Chapter – 8

Environment and Resources

In this post, we have given the detailed notes of class 12 Political Science Chapter 8 (Environment and Resources) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 12 board exams.

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Environment and Resources

Environment

• Environment means anything that surrounds us. It includes living (biotic) or non-living (abiotic) things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces etc.

Resources

• Everything that we use to fulfil our needs is called a resource, for example water, air, land etc. 

Natural resources

• All those resources which we get from nature are called natural resources such as trees, air, land etc.

Political Science and Environment

• Although environment is a subject of science, there is a big reason to discuss it in political science.
• At present, environmental problems have increased so much that no country can solve them alone.
• For this reason, it is necessary to have cooperation between the countries to solve all these problems.
• To reach an agreement between two countries, there must be cooperation between their governments.
• This is the reason why environmental issues are being studied in politics.

Environmental problems

• If we look at history, the environment has never been such a big issue.
• But due to the pace of development and increase in population in the world, environment is becoming a matter of concern.
  • Main environmental problems at present
    • Pastures are running out
    • Arable land is running out
    • Fish stocks are declining
    • Water pollution is on the rise
    • Deforestation is increasing
    • Biodiversity is running out 
    • Hole in the ozone layer
    • Increasing pollution in the world
    • The rise in earth’s temperature
    • Lack of availability of clean drinking water

The rise of environmental issues in global politics

• Environmental issues took hold in the 1980s
• In 1972 a group of scholars from the Club of Rome published a book called Limits to Growth
• In this it was told how natural resources are being damaged due to increasing population.
• It was only after this that the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) started.
• It organizes many environmental protection conferences in the world.

The Global Commons

• Common wealth

• Common wealth is the resource which is not owned by an individual but by the entire community.
• For example:
  • Playground
  • Well
  • River etc.

• Global commons

• There are many such areas and resources in the world which are not owned by any one country, they are called global commons.
• For example
  • Antarctica
  • Outer space
  • Sea ​​etc.

COMMON BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITIES

• Due to the different development situation in the world, a new ideology was born which was named Common but Different Responsibilities. 
• If we look at the world today, the world is divided into three different parts, out of which the first is the developed countries, the second is the developing countries and the third is the less developed countries.
• In such a situation, environment is a big issue for developed countries, on the other hand, economic development and poverty alleviation is more important for developing and less developed countries.
• In such a situation, if each country is given equal responsibilities of maintaining the common property, then it will not be right.
• For example, if we ask both developed and developing to make equal efforts to protect the environment, then it will not be right.
• Because developed countries have already developed but developing countries have yet to develop themselves and it will be difficult for them to protect the environment.
• Along with this, more damage has been done to the environment by the developed countries, so for this reason the developed countries should take more steps to save the environment.
• This ideology is called common property but different responsibilities 

Earth Summit (Rio Summit)

• In 1992, the Environment and Development Conference was organized by the United Nations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• It is called Earth Summit 
• The countries involved in earth summit had created a plan Agenda 21 for sustainable development
• By sustainable development, we mean the way of development in which development can be done without harming the environment.
• During the discussion of this conference one thing came to the eyes that the world is mainly divided into two halves.
• Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere 
• The countries of the Northern Hemisphere are concerned about the environment, on the other hand, the countries of the Southern Hemisphere are still developing and they are concerned about developing and eradicating the poverty of their country.
• During this conference, Agenda 21 was prepared in which such methods of development were given which would cause least damage to the environment.
• Later it was also criticized because this conference was done for the environment but it ended on the issues of development.

Common property but different responsibilities

• The principle of common property but different responsibilities was recognized in the Rio Convention of 1992.
• A framework was made by the United Nations
  •     UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
• It was accepted that all countries will contribute according to their ability and will fulfil their responsibilities in their own way in environmental protection.

Kyoto Protocol

• The Kyoto Protocol was created in view of the damage to the ozone layer due to greenhouse gas emissions.
• It is an international agreement designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in countries 
• The gases which is responsible for global warming in the world are called greenhouse gases. 
• Methane, carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons are some of the main greenhouse gases.
• The Kyoto Protocol was created to reduce the emission of these gases.
• It was proposed in 1992 and has been implemented since 2005.

Note: Greenhouse gas emissions of developing countries are much less than developed countries, therefore developing countries like China and India are excluded from this protocol. means, this obligation does not apply to them.

Steps taken by the Government of India for environmental protection

• Change in National auto fuel policy
• Use of clean fuel has been encouraged
• Emphasis was given on the use of CNG in the means of transport
• Emphasis was given on the use of renewable sources of energy
• The Energy Conservation Act in 2001 and the Electricity Act in 2003 were passed
• Emphasis on use of clean coal

Environmental movement

• The movements which raise the environmental issues and demands are called environmental movements. 
• There have been many such movements in India and the world which were related to environmental issues.
• Environmental movement in India
  • Chipko Movement
  • Narmada Bachao Andolan

Geopolitics of resources

• One of the biggest features of the world is that no country in the world has all the resources available.
• This has been the biggest reason for the conflict between the countries in history.
• The spread of European powers in the world and the capture of small countries was also to get resources.
• There are some countries in the world which have mineral resources while there are some countries which have abundant natural resources.
• For these reasons, there is a conflict between the countries.
• The Gulf countries are a very good example of this, because of the oil resources present there, the big powers have always tried to capture and keep it under their control.

Future prospects

• At present if we see, water is an important resource
• Life is not possible without water
• At present there are many countries of the world where the availability of water is less.
• In such a situation, it is believed that water will emerge as a very important resource in the future.
• Many scholars have also said that if there will be a third world war in the world, it will be because of water.

The Indigenous people and their rights

• Indigenous people are called those people whose ancestors have been living inside an area for a long time, then people of some other culture or caste came from outside and got their influence on these people. 
• These Indigenous people still live life in their traditional ways.

Problems of Indigenous peoples

• Struggle for equality
• Struggle for identity
• Struggle for development
• Lack of infrastructure
• Right to residency
• Worried about deforestation

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