CHAPTER 5:THE AILING PLANET: THE GREEN MOVEMENT'S ROLE
Written by: Nani Palkhivala
Summary
Glossary
Textbook Questions and answers
The Green Movement started 37 years ago. This has a strong bearing on our existance.
Our earth is a living organism. We are part of this organism. The destruction of our will make us homeless.
We depend on Man is not concerned of the dangers that pose environment a threat to our survival.
This article deals with Earth. environmentalist who have created new awareness in us.
A holistic and ecological view of the world has been brought to our consideration.
The Green Movement was launched in 1972. This was popularised by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987.
Man is the most dangerous creature as a threat to environment. We are taking very long to realize this. L. K. Jha asks if we are to leave our successors to an advancing desert, poor landscapes and an ailing environment.
According to Lester Brown, our biological systems are reaching an unsustainable level.
Dr Myers said that forests are powerhouse of evolution.
But forests are being destroyed causing extinction of several species Forests precede mankind and deserts follow 3.7 million acres of forest are lost every year.
Constitution says we have to protect and improve environment, safeguard forest and wildlife of the country.
We have to conserve forest and bring down population.
Palkhivala suggests that development is the only solution. We have to control rise in population by all possible means.
Population of India is equal to the population of Africa and South America put together.
Today the rich in India are getting richer and the poor remain poor.
The survival of the planet is endangered. It is our responsibility to protect environment.
According to Margaret Thatcher no generation has a freehold on the Earth. All we have is life tenacity with a full repairing lease.
According to the words of Lester Brown we have not inherited this Earth from our forefathers we have borrowed it from our children.
dawned upon: came to realise
To usher in: to mark or start something
The current coin of English usage: the use of certain English words of modern time
The movement has not looked back: the movement never stopped, still cont8
To meet their needs: to make arrangements
To deal with: to manage someone or something
Ans.
The lines that support the title of the
chapter are given below:
(1) The earth's vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.
(2) Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment?
(3)... the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is 'critical' in many of the eighty
eight countries investigated.
Ans.
The notice signifies that there is depletion of resources and deterioration of environment.
Man is responsible for this and his own survival is threatened.
Ans.
There are four principal biological systems of the earth.
These systems are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands.
However, due to the increasing demand of human beings to such an 'unsustainable' extent, the productivity of these systems is being hampered.
The excessive demand results in deterioration and depletion of these resources.
A country where protein is consumed on a large scale. overfishing is common, which leads to the collapse of fisheries in that area Grasslands have been turned into deserts and production of crops is decreasing.
The forests are destroyed in large proportions to obtain firewood.
Depletion of tropical forests has also led to the extinction of several species.
Ans.
Over-population is one of the strongest factors responsible for a nation's poverty and unemployment.
It disturbs the earth's principal biological systems leading to degradation of environment.
The author highlights the problem of over-population by pointing out the mental set.
Up of the poor who feel more children means more workers to earn money.
They do not realist that more children only means more unemployed people.
He argues that development is the bes contraceptive, which includes spread of education. im
Improvement of health and rise in income.
Spread of education leads to awareness among people which in turn results in a fall in the 'fertility' rate.
The author makes a comment which emphasise the never ending circle of population and pover by asserting that "The choice is really between control of population and the perpetuation of poverty”.
Ans.
India, the biggest democracy in the world, is condemned for its easy attitude towards laws.
Laws are constituted but never respected nor enforced in our country.
For instance, the Indian Constitution mentions that casteism, untouchability and bonded labour shall be abolished; however, these evils flourish barefacedly even today.
The author points out that Article 48-A of the Indian Constitution, propounds that "the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country".
However, little is done in favour of this.What we see is a near "catastrophic depletion of forests over the last four decades.
Forests are disappearing over the decades at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year.
Areas that are officially designated as forest land, in reality, are treeless.
The actual loss of forests is eight times the rate pointed by the government statistics.
Ans.
As we learn in the text, the first Brandt Report raised the above mentioned question about the deteriorating condition of the planet.
Earth is like a 'patient in declining health'.
The depletionof forests, grasslands, fisheries and croplands are the result of excessive demand for resources.
Over-population has led to a severe strain on the health of our planet. We must realise soon that in this 'Era of Responsibility' it is solely our duty to preserve our planet.
We must realise that the earth belongs as much to the future generation as much to us.
Rather making it our property, we should do our best to preserve it for the generations we have 'borrowed it from'.
Ans.
Over the decades, a change has come in the perception of the people in respect to the planet.
The human perception has shifted to a 'holistic and ecological view of the world'.
Earth is a living organisms that has limited resources. These resources will not last forever.
The earth has its metabolic needs that require to be preserved. The need of the hour is 'sustainable development’which propounds that need of meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising with those of future generations.
The present problems are not necessarily fatal for us but they are a 'passport for future'.
This is the Era of Responsibility that calls for a responsible action from us.
We must realise that the earth belongs as much to the future generation as much it belongs to us.
Ans.
Over-population leads to the issues of poverty and unemployment.
The vicious circle of population and poverty will continue unless the root cause. i.e.. population is taken care of. It hampers the development of a country.
It leads to the consumption of the natural resources at a much faster rate.
The fossils consumed, the resources depleted, the forests, cleared, the heat produced, the global warming caused are all the repercussions of the fast growing population.
Written by: Nani Palkhivala
Summary
Glossary
Textbook Questions and answers
The Green Movement started 37 years ago. This has a strong bearing on our existance.
Our earth is a living organism. We are part of this organism. The destruction of our will make us homeless.
We depend on Man is not concerned of the dangers that pose environment a threat to our survival.
This article deals with Earth. environmentalist who have created new awareness in us.
A holistic and ecological view of the world has been brought to our consideration.
The Green Movement was launched in 1972. This was popularised by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987.
Man is the most dangerous creature as a threat to environment. We are taking very long to realize this. L. K. Jha asks if we are to leave our successors to an advancing desert, poor landscapes and an ailing environment.
According to Lester Brown, our biological systems are reaching an unsustainable level.
Dr Myers said that forests are powerhouse of evolution.
But forests are being destroyed causing extinction of several species Forests precede mankind and deserts follow 3.7 million acres of forest are lost every year.
Constitution says we have to protect and improve environment, safeguard forest and wildlife of the country.
We have to conserve forest and bring down population.
Palkhivala suggests that development is the only solution. We have to control rise in population by all possible means.
Population of India is equal to the population of Africa and South America put together.
Today the rich in India are getting richer and the poor remain poor.
The survival of the planet is endangered. It is our responsibility to protect environment.
According to Margaret Thatcher no generation has a freehold on the Earth. All we have is life tenacity with a full repairing lease.
According to the words of Lester Brown we have not inherited this Earth from our forefathers we have borrowed it from our children.
dawned upon: came to realise
To usher in: to mark or start something
The current coin of English usage: the use of certain English words of modern time
The movement has not looked back: the movement never stopped, still cont8
To meet their needs: to make arrangements
To deal with: to manage someone or something
Ans.
The lines that support the title of the
chapter are given below:
(1) The earth's vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.
(2) Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment?
(3)... the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is 'critical' in many of the eighty
eight countries investigated.
Ans.
The notice signifies that there is depletion of resources and deterioration of environment.
Man is responsible for this and his own survival is threatened.
Ans.
There are four principal biological systems of the earth.
These systems are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands.
However, due to the increasing demand of human beings to such an 'unsustainable' extent, the productivity of these systems is being hampered.
The excessive demand results in deterioration and depletion of these resources.
A country where protein is consumed on a large scale. overfishing is common, which leads to the collapse of fisheries in that area Grasslands have been turned into deserts and production of crops is decreasing.
The forests are destroyed in large proportions to obtain firewood.
Depletion of tropical forests has also led to the extinction of several species.
Ans.
Over-population is one of the strongest factors responsible for a nation's poverty and unemployment.
It disturbs the earth's principal biological systems leading to degradation of environment.
The author highlights the problem of over-population by pointing out the mental set.
Up of the poor who feel more children means more workers to earn money.
They do not realist that more children only means more unemployed people.
He argues that development is the bes contraceptive, which includes spread of education. im
Improvement of health and rise in income.
Spread of education leads to awareness among people which in turn results in a fall in the 'fertility' rate.
The author makes a comment which emphasise the never ending circle of population and pover by asserting that "The choice is really between control of population and the perpetuation of poverty”.
Ans.
India, the biggest democracy in the world, is condemned for its easy attitude towards laws.
Laws are constituted but never respected nor enforced in our country.
For instance, the Indian Constitution mentions that casteism, untouchability and bonded labour shall be abolished; however, these evils flourish barefacedly even today.
The author points out that Article 48-A of the Indian Constitution, propounds that "the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country".
However, little is done in favour of this.What we see is a near "catastrophic depletion of forests over the last four decades.
Forests are disappearing over the decades at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year.
Areas that are officially designated as forest land, in reality, are treeless.
The actual loss of forests is eight times the rate pointed by the government statistics.
Ans.
As we learn in the text, the first Brandt Report raised the above mentioned question about the deteriorating condition of the planet.
Earth is like a 'patient in declining health'.
The depletionof forests, grasslands, fisheries and croplands are the result of excessive demand for resources.
Over-population has led to a severe strain on the health of our planet. We must realise soon that in this 'Era of Responsibility' it is solely our duty to preserve our planet.
We must realise that the earth belongs as much to the future generation as much to us.
Rather making it our property, we should do our best to preserve it for the generations we have 'borrowed it from'.
Ans.
Over the decades, a change has come in the perception of the people in respect to the planet.
The human perception has shifted to a 'holistic and ecological view of the world'.
Earth is a living organisms that has limited resources. These resources will not last forever.
The earth has its metabolic needs that require to be preserved. The need of the hour is 'sustainable development’which propounds that need of meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising with those of future generations.
The present problems are not necessarily fatal for us but they are a 'passport for future'.
This is the Era of Responsibility that calls for a responsible action from us.
We must realise that the earth belongs as much to the future generation as much it belongs to us.
Ans.
Over-population leads to the issues of poverty and unemployment.
The vicious circle of population and poverty will continue unless the root cause. i.e.. population is taken care of. It hampers the development of a country.
It leads to the consumption of the natural resources at a much faster rate.
The fossils consumed, the resources depleted, the forests, cleared, the heat produced, the global warming caused are all the repercussions of the fast growing population.
