Class 11 Economics - MAHARASHTRA
Environment and Sustainable Development
The chapter 'Environment and Sustainable Development' in Class 11 Economics explores the critical relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. Students learn about the functions of the environment, including resource supply and waste assimilation, and the urgent threat of environmental crisis caused by pollution and population explosion. The chapter highlights global environmental issues like global warming and ozone depletion. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of sustainable development, strategies for achieving it through non-conventional energy sources, organic farming, and traditional knowledge. This chapter holds significant weightage in the Maharashtra State Board (MSBSHSE) exams for analytical and application-based questions.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Environment
The total planetary inheritance and the totality of all biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) elements that surround us and influence human life.
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size of a species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available in the environment.
Global Warming
A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
Sustainable Development
Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Opportunity Cost of Negative Environmental Impact
The cost of foregone environmental benefits, such as clean air and water, due to excessive resource extraction and industrial pollution.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Maharashtra (MSBSHSE) Class 11 Economics exam, this chapter typically carries around 6 to 8 marks. Questions often include short notes on sustainable development strategies, distinguishing between renewable and non-renewable resources, explaining the functions of the environment, and descriptive questions on the causes of environmental degradation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two major functions of the environment?
The environment performs two vital functions: it supplies resources (renewable and non-renewable) and it assimilates waste generated by human and economic activities.
How does organic farming help achieve sustainable development?
Organic farming avoids chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which preserves soil fertility, protects groundwater, reduces health hazards, and ensures long-term ecological balance without harming future generations.
What is the difference between global warming and ozone depletion?
Global warming is the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases leading to rising earth temperatures, whereas ozone depletion is the thinning of the ozone layer in the stratosphere mainly caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), allowing harmful UV rays to reach the earth.
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