Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
The Environment Protection Act of 1986 (EPA) came into force soon after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy which took place in 1984. The Act is considered umbrella legislation as it fills many lacunae in the existing legislations in India.

Notes:
The Government of India enacted the Energy Conservation Act in the year 2001. The Energy Conservation Act is an act to provide for the efficient use of energy and its conservation.

Notes:
A biofuel is a fuel that is produced through contemporary processes from biomass (living or once-living material). They are a renewable source of energy and can be solid, liquid, or gaseous in nature.

Notes:
National Initiative On Climate Resilient Agriculture was launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research with funding from the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. It was launched in February 2011.

Notes:
The environmental impact assessment in India began in the year 1976-77 when the Planning Commission
directed the then Department of Science and Technology to examine the river-valley projects from environmental angle.

Notes:
Both Statements are correct:

1. Algal bloom refers to a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic ecosystem.
2. Algal blooms can occur in freshwater as well as marine environments.

Notes:
The Umbrella Group is a coalition of 12 non-european developed countries that was formed following the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. The Group is made up of Australia, Belarus, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Norway, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States.

Notes:

• The Gaia hypothesis proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.

Notes:

• The Asian Waterbird Census is conducted in January each year and is coordinated by the Wetlands International South Asia and the Bombay Natural History Society in india.
• It is an integral part of the global waterbird monitoring programme, the International Waterbird Census (IWC), coordinated by Wetlands International.
• It was initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent and since has grown rapidly to cover major region of Asia.
• It is the longest-running citizen science initiative.
• Under this initiative, systematic counting and monitoring of waterbirds is undertaken to study trends and condition of wetlands, covering hundreds of sites.

Notes:
The Heard and McDonald Islands are located in the sub-Antarctic region and serve as external territories of Australia. These volcanic islands, discovered in the 1850s by American mariners John Heard and William McDonald, were proclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. These islands, recognized for their unique wildlife and geology (including active volcanoes), are considered one of the world’s most remote places. Initially claimed by the UK in 1910, they were transferred to Australia in 1947, hence, the land boasting the highest mountain under Australian sovereignty.