SGS-43 - Environment Issues-1 PDF

Civil Services Examination 2013
Conventional General Studies-43
Target 2013
Environment Issues -1
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1
Land Degradation & Land Use Basics in India

Causes and Outcomes of Land Degradation

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9 Soil acidification

9 Soil alkalinisation

Land rehabilitation is the process of returning the land

to some degree of its former state, after some process
(industry, natural disasters, etc.) has resulted in its
damage.
Land rehabilitation has been a major priority since
Independence, and several policies and government
agencies address desertification and degradation.
These include various programmes such as Desert
Development Programme; Integrated Wasteland
Development; National Watershed Development
Project for Rainfed Areas; Soil Conservation in the
Catchment of River Valley Projects; National
Afforestation Programme; Arid Zone Research;
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme; National Rural Drinking Water
Programme etc.

9 Soil salination
9 Soil waterlogging

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The extent of net sown area, forest cover and fallow land in India

What is Fallow Land?

Fallow land is Undeveloped but potentially useful
land. If a land is generally cultivated but is not
seeded in current growing season, it is called
Current Fallow Land.

net sown area
forests which cover 23%fallow land
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Target 2013
The most prominent reason of land degradation
the
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prominent reason of degradation,

Water Erosion is the most prominent
reason of land degradation
Soil acidity
The driver of Land Degradation

The net sown area versus the net irrigated area

This implies that less than half of net sown area in India is net irrigated

The environmental impact of land use patterns

intensive farming activities

Leaching due to extensive
use of pesticides and fertilizers intensification and
extensification also leads to salination, alkalization and water logging in irrigated areas, along with eutrophication
of water bodies and ill health of oceans, leading to loss of biodiversity
The Impact of Shifting Cultivation

The earlier 1520 years cycle of shifting cultivation on a particular land
has reduced to two or three years now.

Indias largest area under shifting cultivation is in the state of Odisha
Discrimination in Chemical fertilizers usage

Because nitrogenous fertilizers are subsidised
more than potassic and phosphatic fertilizers

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Environmental Impact of Burning Straw

Burning of wheat and rice strawhas also contributed to loss of soil fertility

in order to ensure early preparation of fields for the next crop

loss of about 0.824 million tonnes of NPK from the soil

Impact of Mining

Impact of Floods

Aridity and Deserts

semi-arid (123.4 Mha.)

Soil Pollution

Soil Pollution

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Concepts, Facts and Protection Framework of Biodiversity of India
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Pollution in soil is associated with__:
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What are Soil sediments?

Soil sediments refer to the depositions of trace elements or metals such
as Hg,As, Sb, Cd, Ni, Co, Mo, Cu and Cr.
The process of sedimentation is a comprehensive natural
geomorphologic process, which operates through the chain of erosion
of soils, transportation of sediments (eroded material) and deposition
of thee eroded material in different paths of water bodies.
Sediments thus consist of soil and mineral particles washed away from
land by storms and floodwaters, from geological process of
denudation, which is both inevitable and universal. Eroded soil
becomes a serious pollutant because of the absorbed chemicals that it
carries to the particles surface.
Indiscriminate use of fertilizers:

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The Arsenic , Lead and Cadmium present in traces in rock phosphate mineral get
transferred to super phosphate fertilizer
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9 reduces the protein content of wheat, maize, grams

Indiscriminate use of pesticides

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The First Insecticides and Biomagnification

The first widespread insecticide use began at the end of World War II
and
and
included
DDT
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
gammaxene. Insects soon became resistant to DDT and as the
chemical did not decompose readily, it persisted in the environment.
Since it was soluble in fat rather than water, it biomagnified up the
food chain and disrupted calcium metabolism in birds, causing
eggshells to be thin and fragile. As a result, large birds of prey such as
the brown pelican, ospreys, falcons and eagles became endangered.
DDT has been now been banned in most western countries. Ironically
many of them including USA, still produce DDT for export to other
developing nations whose needs outweigh the problems caused by it.

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Dumping of Soil Waste

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Sources of Solid Waste
Agriculture as source of Solid Waste
9 The lignocellulosic biomass generated by agricultural activities is a primary source of solid waste.
9 In addition, the use of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural practices can limit the ability of soil organisms to
process waste, which he turn makes the soil less productive or in the worst-case scenario, useless or every
poisonous.
9 Some pesticides can remain in the environment for many year and pass from one organism to another. When
pesticides are present in a stream, small fish and other organisms build up even larger amounts of pesticides in their
flesh and will eventually pass them on to us through the food chain. There are many other human activities, which
can damage soil. The irrigation of soil in dry areas with poor drainage can leave fields flooded. When this standing
water evaporates, it leave salt deposits behind, making the soil too salty for growing crops.
Industries as source of wastes
9 Disposal of industrial waste is the major problem responsible for soil pollution. These industrial pollutants are
mainly discharged from pulp and paper mills chemical industries, oil refineries, sugar factories, tanneries, textiles,
steel, metal processing industries, drugs, glass, cement, petroleum and engineering industries.
Mining as source of wastes
9 Mining operations can leave soil polluted with toxic heavy metals. Many scientists believe acid rain can also reduce
soil fertility. In surface mining and strip mining top soil and sub-soil is removed. This leaves deep salt in the earth.
9 The uncontrolled mine fires may also destroy the productivity of certain land areas permanently. Soil damage and
environmental degradation during surface mining is inevitable as vegetation has to he removed and huge
quantities of top soil and waste rocks are to be shifted to a new location, mining leads to loss of grazing and fertile
land, soil erosion from waste dumps, sedimentation or silting, danger to aquatic life, flora and fauna as well as
water and soil pollution.
Municipal and urban waste
9 This waste comprises both commercial and domestic wastes consisting of dried sludge of sewage. All the urban
solid wastes are commonly referred to as refuse.
9 Solid wastes and refuse, particularly in urban area contribute to soil pollution. This refuse contains garbage and
rubbish materials like plastics, glasses, metallic cans, fibres, rubbles, trash from the streets, fuel residues, leaves
containers, abandoned vehicles and other discarded manufactured products.
9 Municipal waste is largely categorized into three type; waste that can be incinerated (generally called combustible
waste) waste that is treated by non-incineration intermediate treatment measures (generally called
incombustibles) and materials that directly go to recycling or re-use procedures through separate collection or
voluntary group collection.
9 The waste generated from agriculture, municipal and commercial activities are putrid solid waste and is known as
garbage. There are four broad categories of garbage.
Organic waste
9 Kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves and fruits.
Toxic waste
9 Old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries and so on.
Recyclable Waste
9 paper, glass, metals and plastics.
Resistant objects
9 large resistant objects such as cans, plastic, tyres, polythenes, metallic junk, glasses or even old cars, refrigerators,
washing machines destroys the beauty of landscape. In India, most of this is purchased by hawkers and resold. In
industrialized countries, used vehicles are creating a serious threat to environment.
Deforestation & Soil Erosion

9 binding material

increased run-off of rainwater and diminished storage in the soil

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Destruction of pastures and overgrazing

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Shifting cultivation

Effect of Soil Pollution

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Vermicompost

Benefits for Soil

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9 Benefits for Plant growth
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Economic Benefits:
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Environmental Benefits:
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Disadvantages / Issues
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Air Pollution and Air Quality Control
Reasons of Air Pollution

Primary & Secondary level Air pollutants

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primary pollutants are "directly" emitted

primary pollutants

secondary pollutants are not emitted directly

secondary
level Air PollutantsGround Level Ozone, Smog and POPs
Primary Air Pollutants

Sulphur Oxides

Indian Coal is though low in sulphur content

Nitrogen Oxides


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Carbon Monoxide

Dioxide is associated with the Ocean Acidification

Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs
non-methane (NMVOCs).
x

x

Secondary Air Pollutant Ground Level Ozone

In the last 100 years, the emission of Methane

(a Volatile Organic Compound) has increased
dramatically and it has contributed to the
increased concentration of Ground Level Ozone.

Formation of Ground Level Ozone
The formation of the Ground Level Ozone involves a long complex series of the reactions in which carbon monoxide and VOCs are
oxidized to water vapour and carbon dioxide. The series of the reactions begins with the Hydroxyl OH radicals, which is one of the
main chemical species controlling the oxidizing capacity of the global Earth atmosphere. They are produced by many pathways but
most notably they are formed from the decomposition of hydro peroxides (ROOH) and by reaction of excited atomic oxygen with
water. The reaction involves the following steps:
1.
The Carbon Monoxide reacts with the Hydroxyl Radical, producing a Hydrogen atom.
OH + CO H + CO2
2. The hydrogen atom formed by this reacts rapidly with oxygen to give a peroxy radical HO 2
H + O2 HO 2
3. Peroxy radical then reacts with the NO and gives NO2 which, in presence of Sunlight is photolysed to give atomic oxygen
and through reaction with oxygen a molecule of ozone.
HO2 + NO OH + NO 2
NO2 + h NO + O
O + O2 O 3
4. In total, the reaction is as follows:
CO + 2O 2 CO2 + O3
The above reaction is simple demosntration. The Chemical processes that involve the VOCs are the complex ones. But the result of
these reactions is the Ozone.
Smog


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Deaths due to Air Pollution

Bhopal Disaster

Great Smog of 1952

Top CO2 emitting countries

Country
CO2 emissions
Emission per capita
World
China
United States
India
Russia
Japan
Germany
South Korea
Canada
33,376,327
9,700,000
5,420,000
1,970,000
1,830,000
1,240,000
810,000
610,000
560,000
4.9
7.2
17.3
1.6
12.8
9.8
9.9
12.6
16.2

Qatar tops the list of the nations with Highest per capita CO2 emission
in the world

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
natural as well as anthropogenic gaseous

Forcing GHGs


Target 2013
GHG Emmission by sectors

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Green House Effect

Process of Green House Effect

Green House Effect versus Planetary Albedo
If Earth was an ideal black body which absorbs all the radiation from the Sun and
emit the radiation due to this heating, its temperature would have been
approximately 5.3 C. The Earth and other planets are not perfect black bodies, as
they do not absorb all the incoming solar radiation but reflected part of it back to
space. The ratio between the reflected and the incoming energies is termed the
planetary albedo. Earth reflects 36-37% of this incoming light and it corresponds
to the Earth Albedo 0.367. So, Earth's mean temperature is 14 C. If there were no
atmosphere and no radiation was lost due to reflection, its mean temperature
would have been RU&7KLVGLIIHUHQFHLVGXHWRWKH*UHHQ+RXVH(IIHFW


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Anti-greenhouse effect

Mars and Venus show the Green
House Effect, but Titan, the largest planet of Saturn and Pluto

Indoor Air Pollution

x
71 per cent of India's urban households and 91 per cent of rural households use solid fuels for cooking
purposes.
There is a great deal of variation in the prevalence of TB according to the type of cooking fuel the household
uses. It ranges from a low of 217 per 100,000 residents, (among households using electricity, liquid
petroleum gas, natural gas, or biogas), to a high of 924 per 100,000 (among households using straw, shrubs,
or grass for cooking).
High TB prevalence is also seen amongst households using agricultural crop residue or other.

Ozone Depletion

x
Much less stable
Paramagnetic
low concentration in atmosphere harmful effects

Creates Ozonosphere

Is Ozone hole over only Antarctica?

Ozone depletion has been seen everywhere beyond
tropics and there is a severe depletion in the Polar Regions

x


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x

x

How does Ozone Hole get created?


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x

depletion of ozone and atomic oxygen.

Important Observations: Antarctic Ozone hole

Coriolis effect

As per a 2013 study, a hole in the Antarctic ozone layer has

changed the way waters in the southern oceans mix, which
researchers say could impact global climate change. As per
scientists this phenomenon has the potential to alter the
amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. It has been found that
subtropical intermediate waters in the southern oceans have

become "younger" as the upwelling, circumpolar waters have
gotten "older" - changes that are consistent with the fact that
surface winds have strengthened as the ozone layer has
thinned. This is significant as southern oceans play a crucial role
in the absorption of heat and carbon dioxide, so any

alterations in southern ocean circulation have the potential to
change the global climate.

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Earth's magnetic field

Dobson units in context with Ozone Depletion

Dobson units

The base unit for an ozone hole was fixed 220 DU

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 1985


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Montreal Protocol 1989

The Montreal Protocol opened for signature on

6HSWHPEHU7KLVGDWHLVREVHUYHGDV,QWHUQDWLRQDO
Ozone Day every year.

Theme of Montreal Protocol:

Montreal Protocol: HCFC versus HFC

India and Montreal Protocol


Target 2013

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Acid Rain

Normal pH of Rainwater
7KH S+ RI WKH SXUH ZDWHU YDSRU LQ FORXGV LV EXW
HYHQ LQ XQSROOXWHG DLU WKHUH LV VRPH FDUERQ GLR[LGH
SUHVHQW DQG WKLV GLVVROYHV LQ UDLQ GURSV WR SURGXFH
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+2O&2J+&2DT
+2O+&2DT+&2DT+2DT

But these natural phenomena did not contribute the
acidic rains as compared to the anthropogenic activities.

Chemistry of Acid Rains
Oxides of Sulphur, Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of

Hydrogen viz. water and Hydroxyl Radicals.

Impacts of Acid Rain
Impact on Biota and Human Life

This is because, Calcium and
Magnesium are leached away by the Hydronium ion of the acids
Impact on Buildings:


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Major sources of stratospheric chlorine
9

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How to control Acid Rain?

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Acid Rain Program

Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP)


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Sulphur Emissions Reduction
ProtocolGothenburg protocol
Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocol

Gothenburg protocol

9
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Combating Air Pollution Legislative and Policy Interventions
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

x
Central Pollution Control Board

air pollutant
(including noise)
What are Air pollution control areas?
State Government may, after consultation with the State Board, by notification
declare any area or areas within the State as air pollution control areas.


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x

National Air Quality Monitoring Programme

x

x
four air-pollutants viz., SOx , NOx , Suspended Particulate Material (SPM) and
Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM)
Understanding Bharat Stage Emission Standards
Background of Indian Emission Standards

Idle emission limits

Cold Start Norms

Standard
Reference
(XUR
India 2000
Bharat Stage II (XUR
Bharat Stage III (XUR
Bharat Stage IV (XUR

How it works?


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Norms
India stage 2000 norms
Bharat stage-II
Bharat Stage-III
Bharat Stage-IV
CO( g/km)
2.72
2.2
2.3
1.0
HC+ NOx)(g/km)
0.97
0.5
0.35(combined)
0.18(combined)

Emission norms for Heavy diesel vehicles
CO (g/ kwhr)
HC(g/kwhr)
NOx(g/ kwhr)
PM (g/kwhr)
4.5
1.1
8.0
0.36
Bharat stage-II
Bharat Stage-III
Bharat Stage-IV
4.0
2.1
1.5
1.1
1.6
0.96
7.0
5.0
3.5
0.15
0.10
0.02
Norms

Norms
CO ( g/km)
HC+ NOx (g/km)
2.0
2.0
Bharat stage-II
Bharat Stage-III
1.6
1.0
1.5
1.0
How Bharat Emission norms are different from Euro Norms?

in terms of stringency or emission limits, the Bharat Stage and Euro norms are equivalent
only one modificationlower maximum speed

conditions of the road and general climate of India must have been taken into account while fixing this.
Water Resources & Water Pollution
Water Availability - River Basins & Ground water

43 per cent of the
catchment area of all the major rivers in the country.

Impacts of Water Pollution
Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Faecal Coliform

Water Demand

Per CapitaWater Availability (2001) in
cubic metres is 1820 Cubic meter.


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Agriculture receives the greatest share of the annual water allocation.

Water Pollution

Driver of water pollution
Fertilizers

x
bio-accumulate

eutrophication

High levels of fertilizer use has been associated with increased incidence of eutrophication in rivers

Industrial Sector

Domestic Sector


Target 2013

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Water Pollution: Policy Intervention
National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP)

National Water Policy 2012

The first notable observation in National Water Policy 2012 is that
this policy treats water as economic good.

Objectives:

Important Observations:


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x

x

Legislation on water

River Boards Act

Inter-State Water Disputes (ISWD) Act, 1956

x

Water and Constitution of India

Water is a state subject via Entry 17 of State List, thus states are empowered to enact
legislation on subject of water. But this entry is subject to the provisions of Entry 56 of
Union List. The specific provisions in this regard are as under:
x
Entry 56. Regulation and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys
to the extent to which such regulation and development under the control of
the Union is declared by Parliament by law to be expedient in the public
interest.
x
Entry 17. Water that is to say, water supplies, irrigation and canals, drainage
and embankments, water storage and water power subject to the provisions
of Entry 56 of List - I.
At the same time, the Articles 131 and 136 of the Constitution have been used by the
States frequently for bringing the matters related to inter-State rivers before the
Supreme Court via the Special Leave Petitions. Further, Article 143(1) of the
Constitution has been used by the Central Government (via President) for seeking
opinion of the Supreme Court on the matters related to inter-State rivers, under the
advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

x

Scope of the Act:
only to interstate riversriver valleys

9
9

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9
9
9

Creation of the Tribunal:

power of a Civil Courtverdict is equivalent to Supreme Court verdict

But at the same time, you must note that the verdict of the tribunal
can be challenged in Supreme court via civil suits

9 can not be altered by new tribunals
9 can be altered by new tribunals.

9 Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (April 1969)
9 Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (April 1969)
9 Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (October 1969)
9 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (June 1990)

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that, to a varying degree, resist photolytic, biological
and chemical degradation.

bioaccumulation
biomagnification

Common Characters of the POPs

Dirtty Dozen
,Q 0D\ WKH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV (QYLURQPHQW 3URJUDPPH
Governing Council (GC) started investigations on the POPs.
The process began with 12 POPs which were most common
at that time. They were called "Dirty Dozen".
The Dirty Dozen are:
Aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor,

hexachlorobenzene, mirex, polychlorinated biphenyls,
polychlorinated
dibenzo-p-dioxins,
polychlorinated
dibenzofurans, and toxaphene.
The list enlarged later with inclusion of some more
chemicals.

Target 2013
9 Low Water solubility

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9 High lipid solubilityThis property leads them to bioaccumulation in animal tissues.

9 Semi volatile:

o

Bio-accumulation, Bio-concentration and Bio-magnification

9 Bio-accumulation
9
Bioconcentration

9 BioaccumulationBioconcentration
Both Bioaccumulation and Bioconcentration occur in the same organism But
Biomagnification occurs across various trophic levels in a food chain.
Biomagnification

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

limit the use of DDT to malaria control

9
9
o

9

9


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India and Stockholm Convention:

Stockholm Convention and Endusulphan:

organochlorine group of pesticides

9
9
9

9
Toxicity Classification
9
9
9
9

acaricide (killing tickes and mites).

9
Cashew Plantations in Kerala
9

9


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International Programme on Chemical Safety
three UN bodies viz

Rotterdam Convention on Hazardous Substances

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed
Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

shared
responsibilities

not a legally Binding
convention
Hazardous sub
bstances
The Hazardous material or Hazmats are the solids,
liquids and gases which can harm people,
organisms, property and environment. The
Hazardous Materials are often subject to various
legislations. The Hazmats may be radioactive,
flammable,
explosive,
corrosive,
oxidizing,
asphyxiating, biohazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or
allergenic.

Marine Pollution, Oil Spills and Marine Protected Areas

9
9
9
9
9
London Convention on Marine Pollution

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by
Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter

non-legally binding convention

What is Cultural Eutrophication?

When the process of Eutrophication is increased by the
human activities, it is called cultural Eutrophication.
This is because the human activities (mainly
development in nature) increase the surface run off
and the nutrients such as Phosphates, Nitrates are
supplied to the Ocean water. They may be supplied
by Constriction works, treatment plants, golf courses,
fertilizers, and farms.

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Mercury Poisoning in Fishes

Minimata Disease

Oil Spills

Impacts on Marine Life:
9 Plumage:

9 Ingestion:

9 Furs:
9 Photosynthesis:

Recovery

9
9
9
9
Bioremediation of Oil Spills

9
9
9


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Oil Zapper

five different bacterial strains

converts them into harmless CO2 and water

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Law of the Sea treaty

x
Internal waters:

no interference of the foreign countries
Territorial waters : 12 Nautical Miles

foreign vessels are
NOT given all rights to passage through except "Innocent Passage".

Archipelagic waters :

Contiguous zone : 12 Nautical Miles beyond the Territorial

watersThis means that it is 24 Nautical Miles from the baseline limit
enforce laws only in 4 areas viz. pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration
Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs):

200 nautical miles

Marine Protected Area


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Any defined area within or adjacent to the marine environment, together with its overlying water and associated
flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by legislation or other effective means,
including custom, with the effect with the effect that its marine and/or coastal biodiversity enjoys a higher level of
protection then its surroundings.

Indias Marine Protected Areas

5 designated Marine Protected Area
x

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

International Whaling Commission (IWC)

Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary surrounding

Only two such sanctuaries have been designated by IWC till date.is Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary

Wadden Sea Agreement

x


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Netherlands, Germany and Denmark

ACCOBAMS

MARPOL 73/78

Climate Change Concepts & Questions Compendium-1
The below compendium continues in next module and covers some potential questions for UPSC Examinations
What is Climate?

What are Forcings in context with Climate?

What is Radiation Balance of Earth?

Effective Radiation
Effective Radiation:

9
9


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9

9
The amount of energy reaching the top of Earths

atmosphere each second on a surface area of one square
meter facing the Sun during daytime is about 1,370
Watts, and the amount of energy per square metre per
second averaged over the entire planet is one-quarter of
this. About 30% of the sunlight that reaches the top of
the atmosphere is reflected back to space. Roughly twothirds of this reflectivity is due to clouds and small
particles in the atmosphere known as aerosols. Lightcoloured areas of Earths surface mainly snow, ice and
deserts reflect the remaining one-third of the sunlight.

9

Implications of Radiation Balance

What are Climate Feedback mechanisms?

What is Ice-albedo feedback?

How Climate can be predicted but Weather can not?

9

9

What is Polar amplification?

warming in polar regions due to climate feedbacks


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Polar amplification has led to the Arctic shrinkage.

What are Carbon Cycle and Global Carbon Budget?

9
9

9

9

Global Carbon Budget

What is Ocean Acidification?

The Ocean acidification has fastened only after the

Industrialization. Pre-Industrialization pH of the
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FDPH GRZQ WR ZKLFK FRUUHVSRQGV WR DQ
LQFUHDVHRI+LRQVE\
At presenWWKHS+RIWKH2FHDQZDWHULVDQG
WKLVFRUUHVSRQGVWRDQLQFUHDVHRILQWKH+
,RQVVLQFH,QGXVWULDOL]DWLRQRIWKHWKFHQWXU\

hypercapniaHypercapnia


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What is Carbon Footprint?

carbon footprint stands for a certain amount of gaseous emissions that are
relevant to climate change and associated with human production or consumption activities

9

9

9

9

9

9

'Carbon Footprinttotal greenhouse gas emissions

release of which among the above would be counted in the Carbon Footprint
Carbon footprint considers all six of the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases -

these emissions are expressed in
terms of CO2 equivalent

tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).

9 Organizational :

9 Product :

How I can reduce my carbon footprint?


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9

9

9
9

9

9

9
What is Carbon Offsetting?

What is Carbon sequestration?

process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a
reservoir

Sequestration encompasses all forms of carbon storage.

Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration

Geologic Carbon Sequestration

Ocean Carbon Sequestration

Soil Carbon and Carbon sequestration?
Soil carbon is the largest terrestrial

pool of carbon (2,200 Gigatonnes).


www.gktoday.in
Target 2013
36

Can Organic Farming help in Carbon Sequestration?

What are Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) and Dead Zones?

shadow zone

Ocean deoxygenation.
Dead Zones

What is Global dimming?

What is Eutrophication?

increase in the primary productivity of the water body or "bloom" of phytoplankton

Nomurai Jellyfish

Some Observations
9
eutrophos
9

9


www.gktoday.in
Target 2013
37
9

9

9
9

9

Control of Eutrophication
9

9

9

9

9
What is Green GDP?

9

does not mean
9

does not mean

9

it accounts the monetized loss of biodiversity, costs caused by climate
change.
9

conventional gross domestic product figures adjusted for the environmental costs of
economic activities.

first
published its green GDP data for the year 2004


www.gktoday.in
Target 2013
38
What is Ecological debt?

Carrying Capacity
Ecological Debt Day
What is the Carrying Capacity?

Carrying Capacity
population size
The population of this species will increase below carrying capacity
and will decrease above carrying capacity.
How does it work?

What is Ecological Foot print ?

9
9

biocapacity will eventually collapse

global hectares

What is a Global Hectare?
as well as biocapacity

ecological deficit.
Ecological Footprint,

this was the required for producing

Biocapacity
biocapacity


www.gktoday.in
Target 2013
39
What is Impact of Population on Biocapacity?

Thumb rule:
What is Water Footprint?

the total volume of freshwaterused to produce
consumed by

9 Blue Water Footprint evaporated
lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs and wells

9 Green Water Footprint evaporated
moist lands, wetlands, soil, farms

9 Grey Water Footprint was polluted

What is Ecological Deficit?

was 0.9 Global hectares per personEcological Deficit

ecological debtor country
ecological creditor

Global Footprint Network

. Guyana had the largest biocapacity in the word.
largest Ecological Footprint

highest in the world.

Ecological Debt Day


www.gktoday.in
Target 2013
40


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Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-43

Land Degradation & Land Use Basics in India

Causes and Outcomes of Land Degradation

Land rehabilitation is the process of returning the land

What is Fallow Land?

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-43

prominent reason of degradation,

The driver of Land Degradation

The net sown area versus the net irrigated area

The environmental impact of land use patterns

The Impact of Shifting Cultivation

Discrimination in Chemical fertilizers usage

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-43

Environmental Impact of Burning Straw

Aridity and Deserts

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

What are Soil sediments?

Indiscriminate use of fertilizers:

Indiscriminate use of pesticides

The First Insecticides and Biomagnification

Dumping of Soil Waste

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Deforestation & Soil Erosion

Destruction of pastures and overgrazing

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Effect of Soil Pollution

Benefits for Soil

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Air Pollution and Air Quality Control

Reasons of Air Pollution

Primary & Secondary level Air pollutants

 primary pollutants are "directly" emitted

secondary pollutants are not emitted directly

Primary Air Pollutants

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Secondary Air Pollutant Ground Level Ozone

In the last 100 years, the emission of Methane

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Deaths due to Air Pollution

Top CO2 emitting countries

Emission per capita

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

natural as well as anthropogenic gaseous

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Green House Effect

Process of Green House Effect

Green House Effect versus Planetary Albedo

Civil Services Examination 2013

Conventional General Studies-41

Indoor Air Pollution

Much less stable

 low concentration in atmosphere harmful effects

primary pollutants are "directly" emitted

secondary pollutants are not emitted directly

Much less stable

low concentration in atmosphere harmful effects

depletion of ozone and atomic oxygen.

Oxides of Sulphur, Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of

Central Pollution Control Board

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Faecal Coliform

only to interstate riversriver valleys