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Environment and Natural Resources
Class 12 Political Science Chapter 8 Notes

Here, we provide notes for the first chapter of Class 12 Political Science, “Environment and Natural Resources.” This chapter covers the key features of the environment and natural resources.

These notes will be useful for students preparing for this year’s board exams. Presented in simple and organized language, this material will help them quickly revise the chapter and remember key points.

Meaning of Environment

Upper + cover means that the area which keeps together the flora and fauna present in our surrounding area is called environment.

natural resources

Things obtained from nature which are useful for humans are called natural resources.

Causes of environmental pollution in the world

  1. Rapid population growth.
  2. Deforestation is reducing green areas.
  3. Rapid growth of consumerist culture.
  4. Excessive exploitation of natural resources.
  5. Promotion of industrialization, leading to increased pollution on Earth.
  6. Rapid increase in air pollution due to increased means of transportation.
  7. Chlorofluorocarbon emissions from household appliances like ACs and refrigerators.

Rio Summit (Earth Summit)

  1. In 1992, the UNO organized a conference on environmental and development issues in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, called the Earth Summit.
  2. 170 countries participated in this conference, along with NGOs and MNCs from around the world.
  3. The main objective of this conference was to establish rules for the interrelationships between climate change, biodiversity, and forestry.
  4. Sustainable development was defined at this conference.
  5. This conference proposed some paths for development in the form of Agenda 21.

common property

Common property refers to resources that are not owned by any one person or country, but by society and the entire world. These include oceans, glaciers, the atmosphere, space, plains, rivers, etc. These include the seafloor, the Arctic, and the Antarctic.

Some agreements have also been made regarding common property:
i. Antarctic Treaty of 1959
ii. Montreal Protocol of 1981
iii. Antarctica Protocol of 1991

shared but differentiated responsibilities

  1. Developed and developing countries have different views on this matter.
  2. Developed countries want to share the responsibility for environmental protection equally among all countries.
  3. While developing countries believe that the country that is causing or has caused the most environmental damage should bear greater responsibility.
  4. Developed countries have achieved their own economic development by utilizing common resources, which is why developed countries play a greater role in polluting common resources.
  5. Developing countries are still in the process of development, so they cannot stop their programs midway. It is essential that developing countries should be given greater leeway in any guidelines designed to protect the environment.
  6. Based on the above statements, it can be concluded that developed countries have reached the pinnacle of development, and therefore, they will have to shoulder greater responsibility, while developing countries are still in the process of development, and therefore, they will have to utilize natural resources.
  7. Common property but differentiated responsibilities also indicate that all countries in the world should be given equal rights to development.

Kyoto Protocol

  1. In 1997, a world conference on environmental issues was held in Kyoto, Japan. This is known as the Kyoto Protocol.
  2. At this conference, the United Nations framework convention on climate change was signed, which came to be known as the Kyoto Protocol.
  3. India signed it in 2002.
  4. The Kyoto Protocol exempted India, China, and many developing countries from the obligations of the protocol.
  5. At this same conference, it was recognized that industrialization is the main cause of climate change and global warming.

Environmental Movement

  1. Environmental activists and governments are actively involved in numerous movements at the international and local levels, aimed at protecting the environment.
  2. Forest protests in southern countries such as Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, African countries, and India are significant.
  3. Movements against mineral industries have been launched in Australia.
  4. When large dams were built in Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia, China, and India, the public launched environmental protests against the governments.

Climate change

  1. Climate change poses a significant threat to all living things on Earth.
  2. The general definition of climate has lost its meaning because it is not known when the weather changes, and its effects are visible on the environment. The main causes of climate change include excessive use of fossil fuels, excessive deforestation, overexploitation of natural resources, air pollution from transportation, and rapid industrialization.
  3. The consequences of climate change are extremely dangerous, including increased atmospheric warming, a hole in the ozone layer, rapid melting of glaciers, increased rainfall in many regions, and forest fires.
  4. The rate at which the Earth’s temperature is rising is very worrying. If this situation continues, the Earth’s average temperature could rise by 1-5 degrees in the next 15-20 years.
  5. Climate change is having the greatest negative impact on the agricultural sector, as farmers’ crops are destroyed by sudden rains or prolonged absence of rain. This can lead to food shortages.
  6. Climate change is the primary cause of the increasing levels of greenhouse gases on Earth.
  7. As the Earth’s temperature changes, it directly impacts the ozone layer, causing it to deplete and allowing the Sun’s ultraviolet rays to enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
  8. If climate change and global warming are not brought under control, the Earth’s end is near.

Global warming

  1. Global warming simply means that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere is gradually increasing.
  2. Increasing CO₂ levels in the atmosphere are also increasing the greenhouse gas effect.
  3. All these greenhouse gas factors, including water vapor, CO₂, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and ozone, absorb more thermal radiation.
  4. Due to the global carbon cycle, a hole has formed in the ozone layer, which reduces UV rays reaching the Earth, leading to increased global warming.
  5. Global warming can be reduced by planting more trees, controlling population, and reducing the use of destructive technologies.
  6. Governments, private sectors, and NGOs in various countries are raising public awareness through various programs to gradually reduce global warming.
  7. If we want to save the Earth and its atmosphere, the most important thing is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  8. As the temperature is increasing, its effect is clearly visible on the earth. Along with this, we will also have to look at the changes taking place in the environment due to climate change and take important steps in this direction.

"लिमिट्स टू ग्रोथ " नामक पुस्तक

वैश्विक मामलो मे सरोकार रखने वाले विद्वानों के एक समूह ने जिसका नाम है-क्लब ऑफ रोम ने 1972 में एक पुस्तक लिमिट्स टू ग्रोथ ” लिखी। इस पुस्तक में बताया गया कि जिस प्रकार से दुनिया की जनसंख्या बढ़ रही है उसी प्रकार संसाधन कम होते जा रहे है।

" अवर कॉमन फ्यूचर " नामक रिपोर्ट की चेतावनी

1987 में आई इस रिपोर्ट में जताया गया कि आर्थिक विकास के चालू तौर तरीके भविष्य में टिकाऊ साबित नही होंगे।

एजेंडा-21

इसमें यह कहा गया कि विकास का तरीका ऐसा हो जिससे पर्यावरण को नुकसान न पहुंचे।

एजेंडा -21 की आलोचना

इसमें कहा गया कि एजेंडा-21 में पर्यावरण पर कम और विकास पर ज्यादा ध्यान दिया जा रहा है।

संसाधनों की भू-राजनीति

यूरोपीय देशों के विस्तार का मुख्य कारण अधीन देशों का आर्थिक शोषण रहा है। जिस देश के पास जितने संसाधन होगें उसकी अर्थव्यवस्था उतनी ही मजबूत होगी।

1) इमारती लकड़ी:- पश्चिम के देशों ने जलपोतों के निर्माण के लिए दूसरे देशों के वनों पर कब्जा किया ताकि उनकी नौसेना मजबूत हो और विदेश व्यापार बढ़े।

2) तेल भण्डार:- विश्व युद्ध के बाद उन देशों का महत्व बढ़ा जिनके पास यूरेनियम और नेल जेस संसाधन थे। विकसित देशों ने नेल की निर्वाध आपूर्ति के लिए समुद्री मार्गो पर सेना तैनात की।

3)जल :- पानी के नियन्त्रण एवं बँटवारे को लेकर लड़ाइयों हुई। जार्डन नदी के पानी के लिए चार राज्य दावेदार है इजराइल, जार्डन, सीरिया एवम् लेबनान ।

मूलवासी एवं उनके अधिकार

  1. संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ ने 1982 में एसे लोगों को मूलवासी बताया जो मौजूदा देश में बहुत दिनों से रहते चले आ रहे थे तथा बाद में दूसरी संस्कृति या जातियों ने उन्हें अपने अधीन बना लिया, भारत में ‘मूलवासी’ के लिए जनजाति या आदिवासी शब्द का प्रयोग किया जाता है 1975 में मूलवासियों का संगठन World Council of Indigeneous People बना।
  2. मूलवासियों की मुख्य माँग यह है कि इन्हें अपनी स्वतंत्र पहचान रखने वाला समुदाय माना जाए, दूसरे आजादी के बाद से चली आ रही परियोजनाओं के कारण इनके विस्थापन एवं विकास की समस्या पर भी ध्यान दिया जाए।
  3. प्राकृतिक संसाधन प्रबंधन और संरक्षण का उद्देश्य पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र में संतुलन बनाए रखने के लिए वनस्पतियों और जीवों की रक्षा और संरक्षण करना है।
  4. मूलवासियों के निवास वाले स्थान दक्षिण अमरीका, अफ्रीका, दक्षिण पूर्व एशिया तथा भारत में है जहां इन्हे आदिवासी या जनजाति कहा जाता है।

भारत ‌‌का प‌र्यावरण सुरक्षा में योगदान

  1. 2002 क्योटो प्रोटोकॉल पर हस्ताक्षर एवं उसका अनुमोदन।
  2. 2005 G-8 देशों की बैठक में विकसित देशों द्वारा की जा रही ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन में कमी पर जोर दिया।नेशनल ऑटो – फ्यूल पॉलिसी के अंतर्गत वाहनों में स्वच्छ ईंधन का प्रयोग।
  3. 2001 में ऊर्जा संरक्षण अधिनियम पारित किया।
  4. 2003 में बिजली अधिनियम में नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा के इस्तेमाल को बढ़ावा दिया गया।
  5. भारत में बायोडीजल से संबंधित एक राष्ट्रीय मिशन पर कार्य चल रहा है।
  6. भारत SAARC के मंच पर सभी राष्ट्रों द्वारा पर्यावरण की सुरक्षा पर एक राय बनाना।
  7. भारत में पर्यावरण की सुरक्षा एवं संरक्षण के लिए 2010 में राष्ट्रीय हरित प्राधिकरण (NGT) की स्थापना की गई।
  8. भारत विश्व का पहला देश है जहां अक्षय ऊर्जा के विकास के लिए अलग मंत्रालय है।
  9. कार्बन गई ऑक्साइड उत्सर्जन में प्रति व्यक्ति कम योगदान
    (अमेरिका 16 Ton, जापान 8 Ton, चीन 6 Ton, भारत 1.38 Ton)
  10. भारत ने पेरिस समझौते पर 2 अक्टूबर 2016 को हस्ताक्षर किए है।
  11. 2030 तक भारत ने उत्सर्जन तीव्रता को 2005 के मुकाबले 73-75% कम करने का लक्ष्य रखा है।
  12. COP-23 में भारत वृक्षारोपण व वन क्षेत्र की वृद्धि के माध्यम से 2030 तक 2.5 से बिलियन टन Co₂ के बराबर सिंक बनाने का वादा किया है।
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