rio-summit produced conventions dealing with climate change, bio-

diversity, and forestry & recommended a list of development practices

“called” Agenda 21.

Conclusion: - To conclude we can say that UNO, NGOs governmental

organizations, educational institutions & mass media all are working at their

level to do away problem of environmental pollution.

QNO8:-EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING TERMS,

(1) Kyoto Protocol

(2) Greenhouse gasses

(3) Indigenous people

(4) Antarctica.

Ans: - Kyoto protocol: - International agreement setting targets for

industrialized countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol

was agreed in 1997 in Kyoto Japan based on principles set by (UNFCCC).

India, China and other developing countries were exempted from the

requirements of the Kyoto protocol. India signed Kyoto protocol in August

2002.

(2) Green house gasses: - Those gasses which are responsible for global

warming and depletion of ozone layer are known as greenhouse gasses for

e.g. carbon dioxide CO2, methane choloronfluro carbons etc. are the

examples of greenhouse gasses. Global warming is due to the rise in

atmospheric temperature.

(3) Indigenous population:- The UN defined indigenous population as

comprising the decedents of people who inhabited the present territory of

a country at the time when Persons of different cultures or ethnic origin

arrived there from other parts of the world and overcome them.

(4) Antarctica: - Antarctica is the coldest, farthest and windiest continent of

the world. It extends over 14 million square kilometers and comprises 26%

of world wilderness area. It contains 90% of terrestrial ice of the world and

has 70% of planetary fresh water.

QNO9:- EXPLAIN BRIEFLY THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF RIO+20

SUMMIT?

Ans: - The UN conference on sustainable development also known as

Rio+20 conferences was held at Rio-De-Janero (Brazil) from 20 to 22 June

2012. Its main objectives were:

(1) Addressing new and emerging challenges.

(2) Securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development.

(3) Assessing the progress since Rio summit (1992) & removing gaps in

implementation of the outcomes.

Q.NO10;-WHAT IS RESOURCE MOBILISATION THEORY?

ANS;- Resource mobilization theory is a major theory in the study of social

movements which emerged in the 1970s. It stresses the ability of

movements members to acquire resources & to mobilize people towards

accomplishing the movements goals. In contrast to the traditional

“collective behavior theory” that views social movements as deviant and

irrational, resource mobilization sees them as rational social institutions,

created and populated by social actors with a goal of taking a political

action