THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 04 June 2020 (This World Environment Day, it’s time to give back to nature(The Hindu))

This World Environment Day, it’s time to give back to nature(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3:Environment
Prelims level: World Environment Day theme 2020
Mains level: Environment conservations and awareness

Context:

Since 1974, World Environment Day has been celebrated every year on June 5is known as the most renowned day for environmental action.
It has been engaging over 190 governments, thousands of businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on pressing environmental issues.

Highlights about the theme:

For 2020 the theme is biodiversity — it’s time for nature.
This is an issue that is both urgent and existential.
The last decade has made the ...........................................................................

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State of the planet

Each year, marine plants produce more than half of our atmosphere’s oxygen.
A mature tree cleans the air by absorbing 22 kg of carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in return.
Each year, pollinators like bees and bats help three-fourth the world’s flowering plants and approximately 35 per cent of the world’s food crops reproduce.
Today, humans extract more from the Earth than ever before (60 billion tonnes of renewable and non-renewable resources); world population has doubled over 50 years and the per-person consumption of materials up by 15 per cent since 1980.
Over the last three decades, global extraction of biomass, fossil fuel, minerals and metals rose by 80 per cent, and fishing now covers over half of the world’s ocean.
This World Environment Day calls on each of us to collectively recognise the interdependence of all life on Earth. It calls upon our collective conscience to be guided by the shared misery caused by this global pandemic and recognise the fragile linkages that human health and existence has with nature.

India and the environment:

Maharashtra has had to brace itself for the first cyclone in 126 years.
With the destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Orissa, and while the 300 million marginalised people have been suffering unimaginable chaos and suffering caused by Covid-19.
The starkness of the economic and social insecurity we are faced with has never been more apparent.

Concern for India:

India is a biodiversity hotspot, a big reason to celebrate our flora and fauna and wide vegetation types. And while our population of 1.3 billion people fights for space on 7 per cent of the world’s land, we must continue to find ways to co-exist with nature.
Governments must ensure we ..................................................................................

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Conclusion:

Economic growth can no longer be achieved at the cost of ecological imbalance.
Well-balanced ecosystemsrich in biodiversity are fundamental to human existence, health, peace, and progress.
It’s time to wake up. To take notice. This World Environment Day, it’s time for nature.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Scorpaenospsisneglecta, consider the following statements:
1. The band-tail scorpionfish (Scorpaenospsisneglecta) is called ‘scorpionfish’ because its spines contain neurotoxic venom.
2. The fish is well-known for its ability to change colour and blend with its surrounding environment to escape from predators and while preying.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2