Environment and Global Warming
Global warming is a gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth’s lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. Much of the recent observed and projected global warming is human-induced. It is caused by man-made increases in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Adding carbon dioxide, methane and such other gases (that have the potential to absorb heat) to the atmosphere with no other changes will make our planet’s surface warmer. The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and CH4 have increased by 31 per cent and 149 per cent respectively above pre-industrial levels since 1750. During the past century, the atmospheric temperature has risen by 1.1°F (0.6°C) and sea level has risen several inches. Some of the longer-term results of global warming are melting of polar ice with a resulting rise in sea level and coastal flooding; disruption of drinking water supplies dependent on snow melts; extinction of species as ecological niches disappear; more frequent tropical storms; and an increased incidence of tropical diseases. A UN Conference on Climate Change, held in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, resulted in an international agreement to fight global warming which called for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases by industrialised nations.
Which of the following is the result of deforestation?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Extinction of species
When forests are cleared for timber, farmland or settlements, plants and animals lose the places they live in. Deforestation destroys these habitats directly, and, as the passage says, it also adds to global warming, one of whose results is the extinction of species as ecological niches disappear. Either way, species die out.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) Poverty Alleviation — Incorrect. Poverty alleviation means reducing the number of poor people through growth and special programmes. Deforestation takes away the forest produce on which many poor people depend, so it works against it.
Option (2) Industrial Development — Incorrect. Industrial development is the growth of manufacturing in an economy. It is one of the reasons forests are cleared, not a result of clearing them.
Option (4) Evolution of Industries — Incorrect. The growth and change of industries over time is a cause of the pressure on forests, not an effect of deforestation.