Rajasthan Board RBSE Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 22 Environment Pollution
→ Environment provides the condition necessary for life and it provides input for production.
→The study of environment means the study of the relationship between biotic and abiotic components.
→ Environment performs four main functions of life.
→ Firstly, it provides the necessary biotic and physical and chemical systems for the existence of life.
→ Secondly, Environment provides input for production and economic activities.
→ Thirdly, absorption functions: waste material produced by production activities and human activities are absorbed by the Environment itself.
→ Fourthly, providing other services like Natural beauty.
→ Air pollution occurs when harmful or excessive quantities of substances including gases, particulates, and biological molecules are introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere.
→ Carbon dioxide is the main air pollutant.
→ The average temperature of the earth is increasing due to increase in the contribution of these gases in the lower strata of the atmosphere. This is called the Greenhouse effect.
→ A conference on global warming was organized in Kyoto city of Japan in 1997.
→ An agreement was made in it which has been accepted by 169 countries.
→ For clean development process, it was decided that the country’s industries should achieve the target of 5 per cent deduction.
→ A concentrated layer of ozone is found in the atmosphere at a height of 20-60 km from the earth’s surface.
→ This layer absorbs the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun.
→ In order to stop the depletion of ozone layer, an international agreement was made in September, 1987, by the efforts of United Nations Organization.
→It was decided to observe the World Ozone Day on 16th September.
→By 1991-92, the production and consumption of Group-1 chemicals was not to be increased beyond 150 percent of 1986 levels.
→By 2030, the less harmful gas for ozone, hydrochlorofloro carbon (HCFC) would be decreased to zero from 1961 levels.
→ Due to increase in air pollution, acid rain takes place.
→ Gases emitted from industrial pollution, i.e. sulphur dioxide, nitric dioxide and carbon dioxide, enter the atmosphere and form sulphuric acid, nitric acid and carbolic acid by the process of evaporation which fall on earth along with rain.
→ Activities taking place in the environment which cause deterioration of properties of clean water and reduce the supply of clean water are included in water pollution.
→ Water is being polluted by mixing of industrial waste materials in the sources of clean water, dissolution of agricultural chemicals with decomposition in clean water resources, lack of proper solid waste disposal system and dissolution of radioactive materials in water.
→ The upper thin layer of the soil on the earth’s surface is precious for life. Unfavourable change in its physical, chemical and biological composition is known as soil pollution.
→Bio-diversity is a vital resource of the earth.
→ Every creature has a specific genetic structure, which is an important natural resource.
→ Existence of various types of plants, living beings and micro-organisms is called bio-diversity.
→ Materials lying in an improper manner and at inappropriate places, which could be used again, but which obstruct the working system of the environment are called solid waste.
→ The materials left over from the production of nuclear energy are included in nuclear waste.
→ Unusual and unbearably loud sound is called sound pollution.
→ Unusual and loud sound is called noise.
→ The intensity of sound is measured in decibels.
→ The sound produced in a normal conversation has the intensity of40-60 decibels.
→ Loud sound is also harmful for human health.
→ Sound pollution can be controlled by making up various norms and laws, by making changes in the technology
and by making changes in the human nature.
→ An environment conference was held under the aegis of United Nations Organization in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 to discuss the future plans of the environment.
→The Central Pollution Control Board was set up in India in 1974.
→ It has 7 regional offices and 5 laborateries under its control.
→ It manages environmental estimation and research.
→ The term ‘sustainable development’ firstly came into major existence in the year 1980.