r

~l~\l S ESS IO N

j~ What Makes Natural Environment ?

Natural Environment ,~ Types of Resources
" How Environment is Crucial for Us
and Us

Introduction
Leo Tolstoy once said, "One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man 1111d
nature sltall not be broken." How correct he is! We are till we have nature supporting us.~
nature ceases to help and support us, we shall not remain, and all living beings will be
history. In this session, we shall talk about this vital relationship of ~e nat_ural environ::
and us and how much more we need to know and do to honour this relationship.

What Makes Natural Environment ? 1.1

Everything that surrounds us - the earth, the air, food chains, plants, animals, other humans, water
sk.-y and so forth - makes our natural environment. The natural environment affects our lives,
the lives of all living beings. ...................
·······.
The natural environment has two sub-categories: the living ..
environment and the non-living environment. The plants, : The natural environment is a:
animals, human beings and other living organisms together : term ihat collectively refers :~
: all the living beings and
form the living environment. The non-living components
: non-living things surrounding
such as oil/rock, air, water and sun together form the : us, occurring naturally on Eanh.
non-living environment. • • • • • • ■• • ■■ ■ I ■■ ■
• ■■ I 1 ■ 11 ■■ 1
• • • • • I I I

1.2. 1 Types of Resources

We are surrounded by resources all around us. In fact, the resources available around us can
be categorized into many categories, such as :
(1) Natural Resources (ii) Renewable/Non-renewable Resources
(iii) Exhaustible/non-exhaustible Resources
Let us talk about these types of resources one by one.
····················
1.2. 1A Natural Resources .
Resource word basically means a source of supply of : Natural resources are the freelv,
I
f something. Since the beginning, we humans have : naturally available suppl) to us
depended on the naturally available things that are : such as the land, the a r, tilt
: w ater the sun and so forth. AD~
freely available to us such as water (riv~rs and oceans), : huma~ has not created natur
·maJs rocks sun the air, the land, minerals around us • free~
fo res ts, ant , , , . : resou rces ; they are
and so forth. All these freely available r_esoufrc~fs are othur : available on the Earth.
natural resources,
. these form the basis o 1i e on e ·..................................
Earth.
 Session l .· NAT URAL
J-luD1ans have been using the natural ENVIRONMENT AND u
We depend on the natural resourcesresources
fo for its survwal
. and . s A.195
dependent on one another. For exam . r our survival and to live on the
in that area have to struggle for th . ple, if the water dries u . also the natural r planet well.
, . e1r surv· 1 pm an a esources
all the vegetation, plants; forests al so d epend
iva . The struggle f or survi
rea, 1then
. the peoPle hv·
. are
natural resource
. may lead to th e removal f h upon water fo th . va
r en surv· 1 will be even moremg as
human be,ngs. 0 ot e, natural wa · Removal
resources and i o f one
n tum, we the
Wood
Food & medicine

I
Pulp
Recreation
Natural Resources
Home of wildlife Jewelry,
Rubber Metals, 11 land
Cotton Ceramics
Energy 1ii1 Forests
etc. Food
fuel Wood 1ii1 Water
Recreation
EnerQY Agriculture Iii Minerals
Animals /
drinking water Iii Food resources
+ Iii Energy resources

Natural resources

1.2.l B Renewable/Non-renewable Resources

Natural resources can be further categorised into renewable and non-renewable resources.
(1) Renewable resources. These are the resources
whose used up quantity is replaced on its own as nature is l~)◄M ....................... ""•:
producing them constantly. For example, wood, timber, solar • :
energy, water and so forth, these are some natural resources :: Th• natmal that
reproduced moums
within cao be
a few years or :
: ecades, e.g., trees, are called :
t we have regularly been consuming and nature has • d •
tha
continuously been p roducing them and thus these are ; renewable resourm. ... ······:
getting renewed always. The renewable resources are also •· • • · .. ·
sometimes called the infinite resources.
Some examples of renewable resources are Solar energy, water, timber/wood, biomass and so forth . ....
(ii) Non-renewable resources. A natural resource that (M:J .
The natural resources that :
takes time for its regeneration and cannot be replaced or
cannot be reproduced at the rate :
re-grown at a scale comparable to its consumption, is a similar to the rate of their :
non-renewable resource. In other words, its renewal rate is consumption are called :
far slower than its consumption. For example, it takes non-renewable resources. ]
millions of years to produce certain Earth ores whereas ····················
these are consumed at very fast rates.
Some examples of non-renewable natural resources are petroleum, coal, 11otural oil au.I gas. earth

minerals, metal oresI nuclear power and so forth. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

,r+Jrul
•
J . · h sun (solar:
' • ( ") Nuclear fusion in t e :
: There are 5 fundamental sources of energ} . I ( · · ·) N clear fission reactions, •
• E h d Moon 111 u :
:• energy) , (ii) Gravity generated by the art dan( ) Energy' store d ,·n chemical bonds. •
: (iv) Energy in the interior of the Earth, an v •• • .... , ............... .
.. ................. ..
·············
'-'Qp.Ef'.N SKILLS-I
.J .
 A.196
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE- IX

Wind energy ~,i"'-

Solar
energy

4... .\, ~
""""""

- Renewable Energy
Hydropower
, ,,~,.,
(Petroleum, diesel,
mineral oil)

Natural energy resources

~
.~

Nuclear plants
Non-Renewable Energy

l .2 lC Exhaustible/Non-Exhaustible Resources
This is another way of categorising natural resources.
p (1) Non-Exhaustible resources. Infinitely available natural resources that the living~
of Earth can never consume to finish them are known as non-exhaustible or
inexhaustible resources. For example, no matter how much we consume the solar~
we can never exhaust it. So solar energy is an example of inexhaustible resource. ~
Other examples of inexhaustible resources are : wind energy, tidal energy and so forth.
(iz) Exhaustible resources. Natural resources that are finite in quantity and recurring~
of these, is reducing their quantities at a fast rate. Since these have finite quantity, thev
will exhaust one day. Such resources are called exhaustible resources. For example,~
that we extract from the coal mines is limited in quantity and is an exhaushble resource.
Resources

Coal, Oil, Natural gas are Artificial

collectively known as Fossil
Natural
l (e.g., electricity) 1

.
· fu els. Solareoerg)
Wind
Exhaustible Inexhaustible
Rainfan
1
1idaleneim
Renewable Non-Renewable
I I
I
Water Sun Wind Biomass Soil Forests Coal Petroleum LPG Nuclear Minerals Natural
plants gas

How Environment 1s Crucial for Us ?

The natural environment around is the reason for life on Earth. The natural ~abitat crucial for
rt
1 nd growth is possible because of the natural resources and natural ennronment ~
e Fa ample life on a planet depends on oxygen and water which is pro,id~ by the~ b~
us. or ex , d ' 'd hich 1s balan1.~ .
• t Further we breathe the air and produce carbon 1ox1 e, w _,
env1ronmen · ' th ther type"'
and plant kingdom. In fact, the plants and the forests also remove e o . ent.
the forests fr the environment that results from the modem age use of the envirorun
pollutants om
 Session 1 : NATURA
reenery around us not only gives us fr h . L ENVIRONMENT ANO U5 A 1
rests is known to avoid floods as tr es air, but also rnak • 97
o d k . ees are th cs our cnvi
Of our planet an"bl maF es it habitable· O n P1aneterethlo protect us· 1 hc sun
ronment stress-free ' - I .
, · .....,n< With
. e is not poss1 e. ollowing figure 1· t s at do not h"v ll . regulates the temn., t
1s s som f " e 11s lux r~ra ures
e acts about how envi ury of ample solilr energy
ronment impacts us: ,

Tree car,opff!S. vegetabon. Each tree can

and grassy areas capture abeort, up to Hiking can help fend
and filter rainwater, reducing 48 P<>Unds off heart dl6ease Sunlight • Iha best 8nd
the amount of salt. oil. and of carbon hypertensioo, diabeies only natural SOUJce of
06l80porosjs, arthntis.' Vitamin D • your body
poautants flowing from d10xide
and anxiety It fights COOVerts what ~ needs
roads and lawnS 11110 peryeart from rt and de-malaboizes
nearby waterways. obesity by bum,ng on
average 100 calories any eX!ra Only 15 rTWiUles
of exl)OSUre per day Is ,---,
for every mole walked!

Open space can A year-long study with 2,600 A short walk ,n nature
0
A study by Penn Slate
reduCe the cost of school-age children showed can reduce rumination Universrty showed a strong
drinking water up to that dally exposure to nature as well as calm activrty COtTelation between stress
tenfold by protecting resulted in a 5% increase in in the subgenual reduction, lower blood
undergrOUnd development of functional prefrontal cortex. pressure, and perceived
water sources. memory and a 1 % decrease which is responsible physical health and the
in inattentiveness. for regulating amount of time spent
negative emotions. visiting parks

have
"The nation that
Shade from trees culated that trees
A s1l.ldy shoWed that people destroys its S011
reduces healing and help people live lonl!er,
who wandered among trees destroys itself."
performed 20% better on a cooling costs. Trees also -Franklin o. Roosevelt
healthier, and happier
capture storm-water lives. saving 50 K crores in
numbef memorization test health care costs annually'
runoff. iowenng sewer
after they returned.
treatment costs.

heck Point
1. What is a natural resource ? . f d in nature people use.
(b) Something oun
(a) Something you do for a living. (d) A way to cook camp food.
(c) A summer camp.
rces (a) True (b) False ( ) True (b) False
2. Water is one of the manmade resou · t . plants or animals. a . ra1?
th that are no m ample of a nune ·
3. Minerals are things found in the ear rth Which is NOT an ex
4. Min ls . rtant resource that comes from the ea . (d) Chlorophyll
era are an unpo (c) Iron
(a) Salt (b) Coal usage ? · n
. O
f natural resources blic transportaho
S. Which of these is NOT an example (b) Gasoline for pu . d houses
. · ool . d furniture an
(a) Water for a community swimming P (d) Trees to bull
(c) Tents for night sky watch 7
6. Which . le of a renewable resource .
one 1s an examp (c) coal
(a) Copper (b) Sunlight
 A Hurnon Impact and
Influence on Environment

Our Influence a
Natural Environment

Ell Introduction
Life on the ·planet Earth is possible because O f th e natural
natural environment. Ever since life has origmate
• d on the Earth
resources.
h We are because of the
using these natura1 resources or shall we sa h ' we ave been consuming and
. Y we ave been abu ·
this session, we shall talk about how we hum h smg our natural resources tn
. . ans ave been using ou tu al
how this has influenced our natural environmen.t r na r resources and

f11 Human Impact and Influence on Environment

Humankind has gr~wn and developed massively. Most aggressive growth has been seen in
the past two centuries - modes of transportation to the industrial revolution to modern vehicles to
modes of communication - every sphere of our lives have been influenced by this development.
While we see it as development, it is proving disastrous for some others. A comparable fact is
that the numbers of extinctions that have taken place in the past two centuries are more than
the extinctions in earlier centuries. Is this a real development or are we heading towards a
disaster? Let us d iscuss how our use/misuse of the natural environment has led to things we
never imagined.

1. Population Explosion
The population of the planet Earth has increased multifold in past centuries as :'~th- ~-e
development of the medical sciences, mortality rates have gone down, and the qualil) ot :
has improved. With the increase in population, the abuse of natural resources has also start ,
e.g., .
;) M ti of land More population means more land is required for livmg
(• ore consump on · habitable land
and hence more forests are being cut to create more . furniture
• ) M opulation means more
(ii) More forests being cut (deforestation . ore bp . cut for increased timber and
and forests are eing
required and hence more trees
wood requirement. consumption of oxygen
More production of carbon dioxide. More people mebans mdoor:1
.de (CO,,) as exhalation.
(iii) d · f car on 1 " - f t,on
from air for inhalation and more pro uction o this increased product~o~ o car .
All this means we require more trees to absorb much and all thts is resultil\S
th t
dioxide but we have been reducing e foreS cover so
in the form of contaminated air quality.
A.199
 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IX

('
'v) o n .•re,plo1t.1t1on
· of n 1tt1ral n. ,ourcc , .More
population means more fuel requirement and this has
led to more use of natural resources such as natural
oil, petroleum, gasoline and so forth. These are
non-renewable natural resources. At such fast rates of
consumptions, soon our planet will run out ?f these,
and we will be left to die with no other choices.
Illus just the population explosion itself has become such a big cause of environment d
as w~ are cutting more forests to accommodate more population while more trees ae s ,
to compensate the CO 2 being produced. This has destabilized the natural cycle of ll\ r~ n~
'bl f thi f .
the air quality. Humankind is solely respons1 e or s cause o envuorunent destructi~'
a1nta1llin.

2. Po fut1on
You just read how the increase in population is
indirectly leading to air pollution by producing more
CO 2 • Following are some other causes that are behind the
increased pollution.
(i) More waste production. Our modern lifestyle
produces many types of waste which are unnecessarily
causing a problem for our environment, e.g., discarded
toothpaste tube has some leftover but can be used.
Most of the packaging is done using plastic that is used once and then thrown. The plastca
non-biodegradable material. It keeps on increasing and keeps on destroying our planet. 3. G
Types of Pollution

Soil/Land pollution Water pollution Air pollution

Deterioration (destruction) of the earth's Contamination of water by any

•
Contamination of air by the
land surfaces by the deposition of solid chemical, physical or biological presence of harmful chemicals or
or liquid waste materials on land or change in the quality of water excessive quantities of substances
underground in a manner that can that has a harmful effect on induding gases. partides. and
contaminate the soil and groundwater. living beings. biological molecules into the a,r.
Reasons Reasor s Reasons
❖ Mining ❖ Land fill sites ❖ Mining ◊ Factory emissions
❖ Litter ❖ Illegal dumping < Fertilisers from farming ❖ Wildfires and dust stoons
-❖- Farming of waste .;,- Chemicals from factories ❖ Burning foss11 fuels
❖ Factories and '1' Oil spills ◊ Cars, Aeroplanes, Lames c
manufacturing ❖ Untreated sewage ❖ Volcanic eruptions

Table 2.1 lists the potential time of various things take to degrade when left in the environment
Table 2.1 BiodegradabUity of various items in environment
Item Time (approx.) Item I j I I

Vegetables 5 days -1 month leather shoes 25-40 years

Paper 2-5 months Nylon fabric 30-40 years
Cotton T-shirt 6 months Tin cans 50-100 years
Orange peels 6 months Aluminum cans so-100 years
Tree leaves 1 year Glass bottles 1 million yea,s
Wool socks 1-5 years Styrofoam cup 500 years to

Plastic-coated paper milk cartons 5 years Plastic bags 500 years to

 Session 2
: OUR
(it) fuel Usage. Mode INFLUENCE
,;rplar>es and so fmth. AU"' age living is
forth as fuel. Usage of these;;;•s of automo~•avny de ,
ON """'-Al, "'1RONMENt A
2
othet harmful particles ;,, the •_ls results in th des use P!';'"~•nt on v.h· • 01
oality has been declared as not
a,r. This
fit f coni,,..'.', ,eJe,,..
,..1nates of:• die.,,,
<1ny har ,na"t"' like""
natural , bUS4!s
th
q (iii) Poor Waste Management or breathing· e <1ir so .....rn
·••ttchful
0 1
= '"''
th th1r, ,. .,gases
srn0and
le:
r:,
peodoction of waste, we have · Even th " In-• i, "nd
·soften left in the open or th yet not developeodugh therl.! has b arts, the a,r
1 . rown i t . effici l.!en .
ases or contaminates the underwat n o rivers. 0 pen ent
rott'Waye; of rnanaoi
a significant nse. tn th
So"'etimes,
g people bum the waste h ~r resen,0 ;,. It >ng w'""";ng the,..,., W '
,.,uoies
r- the air . around
. us. w •ch is not a <ec even contaminat"
omrnended w
P•odoce, ru,~~
es the a,r ar
waste wown into rivers is so h armful t h ay of destrOVi OUnd IL
-, .ng wast
water. You must have seen pictures of w ot t e water qua1·1ty d e as ,t
nPOple
r - who eat seafood or fish and af er animals havmg . plan .for the organisms . r·
in the water.
So so orth are actual!y consumingaSSc.e,;due
th in the;r stomachs
•vmg •n
ewastepe \
These ays, there h ave been to f op e threw
d . d ns o e-wast ( l
waste) being pro uced such as old s e e ectronic
devices and so forth. When thro ma~tphones, electronic
wn m open th
cause severe contamination of the environm. ' t ese also
,,ery hazardous for h ealth. en and are

3. G1obol Warming
Global
. . warming h as been attributed as the most
•.. ,:rc······ ................. .~

.
significant cause that has impacted our environment.
· : Global warming refers to the ;
Global warrrung refers to the increase of earth's average : increase of earth' s average :
terrq~erature all across t~e glob e because of our lifestyle. : temperature all across the :
l globe because of our lifestyle. ;
The increase of population and the vehicular use along
with deforestation and increased use of fossil fuels has
.····· .. .............·····...
resulted in increased CO 2 levels.
Increased CO has impacted the ozone layer around the Earth which was a protective layer for
2 layer is getting damaged, our planet is exposed to harmful rays coming from
us. Now as this
the universe adding to the greenhouse effect. Also, other harmful gases like methane also
cause greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a warming of the earth's sUrface and lower
atmosphere caused by substances such as carbon dioxide and water vapour. increased CO,
and depleted ozone layer has resulted in the rise of average temperatures all across the globe.

Fact!! The ozone layer is a high level layer of gas in the stratosphere. The
ozone helps to keep out harmful ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn to
human skin and damage to plants. The resulting ozone holes let harmful
ultraviolet radiation in and add to the greenhouse effect.
The·
increase in average temperatures has reStt te
l d 111
· the
_
: It has been predkted that
....
• oceans' ,~ ater te, eh "ill
:•!ting of arctic land ice and glaciers all across the " orld,
elting gl . . h . f ea .,,ater levels,
ac1ers are causmg t e rise o s •·
.
.
1 4 feet b, 2ioo.
• rise b) • .• .. .
rs
and there has been a risk of drowning over man) islands
forever
forever and cities of the world that are on the seashores . ______-::-."::i
 A.202 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-IX

Following figure illustrates the impact of global warming on our environment.

Do you know that the highest • Humidity

level of CO 2 in recorded history
before 1950 was about 300 parts • Temperature u,er oceans
per million (PPM)? However,
current measurements of CO2 1 sea.surface temperatur
levels have exceeded above 400
•See Ice
PPM, abolishing every record
dating back 400,000 ) ears. D
t 1ncr..H • OecteeN

A\" .
4. Ill ego I ,v Impact of global warming
ming
Our Earth has been the source of many non-renewable resources such as minerals, metalsar 1.
so torth. These non-renewable resources have proven to be to very useful for producing
things, for example, manganese is important for the production of low-cost steel. Many~
resources are found in the underneath layers of eart~ ~d thus, to :xtr~ct these r~sourcesfr
the earth, mining is done. Manganese, tantalum, cassiterite, copper,_tm, mcke~, bauxite (alumint: 2-
ore), iron ore, gold, silver, and diamonds and many more, are the items which are mined.
Mining has been used for ages to extract materials from the earth. In modem times, howe, 3.
p governments either do it themselves or give licenses for mining. All this is done to preser,e:
A Earth in the best possible ways. 4
R
T
Since mining may give you some very precious metals, many - - --
people and organisations conduct mining illegally. lliegal
····· ...............
.
mining not only destroys the ecosystem there but also is : Mining refers to the extracton
A dangerous for the population. Let us see how illegal mining : of non-renewable resources
affects our environment and ecosystem. : like minerals and metals fro-
: the earth.
(1) Loss of Habitat. For mining to take place, the land .
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••••u ...
above the mine is cleared, and thus the trees/forests on the
land are cut disturbing the balance of the environment.
Deforestation further affects the entire ecosystem, e.g., the birds, animal and other creatu.i'S
who were living in the forest starve to death causing disruption in the food chain. Those woo
survive, go to other areas disrupting the balance of the area, e.g., in an area, things \\"e.~
disturbed in such a way that the snakes could not live there - all this led to increase in~
population of rodents which destroyed their entire crops.
Sometimes, for mining, explosives are used which destroy the mountains and contaminate~
rivers. It directly destroys the marine species and indirectly affects us.
(ii) Causes Pollution. Mining causes pollution. The
explosives used for mining can pollute the air and
water. Also, the chemicals released also contaminate the
air and water causing pollution.
Sometimes, mining releases heavy metal particles and
toxic chemicals heavily impacting the air and water that
become hazardous for health.
(1'it) Disturbed water levels. Mining leads to cracks
in the surface and beneath where the underneath water
 Session 2 .
. OUR INFLUEN
vels disturbing
th the normal Water l ev 18 CE ON NATURAL E
tr
·w
aater. Also, e water leaked to . ~
of the are P
mine 1s a b' a. eople
NVIRO
NMENT A.
203
(iv) Climate Change. Mining . ig hazard for _now need tod,gd
,nlosives, by the release of che u_npacts the dimat . mine workers. eeper We\\~ for
ex, m1cals d e in multi 1
~ e ways such as b
~
byproducts they generate. Methane is an heavy metal
µethane is a very harmful gas and one such harmful particles and also by the use of
environment directly but also causesc~usles _the greenhous[:;fduct ge~erated by ma:yharmful
ep etion of th ect, which not 1 mines
e ozone layer leadin on y disturbs our
oo you know .that the coal mines are responsibl f
gtochangesmclimate
methane that 1s released due to human activltles
. . . e ?or approximately G% of the

Check P~
· Which of the following is not the result
( of overpopulation of the planet ?
1
(a) Increased land use (b) Deforestation
fc) More CO2 (d) Increased rainfall
2. Which of the following waste is considered non-biodegradable as compared to others ?
m (a) Orange peels (b) Styrofoam (c) Wool socks (d) Plastic
3. Discarded electronic devices, smartphones, laptops, monitors, mouse etc. all collectively called _ .
(a) Waster material (b) Metal waste (c) Residual waste (d) Electronic waste

... Green House effect refers to _ __

(a) Cooling of earth (b) Trapping of UV rays
..... (c) Warming of earth (d) Cultivation of plants
.. 5. Wnich of the following does not aid to greenhouse effect ?
ts 1:
0 (a) CO
(c) C 2 •
(b) Methane gas
(d) Depleted ozone layer
7
6 Whichontammated water . . ·
....
s of global warming
· of the following are not potentia1 cause
(a) CO (b) Methane gas
2 d e la)'er
(c) c . (d) Deplete oion
7. Whichontammated water . O
f lobal warming• 7. .
of the following are not the impacts g . , ge tenwerat\\res
Wfu ~ru~m~~
(c) creased sea water levels d Increased rainfall
8 Melted glaciers ( ) .
· Which
'
· ·n
lS the following is not an impact of i ega
1 mining ?
. bed water \eve s
l
,a) Dry lands (b) 01stur_
(c) Loss of habitat (d) pollutlon
~w . . problem : "'"' \evel
'h_, anning will cause the folloWUlg R •sing of oce~·
uietting
Sink;.._~! ~aci~rs
(b) a1
All~••:;:
(d} __ .,.♦p 1.S C
 A Saving and Conserving
Natural Environment

Natural Reso
conservanan
urce

Sfl Introduction
You. know already
. f and have read m · ear1ier
. sessions t h
environment
. . . 1s or all of us. you have a1so read how i
0
°
ow important the natural
respons1b1hty towards it. We all should be aware of how
gnorant we. all are towards our
environment. our actions are impacting the

In this session, we shall talk about how we can act res onsibl to
natural environment. p Y save and conserve our

Saving and Conserving Natural Environment

The environment affects us in all spheres of life - the way we live, the way we eat, the wav we
grow vegetables, fruits and grains, the way we consume and spend energy and so forth~ We
also affect the natural environment by our actions in all spheres of life. In the previous session.
we read how our actions impact the environment. However, if we start recognising our
responsibilities, change our way and style of living and start adopting the following
measures, we can save and conserve our environment.
and (1) Reduce carbon footprint (ii) 3'R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
now (iv) Water conservation

i
ati01l
dia.
(iii) Soil conservation
(v) Energy conservation
(vi) Forest conservation

Let us talk about these measures one by one.

3 2 1 Reduce Carbon . Footprint

tl!M ...................:
.
. t s is a measure ot
A carbon footprint measure d in on ' h !A carbon footprin~ a : I~
determining the aro'ount of production of CO2 an~ ot e_r : measure of deter~8 •
•1 ti · ties such as usmg car:>, • f producuon
• the amount o
greenhouse gases a result of our dai Y ac vi_ d f th E\'en a : f CO. and other green-
• . .. . t based diet an so or • • 0 • S"'l of
usmg air conditioners eating mea - · . . the . gases a re "'
•• hou)e
small change in our 'daily activities has a ma1or impact_ ~~1un1 dail't' activtties.
carbon footprint. Let us see what we s
hould do to have mm1 ................
our ••••••• •···

carbon footprint.
A.205
 A.206 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE- IX

(i) Electricity consumption. More we use electricity, more carbon footprint we proctu
we should reduce the electricity-use by the following measures :
(a) Tum off lights and other electric appliances when not in use.
ce.'
(b) Replace traditional light bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs and other altern .
. . . atives
(c) Replace old appliances with new energy cff1c1cnt apphanccs. ·
(d) Reduction in electrici ty consumption results in a decrease in greenh
~
emissions too.
' ·
(e) Upgrade windows' an d I10USC msu a JOn so
I L' th
a t it
_
9ft]I■-
,.r--M~l=i-• ................
OUse o...
CJ01

consumes less energy for maintaining temperatures. : Renewable energy

(f) Opt for renewable energy resources wherever possible, ~ like solar energy s;;rcei
c.p .. if possible, go for solar energy alternative than using : gen_er~te greenhouse ~
.., • em1ss1ons -
electricity wherever possible. ••••· · · ••••; ••••••••.••..

(;,) Greener transportation. More use of transportation means more contribution to

greenhouse effect. Living without transportation is not possible, but efficient USe ftie
transportation is possible if we take the following measures : of
(a) Find ways to use less transport. If going nearby then try to walk on foot or
mechanical rickshaw, wherever possible. ~
(b) Use green fuel in vehicles. If possible go for green alternatives of regular fuel, such ~
solar charged battery vehicles or green fuels such as biodiesel and so forth.
(c) Try reducing air travels, if possible. Wherever possible try travelling by train or buses
than air travels as airplanes are known to emit greenhouse gases.
(d) Reduce vehicle use. Use public transport in place of using own car or use carpoob
wherever possible.
(e) Eat local, seasonal and organic produce. If we all start consuming local, seasonal
produce, less demand will result in the reduction of shipping and transportatioo,
reducing the greenhouse effect.
(iii) Change eating habits. More than 90% of the world consumes non-vegetarian diet. lnlndia.
nearly 70% of the population consumes non-vegetarian diets. However, do you know, ttt
meat producing sector is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions?
Just by consuming little less meat will reduce the green-house gas emission by a large extent

Adjacent graph shows this

70
impact. One needs not become
60 3.2.3 ~
a vegetarian or vegan, just by
eating m eat Jess frequently, ~~ 50
.Q a,
one can con tribute immensely ~<:'
Et 40
to the conservation of our Cl>Q
<!> U 30
J: _,
natural environment. (!) e 20
.........•..•..•.•......••.••••
10

red meat, especially beef, O Current Reduction Reduction of ReductJOll of ~ •

diet of 25% meat 50% of meat 80% meal
mes around 11 times more of
i 01 i cs production and emits Impact on greenhouse gas emissions by changing meat eatl119 ~
ou,c:-
-
cases S times
0
more.
••••••••••••••••••
•
 Session 3
: NATURA
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle L RE5auRce
CON'.;
,z.Z our daily life requireme t ERV"TION
J- for d . n s, we
c1<aged foo and drinks. All th· consume 1
pa
we product and use is Packing m ot~ of foods
. .it and the result atena1 b · and d .
fo\l•
.. Jllajor metrodcities produce nearly - 1all this goes i ecomes Worth] rinks, Wh'1 h
c alSfl •
•i.;5 garbage an trash go to? B 7
. tons of I n i1 trilsh c ess the rno includes
U" • 1 df" ave P asf an. De nient w
...iJlcreasmg an ills are the a You ever th . ic garbagn >You know h e open
eve• . nswer All ou h '" every I t at 1 d
se dfillS, Also, landfills are filli · this tra h g t? Our c ,1y? Wh n la's
8,ts JaJ'l ng at alarrnin s goes to

ll
ere df.'ll?s all
.. ,ri.at is the way to control this tr . g rates. our - ......
·, ~'VI' h 11 h as11, which . f :
' tl1ese rates, we s a ardly be left with r i kept growin : India•~ fou
ources undecomposed trash would ere t P oper usable land g at : cities J> rdma1or metro
l . a e eve fu s and • 1 7 ro uce
do not tl ee solution to this problem is very .
-r1 n rther prob\ : · tons of 1>last1 nearly
se gas i•' d Recycle simple : 3Rs . ems. •.;~ery day c &,irbage
Reuse, an . , i.e., Reduce ........ .

t REDUCE. The reduce

"th b "
principle s
ays, purchase th
,
[ to the buy pro d ucts w 1 1odegradable packaging. m et products
. w·i th 1esc; packagl
USe of ♦) REUSE. The reuse principle says a enal.
, use a product a
ng or try to
you can reuse . a water. bottle as a P1anter for ss much11 as you can UM ·= 1•theallhily e.
: or USe transformed
. mto a pYJama or a tot bag · In h ma
s ort try t0 plants
. . or an old t-5h'rt
1 ' 8•
can be
creatively reuse them . ' avmd single use of items, rather
such as ♦) RECYCLE. The recycle principle says, take a used item
• and tr f . •
usable form, e.g., you can process things like old ansti orm it m a different
electronics, and process them into new usable pr:~::tper, plaS c, glasses, magazines,
or buses

~
carpools ~ Recyde Recydable
Reduce Reuse
Give your used toys, a Items lilt
Tum off the water when Reuse items like grocery
things to charity instea 0 Plaslic bottles
seasonal brushing your teeth or bags instead of getting
new ones. of throwing them away. O Aluminium cans
prtation, washing your hands.
Use both sides of the Never throw things that 0 Glass bollleS
Replace all the batteries can be recycled in
in your house with
paper whenever it is Q leftover food
possible for you to the trash!
reusable batteries.
do so. 0 E\ectl'OOIC
Make recycling boxes
Keep the lights off when Use leftover food for different materials. 0 Paper
they are not in use. to make compost
for plants.
xtent.

•13 Soil Conservation F tile soil is full of nutrients that help

th
The soil is the sole reason for vegetation on the Ear · er . d grades so much that it
the lan . . metimes the s011 e · k
bee P ts and trees grow m 1t. However, so b h' d ' s011. degradati'on such as lac0., 01or·1
omes infertile. There are many reasons e in . ,1 soil loss or change J
cont · · tter compaction °1 ' tt·0 is the
amination of soil nutrients and orgamc ma ' d 5 f0 rth Soil conserva ~ .......
structure, an increase in salinity or acidity of th e soil.an
Proc ti g soil erosion.
? ·
~
~ ·······••" th ·
l
ess of preserving soil's fertility and preven n • soi\ cons·er,ation b . e:
&•
me 1· d here . : of preser'i1n ~
So causes of soil erosion are being iste · . lt : process f Tt) and:
(1) La d k soil infertl1e. : :.oil's erll I I :
r n Overuse. Repeated cultivation ma es tial for : entlnS soil eros on, :
emov . that are essen ' • pre, ....... ..
Plantses essential micronutrients from t~e soi1 :.......... •· ...... .
'such as phosphorous, iron, and n_,t_ro..::g_e,_i.____
___ _ _ _ _ _,..,----,-rr-l·~ ~- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -
INTELLIGENCE- IX

(ii) Slash and B

area urn Farming. In this t h ·
and the residual . cc niquc a vast number of trees arc cut from Wild
tempo -1
ran y fertile O vegetation is b urn t . The ash produced this . way rnak f,._ vr~
abandoned wh· · h nee used for agriculture, the land becomes barren aoa·es th.! la.'
(iii) Ch ., ic11 l en ro11ver ts l o a d cscrt w,1stel,ind . ,, •n a...' ''4.1 ::'o,:
"'£
em1cal Cont 1m11 t · -~
beneficial Th • ,c.1 •on. Ust' of d1cmk., l fcr tilic;1,rs for better crop p roductio •
in th . · e plants· \Is,· · c )USl a f lllcllon
• . .
of the fert1hscr nncJ rest of the chemicals n is n0\1\
Thi e s011 Also th,, uc:., f
. t" • J "'ll l .. I
· ' '" •c o pcs 1cH1c ,..1 s Jt•ncf1c;10 organisms . get den,__~~
along with harrnfu r "11
s spoils the healthy bal,mcl' of soil's nutrients, 11~
(iv) D..1m •we :f t ·11 • . (i
o '- l 1 P soi ,1yc1. Hoods .ind storms d.im.igc the top fertile layer of soil I .
be a desert. ead1ng
(i
Soil Conservation Techniques
TI1crc are many techniques that one can use and employ to improve soil sustainability (
( ) 1\o-Till Farming. Tilling is a traditional agricultural practice of
soil preparation by mechanical agitation of various types, such as
digging, stirring, and overturning. Tilling disturbs the soil. In No-till
fanning teclinique, the soil is farmed without a tilling process. This 3-2.5
practice leaYes the soil untouched and allows the last crop to decompose
into the soil. Benefits of no-till farming have been observed as :

l
- increase in the number of beneficial organisms. - a cost-effective technique
- better retention of Water in the ground because evaporation is decreased.
(ii) Crop Rotation. In this technique, rows of different crops are farmed in the same Jar,
and the rows are rotated every year. This technique offers these benefits:
- prevents the soil from being exhausted by one crop year after year.
- accumulation of excess nutrients is prevented
(iii) Terrace Farming. It is the practice of cutting flat areas out of a
hilly or mountainous landscape called steps, which are then used for
farming. There is a barrier (such as mud wall barrier) at each step. The
barrier stops the soil runoff Instead, runoff is utilized by the lower levels
of land preserving nutrients in the soil and rendering it more fertile.
(iv) Windbreaks. Wind pressure is also one big reason for soil
erosion. In this technique, the immense pressure of wind is broken by
planting dense rows of trees around the farmland. The benefits of this
technique are :
- soil erosion is much lesser - trees around the borders
prevent erosion at borders
(v) Earthworms. There are some species which are beneficial for the soil and hell{'e ~
agriculture, such as the earthworms. Earthworms have sh own to increase yields by impI0\1'
soil health.
- Earthworms make burrows in the soil enabling more w ater retention and proper~
- Earthworms' waste acts as a natural fertilizer, -
(vi) Making River Dams. Making dams over flooding rive rs can l:Ontrol floods and
stop the damage of the top soil layer.
 Session 3
: NATURA
_ .4 Water Conservation L RESOURCE
3 2 CONSERV"-11C>N
Water conservation is th
usage. Water conservation e is
?ractice
v of using
. w
although , earth is covered with
. ery
w important becau
ater effic·ientty to
corrunon measures for w a ter conse ater most of which
se fresh
is s l clean Water
reduce. unnecessary
(1) Reduce evaporation l rvation are bein . •'Water. "a lin,;,.d re .,,..,
the humid osses. Place h . g listed be\ SOurce,
areas. onzontal b . ow ·
·1·) R d arners of a h
e uce water loss in i mgation
. . I · sp alt below the so'\
(!
evaporation losses by 4001 . rngate in the 1 i surface in
to. Also th ear y morn·
(iii) Reuse water. Use treated ' e growing of hybrid cr:g (or) l~te evenin
washing cars, garderung. etc. water for irrigation and for pother
helps tn conseJ"' mg reduce
water.
(iv) Prevent water wastage Cl purposes such as f
. • ose the taps when n . or
(v) Proper dispersal 0 J1 sewage water Se ot muse. Stop and repair
. leakin ·
not to con taminate natur al water· resources
wage water should be carefully disposed
g pipes.
0 ff

3.2.5 Energy Conservation · ~

1...J::il:I~ ········· •••••••••••
so as ..
The term. energy con servation b roadly means "t : Energy conservation 1
consumptwn of non-renewable resources". In oth od reduce the : broadly means to reduce :
,,
conservation" m eans enhanc. th . . er wor s, energy : the consumption of non- :
. mg e effiaency of : renewable resources. :
sumption by preventing the wastage of energy. energy con- ..... . .. ..................:
d F world
Modern • mostly depends on fossil fue1s for its . energy · -· · · · · · ·· ········ ...,
nee s. ossil fuels are naturally formed non-renewable energy . :
resources such as oil, coal, natural gas, petroleum etc. ;: Fo"il
formedluebnon-renewable
"' natu,ally :
Technological developments and the ever-increasing population : energy resources such as :
of the world are cau sing the vast consumption of fossil fuels, and l
oil, 1coal, natur.tl gas. ]
if not conserved, we shall not be left with energy resources as !.~~~~ •.~m "'· .......... )
these are non-renewable resources.
Some methods and w ays of energy conservation are being listed below :
Shift to alternative energy sources. Shifting to alternate energy sources such as Solar
1.
energy, Wind energy and so forth will conserve energy.
2. Use energy smartly. Changing the energy use practices with smarter use practice;

will conserve energy.

Practices like these will save on energy consumption :
- Turn off lights when not needed.
· ffi · t pliances
- Replace old appliances with energy e c1en ap ·
- Replace light bulbs with LEDs
.. or CFLs.
d h ters whenever possible.
- Minimize use of air-conditioners an t eaetc when not in use
C
- Turn off appliances like TV, ompu verer personal
· car.
1 0
- Use public transport and car poo s
- Reduce waste production.
- Recycle as much waste as possible.
 A.210 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-IX

3 2 6
· - Forest Conservation
You know this already that rapid growth of population and . rndu 5 trlalisation
increased the demand of habitable lands, wood and timber etc: This has resulted
.
d isappearance . rates. ro
of our forests at alarming r. rests are so crucial for our SUrviva} ti.
as~
ht,
provide these ecosystem services : ·-,
•> recycling CO, into oxygen,
•> reducing carbon footprint,
•> climate, regulation
•> lessening natural hazards such as floods,
and many more
To conserve forests, we may implement fo11owmg · m ethods ··
(,) Plant more trees. People should be encourage~ to plant more trees. If planting tr~
becomes associated with personal celebrations and achievements of p~ople (e.g.: plant 10~
on your birthday or plant 10 trees on every achievement), people will enthusiastically Plait
more trees.
(iz) Regulated and Planned Cutting of Trees. As timber and wood are always needed,
the cutting of trees should be regulated and planned properly by government.
so that fire
(iiz) Fire Suppression Techniques. Government must have protected forests
does not spread because of human mistake. For natural causes, it must have fire suppl'eSsart
measures in place such as arrangement of water spray, fire retardant chemicals and so on.
(iv) Forest Protection. The forests should be protected either by use of chemical spray
antibiotics or by disease resistant strains of trees to protect them from parasitic diseases.
(v) Development of Sanctuary or National Parks. Forests can be used or developed~
tourist centres such as 'national park' and 'game sanctuary' etc. This is a good method (i
forest conservation.
(vi) Reforestation and Afforestation. The
fliJ!fflll ..................................
forest area from where timber has been removedI
: Replantation at a damaged or cleared
must be reforested. Similarly, if a fire or mining has • forest area is called Reforestation. New
damaged some forest area, it must be reforested. : plantation for creating new forests is
Also, new plantation should be done to create new : called Afforestation.
forests. . .....................·········

heck Point

1. The . is a measure of determining the amount of production of CO and nhouse ga1ld'

our environment. 2 gree
(a) Global warming (b) Carbon footprint
(c) Soil erosion (d) Energy conservation
l1'hich of the following will help in reducing the carbon footprint ?
(a) Reduce electricity consumption {b) Promote intake of local produce
(c) Promote vegetarian diets (d) All of the above
None of these
 Green Economy
,,/I Green Skills
Green Jobs Green Econo
A
Green 5

Introductio n
OI In earlier sessions of this unit, you haver d h
. . ea ow the en ·
imPortant 1t 1s for us to take responsibili'ty d vuorunent is crucial f
an act resp 'bl or us and h
action of us is interrelated and impacts all onsi Y· Times have shown th ow
aspects of our life how at every
is. Economy, government, people - everything . ever small or however b' ·t
. . . is re1ated to the enviro . . ig i
we are going to talk about m this session _ th runent. And, this 1s what
e green economy and the kill
green economy, i.e., the green skills. s s required for the

Green Economy
As UNEP defines it, "A green economy is one that results in improved
.,,,. ···················.
, A green economy is an
/um~an well-bei~g and social . equity, while significantly reducing : economic system that is
environmental rzsks and ecolog?cal scarcity." Green Economy is the compatible with the
: natural environment
economy with Green values, i.e. the economy that supports both ~ while considering social
the humans and nature while meeting the needs and maintaining
the harmonious interaction with both these.
................................
: issues .

The definition for green economy captures the three dimensions of sustainable development:
I. Environmental. The environmental principles of green economy are about :
•> Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems
•> Sustaining natural assets and capital
•> Implementing environmental sustainability goals
II. Social. The social principles of green economy are about :
. • · th cial protection and access to
•> Ensuring well-being of people while giving em so
essential services
!Is • d tic social inclusion
~/ Ensuring livelihood, poverty reduction, emocra
II[· Econom1c.. The economic. pnnc1p
. . 1es o f green economy are about :

•> Recognizing natural capital and values

•> In tegrated economic development and growth models
+> Ensuring resource conservation and energy efficient
♦ Creating employment and green jobs
A.213
 -·.. _, v, 1...:7reen Economy
The mam
· e Iements of the green economy are d e scribed below :
Generation and use of f able and renewable energy intended to
Renewable energy It refers to any sour~e o us he undesired consequences of 9reen
fossil fuel sources wit~~u!
emissions and other po u n
is
derived from fossil fuel combustion..
Energy efficiency • technology that uses less eIler,
It seeks to adopt means an d a more efficient
(e.g., Green buildings, rovide the same level of energy service. . .
to P b Hdings are specially designed bU1ldmgs that use
Green industries, Green transport, For example, ~r~e~ . u the greenho1ise gas emissions and implem .ti
land management) efficiently m1mm1zmg . lltin.. ene,e

fficient waste management techniques. . . ."l

eGreen transpo rt means efficient fuel usage while causing less harm to ~
environment. l, ·
Land is so managed so as fulfilling the peop es requirements Withotit
disturbing the environmental balance.

Waste minimization and It considers different approaches from pre-:'ention '. minimization , ~
1'ng waste conversion and disposal rn order to ensure"'- ,
management reuse recycl · ls ' and waste generation remams
• '-'1<11: tlie
·th· th e regener,..;.-
use Of, mat ena W1 m u.,.,~ atld
absorptive capacities of the Planet.
and Sustainable use ·
I t recognizes the 1·mportance and economic value of natural resources
. cu-1., as
' ........
ources freshwaters, forests, soils, coral reefs and ecosystem services provided IJt,
t. soil functional and healthy ecosystems.
---...-:;:.;~!1Va1tion, healthy ecosystem)
job creation It promotes decent environment friendly jobs that offer adequate wages, Saf!
working conditions, job security, reasonable career prospects and workers' ri9hts.
T
Green Skills
.............········
A Green skills are the skills
Green skills are the skills required for suStainable green required along with values,
economy. These include skills like technical skills, vocational attitude and required
skills along with values, attitude and required knowledge to create knowledge to create a
a sustainable environment. These skills are required at all levels sustainable green economy.
and are of many types. •........... •.................
Green skills is not only about some sophisticated and high-profile skills related to the use of
new technologies, but also about skills for green society, e.g., life skills, critical ~
problem solving and so forth. Green skills required for sustainable development and green
economy are being listed below :
(i) Green skills required for Managing Resources Efficiently
All businesses need generic or light green skills for using and managing all types of resources
they use. Green skills required for this are :
- to build resource-efficient business models.
- to design products and services that utilize resources efficiently.
- to design and adopt technologies, products and processes increasing resource efficiency.
- taking actions to maximise resource efficiency (e.g., reducing waste in production).
(ii) Gree11 skills required for Low Carbon Footprint
Low carbon footprint is essential for the planet sustainability. Industries are n o w ~ !
carbon industries. Low carbon industry focuses on low carbon generation even with~
energy requirements.
 Sessio n 4
m-een skills required for thi : GREEN Eco
flte i;· - s are . NOMy ~
aiJlillg or providing knowled . D GREEN ~--
.,. tt ffi . ge for n -""II
ergy e aency measures at h Uclear and
... eJl d d a ouseh I renew
design an a opt technoloo; o d and b . able en
... to b £ o•es, prod Us1nes ergy
d lower car on ootprint. Ucts and s Prerni ·
aJ1 . . . . Processe ses level
_i,.;r1g acbons to minimise carb s to min• . •
... t~· b ·1ct·
ating green u1 mgs).
on ern·1 .
ss1ons (e .
•rn,se ca.uun
"'--- entia.r_
ere .g., dr,vi . ---._,..
r9y .,, skills required for Climate Resilieuce
ng in a f
uet efficaent "'anner
:9y ~ . ili ,
Ilg susiJlesses req~ire e capacity to adapt to ch
·red for this are : anges in clirn
he requ1 . d . t . ate. ihe necessa
... inodell~g an m erpr~tm_g climate chan . . ry green ski
CO
nsidering future ava1lab11ity of reso ge proiections asse .
. . urces. ' ssing and m
desigwng and adopting technolooies p d anaging risks
... . . o· , ro ucts and
taking actions to improve climate re .1. processes to improve 1
- . . s1 1ence (e g c 1mate rent
lld
technologies m households and busine . · ·, water efficient t hn 1 tence.
ss premises). ec o ogies, green
Grtt11 skills required for Managing Natural Assets
as
y ~atural assets are crucial for all businesses The . ;
• · green skills required t0
them are : protect and manage
_ assessing environmen tal impact.
fe
- to design and adopt technologies, products and processes to manage natural assets. :\i

,~,
\ .1
Green Jobs lI
s Green job refers to a job iliat is environment-friendly. In other
s, words, any traditional job or w ork when executed in a way
.....................
!d .
that it supports environment and sustainable development, it : A Green job refers to a Job
a
. ..
. is called a green job. Every sector iliese days has green jobs, : that is environment-friendly.
... ~ch as designing energy efficient products for all sectors, : Any traditional job or work
of producing environment-friendly goods and services, ; when executed in a way that
: it supports environment and
g, transforming or changing traditional practices into sustainable
~ sustainable development, it
equivalents, educating and spreading awareness about j is called a green job.
sustainability and many more. ", ..... ' ......······ ....
following figure shows some green jobs.
Different Types of Green Careers
I __________ -~=-------77 ...LI

~and Renewable ~;:..

"""Claeect .iobs. Traditional jobs with energy jobs.
1&1: "green" alternatives. d ___, C.-
._~ildlife Example Win -~~
: --.ion Example Auto I I"_..,....~
manufacturing turbine tachno ogy

Job Tltlel
Some Examples of Green

urt>anand
Energy auditor Hydrologist RegioMI ~

i.;i-1 l l" I
UNIT V : GRtf N