UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION

PRELIMS 2019 SPECIAL

LECTURE 38

MCQs – STATIC – ENVIRONMENT

www.civilstap.com

www.civilstap.com

Evaluate yourself through daily

quiz.

Download the pdf for quick revision.

Download the pdf for model hints.

Post your answer

Upload your written answer

Success comes through repeated daily practice

Wish you all a great success in your endeavours

MITIGATION STRATEGIES

www.civilstap.com

✓Carbon Sequestration

✓Carbon Sinks

✓Carbon Credit

✓Carbon Offsetting

✓Carbon Tax

It describes long-term storage of carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon to either mitigate or defer globalwarming.

2

Carbon capture and storage, also known as CCS or carbon sequestration, describes the technologies designed totackle global warming by capturing CO2 at power stations, industrial sites or even directly from the air andpermanently storing it underground.

1

www.civilstap.com

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Sinks – In context of carbon sequestration the sinks refer to an area capable of absorbing carbon.

a. Natural Sinks – Oceans, forests, soil etc.b. Artificial Sinks – Depleted oil reserves, unmineable mines, etc.

3

The technologies of Carbon Capture have been in use since many years by the oil and gas Industries to enhanceoil and gas recovery.Only recently, the global community has started thinking about capturing carbon for environmental reasons.

4

www.civilstap.com

TYPES OF SEQUESTRATION

Plutonic Rocks – Magma while thrusting its way up to the surface may cool and solidify within the crust as

‘Plutonic Rocks’ thereby resulting in intrusive landforms.

1

Volcanic Rocks – These rocks are the outcome of cooling and solidification of rocks of the lava i.e. the

cooling and solidification takes place at the surface, thereby resulting in extrusive landforms.

2

www.civilstap.com

TYPES OF SEQUESTRATION

▪ Process of carbon sequestration wherein the carbon isstored in oceans through direct injection or fertilization.

▪ If CO2 were to be injected to the ocean bottom, thepressures would be great enough for CO2 to be in itsliquid phase.

▪ The idea behind ocean injection would be to have stable,stationary pools of CO2 at the ocean floor.

▪ The ocean could potentially hold over a thousand billiontons of CO2.

▪ However, this avenue of sequestration isn't being asactively pursued because of concerns about the impacton ocean life, and concerns about its stability.

OCEAN SEQUESTRATION

www.civilstap.com

TYPES OF SEQUESTRATION

GEOLOGICAL SEQUESTRATION TERRESTRIAL SEQUESTRATION

▪ The process of geological sequestration seeks toexploit the geological formations of the earth for thecapture and storage of carbon.

▪ Natural pore spaces in geological formation serve asreservoirs for long-term carbon dioxide storage.

▪ The terrestrial sequestration seeks to exploit thenatural terrestrial carbon sinks i.e. soils andvegetation.

▪ Increasing carbon fixation through photosynthesis,slowing down or reducing decomposition of organicmatter, and changing land use practices can enhancecarbon uptake in these natural sinks.

www.civilstap.com

TYPES OF SEQUESTRATION

GEOLOGICAL SEQUESTRATION

www.civilstap.com

Solubility Trapping – Carbon Dioxide can be dissolved into a liquid, such as water or oil.2

Hydrodynamic Trapping – Carbon dioxide can be trapped as a gas under low-permeability cap rock.1

Mineral Carbonation – Carbon Dioxide can react with minerals, fluids and organic matter in geologic

formation to form stable compounds/minerals (mainly calcium, iron and magnesium carbonates)

3

Carbon dioxide can be effectively stored in the earth’s subsurface by hydrodynamic trapping and solubility trapping; usually a combination of the two is most effective.

www.civilstap.com

▪ Green carbon refers to the carbon removed bythe photosynthesis and stored in plants and soilof natural ecosystems and is a vital part of theglobal carbon cycle.

▪ Many plants and most crops, have short lives andrelease much of their carbon at the end of eachseason, but forest biomass accumulates carbonover decades.

▪ Forests can accumulate large amount of CO2 inrelatively short periods of time.

▪ Afforestation and reforestation – biologicalcarbon sequestration.

GREEN CARBON

▪ Blue Carbon refers to coastal, aquatic andmarine carbon sinks held by the indicativevegetation, marine organism and sediments.

▪ In particular, coastal ecosystems such as tidalmarshes, mangroves, and seagrasses removecarbon from the atmosphere and ocean, storingit in plants and depositing it in the sedimentbelow them by natural processes.

▪ Each square mile of these systems can removecarbon from the atmosphere and oceans atrates higher than each square mile of maturetropical forests.

▪ These ecosystems are found in all continents,except Antarctica.

GREEN AND BLUE CARBON

BLUE CARBON

www.civilstap.com

BLACK AND BROWN CARBON

The difference between them is Black carbon is emitted by high temperature combustion like diesel fuel burningand Brown carbon by low temperature combustion including forest fires, firewood burning

2

Black carbon and Brown carbon are the light absorbing component of the particulate matter and are formed bythe incomplete burning of fossil fuels and biomass burning and firewood burning

1

But their impact is same as both are light absorbing particulate matter:▪ It will absorb sunlight and warm the air near it and thereby change the cloud patterns and precipitation in that

area▪ When deposited on snow it will absorb light and cause melting of snowIt is a potential green house gas next only to carbon dioxide.

3

CARBON CREDIT

www.civilstap.com

▪ A carbon credit is a tradeable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one ton of carbon or carbondioxide equivalent (tCO2e).

▪ One carbon credit is equal to one ton of carbon dioxide, or in some markets, carbon dioxide equivalent gases.

WHAT IS A CARBON CREDIT?

▪ An organization which produces one ton less of carbon or carbon dioxide equivalent than the standard levelof carbon emission allowed for its outfit or activator, earns a carbon credit.

HOW IS IT EARNED?

CARBON CREDIT

www.civilstap.com

▪ Countries which are under obligations to reduce the carbon emissions of their companies can tie up withdeveloping nations and help them set up new technology that is ecofriendly, thereby helping developingcountry or its companies 'earn' credits.

▪ This credit becomes a permit for the company to emit GHGs in its own country.▪ However, only a portion of carbon credits of the company in developing country can be transferred to the

company in developed country.

HOW DOES IT HELP?

▪ Developing countries like India and China are likely to emerge as the biggest sellers and Europe is going to bethe biggest buyers of carbon credits.

WHO WILL BE THE SELLER AND BUYER?

CARBON OFFSETTING

Carbon offsets are quantified and sold in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).2

Carbon offsets are credits ·for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions made at another location, such as windfarms which create renewable energy and reduce the need for fossil fuel powered energy.

1

Buying one ton of carbon offsets means there will be one less ton of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than therewould otherwise have been.

3

Carbon offsetting is often the fastest way to achieve the deepest reductions within businesses and it also oftendelivers added benefits at the project site, such as employment opportunities, community development programsand training and education.

4

CARBON TAX

The aim of this tax is to cause less fossil fuel use and hopefully provide an incentive to use other sources ofenergy.

2

It is based on the amount of carbon contained in a fuel such as coal etc.1

If the carbon tax were to be implemented it would be gradual and start at a low amount and increase over timeto allow better industry and technology to be developed.

3

India will bring a WTO challenge against any “carbon taxes” that rich countries impose on Indianimports.

INSIA’S STANCE ON CARBON TAX

CARBON TAX

Implementation – a carbon tax could be put into use much quicker compared to the legalities that go along withthe 'cap and trade' method.

2

Predictability – the tax could help predict energy prices which might also help investments in energy efficiencyand alternate fuels.

1

Understandable – the carbon tax is simpler to understand and may therefore be embraced more by everydaypeople

3

Lack of Manipulation – special interest groups have less of a chance to manipulate a carbon tax because of itssimplicity.

4

Rebates – like other forms of taxes, the carbon tax could be open for rebates to the public5

Q. Consider the following statements regarding carbon offsets and find the incorrect one/s?

1) Carbon offsets represents credits for reduction in one tonne of carbon dioxide or equivalent

greenhouse gas, it is generated by a reduction in emissions made by a voluntary project designed

specifically for that purpose.

2) Buying one ton of carbon offset means that there will be one less ton of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere than there would have otherwise been.

Which of the above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 or 2

Answer : d

QUESTION 1

www.civilstap.com

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Carbon Tax and identify the correct one/s:

1) It is aims to encourage the use of non-fossil fuels / renewable energy sources.

2) India supports the idea of Carbon Tax/

Select the correct code:

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 or 2

Answer : a

QUESTION 2

www.civilstap.com

Q. On the basis of its impact the carbon is classified based on color key. In this context, which

of the following are correctly matched?

1) Brown Carbon - refers to the particles leftover after incomplete combustion of fossil fuels at high

temperature.

2) Green Carbon - refers to the carbon removed by the photosynthesis and stored in the plants and

soil of natural ecosystems

3) Black Carbon - refers to the particles leftover after incomplete combustion of fossil fuels at low

temperature.

Select the correct code:

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 only

d) All are correctly matched

Answer : c

QUESTION 3

www.civilstap.com

Q. Consider the following statements and identify the correct one/s:

1) Carbon Offset is relatively better mitigation strategy as compared to the Carbon Credit.

2) Forest ecosystem is more efficient in sequestering carbon as compare to coastal ecosystem.

Select the correct code:

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 or 2

Answer : a

QUESTION 4

www.civilstap.com

Q. Consider the following statements about carbon credit and identify the correct one/s?

1. It is a credit for reduction in greenhouse gas emission made at another location, such as wind

farms which reduce the need of fossil powered energy.

2. One carbon credit is equal to one ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent gas.

Select the correct code:

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 or 2

Answer : b

QUESTION 5

www.civilstap.com