Environment and Natural Resources

The chapter says environmental concerns grew because environmental degradation caused by human activities has become widespread and dangerous. This is the best explanation among the options.

The statements about the Earth Summit are all correct:

- a. True — It was attended by 170 states, thousands of NGOs and many MNCs.
- b. True — It was held under the UN as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
- c. True — It firmly consolidated global environmental issues at the political level.
- d. True — It was indeed a summit meeting.

So, mark all four statements as correct.

The true statements about the global commons are all of them:

- a. True — The earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space are part of the global commons.
- b. True — They lie outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any one state.
- c. True — Their management reflects the North-South divide.
- d. False — The chapter shows that the North and South both have concerns, but they are not identical; the North is not simply “more concerned” in every sense.

So, the correct statements are a, b and c.

The Rio Summit produced these outcomes:

- It adopted conventions on climate change, biodiversity and forestry.
- It recommended a set of development practices called Agenda 21.
- It established agreement on combining economic growth with ecological responsibility, known as sustainable development.
- It also accepted the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

However, it did not remove all disagreements between the North and South.

Global commons are those parts of the world that are not owned by any one state and lie outside sovereign jurisdiction, so they require common governance by the international community. The chapter gives examples such as the earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, the ocean floor and outer space.

They are exploited and polluted in several ways:

- The atmosphere is polluted by the emission of greenhouse gases, leading to global warming and ozone depletion.
- Antarctica has suffered degradation from activities such as waste disposal and oil spills, even though it is meant for limited scientific, fishing and tourism use.
- The ocean floor and other marine areas face pressure from human activities and pollution.
- Outer space is also increasingly seen as an area where technological and industrial development may benefit some more than others.

So, global commons are shared resources, but they are often damaged by unequal and irresponsible use.