Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

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Biopiracy refers to the theft of genetic materials especially plants and other biological materials by the process of patent. It is a situation where indigenous knowledge of nature, originating with indigenous people, is exploited for commercial gain without permission and compensation.

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Carbon Diet refers to reducing the impact on climate change by reducing greenhouse gas production especially CO2 , without lowering their standard of living. A low-carbon diet involves making lifestyle choices related to food consumption which reduce resulting greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe).

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Gene banks are established to protect genetic material, be it plant or animal. In plants, genetic material can be saved by freezing cuts from the plant, or stocking the seeds. In animals, genetic material can be saved by freezing of sperm and eggs in zoological freezers until further need.

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Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called green house gases. Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) are used to compare the abilities of different green house gases to trap heat in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is used as the base for all the calculations, so its global warming potential is 1.2. The higher the GWP, the more heat the specific gas can keep in the atmosphere. Fluorinated gases : Chlorofluorocarbons, Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride : are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that have highest heat trapping abilities. These gases are 1,000; 10,000 even 20,000 times more powerful than Carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping heat and many can stay in our atmosphere for thousands of years.

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Solar energy does not generate waste or contaminate water, or cause any pollution—an extremely important factor given the scarcity of water. Unlike fossil fuels and nuclear power plants, wind energy has one of the lowest water-consumption footprints, which makes it a key for conserving hydrological resources.

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The Basel Protocol on Liability and Compensation was adopted at the Fifth Conference of Parties (COP 5) on10 December 1999. The objective of the Protocol is to provide for a comprehensive regime for liability as well as adequate and prompt compensation for damage resulting from the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and other wastes, including incidents occurring because of illegal traffic in those wastes.

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The conference was held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, in 1972. The conference is widely recognized as the beginning of modern political and public awareness of global environmental problems.

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Checking atomic blasts will reduce radioactive pollution. Sewage pollution can be prevented by treating sewage before passing into water course, in sewage treatment plant or effluent treatment plant (ETP). Electrically operated vehicles will control automobile exhaust and improve the air quality in cities. Environmental pollution can be controlled by treating factory wastes before disposing of them. So, if we treat wastewater before disposing of in a river, it will surely decrease the amount of dumped pollutants. For example- Steel industries have a high concentration of cyanide in it, and it led to harmful effect. So, treatment is really necessary.

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According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), automobile emissions are the number one source of carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere that are primarily responsible for air pollution. Industrial processes are the number two cause of lead pollution in the air, following automobile emissions.

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The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world’s six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. It was created in 1990 by philanthropists Richard N. Goldman and his wife, Rhoda H. Goldman.