Consider the following statements : 1. Many urban and suburban areas experience a higher temperature than surrounding rural areas known as urban heat islands. 2. The reduction in urban green cover and the increase of built-up hard surface is the only cause of urban heat island. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, 1 only. Statement 1 defines the urban heat island correctly, but statement 2 is wrong because loss of green cover and more hard surfaces are not the only cause.
An urban heat island is a city or suburb that stays warmer than the countryside around it, most clearly at night. Concrete, asphalt and brick absorb sunlight by day and release the heat slowly after sunset, and the loss of trees reduces cooling by shade and evaporation. Several other causes add to this: waste heat from vehicles, factories and air conditioners, tall buildings that trap heat and block wind in narrow street canyons, dark roofs with low reflectivity, and polluted air that holds back outgoing heat. Because many factors work together, calling one of them the only cause is incorrect.
B is wrong because statement 2 is false. C is wrong because only statement 1 is true. D is wrong because statement 1 is a correct description.
Exam tip: heat islands come from surfaces, lost greenery, waste heat and urban geometry together; cool roofs and urban trees are the usual remedies.
Practice Questions
View allWhat is 'Greenhouse Gas Protocol'?
- A.It is an international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions
- B.It is an initiative of the United Nations to offer financial incentives to developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adopt eco-friendly technologies
- C.It is an inter-governmental agreement ratified by all the member countries of the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to specified levels by the year 2022
- D.It is one of the multilateral REDD+ initiatives hosted by the World Bank
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The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the most widely used international standard for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. It was launched in 1998 by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Read the full explanation →With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements:
1. The leader of an elephant group is a female.
2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 4 only
- C.3 only
- D.1, 3 and 4 only
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Elephant herds are led by an old female, and pregnancy can last up to about 22 months; statements 3 and 4 are wrong.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements is/are correct?
Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to
1. protection of biodiversity
2. resilience of forest ecosystems
3. poverty reduction
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.3 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
A well-run REDD+ programme protects biodiversity, makes forests more resilient and can reduce poverty among forest communities. REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, plus conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
Read the full explanation →With reference to 'Global Climate Change Alliance', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is an initiative of the European Union.
2. It provides technical and financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies and budgets.
3. It is coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.3 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
The Global Climate Change Alliance is a European Union programme; WRI and WBCSD run a different initiative, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
Read the full explanation →With reference to 'Red Sanders', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain forest areas of South India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Red Sanders grows naturally in a small part of South India, but in dry deciduous forests, not in tropical rain forests.
Read the full explanation →