Environmental Management Questions

About Environmental Management

Easy ~80 min study

Every other chapter in this book explains how something works. This one asks what we should do with that knowledge. Natural resources are finite in a way that is easy to forget while they still seem plentiful, and the chapter is organised around a single distinction: which resources can be replaced and which cannot.

The first half deals with conservation. Forests are protected by afforestation and by law, wildlife by the Wild Life Protection Act, and soil by keeping vegetation in place so that rain cannot carry it away. Fossil fuels get particular attention, because coal and petroleum took millions of years to form and are being consumed in a few generations. Rain water harvesting appears here too, as the practical answer to falling groundwater levels.

The second half turns to alternatives and to waste. Biogas, solar, wind, water and tidal energy are all renewable, and the chapter explains what each offers. Waste management follows the approach of reducing, reusing and recycling, applied to e-waste, solid waste and sewage. Global warming and the greenhouse effect close the chapter by showing what happens when none of this is done.

What you'll learn

• Distinguish renewable from non renewable resources with examples of each.
• Explain how soil erosion happens and how afforestation prevents it.
• Name the acts that protect forests and wild life and state when each applies.
• Describe rain water harvesting and explain how it recharges groundwater.
• Compare conventional and non conventional energy sources.
• Explain the greenhouse effect and list the consequences of global warming.
• Apply the reduce, reuse and recycle approach to different kinds of waste.

Before you start

• Basic knowledge of the water cycle and of how rain reaches the ground.
• An understanding of what fuels are and how energy is obtained from them.
• Familiarity with food chains and the role of forests in supporting life.

Environmental Management explained

What this chapter covers

Conservation of forests

Forests hold soil in place, return water vapour to the air and shelter wildlife, so their loss is felt widely. Afforestation replaces what has been cut, and the Forest Conservation Act gives legal protection. The Chipko movement, in which villagers embraced trees to stop them being felled, is the best known popular protest against deforestation.

Wildlife protection

Wild life is protected under the Wild Life Protection Act, established in 1972, and through reserves and national parks. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind in India. Poaching is an offence, and habitat destruction remains the largest cause of loss of wild life.

Management of soil erosion

Soil erosion is the removal of soil particles from the land by wind or water. It is greatest where rainfall is high, since heavy rain washes away the loosened top layer. Afforestation prevents it, while deforestation, overgrazing and the removal of vegetation all make it worse.

Fossil fuels and electrical energy

Coal, petroleum and natural gas are the fossil fuels, and tar is obtained from them. They took millions of years to form and cannot be replaced, which makes them non renewable. Electrical energy management means using less and wasting less, since most electricity is still generated by burning these same fuels.

Rain water harvesting

Rain water harvesting collects and stores rain water instead of letting it run off. It also allows water to soak into the ground, which recharges the underground water source and raises the level of the water table.

Alternative energy resources

Biogas is produced when organic waste such as cattle dung decomposes without air. Solar energy, wind energy, water energy and tidal energy are all renewable, since none of them can be used up. Among these, hydropower is the conventional commercial source already used on a large scale, while solar and wind are non conventional.

Waste management

Waste is handled by reducing the amount formed, reusing what can be used again and recycling the rest. E-waste consists of discarded electrical and electronic goods and often contains lead and heavy metals. Solid waste and sewage each need their own treatment, and untreated sewage pollutes water and spreads disease.

Global warming and the greenhouse effect

Gases in the atmosphere trap heat that would otherwise escape, so the earth becomes warmer. This warming melts glaciers, raises the level of the oceans and can sink low lying islands. Vehicle exhaust, which carries carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, is among the sources that make the problem worse.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Calling soil fertility or wild life inexhaustible. Both can be depleted; wind power cannot.
• Selecting solar or wind for the conventional commercial source. Hydropower is the conventional one; the others are non conventional.
• Thinking soil erosion is worst where rainfall is low. Heavy rain removes far more soil.
• Describing the greenhouse effect as a cooling of the earth. It is a warming.
• Assuming windmill blades are driven by a motor. They are turned by the wind and drive a generator.

Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between renewable and non renewable resources?

A renewable resource is replaced within a human timescale, so it can be used again and again. Trees, solar energy, wind, water and tidal energy are renewable. A non renewable resource exists in a fixed amount and cannot be replaced once used, which covers coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuel.

Why is soil erosion greater where rainfall is high?

Rain loosens the top layer of soil and running water carries it away. The heavier the rainfall, the more water flows across the surface and the more soil it removes. This is why soil erosion is most severe in areas of high rainfall, and why keeping vegetation cover there matters so much.

How does afforestation prevent soil erosion?

Tree roots bind soil particles together so that water cannot carry them off easily, and the leaves break the force of falling rain before it strikes the ground. Together these hold the fertile top layer in place. Deforestation, overgrazing and removal of vegetation have the opposite effect and accelerate erosion.

What is rain water harvesting and why does it matter?

Rain water harvesting is the collection and storage of rain water instead of allowing it to run off and be lost. Besides storing water for direct use, it lets water soak into the ground and recharge the underground water source, which raises the level of the water table in the surrounding area.

What is the greenhouse effect?

Certain gases in the atmosphere hold back heat that would otherwise escape from the earth into space. The result is that the earth grows warmer, so the greenhouse effect refers to the warming of the earth. Beyond a point this warming melts glaciers, raises ocean levels and threatens low lying islands.

Which gases are released from vehicle exhaust?

Vehicle exhaust releases carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. Carbon monoxide is poisonous, sulphur dioxide contributes to acid rain, and oxides of nitrogen add to air pollution. This is why motor traffic is treated as a major source of pollution in towns and cities.

What is e-waste?

E-waste is the waste made up of discarded electrical and electronic devices such as computers, telephones and household appliances. It needs separate handling because these devices contain lead and other heavy metals, which pollute soil and water if the waste is simply dumped with ordinary rubbish.

What does the 4R approach to conservation mean?

The approach asks us to reduce the amount of waste formed in the first place, to reuse whatever can serve again, to recycle materials into new products, and to recover what value remains. Applied together, these steps conserve natural resources by keeping material in use instead of discarding it.