Unit 1 - Introduction to Environmental Science

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS – 1
1. Which of the following branches does environmental studies not include?
a) Accounts
b) Geography
c) Technology
d) Economics
2. In Recyclable resources we include things which can be recycled such as Aluminium cans, etc.
[True/False]
3. Non-renewable resources are available in huge quantity and can be consumed at large scale.
[True/False]
4. How will you create awareness about the positive measures needed for the benefit of the environment?
a) By creating social groups in society
b) By spreading information on social media
c) By providing the right guidance to the people
d) All of the above

5. _______________ is the energy that can be converted with the help of sun rays. (Solar energy)

6. Pollutants that are easy to manage and decompose in nature are known as _____________________.
(Biodegradable pollutants)

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS – 2
7. Which of the following combinations is the best fit for the 3 R's that are concerned with the environment?
a) Reduce, reuse, recycle
b) Recall, register, read
c) Reuse, recall, rate
d) Restrict, recycle, read

8. Which of the element includes interaction between surroundings and other environmental components?
a. Lithosphere
b. Biosphere
c. Hydrosphere
d. Atmosphere
9. __________________ Segment or Sphere of Earth is composed of nitrogen and oxygen. (Atmosphere)

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS – 3
10. It is very important to create awareness among people, about the scarcity of resources and for better
utilization of resources so that we can preserve resources for fulfilling future needs.
[True/False]

11. To understand the concept of Environmental Studies, Geology, Ecology and Economics are not required.
[True/False]
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS – 4
12. What refers to the development done for making the natural resources to sustain?
a) Sustainable development
b) Sustaining development
c) Infrastructure development
d) None of the above
13. What is called the space created for the growth of flora and fauna?
a) Wide space
b) green space
c) White space
d) None of the above

14. What do you mean by sustainable development?

a) Eco-friendly in nature
b) Helpful in attaining healthy lifestyle
c) Helpful in conserving the natural resources
d) All of the above

15. _________________ is the process of cutting down of forests. (Deforestation)

16. The _________________ aspects of Principle of Sustainability talks about using eco-friendly business
operations for manufacturing of goods and services and for earning profits in business. (Economic)

17. Environmental Impact Assessment Act, China is considered as the law to protect biodiversity’s from
exploitation.
[True/False]

18. The process of collecting and storing rainwater in cemented tanks or in an artificial reservoir is known as
Rainwater harvesting.
[True/False]

Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss all the concerns hampering the environment in the case of Coca Cola.

2. In reference to the Coca Cola case, explain why is it the need of the hour to change the industrial
development strategy globally and focus on sustainable socio-economic development?

3. Discuss few other ways by which industries or businesses can be made more responsible for sustainable
development of the environment.

TERMINAL QUESTIONS
Short Answer Questions
Q1. List some natural resources?
Answer.

Natural resources are generated from the environment, i.e., resources that are naturally and freely available
such as air, sunlight, minerals, etc. Human beings cannot generate natural resources as we have only one
source for natural resources, i.e., the environment. Natural resources are of two types, renewable resources,
and non-renewable resources.

Q2. Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources.

Answer.

Renewable resources can be renewed over time from available resources. Ex: Electricity can be generated
from solar panels. Renewable resources can be generated if they are not present in the environment with
natural process help such as solar energy, wind energy, wood, etc. At the same time, non-renewable
resources cannot be renewed over time due to the scarcity of resources such as natural gas, oil, and coal.
They cannot be generated with natural processes.

Q3. What is meant by multidisciplinary nature?

Answer.

Multidisciplinary nature helps understand environmental studies from different perspectives such as
philosophy, physics, geography, history, etc. With this help, we can understand the problems and solutions
related to environmental problems from various aspects and make decisions accordingly.

Q4. What is sustainable development?

Answer.

Sustainable development is recognized as an organizing principle related to the economic growth that is
continuously involved in maintaining the ecosystem and natural resources. It is considered as a development
that focuses on current requirements without compromising on future needs.
Q5. What are the three principles of Sustainability?
Answer.
There are three principles of sustainability, which are as follows:
1. Social aspect: The social aspect of sustainability encourages society's people to conserve natural
resources. It includes environmental safety and health, use of marketing communication for creating
awareness related to natural resources, etc.
2. Economic aspect: The economic aspect depicts how the business uses eco-friendly resources to operate
its business to earn revenues. Economic elements talk about the financial position of the economy.
Businesses should prevent our resources by utilizing them in a better way so that they will not cause any
harm to society. In this, it includes giving better product and services to society, Employment opportunity,
etc.
3. Environmental aspect: The environmental aspect helps use eco-friendly products for business
operations, that can be easily recycled and reused. It includes green initiatives, resource management, etc.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. Explain the scope and importance of environmental studies.

Answer.

The scope and importance of environmental studies are very important to understand, as listed below:
• It helps in creating public awareness among citizens and industries
• As we know, resources are scarce in nature, and their preservation is very important
• It is important to develop eco-friendly products and technologies for safety purposes.
• As the population is increasing, the utilization of resources is also increasing, and we should use resources
as per our requirement only and do not waste them.

Q2. List three elements of Sustainability and explain them.

Answer.
Sustainability is described as an ability to endure continually. It concentrates on the needs or requirements of
the present generation without disturbing the future generation's needs. The three elements of sustainability
are:
• Environmental: the environmental element is also informally recognized as the planet. The environmental
element introduces the concept of recycling and reuse. It assists businesses or individuals to utilize the eco-
friendly practices that later recycle and reuse.
• Social: The social element is also recognized as people. It involves spreading information in society
regarding how to preserve natural resources.
• Economic: Economic element of sustainability is also known as profit. It emphasizes the business to use
eco-friendly procedures and resources which help in protecting the environment. It also helps cut-off extra
expenses and keeps nature happy.

Q3. Explain the three pillars of Sustainability in your own words.

Answer.
The three pillars of sustainability are social, economic, and environmental

1. Social Pillar: Social pillar of sustainability involves spreading awareness among the society and culture
to prevent natural resources. It also encourages people to use the natural resources attentively that do not
harm the environment or surrounding. To protect the environment, many laws, rules, and regulations are
imposed by the government.
2. Economic Pillar: Many companies or businesses utilize natural resources in their production and
operations in today's era. The economic pillar suggests that the industries use eco-friendly resources, so they
are later recycled or reused, reducing production costs and protecting the environment.
3. Environmental Pillar: The environmental pillar introduces the theory of recycling and reuse.
Environmental pillars highlight the use of eco-friendly resources to reduce the expense and emphasizes other
people to adopt eco-friendly practices.

Quiz:
1 The branches of environmental studies include

a) Chemistry
b) Agriculture
c) Geography
d) All the above
2 Which of the following is related to sustainable development

a) Misuse of resources
b) Resource conservation
c) Climate change
d) None of the above

3 Refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle is the main theme of

 a) Environmental education
b) environmental balance
c) ecological balance
d) ecological education
4 What do you mean by sustainable development

a) eco-friendly in nature
b) Helpful in attaining healthy lifestyle
c) Helpful in conserving the natural resources
d) All the above

5 What year the concept of sustainability first appears

a) 1992
b) 1978
c) 1980
d) 1987

6 The United Nations has established a total Sustainable Development Goals

a) 15
b) 16
c) 13
d) 17
7 To achieve social, economic, and ecological equality, is is required to

a) social advancement
b) long-term development
c) development of the economy
d) development of the environment

8 Where did the first move towards sustainable development occur

a) Conference in Bangkok
b) Stockholm Conference
c) Conference on San Francisco
d) All the above

9 The multidisciplinary approach involves the study of environmental science from the aspect of

a) Physics
b) History
c) Geology
d) All the above