Grade 12 · CAPS
Grade 12 Environmental Sustainability
Economics practice questions and a worked example
Grade 12 closes the environmental sustainability theme with international measures -- like the Kyoto Protocol -- and their real impact on South Africa, built here from a genuine extract on international climate agreements and a real cartoon on incentives for private environmental care.
Worked example
3.1.2 How does air pollution affect the environment?
Answer & explanation
Air pollution contributes towards global warming, depletion of the ozone layer and acid rain which may cause environmental damage or biodiversity loss or health risks.
Air pollution affects the environment in several significant ways. Firstly, it contributes to global warming by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which traps heat and raises Earth's temperature. Secondly, certain pollutants can deplete the ozone layer, which protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Thirdly, air pollution can lead to acid rain, which occurs when pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor in the atmosphere. Acid rain can damage forests, soils, and aquatic ecosystems. These effects can lead to biodiversity loss and pose health risks to living organisms.
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Question 1 of 3
1.1.7 The international protocol and agreement that focus on the eradication of poverty as one of its goals is known as the ...
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More practice questions
Explore additional Grade 12 Environmental Sustainability questions.
- 2INTERNATIONAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS The Kyoto Protocol on climate change commits industrialised countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialised countries. The Stockholm Convention and the Basel Convention are other international measures that address environmental problems. (Source: www.google.com) 3.3.2 Name ONE other international measure on climate change.
- 3INTERNATIONAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS The Kyoto Protocol on climate change commits industrialised countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialised countries. The Stockholm Convention and the Basel Convention are other international measures that address environmental problems. (Source: www.google.com) 3.3.3 Briefly describe the term global warming.
- 4INTERNATIONAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS The Kyoto Protocol on climate change commits industrialised countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialised countries. The Stockholm Convention and the Basel Convention are other international measures that address environmental problems. (Source: www.google.com) 3.3.4 What is the impact of hazardous waste on the environment?
- 5INTERNATIONAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS The Kyoto Protocol on climate change commits industrialised countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialised countries. The Stockholm Convention and the Basel Convention are other international measures that address environmental problems. (Source: www.google.com) 3.3.5 Why have international measures to reduce the effects of climate change failed?
Common mistakes
- Discussing international environmental agreements without connecting them to their specific economic mechanism (a binding emissions target, a green tax, a subsidy) -- the higher-order marks in a real exam question usually go to explaining the economic tool, not just naming the agreement.
More Grade 12 Economics topics
Environmental Sustainability in other grades
Aligned to CAPS Grade 12 Economics — Environmental Sustainability. Curriculum source: CAPS for the FET Phase, Department of Basic Education.
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