#541

In late 2024, the final round of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty took place in which city?

(a) Paris, France

(b) Busan, South Korea

(c) Nairobi, Kenya

(d) Ottawa, Canada

Explanation: The fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution was held in Busan, South Korea, in late 2024.

#542

Which politician was nominated by Donald Trump in late 2024 to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

(a) Lee Zeldin

(b) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

(c) Vivek Ramaswamy

(d) Doug Burgum

Explanation: In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of former Congressman Lee Zeldin to serve as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

#543

The 'Emissions Gap Report 2024' by UNEP warned that current policies are leading the world toward a temperature rise of approximately how much by 2100?

(a) 1.5°C

(b) 2.0°C

(c) 2.6°C to 3.1°C

(d) 4.5°C

Explanation: The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2024 warned that without immediate and massive emission cuts, current policies place the world on a trajectory for a temperature rise of 2.6°C to 3.1°C by the end of the century.

#544

Which country launched the 'International Big Cat Alliance' (IBCA) which gained further traction in 2024/2025?

(a) South Africa

(b) India

(c) Brazil

(d) Kenya

Explanation: India launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to conserve seven big cat species. The initiative continued to gather international support and members throughout 2024 and 2025.

#545

What major air quality issue did Lahore and New Delhi face in November 2024 and 2025, reaching hazardous levels?

(a) Sandstorms

(b) Smog

(c) Acid Rain

(d) Ozone depletion

Explanation: Both Lahore and New Delhi experienced record-breaking smog levels in November 2024 and again in 2025, driven by crop burning, vehicular emissions, and stagnant weather conditions.

#546

In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) began hearings on which landmark case?

(a) Legality of Whaling

(b) States' obligations regarding Climate Change

(c) Plastic export bans

(d) Deep sea mining rights

Explanation: The ICJ began historic hearings to define the legal obligations of states to combat climate change and protect the environment for present and future generations.

#547

Which country announced its withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) in 2024, joining other European nations?

(a) United Kingdom

(b) Russia

(c) China

(d) India

Explanation: The UK announced its withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty in 2024, citing that the treaty's protection of fossil fuel investments interfered with its net-zero transition plans.

#548

Which major river basin in South America experienced a historic drought in 2024/2025?

(a) Orinoco

(b) Amazon

(c) Paraná

(d) Magdalena

Explanation: The Amazon River basin faced an unprecedented drought in 2024 and 2025, with water levels dropping to record lows, isolating communities and killing freshwater dolphins.

#549

What is the 'Living Planet Report 2024' by WWF known for revealing?

(a) Increase in polar bear populations

(b) Catastrophic decline in global wildlife populations (73% decline since 1970)

(c) Discovery of 500 new species

(d) Stability of ocean ecosystems

Explanation: The WWF Living Planet Report 2024 revealed a catastrophic 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2020.

#550

What is the 'High Seas Treaty' adopted in 2023/2024?

(a) A ban on all fishing

(b) An agreement to protect biodiversity in international waters beyond national jurisdiction

(c) A treaty to divide the ocean among nations

(d) A plan to mine the ocean floor

Explanation: The High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) creates a legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

#551

Who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024 for their foundational discoveries in machine learning with artificial neural networks?

(a) Pierre Agostini and Ferenc Krausz

(b) John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton

(c) Alain Aspect and John Clauser

(d) Roger Penrose and Andrea Ghez

Explanation: The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton for their foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.

#552

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for breakthroughs in which field?

(a) Lithium-ion batteries

(b) Quantum dots synthesis

(c) Protein structure design and prediction

(d) CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing

Explanation: The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker for computational protein design, and to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for protein structure prediction (specifically the AlphaFold model).

#553

Which two scientists received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of microRNA?

(a) Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun

(b) Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman

(c) David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian

(d) James Allison and Tasuku Honjo

Explanation: Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

#554

Which organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 (often science-related due to nuclear disarmament)?

(a) Nihon Hidankyo

(b) World Food Programme

(c) ICAN

(d) Doctors Without Borders

Explanation: The Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

#555

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized the 'AlphaFold' AI model. Which company developed it?

(a) OpenAI

(b) Google DeepMind

(c) Meta AI

(d) IBM Research

Explanation: The AlphaFold model, recognized in the 2024 Chemistry prize awarded to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, was developed by Google DeepMind.

#556

The 'Proba-3' mission, launched in late 2024, is a collaboration involving which space agency to demonstrate precise formation flying?

(a) NASA

(b) ESA (European Space Agency)

(c) CNSA (China)

(d) Roscosmos

Explanation: Proba-3 is an ESA mission launched in late 2024 to demonstrate high-precision formation flying of satellites, effectively creating a giant solar coronagraph in space.

#557

Which specific Apple operating system update, expected in September 2025, is rumored to feature a camera app inspired by VisionOS?

(a) iOS 18

(b) iOS 19

(c) iPadOS 18

(d) macOS Sequoia

Explanation: iOS 19, anticipated for release in September 2025, is rumored to include a redesigned Camera app with visual elements and functionality inspired by Apple's VisionOS.

#558

What is the primary function of the 'SPADEX' mission launched by ISRO in late 2024?

(a) Space Debris Removal

(b) Space Docking Experiment

(c) Solar Physics Analysis

(d) Soil Moisture Mapping

Explanation: SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) is an ISRO mission launched to demonstrate autonomous docking and berthing technologies in orbit, crucial for future space stations.

#559

Which satellite, launched in August 2024 by ISRO, carries payloads for Earth observation and disaster management?

(a) EOS-08

(b) EOS-06

(c) Cartosat-2

(d) RISAT-1

Explanation: EOS-08 (Earth Observation Satellite-08) was launched in August 2024 on the SSLV-D3 vehicle, carrying payloads for surveillance, disaster monitoring, and environmental analysis.

#560

Which country's 'Tianping' satellite series saw new launches in 2024/2025 for atmospheric calibration?

(a) Japan

(b) China

(c) Russia