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Environment & EcologyMediumAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper I

"Climate Action Tracker" which monitors the emission reduction pledges of different countries is a :

  1. A.Database created by coalition of research organisations
  2. B.Wing of "International Panel of Climate Change"
  3. C.Committee under "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change"
  4. D.Agency promoted and financed by United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank

Correct answer

A. Database created by coalition of research organisations

Explanation

The correct answer is A, Database created by coalition of research organisations. The Climate Action Tracker is an independent scientific analysis run by research groups, not by any UN body.

It is produced mainly by two non-profit research organisations, Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute, and has tracked national climate action since 2009. It rates each country's targets and policies against the Paris Agreement goal of holding warming well below 2°C and aiming for 1.5°C, using grades from "1.5°C compatible" to "critically insufficient". Its ratings are widely quoted at the yearly UN climate conferences (COPs).

B is wrong because the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) assesses climate science and has no such wing. C is wrong because the tracker is not a committee of the UNFCCC; it is outside the UN process. D is wrong because it is not an agency of UNEP or the World Bank; UNEP publishes its own Emissions Gap Report.

Exam tip: Climate Action Tracker = Climate Analytics + NewClimate Institute; Emissions Gap Report = UNEP.

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Q1.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IHard

What is 'Climate Neutral Now' initiative?

1. It encourages organizations and other interested stakeholders to act now in order to achieve a carbon neutral world by 2030.

2. It derives its aims from the Paris Agreement.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

Climate Neutral Now takes its aim from the Paris Agreement, but the target it works towards is a climate-neutral world by the middle of the century, not by 2030.

Q2.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IHard

Which of the following statements is/are correct about 'Action for Climate Empowerment' (ACE)?

1. It is a term adopted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

2. This term is related to the Paris Agreement.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Action for Climate Empowerment is the UNFCCC's own name for its work on climate education and public awareness, and it covers the Paris Agreement too.

Q3.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following is NOT correct about organic farming?

  1. A.It does not use genetically modified seeds
  2. B.Synthetic pesticides or fertilizers are not used
  3. C.It uses minimal crop rotation
  4. D.It uses ecologically protective practices
Show answer
Correct answer: C. It uses minimal crop rotation

Organic farming relies heavily on crop rotation, not on as little of it as possible, so this is the statement that is not correct.

Q4.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment.

2. Cattle release ammonia into environment.

3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into environment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 and 3 only
  2. B.2 and 3 only
  3. C.2 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

Fertilised soils, cattle and poultry are all major sources of reactive nitrogen in the environment. Reactive nitrogen means nitrogen in forms other than the inert N₂ gas of the air, such as ammonia, nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide and nitrate.

Q5.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

"If rainforests and tropical forests are the lungs of the Earth, then surely wetlands function as its kidneys." Which one of the following functions of wetlands best reflects the above statement ?

  1. A.The water cycle in wetlands involves surface runoff, subsoil percolation and evaporation.
  2. B.Algae form the nutrient base upon which fish, crustaceans, molluscs, birds, reptiles and mammals thrive.
  3. C.Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining sedimentation balance and soil stabilization.
  4. D.Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess nutrients.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess nutrients.

Kidneys filter waste from the blood, and wetlands likewise filter pollutants out of the water that passes through them.