[Mission 2024] STATIC QUIZ, 11 November 2023 – Environment

Solution: a)

Only Statement 1 is correct.

Fossil fuels generally are the products of the carbonisation of vegetable matter. The term carbonisation is also applied to the pyrolysis of coal to produce coke. Carbonisation is also a stage in the charcoal making process, and is considered the most important step of all since it has such power to influence the whole process from the growing tree to the final distribution of charcoal to various sources. The gas produced by carbonisation has a high content of carbon monoxide which is poisonous when breathed.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Exposure to POPs can lead to cancer, damage to central & peripheral nervous systems, diseases of immune system, reproductive disorders and interference with normal infant and child development.

Uniqueness of POPs:

• POPs are lipophilic, which means that they accumulate in the fatty tissue of living animals and human beings.
• In fatty tissue, the concentrations can become magnified by up to 70 000 times higher than the background levels.
• As you move up the food chain, concentrations of POPs tend to increase so that animals at the top of the food chain such as fish, predatory birds, mammals, and humans tend to have the greatest concentrations of these chemicals.

Solution: d)

• Coal emits nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as natural gas and about 60% more than oil, on a kilogram comparison having a greater role in global warming.
• Combusting coal also leaves behind partially burnt carbon particles that feed pollution and trigger respiratory disorders.
• Environmental issues associated with Coal Mining that is air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution etc.
• Opencast mining and underground mining of coal affect the vegetation pattern.
• Several occupational hazards are associated with coal mining: Pneumoconiosis (by inhaling coal dust), allergies and asthma, noise hazard etc.

Solution: d)

Organic mulches also improve the condition of the soil. As these mulches slowly decompose, they provide organic matter which helps keep the soil loose.

This improves root growth, increases the infiltration of water, and also improves the water-holding capacity of the soil.

Organic matter is a source of plant nutrients and provides an ideal environment for earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3 as the UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of protecting the world’s wild animals and plants. This was as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed in 1973 on this day.

CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

It accords varying degrees of protection to more than 37,000 species of animals and plants, ranging from live animals and plants to wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, medicines, etc.

The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP (The United Nations Environment Programme) and is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme consensus-based decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its parties.