CBSE Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 5: The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement's Role NCERT Solutions

Solution: The lines from the text that strongly support the title 'The Ailing Planet' are:

"The earth's vital signs reveal a patient in declining health." This line directly compares the planet's condition to that of a sick individual.

"In large areas of the world, human claims on the systems of fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands are reaching an unsustainable level, a point where their productivity is being impaired." This highlights how human activities are damaging the planet's essential life-support systems.

"When this happens, fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are converted into barren wastelands, and croplands deteriorate." This describes the severe consequences of unsustainable practices on the planet's biological resources.

"The world's ancient patrimony of tropical forests is now eroding at the rate of forty to fifty million acres a year..." This points to the significant and rapid destruction of vital ecosystems.

"...and the growing use of dung for burning deprives the soil of an important natural fertilizer." This illustrates how even basic resources are being misused, leading to soil degradation.

"There can be no doubt that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society." This identifies a major driver of environmental problems, further contributing to the planet's ailing state.

Solution: The notice 'The world's most dangerous animal' displayed at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, serves as a profound and critical statement about humanity's role in the planet's environmental crisis. It signifies that humans, despite their intelligence and civilization, have become the most destructive force on Earth. The notice implies that humans have not yet developed a sense of partnership with other living beings and the planet itself. Instead, there is a tendency to dominate and exploit, forgetting that human survival is intrinsically linked to the health of the planet. It is a stark reminder that our actions, driven by self-interest and a desire for control, pose the greatest threat to the Earth's ecosystems and, consequently, to our own future.

Solution: The earth's four principal biological systems—fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands—are being depleted primarily due to unsustainable human demands and activities.

Fisheries: In a protein-conscious and protein-hungry world, the demand for fish is constantly increasing. This leads to over-fishing, exhausting fish stocks beyond their capacity to regenerate.

Forests: Forests, particularly tropical forests, are being eroded at an alarming rate. In many developing countries, forests are being cut down extensively to meet the demand for firewood for cooking, leading to deforestation.

Grasslands: Overgrazing and unsustainable land management practices can lead to the degradation of grasslands, converting them into barren wastelands.

Croplands: The productivity of croplands is deteriorating due to intensive farming practices, soil erosion, and the loss of natural fertilizers like dung, which is often used for fuel instead of enriching the soil.

In essence, human claims on these systems are reaching a point where their ability to sustain themselves and provide resources is being severely impaired.

Solution: The author asserts that the growth of the world population is a primary factor distorting the future of human society because a larger population inevitably leads to increased demand for resources such as food, water, and energy. This escalating demand puts immense pressure on the Earth's finite resources and its biological systems, accelerating their depletion. The author implies that as the population grows, the rate at which we consume and degrade natural resources outpaces the planet's ability to replenish them. Furthermore, the pursuit of development to support a growing population often involves practices that further harm the environment. Therefore, unchecked population growth exacerbates environmental problems, making a sustainable future for human society increasingly challenging.