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6.  Differentiate between biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances.
                 Ans.  Biodegradable substances are those substances that get decomposed or get decayed on their own by using natural
                      agents and get mixed in the soil, for example plants, animals and their waste paper, etc.
                       Non-Biodegradable substances are those substances that don’t get decomposed or get decayed on their own and
                      don t mix with the soil, for example plastic, chemicals, paint, etc. So non-biodegradable resources are hazardous.
                      One of the most hazardous non-biodegradable resources that is posing a threat to the environment is plastic.
                    .  Explain any four factors causing Imbalance in the environment.

                 Ans.  i.  Population: The increasing population results in increasing demands and services. Increasing population is
                        affecting our natural ecosystem as our mother nature has got a certain capacity to fulfill every living being s
                        requirement. Its resources are limited but we are overburdening it with our unlimited demands for more food,
                        infrastructure (i.e. buildings, factories, transportation) and facilities.
                      ii.  Deforestation: Cutting down trees and elimination of forests leads to disturbance of the natural habitat
                        of living organisms. We all know that plants and trees are one of the major factors that cause rainfall and
                        disturbing them leads to scanty rainfall which in turn causes water crisis. Percentage of fresh breathable
                        natural air and quality of air is also decreasing at an alarming rate. It leads to various unusual climatic changes
                        that are not in accordance with the natural cycle.
                      iii.  Mining: The process of digging the earth for the extraction of the ores results in erosion, formation of
                        sinkholes, and contamination of soils that cause severe damage to the environment. It disturbs the natural
                        living and breeding place of various living organisms and the life of people residing in the nearby areas. It
                        leads to soil erosion, landslide, noise pollution and contamination of surface and groundwater due to the
                        chemicals released during the extraction process.
                      iv.  Pollution: It is the contamination of the environment (land, air and water) due to the presence of some
                        unnatural  elements i.e.,  pollutants.  Pollutants are  harmful.  They  can  be  in solid, liquid or  gaseous form.
                        For  example  poisonous  gases  emitted  from  factories     vehicles,  chemicals     garbage  dumped  in  the
                        waterbodies, excessive sound of vehicles, etc.  oise pollution is caused due to the sound generated by
                        industrial & constructional activities, factory equipment, generators, electric saws, drills and other machinery.
                   8.  What is green economy? What is the importance of green economy?
                 Ans.   reen economy can be defined as an economy with a vision of growth and development for mankind while
                      reducing  environmental  risks  or  ecological  imbalance.  It  encourages  the  overall  development  of  humans  in
                      compliance with the laws of nature. It helps in economic growth while maintaining a balance in the environment
                      in which the development takes place without being harmful to the environment or human health.
                       We all can admit to one fact that  development can be categorized in two ways  - one in which there is self-
                      growth i.e., restricted to a particular individual or organisation and the other in which all the stakeholders get
                      some kind of benefits in some way or the other. Encouraging and practising green economy is the second
                      category of development that helps a healthy life for all. Boosting green economy can have some additional
                      benefits too, such as:
                        Saving natural resources                 Better health conditions of human beings
                        Better natural tourist destinations      Pollution-free environment
                        Longevity in life                         Peaceful coexistence of other animals
                        Abundance of natural healing and natural medicines
                        Less chaos and a peaceful lifestyle
                   9.  What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable natural resources?
                 Ans.  Renewable Resources:  It  includes  the  sources  of  energy  that  can  be  reused  or  regenerated.  If  renewable
                      resources are  obtained  from living things,  (such  as trees and  animals) they  are  called  organic  renewable
                      resources. If renewable resources are obtained from non-living things, (such as water, sun and wind) they are
                      called inorganic renewable resources.




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