1. (d) Changing weather patterns and increasing natural disasters are a proof that Climate Change is upon us and will continue wrecking havoc on this planet.
2. (b) Fossil fuel based power plants are responsible for 35% to 40% of the world’s carbon emissions! Deforestation is responsible for only 17%.
3. (c) Nuclear is not a renewable source of energy. The present type of nuclear plants use uranium and there is only a finite amount of this radioactive heavy metal on the earth.
4. (a) Carbon Footprint Mapping and Capping is a complete carbon reduction program which includes measuring the carbon footprint of an office and all its various reduction strategies. Visit www.carbonmapandcap.com
5. (d) 100 years, which means that even if we stop emitting CO2 now, it will take a long time for it to disperse from the atmosphere.
6. (b) China emits more CO2 than the US and Canada put together. Since the year 2000 its greenhouse gas emissions have risen by 171% !!
7. (b) The Chipko Movement was a non violent resistance where villagers hugged trees to prevent them from being felled.
8. (c) Clearing of lands for agricultural use is by far the leading cause of deforestation worldwide.
9. (a) global forest area has shrunk by 40% in the past 300 years alone. In fact forests have completely disappeared in 25 countries and in 29 countries 90% of the forest cover has been lost. Think about the loss of bio-diversity and the loss of the animal life in these forests.
10. (a) Only 1.7 million have been identified. However scientists estimate that between 50 to 150 species are becoming extinct each day.
11. (b) organic farming will keep us and our planet healthy because it does not rely on the use of harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
12. (d) 82% of rainwater is lost through run off. Only 18% of rainwater is utilized in India. Rainwater Harvesting can help capture a greater percentage of water and ease the water scarcity facing India.
13. (b) It takes 3 litres of water to make one litre of bottled water. 2 litres are consumed in production processes and 1 litre as the bottled contents.
14. (d) Agricultural residues like wheat stalks and sugarcane bagasse are being used for making paper. Even post consumer tetrapaks are being recycled into paper.
15. (d) India generates 4,77,400 tons of e-waste a year and only 5% of this gets recycled in an environmentally sound manner.
16. (b) CFL bulbs contain mercury and are hazardous when they break and are difficult to dispose off which make LED bulbs a safer option. Moreover, LED bulbs save more power.
17. (c) Styrofoam or thermacol cups (expanded polystyrene) should never be used for drinking hot tea or coffee since the styrene (a suspected carcinogen) has the potential to leach into your beverage and absorbed by your body. Moreover, it is non-biodegradable and when burnt, it releases 90 different hazardous chemicals into the air of which some are carcinogenic.
18. (b) Copiers are the most energy intensive pieces of equipment in offices because they take a lot of energy to keep warm so that the toner can fuse to the paper. Secondly, they are usually left on in most offices. However, there are newer models of copiers available that do not need to warm up and they also switch off automatically when not in use.
19. (c) Keeping your AC at 24 ˚C should be the norm in offices. There are huge power savings to be made at this comfortable temperature, not to mention that you can greatly reduce your Carbon Footprint with this minor initiative.
20. (d) BEE Star Rated appliances can save upto 30% of electricity in your homes and offices. Switch over to BEE Star Rated appliances and pay less for your electricity … and save the planet as well.
