What changes can you make in your habits to become more environment-friendly?
We can adopt the 5 R’s principle:
1. Refuse: Say no to plastic bags and single-use items.
2. Reduce: Switch off unnecessary lights and fans; save water by fixing leaks.
3. Reuse: Use empty jars/bottles for storage; use bath water for gardening.
4. Repurpose: Use broken crockery to grow plants.
5. Recycle: Segregate waste (paper, glass, metal) for recycling.
[Image of 5 Rs of waste management]
Q2
What would be the advantages of exploiting resources with short-term aims? How would these differ from the advantages of using a long-term perspective?
Short-term Aims:
• Immediate profit and massive industrial growth.
• Rapid development of infrastructure.
• Consequence: Resources deplete quickly, leading to future scarcity and pollution.
Long-term Perspective (Sustainable):
• Resources last for future generations.
• Ecological balance is maintained.
• Pollution is controlled.
• Consequence: Slower initial growth, but stable and consistent development.
Q3
Why do you think there should be equitable distribution of resources?
Natural resources (water, forest, minerals) belong to nature, not a few individuals.
1. Prevention of Monopoly: Prevents a few rich/powerful people from controlling vital supplies.
2. Basic Needs: Ensures that poor and marginalized communities also get their share of food, water, and fuel.
3. Peace: Reduces conflict between regions or countries over resource scarcity.
Q4
Why should we conserve forests and wildlife?
1. Biodiversity: Forests host a vast range of species. Loss of diversity leads to ecological instability.
2. Economic Value: They provide timber, medicines, fodder, and gum.
3. Climate Control: Trees regulate rainfall and temperature.
4. Soil Protection: Roots prevent soil erosion and floods.
Q5
Suggest some approaches towards the conservation of forests.
1. Afforestation: Planting more trees to replace cut ones.
2. Involving Locals: Giving local communities a stake in forest management (e.g., the Arabari forest recovery project in West Bengal).
3. Strict Laws: Enforcing severe penalties for poaching and illegal logging.
4. Social Forestry: Encouraging planting trees in villages and road sides to reduce pressure on main forests.
Q6
Find out about the traditional systems of water harvesting. Compare these with probable systems in hilly/mountainous areas.
Traditional Systems (Plains): • Khadins/Tanks (Rajasthan): Long earthen embankments to hold runoff water.
• Bandharas (Maharashtra): Check dams on rivers.
• Ponds (Kandi belt of Jammu): Storage bodies.
Hilly Areas (Mountains): • Kuls (Himachal Pradesh): Diversion channels that carry water from glaciers/streams to villages down the hill.
• Unlike stagnant ponds in plains, these are flowing channels designed to use gravity.
Q7
Which among the stakeholders of forests (Locals, Forest Dept, Industrialists, Activists) should have the authority to decide the management of forest produce? Why?
The Local People (living in and around forests) should have the primary say, supported by the Forest Department.
Reason: 1. They have centuries of knowledge on sustainable use.
2. Their survival depends on the forest, so they are naturally inclined to protect it (unlike industrialists who may over-exploit for profit).
3. Historical examples (like Bishnois or Chipko movement) show locals are the best guardians.