ASSESMENT OF KNOWLEDEGE AND AWARENESS REGARDING GLOBAL WARMING AND GREEHOUSE

EFFECT AMONG THE GRADE 12 STUDENTS IN SAINT ANNE ACADEMY

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

An environment is the natural surrounding that helps life to grow and enjoy on Earth.
Today’s one great issue is on global warming, an increase in the average temperature of the
Earth’s surface, air and oceans. It is a global phenomenon that has the potential to adversely
affect human lives if corrective measures are not taken. Global warming occurs when
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere like, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide are
increased. (Oshuntokun, 2003).

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because it is heavily
dependent on climate-sensitive economic processes such as agriculture and has fewer
resources for adaptation. As UNFCC (2007) indicated, developing countries like the Philippines
are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts because they have fewer resources to adapt
socially, technologically and financially. Revil (2018) stated that the Philippines is most
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. With rising temperatures and sea levels, increased
intensity and frequency of environmental hazards like drought, typhoon and flooding, climate-
smart measures deserve our attention. Extreme weather events that adversely affect the living
conditions and threaten the food security of our people, with longer periods of drought
reducing farm yields and causing shortage in water supply, which is vital for domestic use,
farming and irrigation, are now felt and seen like never before.

The adverse consequences of global warming include: (a) a large percentage (20 to 30)
of plant and animal species is at risk of extinction, (b) coasts will be exposed to increasing risks
including coastal erosion, (c) increase in floods every year due to the rise of the sea level, (d)
the health status of millions of people will deteriorate as indicated by an increase in
malnutrition, disease and deaths due to heightened weather disturbances (Zhang, Douglas,&
Leatherman, 2004; Epstein, 2000; Thomas et al., 2004; Yanger, 2016).

The sectors that would significantly be affected by these impacts are the youth.
According to Fernandez and Shaw (2013), youth’s awareness on climate change must be
integrated even in the formulation of disaster risk reduction plan. This is necessary as the
youths are among the marginalized sector of the society that bears much of the impacts of
disasters (Gaillard &Pangilinan, 2010).

While it has not yet been precisely determined how much of the recent warming was
caused by human activities, the consensus among climate scientists is that most of the warming
over the past 50 years was probably caused by human-produced greenhouse gases (IPCC,
2001). It is believed that global warming will affect the world even if we managed to
dramatically reduce emissions of GHGs today. Such trends would continue for a long period,
could be decades or centuries to come (UNEP, 2003). The Emission Gap reports prepared by the
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) advocate that a universal and collaborative effort
to reduce carbon footprint is the only way to ease the greenhouse effect and reduce the impact
of global warming (UNEP, 2013). Contributions such as saving energy around the house, using
public transportation and renewable energy can help too (Brown, 2009), but it all starts with
raising awareness (UNEP, 2003).

The studies mentioned focused on what is and what can cause the global warming that
Philippines is experiencing, however, no study was conducted yet regarding the level of
awareness of people to global warming and Greenhouse effect. Thus, this study was conducted
to assess the awareness and knowledge among the Grade 12 students in Saint Anne Academy
of Piddig Ilocos Norte regarding global warming and greenhouse effect.
Statement of the Problem

1. What are the mediums that the students prefer to acquire information about global
warming?
2. What are the perceptions of the students about the global warming/ the greenhouse
effect / greenhouses gases? Are they aware to the consequences of this phenomenon?
3. What is the most agreed solution on reducing the effect of global warming?
References

Zhang, K., Douglas, B. C., & Leatherman, S. P. (2004).Global warming and coastal erosion. Climatic
Change, 64(1-2), 41-58.

Epstein, P. R. (2000). Is global warming harmful to health?. Scientiic American, 283(2), 50- 57.

Thomas, C. D., Cameron, A., Green, R. E., Bakkenes, M., Beaumont, L. J., Collingham, Y. C.,& Hughes, L.
(2004).Extinction risk from climate change. Nature, 427(6970), 145-148.

Fernandez, G. and Shaw, R. (2013)Youth Council Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction in Infanta and
Makati, Philippines: A Policy Review. Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University,
Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606 8501, Japan. Article Int. J. Disaster Risk Sci. 4 (3): 126–136;
doi:10.1007/s13753-013-0014-x

Gaillard, J. C. &Pangilinan, M. L. C. J. (2010).Participatory Mapping for Raising Disaster Risk Awareness

among the Youth.Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 18 (3), 175–179.

Yanger, M. J. (2016). Global Warming Through the Eyes of Filipino Secondary Students in Tacloban City,
Philippines. Prism, 21(1).