The Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987, deals with which of the following?
- A.Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- B.Protection of wetlands of international importance
- C.Trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna
- D.Phasing out of ozone-depleting substances
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, phasing out of ozone-depleting substances. The Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987 under the Vienna Convention, commits its parties to phasing out chlorofluorocarbons, halons and other chemicals that destroy stratospheric ozone, and it is regarded as the most successful environmental treaty for that reason. Option A is wrong because greenhouse gas emissions are the subject of the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement under the climate convention. Option B is wrong because wetlands of international importance are protected under the Ramsar Convention of 1971. Option C is wrong because trade in endangered species is regulated by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. A note worth carrying into the exam hall is that 16 September is observed as World Ozone Day, marking the day the Montreal Protocol was adopted, and that the Kigali Amendment later brought hydrofluorocarbons within the same treaty.
Read the full article: Air Pollution and Air Quality: Pollutants, AQI and Laws
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following is a secondary air pollutant?
- A.Sulphur dioxide
- B.Carbon monoxide
- C.Peroxyacetyl nitrate
- D.Particulate matter
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A secondary pollutant is never emitted from a source; it is manufactured in the atmosphere itself when primary pollutants react with one another or with sunlight.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is the chief component of photochemical smog?
- A.Sulphur dioxide
- B.Ozone
- C.Methane
- D.Carbon dioxide
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Photochemical smog, also called Los Angeles smog, forms in warm, dry, sunny weather when oxides of nitrogen from vehicle exhaust and unburnt hydrocarbons react under ultraviolet light.
Read the full explanation →Carbon monoxide is dangerous to human beings mainly because it:
- A.Combines with haemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin
- B.Dissolves in water to form a strong acid
- C.Destroys the ozone layer of the stratosphere
- D.Settles in the alveoli as fine dust
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Carbon monoxide binds to the haemoglobin of the blood roughly two hundred times more readily than oxygen does, and the carboxyhaemoglobin so formed cannot carry oxygen.
Read the full explanation →Along with the oxides of nitrogen, which gas is chiefly responsible for acid rain?
- A.Carbon monoxide
- B.Methane
- C.Sulphur dioxide
- D.Argon
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Sulphur dioxide, released when coal and oil containing sulphur are burnt, is oxidised in the atmosphere to sulphur trioxide, which dissolves in water droplets to give sulphuric acid.
Read the full explanation →The damage to the marble of the Taj Mahal, popularly called 'marble cancer', is caused chiefly by:
- A.Carbon dioxide
- B.Sulphur dioxide
- C.Chlorofluorocarbons
- D.Ground-level ozone
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Sulphur dioxide from industry and traffic around Agra is oxidised in the air and comes down as sulphuric acid, which attacks the calcium carbonate of marble.
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