Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
According to the source material, which three components of the environment are primarily affected by pollution?
Answer
Air, water and soil.
Question
What are the two major negative effects of vehicular emissions on the environment?
Answer
Global climate change and air pollution with negative health repercussions.
Question
Which specific greenhouse gas is the most significant contributor to the greenhouse effect resulting from fossil fuel combustion?
Answer
Carbon dioxide ($CO_{2}$).
Question
How does an increase in $CO_{2}$ concentration affect the earth's atmosphere?
Answer
It effectively adds another blanket which warms the earth's surface.
Question
Which category of pollution source accounts for most of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides in major urban areas?
Answer
Vehicles.
Question
At what temperature does nitrogen in fuel or air react with oxygen to form nitric oxide ($NO$) in car engines?
Answer
Above $1200^{\circ}F$.
Question
Nitric oxide ($NO$) is the initial product of combustion which then oxidises to form which gas?
Answer
Nitrogen dioxide ($NO_{2}$).
Question
Nitrogen oxides combine with water in the atmosphere to produce which specific component of atmospheric acidification?
Answer
Nitric acid ($HNO_{3}$).
Question
What is considered the greatest individual source of nitrogen oxides in industrialised countries?
Answer
Vehicle emissions.
Question
In 2014, how many of the world's 20 most polluted cities were located in India according to the WHO?
Answer
13.
Question
Which judicial body described the air pollution levels in Delhi as living "in a gas chamber"?
Answer
The Delhi High Court.
Question
Term: Carpooling
Answer
Definition: The sharing of car journeys by persons travelling on the same route.
Question
How does carpooling contribute to saving a country's foreign exchange?
Answer
By reducing the amount of petrol and diesel that needs to be imported.
Question
What is a psychological benefit of carpooling for commuters?
Answer
It helps to de-stress by talking to fellow commuters or sharing stories and jokes.
Question
Term: Public Transport
Answer
Definition: A shared passenger transport service available for use by the general public, distinct from hired or carpooled modes.
Question
What percentage of public transport in India is provided by buses?
Answer
Over 90 per cent.
Question
What does the acronym BEST stand for in the context of Mumbai's transport system?
Answer
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport.
Question
Which specific transport system in Mumbai is noted for having the highest passenger density in the world?
Answer
The Mumbai suburban railway.
Question
What type of trains typically handle commuter traffic in Indian suburban rail systems?
Answer
Electric Multiple Units (EMUs).
Question
How does the energy requirement per passenger per km of public transport compare to road-based transport?
Answer
It requires $1/5^{th}$ of the energy.
Question
How does public transport usage help reduce road maintenance costs?
Answer
By reducing congestion and the total number of vehicles damaging the road surface.
Question
Term: Passive smokers
Answer
Definition: People who do not smoke themselves but breathe in the smoke exhaled by others.
Question
Where can the concentration of second-hand tobacco smoke be as high or higher than in some indoor areas?
Answer
Many outdoor areas.
Question
According to the WHO, what percentage of the world's smokers live in India?
Answer
12 per cent.
Question
Under which specific legal provision was smoking in public places prohibited nationwide in India?
Answer
Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules 2008.
Question
What date was chosen for the nationwide prohibition of smoking in public places in India?
Answer
October 2.
Question
What is one accidental safety benefit of establishing 'No Smoking Zones'?
Answer
It reduces the chances of accidental fires in places with highly flammable materials.
Question
Term: Fossil fuels
Answer
Definition: Buried, combustible deposits of organic materials formed from decayed plants and animals over hundreds of millions of years.
Question
What percentage of the world's commercial energy is supplied by coal?
Answer
28 per cent.
Question
Which fossil fuel provides approximately 40 per cent of the world's commercial energy?
Answer
Petroleum.
Question
What is used as a cleaner alternative to petrol or diesel in automobiles, derived from natural gas?
Answer
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Question
Which pollutant released from burning fossil fuels is a primary cause of acid rain?
Answer
Sulphur dioxide.
Question
How does acid rain specifically affect agricultural productivity?
Answer
It damages crops due to the acidification of loams.
Question
At current usage rates, for how many more years are the world's crude oil reserves expected to last?
Answer
50 years.
Question
At current usage rates, for how many more years are the world's coal reserves expected to last?
Answer
200 years.
Question
What percentage of India's population still resides in rural areas and depends on traditional fuels?
Answer
74 per cent.
Question
How can household window management save energy during winter days?
Answer
By raising shades to allow solar heat in.
Question
Equipment with which label helps reduce electric lighting charges by approximately 40 per cent?
Answer
$Energy Star$.
Question
By what percentage can CFL bulbs reduce the energy used compared to incandescent bulbs?
Answer
75 per cent.
Question
What does the acronym LED stand for in energy-efficient lighting?
Answer
Light Emitting Diode.
Question
Why is painting exterior and interior walls in light colours an energy-saving measure?
Answer
Light colours reflect more light, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
Question
Term: Organic Farming
Answer
Definition: A holistic system of farming aimed at cultivating land and raising crops to keep the soil alive and in good health using organic wastes and biofertilisers.
Question
Which international organisation defines organic agriculture as a unique production management system that enhances agro-ecosystem health?
Answer
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
Question
According to the principles of organic farming, health should be sustained for soil, plants, animals, and humans as _____.
Answer
One and indivisible.
Question
How does organic farming manage nitrogen self-sufficiency?
Answer
Through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation.
Question
How are pests and diseases managed in organic farming without synthetic chemicals?
Answer
By relying on crop rotations, natural predators, diversity, and resistant varieties.
Question
What is the primary method used in organic farming to recycle nutrients back to the soil?
Answer
Using cover crops and composted manure.
Question
Why is organic farming considered better for the long-term fertility of soil?
Answer
It maintains organic matter levels and creates optimised conditions for biological activity.
Question
Which gas, found in the atmosphere of major urban areas, is formed specifically when nitrogen in fuel or air heats to very high temperatures?
Answer
Nitrogen oxide ($NO$).
Question
The rise in vehicular pollution in Indian cities is attributed to an increase in the purchasing power of the _____.
Answer
Middle class.
Question
How many passengers does the Mumbai suburban railway transport daily?
Answer
6.3 million.
Question
Which health risk of smoking involves the loss of eyesight?
Answer
Cataract.
Question
Which respiratory disease is a major health risk of smoking mentioned alongside asthma and heart attack?
Answer
Bronchitis.
Question
What is the depletion rate of fossil fuels compared to their rate of formation?
Answer
100,000 times faster.
Question
Name one alternative source of energy mentioned that is environmentally clean and safe.
Answer
Solar energy (or tidal, wind, geothermal, biomass).
Question
How does using a low-flow shower-head save energy?
Answer
It reduces water consumption and the energy needed to heat the water.
Question
One ton of waste paper saved through recycling can power an average home for how long?
Answer
6 months.
Question
The principles of organic farming state it should be based on living _____ systems and cycles.
Answer
Ecological.
Question
What is the effect of acid rain on loams?
Answer
Acidification.
Question
Which preventive measure involves the use of beneficial microbes known as biofertilisers?
Answer
Organic Farming.