Ans: Kyoto protocol was adopted in December 1997 A.D. Its main objective is to reduce climate change and production of greenhouse gases to control global warming. The protocol makes 36 developed countries of the world to reduce the emission of green house gases by 5.25% by 2012 A.D. from their industries. The provision is now extended for 2020 A.D. by the convention held in 2012 A.D. at Doha. The Kyoto protocol encourages developed and developing countries to work under the three market level mechanisms to meet their green house gas emission target. They are international emission trading, joint implementation and clean development mechanism.
2. Following are the findings in a study done on the earth environment:
The temperature on the earth is increasing. The number of amphibians is decreasing. Human beings are suffering from cataract and skin cancer. Answer the following on the basis of the above facts:
a. What is the cause of the above findings?
b. What is to be done to be safe from the above conditions?
c. Write down its more harmful effects to the human health.
d. What happens to the environmental temperature at this condition?
Ans: a. What is the cause of the above findings?
b. What is to be done to be safe from the above conditions?
c. Write down its more harmful effects to the human health.
d. What happens to the environmental temperature at this condition?
a. The main cause of the above finding is depletion of the ozone layer.
b. The production of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, nitrogenous fertilizers and fossil fuel should be reduced.
c. The depletion of the ozone layer causes skin inflammation, different types of cancer, cataract, loss of immunity, etc. It also affects DNA which may cause mutation.
d. Due to ozone layer depletion, more ultraviolet rays and more radiation of the sun enter the surface of the earth which results in the increase of the temperature of the earth.
3. Explain in brief about any four national efforts to minimize the climate change.
Ans: The national efforts to minimize the climate change are:
a. National Communication Report
In this report, Nepal has mentioned the impacts of climate change, additional ways to the change and various policies and laws to be implemented to combat climate change.
b. Climate Change Policy, 2067
Global warming is the result of climate change. It adversely affects human health, agriculture, forest and various human-related aspects. In this regard, the climate change policy has been formulated to create awareness among the people and develop adaption.
c. National Adaption Program
National adaption program was prepared in the year 2010 by the government of Nepal. It mainly evaluates the risk of climate change. It has launched altogether 250 programmes integrating into 9 different sectors.
d. Other programs
Other programs include programs related to improved chimneys of brick factories, improved stove, use of biogas, a pre-information system about a natural disaster, etc.
4. Explain in brief about any four international efforts to minimize the climate change.
Ans: The international efforts to minimize the climate change are:
a. The United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
It was held in the year 1992 in Rio de Jene Rio. This conference addressed various aspects like increasing environmental pollution, sustainable development program, etc.
b. UN Climate Change Conference
The UN conference on climate change has been conducted 19 times till 2013 A.D to inform the works and programs conducted in a country to other member countries related to climate change.
c. Agenda 21
This action plan was formulated on the basis of the slogan “think globally and act locally” to conserve the environment and ensure sustainable development.
d. Intergovernmental Forum
It consists of the scientific, technical and socio-economical information to understand the risk of human-caused due to climate change, adverse effects of climate change and the mitigating measure.
5. What is Kyoto protocol? Describe in brief.
Ans: Kyoto protocol was adopted in December 1997 A.D. Its main objective is to reduce climate change and production of greenhouse gases to control global warming. The protocol makes 36 developed countries of the world to reduce the emission of green house gases by 5.25% by 2012 A.D. from their industries. The provision is now extended for 2020 A.D. by the convention held in 2012 A.D. at Doha. The Kyoto protocol encourages developed and developing countries to work under the three market level mechanisms to meet their green house gas emission target. They are international emission trading, joint implementation and clean development mechanism.
6. Following are the findings in a study done on the earth environment:
The temperature on the earth is increasing. The number of amphibians is decreasing. Human beings are suffering from cataract and skin cancer. Answer the following on the basis of the above facts:
a. What is the cause of the above findings?
b. What is to be done to be safe from the above conditions?
c. Write down its more harmful effects to the human health.
d. What happens to the environmental temperature at this condition?
Ans: a. The main cause of the above finding is depletion of the ozone layer.a. What is the cause of the above findings?
b. What is to be done to be safe from the above conditions?
c. Write down its more harmful effects to the human health.
d. What happens to the environmental temperature at this condition?
b. The production of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, nitrogenous fertilizers and fossil fuel should be reduced.
c. The depletion of the ozone layer causes skin inflammation, different types of cancer, cataract, loss of immunity, etc. It also affects DNA which may cause mutation.
d. Due to ozone layer depletion, more ultraviolet rays and more radiation of the sun enter the surface of the earth which results in the increase of the temperature of the earth.
7. Define fog.
Ans: The minute water particles suspended in air near the surface of the earth is called fog.
8. What is global warming?
Ans: A gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth is called global warming.
9. Consequences like skin burn and skin cancer were observed when sunbathe is taken on earth surface. Answer the following questions on the basis of it:
a. What is the cause of it?
b. What is to be done to control this situation?
c. What happen to the environmental temperature at this condition?
Ans: a. It is due to the depletion of ozone layer depletion.b. What is to be done to control this situation?
c. What happen to the environmental temperature at this condition?
b. We should conserve the ozone layer to control this situation.
c. Due to ozone layer depletion, more ultraviolet rays and more radiation of the sun enter the surface of the earth which results in the increase of the temperature of the earth.
10. How does chlorofluorocarbon deplete the ozone layer? Explain with a chemical equation.
Ans: The depletion of ozone layer is the formation of a hole in it or gradual thinning of this layer. Depletion of the ozone layer is caused due to the entry of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, etc. into the atmosphere. CFCs are the non-toxic, non-inflammable and cheap chemicals used as a refrigerant. When CFCs are reached into the atmosphere they deplete the ozone layer. In the presence of UV rays, CF2Cl2 splits into ClO and O2. ClO breaks into Cl and O by the UV rays. The Cl and O participate in a chain reaction and cause ozone layer depletion.
The following chemical equation shows the depletion of the ozone layer.
11. Write any three uses of chlorofluorocarbon.
Ans: The uses of chlorofluorocarbon are:
a. They are used as refrigerants.
b. They are used in the manufacturing of blowing agents for foams and packing materials.
c. They are used in an aerosol spray can.
12. What is the ozone layer? Why is it called protective layer? How is the thickness of the ozone layer decreased? Human beings are responsible for the ozone layer depletion, how?
Ans: The ozone layer is a region of earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. It contains high concentrations of ozone. Ozone consists of three atoms of oxygen.
The ozone layer is called protective layer because it absorbs 99% of ultraviolet rays and prevents them from entering into earth surface. It protects us from the diseases like blindness, skin cancer, etc. caused due to harmful rays.
The thickness of the ozone layer is decreased due to the reaction of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride with ozone.
Human beings use different appliances which use CFCs, nitrogenous fertilizers, fossils fuel which deplete the ozone layer.
13. Define acid rain.
Ans: The rain containing acids that are formed in the atmosphere when industrial gas emissions combine with water is called acid rain.
14. How does acid rain occur due to the industrial gases? Explain with chemical equation.
Ans: The various harmful gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, etc. which are produced by the industries are called industrial gases.
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is usually acidic. It is caused by the emission of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. When the gases from the industries reached the atmosphere and react with rainwater, they form respective acids. And hence cause acid rain.
a. When nitrogen dioxide reacts with rainwater in the atmosphere it forms nitric acid.
4NO2 + 2H2O + O2 à 4HNO3
b. When sulphur dioxide reacts with rainwater in the atmosphere it forms sulfurous acid.SO2 + H2O àH2SO3
c. When sulphur trioxide reacts with rainwater in the atmosphere it forms sulphuric acid.SO3 + H2O à H2SO4
15. What is atmosphere?Ans: The envelope of air that surrounds the earth is called atmosphere.
16. What is troposphere?
Ans: The lowermost layer of atmosphere near the surface of the earth is called troposphere.
17. What is stratosphere?
Ans: The layer of atmosphere which lies just above the troposphere is called the stratosphere.
18. What is mesosphere?
Ans: The layer of atmosphere which lies just above the stratosphere is called mesosphere.
19. What is thermosphere?
Ans: The layer of atmosphere which starts from mesosphere and ends at exosphere is called thermosphere.
20. What is exosphere?
Ans: The outermost layer of the atmosphere is called exosphere.
21. What is ozone?
Ans: Ozone is the molecule of three oxygen atoms which forms ozone-layer in the upper part of the stratosphere.
22. What is green house effect?
Ans: Greenhouse effect is the warming of the earth’s surface that occurs due to the trapping of the sun’s heat by the earth’s atmosphere.
23. What are industrial gases?
Ans: The different gases like sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, etc. which are produced by industries are called industrial gases.
24. Define chlorofluorocarbon.
Ans: Chlorofluorocarbon is a chemical compound containing carbon, hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine.
25. Define ozone hole.
Ans: An ozone hole is the region of space in the stratosphere where the amount of ozone content has been reduced drastically.
26. Define tropopause.
Ans: The upper boundary of the troposphere is called tropopause.
27. Define mesopause.
Ans: The uppermost layer of the mesosphere is called mesopause.
28. Define stratopause.
Ans: The upper boundary of stratosphere is called stratopause.
29. What is a green house?
Ans: Greenhouse is a building made up of green glasses which can trap the solar radiation in it.
30. Define ozone depletion.
Ans: The loss or damage of ozone in the atmosphere is called ozone depletion.
31. What do you mean by greenhouse gases?
Ans: The gases which are responsible for greenhouse effect are called greenhouse gases.
32. How is the amount of the ozone molecules being balanced naturally?
Ans: Ozone is created primarily in the stratosphere by ultraviolet radiation. When high-energy ultraviolet rays strike on ordinary molecules, they split the molecules into two single oxygen atoms, known as atomic oxygen. A freed oxygen atom then combines with another oxygen molecule to form a molecule of ozone. In this way the amount of the ozone molecules is balanced naturally.
33. Write any three importance of ozone layer?
Ans: The importance of the ozone layer are:
a. It absorbs 99% of ultraviolet rays and prevents them from entering into earth surface.
b. It helps to maintain a suitable temperature of the earth.
c. It protects us from the diseases like blindness, skin cancer, etc.
34. Write any three effects seen in human health due to the depletion of ozone layer.
Ans: The effects seen in human health due to the depletion of ozone layer are:
a. It may cause skin inflammation.
b. Different types of cancers, cataract, loss of immunity, etc. are caused due to it.
c. It also may affect DNA which may cause mutation.
35. Describe in short about the causes of depletion of ozone layer.
Ans: The depletion of ozone layer is the formation of a hole in it or gradual thinning of this layer. Depletion of the ozone layer is caused due to the entry of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, etc. into the atmosphere. CFCs are the non-toxic, non-inflammable and cheap chemicals used as refrigerant When CFCs are reached into the atmosphere they deplete the ozone layer. In the presence of UV rays, CF2Cl2 splits into ClO and O2. ClO breaks into Cl and O by the UV rays. The Cl and O participate in a chain reaction and cause ozone layer depletion.
36. Write any three characteristics of chlorofluorocarbon.
Ans: The characteristics of chlorofluorocarbon are:
a. Chlorofluorocarbons are non-toxic, non-flammable chemicals.
b. They are used in the manufacturing of aerosols, blowing agents for foams and packing materials, as solvents, and as refrigerants.
c. They are responsible for ozone layer depletion.
37. Write down any three features of troposphere.
Ans: The features of the troposphere are:
a. It extends from 8-10 km at the poles and up to 16 km at the equatorial.
b. It contains oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour and dust particles.
c. It is highly affected by human activities.
38. Write any three effects of the increasing quantity of carbon dioxide gas in atmosphere.
Ans: The effects of increasing quantity of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere are:
i. The temperature of the earth will increase.
ii. More water vapour evaporates into the atmosphere which increases greenhouse heating.
iii. The carbon dioxide that dissolves in the ocean through direct chemical exchange creates carbonic acid which increases the acidity of the water.
39. Write short notes on:
a. Stratosphere
b. Mesosphere
Ans: a. Stratosphere b. Mesosphere
The layer of atmosphere above the troposphere is called the stratosphere. It is extended up to 16 km to 50 km above the earth’s surface. This region is also called ozonosphere. The ozone layer protects us from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays of the sun.
b. Mesosphere
The layer of atmosphere above the stratosphere is called mesosphere. It is extended up to 50 km to 80 km above the earth’s surface. It consists of nitrogen, nascent oxygen and oxygen. This layer is the coldest layer of the atmosphere. It has strong wind which blows eastward in the winter and westward in the summer.
40. Write in brief about the climate change policy, 2067.
Ans: Global warming is the result of climate change. It adversely affects human health, agriculture, forest and various human-related aspects. In this regard, the climate change policy has been formulated to create awareness among the people and develop adaption.
40. Draw a labeled diagram of different layers of earth’s atmosphere.
Ans: