Environmental Studies

Cows contribute significantly to ozone layer depletion through methane emissions in their digestive process. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that affects the atmosphere. Dogs, hens, and fish do not produce comparable methane emissions.

The definition describes 'ex-situ conservation' - conservation of ecosystems and habitats outside their natural locations, like zoos, botanical gardens, and seed banks. In-situ conservation (option B) means protecting species within their natural habitats (like national parks). The description matches ex-situ.

A carbon footprint measures the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions caused directly or indirectly by an activity, organization, or individual, primarily through fossil fuel combustion. It is not about physical size, tree absorption, or fossil imprints. The term refers to the environmental impact measured in CO2 equivalent emissions.

The TCS Bhubaneswar building was constructed using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for the first time. This green building certification focuses on sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental impact reduction in construction.

Climate change is projected to increase water stress and freshwater scarcity in many regions due to altered precipitation patterns, melting glaciers, and increased evaporation. Options A, B, and C are all expected impacts - sea level rise, mixed agricultural outcomes, and ecosystem disruption are well-documented projections.

India's per capita ecological footprint is approximately 0.8 hectares per person according to the Global Footprint Network. This measures the biologically productive land and water required to produce all resources consumed and absorb waste generated. This is below the global average, reflecting India's lower per capita consumption.

Biosphere is the odd one out because it refers specifically to the zone of life on Earth - all living organisms and their interactions. The other three (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere) are abiotic physical spheres that make up Earth's systems regardless of life presence.

All these household activities consume electricity, which is often generated from fossil fuel power plants that emit pollutants. Watching TV, washing/drying clothes (high energy draw), using a hair dryer, and microwaving all indirectly contribute to air pollution through their energy consumption.

Ecocentrism is a term used in ecological political philosophy to denote a nature-centered, as opposed to human-centered, system of values.

Carbon diet refers to reducing the impact on climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (principally CO₂) production.

The speed with which an ecosystem returns to its initial state after disturbance is called its resilience.

Sunderlal Bahuguna is a noted Garhwali environmentalist, Chipko Movement leader and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence and Satyagraha. This idea of Chipko Movement was of his wife and the action was taken up by him. 

(2) Meeting of the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is called sustainable development.

The Sun is the primary source of heat and light for Earth and the entire solar system. While other stars also produce heat through nuclear fusion, they are extremely distant and their contribution to Earth's heat budget is negligible compared to the Sun. The Moon, Earth, and Pluto do not generate significant internal heat - they primarily reflect or absorb the Sun's radiation.