1.Which among the following best explains the reason for growing
concerns about the environment?
a. The developed countries are concerned about protecting nature.
b. Protection of the environment is vital for indigenous people and
natural habitats.
c. The environmental degradation caused by human activities has
become pervasive and has reached a dangerous level.
d. None of the above.
Answer. (c) The environmental degradation caused by human activities has
become persuasive and has reached a dangerous level.
2.Mark correct or wrong against each of the following statements about
the Earth Summit:
a. It was attended by 170 countries, thousands of NGOs and many
MNCs.
b. The summit was held under the aegis of the UN.
c. For the first time, global environmental issues were firmly
consolidated at the political level.
d. It was a summit meeting.
Answer. (a) Correct (b) Wrong
(c) Correct (d) Wrong
3.Which among the following are TRUE about the global commons?
a. The Earth’s atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space
are considered as part of the global commons.
b. The global commons are outside sovereign jurisdiction.
c. The question of managing the global commons has reflected the
North-South divide.
d. The countries of the North are more concerned about the
protection of the global commons than the countries of the South.
Answer. (a) The Earth’s atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer
space are considered as a part of global commons.
4.What were the outcomes of the Rio Summit?
Answer. 1. Rio-Summit produced conventions dealing with climate change,
biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of development practices
called Agenda 21.
- It gave the concept of sustainable development to be combined
economic growth with ecological responsibility. - Rio-Summit developed various contentious issues like Commons, Global
Commons in global politics of environment.
5.What is meant by the global commons? How are they exploited and
polluted?
Answer. The areas or regions located outside the jurisdiction of any one
state and region, common governance by international community are
Global Commons i.e. Earth atmosphere, Antarctic Ocean floor and outer
space. They are exploited and polluted due to
- Vague scientific evidences, their lack of consensus on common
environmental issues. - North-South inequalities and their exploitative activities and competition
lack proper management area out space. - Technological and Industrial development have also affected the earth’s
atmosphere and ocean floor
6.What is meant by ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’? How
could we implement the idea?
Answer: ‘Common but differentiated responsibilities’ mean that the state
shall cooperate in the spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and
restore the health and integrity of the earth’s ecosystem. As the states have
common but differentiated responsibilities over various contributions of
global environmental degradation. The developed countries acknowledgethe responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technological and financial resources they command.
We could implement the idea with the help of conventions and declarations:
- The Rio-Summit held in June 1992 produced conventions dealing with
climate change, biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of
developed practices called Agenda 21. - The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) also provides that the parties should act to protect the
climate system “on the basis of equity and in accordance with their
common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”. It
was acknowledged that per capita emissions in developing countries are
still relatively low. China, India and other developing countries were,
therefore, exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. - An international agreement is known Kyoto Protocol set targets for
industrialised countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions which
support global warming. Certain gases like Carbon dioxide, Methane,
Hydro-fluoro carbons etc. are considered at least partly responsible for
global warming – the rise in global temperature which may have
catastrophic consequences for life on Earth. The protocol was agreed to
in 1997 in Kyoto in Japan, based on principles set out in UNFCCC
7.Why have issues related to global environmental protection become
the priority concern of states since the 1990s?
Answer. Issues related to global environmental protection became the
priority concern of states since the 1990s because at global level, the
environmental issues drew attentions of various states at the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio-de-
Janerio, Brazil in June 1992 through Agenda 21:
- Rio-Summit 1992 dealt with climatic change, bio-diversity and forestry.
- Agenda 21 combined economic growth with ecological responsibilities.
- Kyoto Protocol set targets for greenhouse emissions. The abovementioned conferences and summits raised the environmental issues at the
- global level to take steps by various states to check environmental
- degradation in a co-operative manner.
8.Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies
required by states to save planet Earth. Substantiate the statement
in the light of the ongoing negotiations between the North and South
on environmental issues.
Answer. Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies to
save Planet Earth by the states but the states from North and South have
different notions towards environmental issues:
- The Northern States (Developed) are concerned with ozone depletion
and global warming whereas southern states (Developing) want to
address the relationship between economic development and
environmental management. - The developed countries of the North want to discuss the environmental
issues which stand equally responsible for ecological conservation. - The developing countries of the south feel that much of the ecological
degradation in the world is created by developed countries through their
industrial projects. - And if developed countries cause more environmental degradation they
are supposed to take more responsibility onwards. - The developing counties are under process of industrialization and they
should be exempted from restrictions imposed on developed countries
through various conventions like protocol etc. - The special needs of developing coun¬tries must be taken into
consider¬ations in the process of development, application and
interpretation of rules of International Environmental Law.
All the above mentioned provisions were accepted in Earth Summit, 1992
while adopting common but differentiated responsibilities
9.The most serious challenge before the states is pursuing economic
development without causing further damage to the global
environment. How could we achieve this? Explain with a few examples
Answer. The economic development can be achieved even without
damaging global environment by following practices:
- In June 1992, Earth Summit provided some conservative measures for
sustainable growth without damaging environment anymore. - The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 covered Global Commons for mutual
economic development. - Kyoto protocol cut greenhouse emissions from industrialised countries to
protect environment and to develop industries also. - Resource Geopolitics allocates and ‘ distribute natural resources among
the nation states of global arena for sustainable development of nations.
Hence, the above mentioned practices protect the global environment and
even though the states are developing we could achieve this challenge
only if we follow the provisions and practices mentioned in all these
conferences and summits.