Chapter 9 - Environmental Management
1. Match the items in column ‘A’ with the proper ones in column ‘B’ and explain their impact on the environment.
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
|---|---|
1. Harmful waste | a. Glass, rubber, carry bags, etc. |
2. Domestic waste | b. Chemicals, pigments, ash, etc. |
3. Biomedical waste | c. Radioactive material. |
4. Industrial waste | d. Leftover food, vegetables, peelings of fruits. |
5. Urban waste | e. Bandages, cotton, needles, etc. |
Ans:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
|---|---|
1. Harmful waste | c. Radioactive material. |
2. Domestic waste | d. Leftover food, vegetables, peelings of fruits. |
3. Biomedical waste | e. Bandages, cotton, needles, etc. |
4. Industrial waste | b. Chemicals, pigments, ash, etc. |
5. Urban waste | a. Glass, rubber, carry bags, etc. |
2. Complete the statements using the given options and justify those statements.
(Geographic favourability, climate, weather, observatory)
a. Of the abiotic factors that affect biodiversity, by far the most important is ________.
Ans: Climate.
Explanation: Climate influences our basic needs like food, clothing and shelter as well as our occupations. Various factors of climate like temperature, atmospheric pressure, sunlight, rainfall, humidity etc. will decide which kind of plants and animals can survive there.
b. A description of the climatic conditions of short duration in a particular area is ________.
Ans: Weather.
Explanation: Atmospheric conditions at a specific time at a particular place are referred to as weather. Weather is related to a specific location and specific time whereas climate is related to a longer duration and larger area.
c. Irrespective of the progress of human beings, we have to think about ________.
Ans: Geographical favourability.
Explanation: Geographical favourability includes location, availability of water, availability of natural resources and climate of a region. This has a great impact on the progress of human beings. Countries that have more favourable factors will progress more.
d. Establishments where various climatic factors are recorded are called ________.
Ans: Observatory.
Explanation: Most countries in the world have established meteorology departments for recording climatic factors. These departments have observatories which are equipped with modern instruments and technology.
3. Answer the following questions.
a. How is first aid provided to victims of disasters who are injured?
Ans:
(i) Bleeding: If the victim is injured and bleeding through the wound, it should be covered with an antiseptic pad and pressure applied to it for 5 minutes with either the thumb or palm.
(ii) Fracture and impact on vertebrae: If any bone is fractured, it is essential that the fractured part be immobilized. It can be done with the help of any available wooden rods, batons, or rulers. If there is an impact on the back or vertebral column, the patient should be kept immobile on a firm stretcher.
(iii) Burns: If victims have burn injuries, it is beneficial to hold the injured part under clean and cold, flowing water for at least 10 minutes.
b. State the scientific and eco-friendly methods of waste management.
Ans: Following are the scientific and eco-friendly methods of waste management:
(i) Waste separation: In this method, dry and wet wastes are separated, stored, and later collected for proper use.
(ii) Composting: The decomposition of degradable kitchen waste in small pits in the backyard, garden, or terrace is called composting. Good-quality manure can be produced by composting leftover food, the peels of fruits and vegetables, etc.
(iii) Vermicomposting: Converting solid waste into manure or compost with the help of earthworms is called vermicomposting. Vermicompost manure is highly nutritious and can be used for agricultural purposes and garden plants.
(iv) Secured landfill: Solid waste is disposed of in secured landfills. The site for a secured landfill is selected 2 km away from water bodies and human habitation. Care is taken to ensure that the site does not fall into a sensitive zone. The landfills are layered with clay and plastic, and then the garbage is spread and left to decompose naturally.
(v) Pyrolysis: In this method, the waste is heated to a high temperature to obtain gas and electricity. Semi-combustible waste is burned in pyrolysis. It is suitable for municipal solid waste management.
(vi) Incineration: Biomedical waste is burnt in incinerators to kill the pathogens. Disinfection and sterilization is also done while treating the biomedical waste.
c. Explain, with suitable examples, the relationship between weather forecasting and disaster management.
Ans:
(i) Depending upon factors such as storms, clouds, rainfall, etc., weather forecasts are made. It is useful in aviation, shipping, fishing, and other industries, as well as during natural calamities like dust storms, sand storms, heavy rainfall, tsunamis, etc., where proper predictions are made with well-equipped satellites and high-class technology.
(ii) Observatories at several locations are doing excellent work in the analysis of the information received from these satellites.
(iii) This data can be used in the prevention of losses and danger, improving tolerance, providing relief from disaster, minimizing the intensity and extent of harm, and preparing to face the disaster.
d. Why is e-waste harmful? Express your opinion about this.
Ans:
(i) E-waste is electronic waste, which includes non-functional TV sets, cell phones, music systems, computers and their parts, etc.
(ii) E-waste contains heavy metals like lead, beryllium, mercury, and cadmium.
(iii) These metals accumulate in the soil for long periods and thus affect the biodiversity of the soil.
(iv) Many times, e-waste like batteries, etc., contains acids that make the soil acidic.
(v) E-waste can cause groundwater pollution, which also affects living organisms when they drink this polluted water.
(vi) Thus, e-waste affects human health and soil microorganisms directly or indirectly.
e. How will you register your individual participation in solid waste management?
Ans: We can register our individual participation in solid waste management in the following ways:
(i) Following the 3R mantra: reduce (reducing waste), reuse (reusing waste), and recycle (recycling waste).
(ii) Throwing plastic wrappers of chocolates, ice creams, biscuits, etc. into dustbins Avoid littering
(iii) Avoiding the use of plastic bags and instead using cloth bags or bags prepared from old sarees, bedsheets, curtains, etc.
(iv) Using both sides of paper for writing Reusing greeting cards and gift papers.
(v) Avoiding Avoiding the use of tissue paper and preferring to use one’s own handkerchief.
(vi) Using rechargable batteries instead of lead batteries.
(vii) Implementing various programs of solid waste management and educating and encouraging the family and society in this regard.
(viii) Avoiding ‘use and throw’ types of articles like pens, canned cold drinks, tetra-packs, etc.
4. Write notes.
(a) Meteorology
Ans:
(i) The science that studies the interrelationship between the various components of air, natural cycles, geological movements of the earth, and climate is called meteorology.
(ii) Meteorology includes the study of storms, clouds, rainfall, thunder, lightning, etc.
(iii) Depending upon the study of such factors, weather forecasts are made.
(iv) They are useful to common people, farmers, fisheries, aviation services, water transport and various other organizations.
(b) Climatic factors
Ans:
(i) The climate of a particular region is the average of daily readings of various weather-related parameters recorded for several years.
(ii) Climatic factors include direction and speed of wind, temperature, atmospheric pressure, clouds, rainfall, humidity, visibility, etc.
(iii) These factors influence our basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, and our occupations.
(iv) Various climatic factors bring about the weathering of rocks in the earth’s crust.
(v) Microbes in the soil play an important role in formation of organic materials This process also depends on various climatic factors.
(c) Monsoon model
Ans:
(i) The tradition of forecasting the monsoon season in India is older than 100 years.
(ii) After the famine of 1877, H.F. Blanford, the founder of IMD, made such a prediction for the first time, taking the snowfall of the Himalayas as a parameter for this prediction.
(iii) In the decade of the 1930s, the then director of IMD, Sir Gilbert Walker, underlined the relationship between various worldwide climatic factors and the Indian monsoon, and based on available observations and previous recordings related to this relationship, he put forth a hypothesis regarding the nature of the monsoon.
(iv) With the initiative of Dr. Vasantrao Govarikar in the decade of the 1990s, a monsoon model based upon 16 worldwide climatic parameters was developed. This model was in use from 1990 to 2002.
Presently, new models are being developed at IITM. Work is in progress at two levels: designing new models and developing new technology.
(vi) The main focus is on the development of the radar system and satellite technology.
(d) Industrial waste
Ans:
(i) Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial processes or activities.
(ii) There is a huge variety of industries producing different types of materials and articles. All of these use raw materials and produce a lot of waste.
(iii) There are hundreds of mines that extract copper, silver, gold, iron, coal, etc. Huge quantities of waste are produced while processing them.
(iv) Cement industries give out solid, liquid, and gaseous wastes.
(v) While refining crude oil, a lot of poisonous gaseous and liquid waste is produced.
(vi) Construction units produce huge quantities of waste stones, pebbles, broken bricks, wood waste, etc. Most of them are dumped in landfills.
(vii) It also includes chemicals, pigments, sludge, ash, metal, etc. given out from mining, textile, construction, and chemical industries.
(e) Plastic waste
Ans:
(i) Plastic waste is the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects the environment, humans, and animals.
(ii) Plastic waste is excessively generated as plastic is inexpensive and durable.
(iii) Plastic is slow to degrade. It takes around 10 million years for certain plastic bags to degrade.
(iv) Plastic waste affects land and water.
(v) It also affects the health of animals; cattle unknowingly ingest these plastic bags, leading to stomach cancer in them.
(vi) Plastic also releases toxic chemicals that are carcinogenic to humans.
(vii) To avoid plastic waste, cloth bags should be used instead of plastic bags. Plastic articles should be recycled.
(f) Principles of first aid
Ans: First aid is provided to disaster victims in a life-saving and resuscitation manner (ABC).
(i) Airway: If the victim has difficulty breathing, the head should be held in a backward-sloping position or the chin should be raised so that the respiratory passage remains open.
(ii) Breathing: If breathing has stopped, the victim should be given artificial ventilation by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
(iii) Circulation: If the victim is unconscious, then after giving mouth-to-mouth respiration twice, the heart should be pressed down hard by pressing the chest with both palms. These two actions should be repeated alternately about 15 times. This is called cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It helps bring the circulation back to normal.
5. Give examples of the importance of climate in the living world with explanations, in your own words.
Ans:
(i) Daily weather as well as long-term climatic conditions influence human lifestyles directly or indirectly. Land, waterbodies, plants, and animals collectively form the natural environment. This environment is responsible for the development of organisms.
(ii) The climate of a particular region helps to determine the diet, clothing, housing, occupations, and lifestyle of the people of that region. For example, the characteristic lifestyle of Kashmiri and Rajasthani people.
(iii) The salinity of marine water, the formation of oceanic currents, the water cycle, etc. are all related to various weather and climatic factors.
(iv) Various climatic factors bring about the weathering of rocks in the earth’s crust.
(v) Climate plays a very important role in the formation and enrichment of soil.
(vi) Microbes in the soil play an important role in formation of organic materials This process depends on various climatic factors.
6. Explain with suitable examples, the care to be taken when using the methods of transporting patients.
Ans:
(i) Cradle Method: This method is used for children and underweight victims.
(ii) Carrying a piggyback: This method is used for carrying patients who are unconscious.
(iii) Human crutch method: If one of the legs is injured, the victim should be supported with the minimum load on the other leg.
(iv) Pulling or lifting method: This method is used for carrying an unconscious patient over a short distance.
(v) Carrying on a four-hand chair: This method is used when support is needed for the part below the waist.
(vi) Carrying on a two-hand chair: This method is useful for those patients who cannot use their hands but can hold their body upright.
(vii) Stretcher: In an emergency, if a conventional stretcher is not available, then a temporary stretcher can be made using bamboo, a blanket, etc.
7. Explain the differences.
a. Weather and climate.
Ans:
| Weather | Climate |
|---|---|
(i) Atmospheric conditions at a specific time in a particular place are referred to as weather. | (i) The climate of a particular region is the average of daily readings of various weather-related parameters recorded for several years. |
(ii) The weather can change continuously. | (ii) The climate remains constant in a region for a long time. |
(iii) Weather is related to a specific location and a specific time. | (iii) Climate is related to a longer duration and a larger area. |
(iv) Changes in the weather may occur for short periods of time. | (iv) Changes in the climate take place slowly over a long period of time. |
b. Degradable and non-degradable waste.
Ans:
| Degradable Waste | Non-degradable Waste |
|---|---|
(i) This type of waste is easily degraded by microbes. | (i) This type of waste is not easily degraded by microbes because it takes a very long period of time and the use of various techniques. |
(ii) It includes kitchen waste, ash, soil, dung, parts of the plants, etc. | (ii) It includes plastic, metal, and other similar materials. |
(iii) It is also called wet solid waste or wet garbage. | (iii) It is also called dry solid waste or dry garbage. |
(iv) If it is carefully decomposed, we can get compost and fuel of good quality from it. | (iv) It can be recycled. |