Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 02.12.21

Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 02.12.21

Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 02.12.21

Q1. The melting Thwaites Glacier – also called the “Doomsday Glacier”– has long been a cause of concern because of its high potential of speeding up the global sea-level rise happening due to climate change. It is located in

a. Arctic
b. Antarctic
c. Hindu-Kush Himalayan Region
d. Andes Mountain Complex

Answer : b

Why is the Question ?

New findings of Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’, and why they have sparked worry News: The melting of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier – also called the “Doomsday Glacier”– has long been a cause of concern because of its high potential of speeding up the global sea-level rise happening due to climate change.

Highlights:
1. Researchers at the Sweden’s University of Gothenburg are now saying that fears related to Thwaites’s melting are worse than previously thought, owing to the supply of warm water flowing underneath at a rate underestimated in the past.
2. Called the Thwaites Glacier, it is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving, and melting fast over the years. Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a metre. Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years.
3. Today, Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea-level rise each year. It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years.
4. Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean. Because of the risk it faces — and poses — Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacie.

Q2. Consider the following statements with regards to Project Tiger

1. It was launched in 1972
2. The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been created to monitor its implementation
3.Project Tiger is working on the principle of Core and Buffer strategy

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

Project Tiger was launched in 1972 as centrally sponsored in nature to conserve and protect the Tiger Population of the country. NTCA or the National Tiger Conservation Authority has been created for monitoring the implementation. Project Tiger is working on the principle of Core and Buffer strategy. According to the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act of 2006, a tiger reserve must have a core or critical habitat and a buffer zone peripheral to it. While the critical habitat is supposed to be kept inviolate for conservation, a buffer zone is needed to ensure the integrity of the habitat with adequate space for the dispersal of tigers. It is aimed at promoting coexistence between wildlife and human activity.

Q3. Which of the following is/are part of the Cryosphere?

1. Arctic ice sheets
2. Antarctic ice shelf
3.Permafrost
4. Himalayan snow
5. Ice floating over the sea

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1, 2 and 5
b. 1, 3, 4 and 5
c. 2, 3, 4 and 5
d. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

All the statements are correct:
Cryosphere
The cryosphere is the frozen water part of the Earth system. There are places on Earth that are so cold that water is frozen solid. These areas of snow or ice, which are subject to  emperatures below 32°F for at least part of the year, compose the cryosphere. The term “cryosphere” comes from the Greek word, “krios,” which means cold.

Ice and snow on land are one part of the cryosphere. This includes the largest parts of the cryosphere, the continental ice sheets found in Greenland and Antarctica, as well as ice caps, glaciers, and areas of snow and permafrost. When continental ice flows out from land and to the sea surface, we get shelf ice.
The other part of the cryosphere is ice that is found in water. This includes frozen parts of the ocean, such as waters surrounding Antarctica and the Arctic. It also includes frozen rivers and lakes, which mainly occur in polar areas. The components of the cryosphere play an important role in the Earth’s climate. Snow and ice reflect heat from the sun, helping to regulate our planet’s temperature. Because polar regions are some of the most sensitive to climate shifts, the cryosphere may be one of the first places where scientists are able to identify global changes in climate.

Q4. The Middle East Green initiative is considered as marking the beginning of a green era in the oil-based middle east economy. Which of the following country has started the initiative?

a. UAE
b. Saudi Arabia
c. Israel
d. USA

Answer : b

Why is the Question ?

Marking the beginning of a green era Saudi Arabia hopes that the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative marks the beginning of a green era and that these initiatives provide momentum to other countries to unify their efforts to save our planet.
New Era in the oil world:

1. To combat climate change, Saudi Arabia has launched the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative
2. In fact, one of the main pillars of the Saudi G20 presidency was to “safeguard the planet”. The Saudi leadership of the summit highlighted how climate change had negatively impacted the planet, people’s lives and their well-being.
3.Saudi Arabia is committed to lead regional efforts to address climate change and has been making steady progress in this direction.

The Saudi Green Initiative aims to raise the vegetation cover, reduce carbon emissions, combat pollution and land degradation, and preserve marine life. The Middle East Green initiative
1. As part of the initiative, 10 billion trees will be planted in the Kingdom. 1.Saudi Arabia will work with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and regional partners to plant an additional 40 billion trees in the West Asian region. It represents 5% of the global target of planting one trillion trees and reducing 2.5% of global carbon levels.
2. It aims to reduce carbon emissions by more than 4% of global contributions, through a renewableenergy programme that will generate 50% of Saudi’s energy from renewables by 2030. 2.Saudi Arabia has been sharing its expertise and knowhow with its neighbouring countries to reduce
carbon emissions resulting from hydrocarbon production in the region by 60% and globally by 10%.
3.Saudi Arabia is working towards raising the percentage of its protected areas to more than 30% of its total land area, representing roughly 6,00,000 sq km, exceeding the global target of 17%.

Q5. Global Coral Reef Research and Development Accelerator Platform aims to accelerate scientific knowledge and technology development in support of coral reef survival, conservation, resilience, adaptation and restoration. It is an initiative of 

a. G20
b. The World Economic Forum
c. The United Nations Environment Programme
d. The International Seabed Authority

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

G20 Initiatives:
1. The G20 introduced initiatives like establishing a Global Coral Reef Research and Development Accelerator Platform to accelerate scientific knowledge and technology development in support of coral reef survival, conservation, resilience, adaptation and restoration.
2. G20 leaders also acknowledged the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Platform as a tool towards affordable, reliable, and secure energy and economic growth.

Q6. Consider the following statements
1. Blending Ethanol with petrol eliminates emissions from petrol
2. Currently, the percentage of blending mandated is 5%

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Blending Ethanol with petrol reduces emissions with Petrol. Currently, the percentage of blending stands at 5% which has been aimed to increase in the further years. This comes under the purview of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Q7. Which of the following states has the highest population of elephants as per elephant census 2017?

a. Kerala
b. Assam
c. Odisha
d. Karnataka

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?