Class 9 IT (402)

Ans 1. In broader terms, ‘Environment’ means ‘surroundings’ (environs). The word ‘environment’ has been derived from the French word ‘Environia’, which means ‘to surround’. Hence, environment refers to our surroundings which consist of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.

Ans 2. Biotic: The living components of an ecosystem are called biotic components. Some of these include plants, animals as well as fungi and bacteria. Plants are autotrophs—they make their own food by absorbing carbon dioxide from the environment and releasing oxygen after the process of photosynthesis. Animals are mainly dependent on plants or on other animals for their food and existence.

Abiotic: Abiotic components constitute all non-living components of an ecosystem. It includes air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, etc.

Ans 3. Society and environment have always been closer and dependent on each other since time immemorial. A society is best described as a group of people living together to form a community, tribe, village or a city, sharing common interests along with continuous social interactions. As various environmental changes like weather, climate and different terrains affect our lives, in the same manner, our actions and activities also greatly impact the environment. Thus, human beings and environment affect each other alike.

For example, the careless cutting down of forests and trees to clear land to grow crops for ages has led to soil erosion and change in climatic conditions which, in turn, has created an ecological imbalance.

Ans 4. The various factors causing ecological imbalance are:

• Deforestation: It is the outcome of population explosion. Due to rising population, forests and related ecosystems are cleared for urbanization and industrialization. This has resulted in land degradation and soil erosion and, in turn, has resulted in the extinction of many bird and animal species.

• Pollution: It is defined as the contamination of environment, mainly air, water and soil, with undesirable addition of unwanted harmful substances or toxins that destroy the health of the environment and make it unfit and unhealthy for life sustenance and have long-lasting effects.

• Global Warming and Greenhouse Effects: The increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere due to emission of chlorofluorocarbons and other air pollutants, excessive use of fossil fuels like coal, petrol, oil and natural gas produces greenhouse gases like methane, carbon dioxide etc., and results in a sharp increase in greenhouse effect and, in turn, global warming.

• Mining: It is the process of extracting minerals from the earth’s surface. If we will keep extracting minerals at the current pace, it will lead to their depletion and create an ecological imbalance. Large-scale mining leads to long-term effects such as land erosion, dust contaminating the air and improper mining waste disposal.

• Radioactive and E-Waste: The working of nuclear reactors produces a lot of radioactive waste which is highly dangerous for all living beings. It is not decomposed and stays intact for thousands of years. Thus, radioactive waste should be handled properly. Another waste of concern is e-waste. This is due to large scale usage of smartphones, laptops and other digital gadgets which generate a lot of e-waste and need proper management.

Ans 5. An ecosystem is an interdependent community of living and non-living organisms that interact with each other and create a balance in their surrounding environment. For example, gardens, ponds and forests are all ecosystems. Any imbalance created in any of the components shall disturb the entire ecosystem, which may hamper the existence of other living organisms.

An ecosystem comprises two major components:

• Biotic: The living components of an ecosystem are called biotic components. Some of these include plants, animals as well as fungi and bacteria.

• Abiotic: Abiotic components constitute all non-living components of an ecosystem. It includes air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, etc.

Ans 6. Human activities have contributed to creating ecological imbalance in the following ways:

(i) Deforestation: It is the outcome of population explosion. Due to rising population, forests and related ecosystems are cleared for urbanization and industrialization. This has resulted in land degradation and soil erosion and, in turn, has resulted in the extinction of many bird and animal species.

(ii) Pollution: It is defined as the contamination of environment, mainly air, water and soil, with undesirable addition of unwanted harmful substances or toxins that destroy the health of the environment and make it unfit and unhealthy for life sustenance and have long-lasting effects.

(iii) Global Warming and Greenhouse Effects: The increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere due to emission of chlorofluorocarbons and other air pollutants, excessive use of fossil fuels like coal, petrol, oil and natural gas produces greenhouse gases like methane, carbon dioxide etc., and results in a sharp increase in greenhouse effect and, in turn, global warming.

(iv) Mining: It is the process of extracting minerals from the earth’s surface. If we will keep extracting minerals at the current pace, it will lead to their depletion and create an ecological imbalance. Large-scale mining leads to long-term effects such as land erosion, dust contaminating the air and improper mining waste disposal.

(v) Radioactive and E-Waste: The working of nuclear reactors produces a lot of radioactive waste which is highly dangerous for all living beings. It is not decomposed and stays intact for thousands of years. Thus, radioactive waste should be handled properly. Another waste of concern is e-waste. This is due to large scale usage of smartphones, laptops and other digital gadgets which generate a lot of e-waste and need proper management.

Ans 7. Green economy is described as an economy with low carbon emissions, less pollution, efficient use of resources and a healthy society. It can be achieved through clean energy to implement green initiatives.

Building green economy can be achieved by inculcating green skills and environment-friendly practices that require technical skills, knowledge, critical thinking and a problem-solving approach.

The important components of Green Economy are:

• Renewable energy: Renewable energy is a form of energy which is produced by renewable resources like wind, sunlight, water, geothermal heat, etc. Using these alternative green energy sources contributes to lowering the impact on the environment caused by the depletion of non-renewable sources of energy.

• Green building and green transportation: This includes the construction of buildings and developing a well-planned transportation system with minimum damage to the environment and forests. Green transportation ensures the use of fuel that produces minimum greenhouse gases and pooling, promoting alternative sources of energy and fuel like CNG, battery, etc. Green transportation lowers dependency on fossil fuels, is cheaper and helps in keeping the environment clean.

• Waste management: It means managing waste by following 4R’s—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle—and 1U—Upcycle—for minimal environment degradation.

• Land management: It relates to using land as a resource judiciously in terms of soil, forests and trees, farms, roads, etc., without causing harm to the environment.

• Water management: Water management means to reduce water wastage and replenish groundwater level by adopting rainwater harvesting mechanism for future use. Using rainwater for agriculture and wastewater for washing and cleaning purposes proves to be an effective mechanism for reducing water wastage which is responsible for the scarcity of water.

Ans 8. The need to develop green economy arises from the fact that it will help in conserving resources for future generations with improved social well-being and reduced environmental risks that will promote economic growth of a country, eradicate poverty and reduce carbon emissions and ecosystem degradation; In a green economy, growth in employment and income are driven by public and private investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon emissions and pollution.

Ans 9. Green buildings refer to the construction of buildings and developing a well-planned transportation system with minimum damage to the environment and forests.

Green buildings support green economy by

contributing effectively in the following areas:

• Wastewater treatment

• Using renewable energy (solar power and wind energy)

• Rainwater harvesting

• Use of clean energy and focusing on conserving energy

• Reducing all types of pollution, mainly air, water and soil

Ans 10. Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. It not only affects the environment but also has a significant impact on human health. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the role of technology in reducing air pollution, which include:

• Renewable energy sources like solar, wind and hydro power—they can significantly help to reduce the amount of pollution generated by traditional power plants.

• Electric vehicles—they produce significantly less air pollution than traditional cars running on gasoline or diesel.

• Air quality sensors—these devices measure the levels of pollutants in the air and can help identify areas with high levels of pollution, allowing authorities to take action to reduce pollution levels.

• Air quality maps—they provide a visual representation of the levels of pollution in different areas and allow people to make informed decisions about their outdoor activity and take action to reduce pollution levels.

Ans 11. Upcycle means that a safe and eco-friendly alternative should be used in place of a non-biodegradable substance. Also, any product that is not usable can be upcycled with creativity and innovation. For example, using a cloth bag instead of a polythene bag.

Ans 12. A few green projects taken up in India for building a green economy include: (write any four points)

(i) Digital Green aims at rural education, promoting education in rural areas through smart classrooms and video-based learning.

(ii) Waste management and vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a faster method for reducing organic waste than traditional composting. This approach utilizes the action of earthworms as well as bacteria to break down organic waste. The resultant material (vermicompost) can be a highly effective fertilizer or soil conditioner.

(iii) Making solar energy accessible by providing customized solutions to industry clients.

(iv) Banyan Nation is an initiative to work towards a pollution-free environment by collecting plastic waste from industries and recycling it for further use.

(v) Bio toilet by Green Solution Foundation is an Eco-friendly toilet. Its working is based on using aerobic bacteria. Its tank converts human waste into standard compatible water, which is used for flushing and even for irrigation.

Ans 13. Green skills aim at developing a framework for building and managing a sustainable green economy. Learning green skills is an important and indispensable method to enhance knowledge, abilities, values and attributes to develop and support organizations that focus on saving the environment and improving it to support life systems.

Some prominent areas in which green skills contribute to building a sustainable economy and improving environmental conditions are as follows:

• Wastewater treatment

• Using renewable energy (solar power and wind energy)

• Rainwater harvesting

• Green buildings and transportation

• Use of clean energy and focusing on conserving energy

• Reducing all types of pollution, mainly air, water and soil

Building green economy can be achieved by inculcating green skills and environment-friendly practices that require technical skills, knowledge, critical thinking and a problem-solving approach.