Chapter IV released through natural processes such as respiration
Climate Change and Energy Crisis and volcano eruptions and through human activities
Climate change is one of the fundamental challenges
ever to confront humanity. Its adverse effects being
seen may intensify over time if nothing is done about it.
What Is Climate Change?
Climate change refers to the change in global or
regional patterns, in particular, a change apparent from
the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed
largely to the increased level of atmospheric carbon
dioxide by the use of fossil fuels. It is a catch-all term for
the shift in worldwide weather phenomena associated
with an increase in global average temperature. Climate
change, also called global warming, refers to the rise in
average surface temperatures on earth.
NASA defines climate change as: "a broad range of
global phenomena created predominantly by burning
fossil fuels which add heat-trapping gases to Earth's
atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased
temperature trends described by global warming, but
also encompasses changes such as sea level rise, ice
mass loss in Greenland, Antarctica, the Arctic and
mountain glaciers worldwide, shifts in flower/plant
blooming; and all extreme weather events."
What Are the Causes of Climate Change?
Most climate scientists agree that the main cause of
current global warming trend is human expansion of the
"greenhouse effect" - warming that results when the
atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward
space.
Life on Earth is dependent in an atmospheric
"greenhouse" - a layer of gases, primarily water vapor,
in the lower atmosphere that trap heat from the sun as
it's reflected back from the Earth, radiating it back and
keeping our planet at a temperature capable of
supporting life.
Human activity is currently generating an excess of
long-lived greenhouse gases that unlike water vapor,
don't dissipate in response to temperature increases,
resulting in a continuing buildup of heat.
Greenhouse gases that contribute to the greenhouse
effect include water carbon dioxide, methane and
nitrous oxide.
Water Vapor. The most abundant greenhouse gas, but
importantly, acts as feedback to the climate. Water
vapor increases as the Earth's atmosphere warms, but
so does the possibility of clouds and precipitation,
making these some of the most important feedback
mechanisms to the greenhouse effect.
Carbon dioxide (CO2). A minor but very important
component of the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is
such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning
fossil fuels. Humans have increased atmospheric
carbon dioxide concentration by more than a third since
the Industrial Revolution began. The main source of
excess carbon dioxide emissions is the burning of fossil
fuels, while deforestation has reduced the amount of
plant life available to turn carbon dioxide to oxygen.
Methane. A hydrocarbon gas produced both through
natural sources and human activities, including the
decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and
especially rice culturation, as well as ruminent digestion
and manure management associated with domestic
livestock. On a molecule for molecule basis, methane is
a far more active. greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide,
but also one which is much less abundant in the
atmosphere.
Nitrous oxide. A powerful greenhouse gas produced by
soil cultivation practices, especially the use of
commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel
combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass
burning.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Synthetic compounds
entirely of industrial origin used in a number of
applications, but now largely regulated in production
and release to the atmosphere by international
agreement for their ability to contribute to destruction of
ozone layer. They are also greenhouse gases.
Our warming climate is also creating a feedback loop as
greenhouse gases trapped in Arctic permafrost are
released.
What are the Effects of Climate Change?
The effects of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate
change ranged from more frequent and severe droughts
to snowstorms and extreme winter weather in
temperate regions as a result of warming Arctic weather
fronts.
It's not only humans that are affected. Warming ocean
temperatures are increasing the frequency of coral reef
bleaching; warmer, drier weather means that forests in
some regions are no longer recovering from wildfires
and wildlife habitats. around the world are becoming
less hospitable to animals.
How Is Climate Change Affecting the Philippines?
The Global Climate Risk Index listed the Philippines as
the number one most affected country by climate
change because of its geography. The Philippines is
located in the Western Pacific Ocean surrounded by
naturally warm waters that will likely even get warmer
as average sea-surface temperature continue to rise
To some extent, this is a normal pattern: the ocean
surface warms as it absorbs sunlight. The ocean then
releases some of its heat into the atmosphere creating
wind and rainclouds. However, as the ocean's surface
increases over time from the effects of climate change,
more and more heat is released into the atmosphere.
This additional heat in the ocean and air can lead to
stronger and more frequent storms. This is what has
happened to the Philippines. Five of the deadliest
typhoons have occurred since 2006 affecting and
displacing thousands of citizens every time. The
deadliest storm on record in the Philippines is typhoon
Yolanda which was responsible for more than 6300 lost
lives, over 4 million displaced citizens, and 2 billion
peso damages in 2013.
The Philippines also lacks natural barriers; as a
collection of over 7,000 islands there is almost nothing
standing between them and the sea. In addition to their
coral reefs, one of the best buffers against typhoons are
the Philippine mangrove ecosystems. These mangroves
help mitigate the impact of storm surge and stabilize soil
but almost half of this have disappeared since 1918 due
to deforestation.
Other natural factors, like regional wind patterns or
currents, also increase the risk of tropical storms. Sea
levels in the Philippines are rising at about twice the
global average and when it rises to 15-20 feet, as what
happened during typhoon Yolanda, millions of citizens in
coastal communities in the Philippines have been
displaced...
In the Philippines, the effects of climate change and
global warming cannot be denied. There used to be a
clear delineation between the dry and wet weather, or
summer and rainy months. January to June have
always been known as the dry months, while the rest
were wet months. Summer in the Philippines means
hot, sunny days and temperatures are quite high. Wet
months on the other hand are characterized by
typhoons, windy days, and suspended classes. During
wet months, sunny days are unusual, and in fact
unexpected. Nowadays, however, the wet and dry days
occurs anytime in the year.
Pia Ranada (January 22, 2014) stated six ways by
which climate change affects our country:
1. More intense El Nino
The El Nino phenomenon occurs when the surface of
the ocean waters in the southern Pacific becomes
abnormally warm. The energy created by this is so great
that it can create an imbalance in the weather in the
different parts of the world. In Southeast Asia, it can
lead to abnormally dry conditions. El Nino can also
make weather events like storms highly unpredictable.
Weather wit have extreme highs and lows, making it
"increasingly difficult to predict weather patterns for
purposes of planning and normal business operations"
says a WWF-Philippine study.
2. Sea surface temperatures to rise
By the end of the century, sea surface temperatures are
expected to rise by 1 to 4 degrees Celsius. This can
lead to more powerful storms because storms get their
strength from heat rising from the sea. In the
Philippines, 4 and 5 degrees Celsius spikes above the
normal sea surface temperature have been recorded.
Warmer seas kill coral reefs and can thus lead to a
decline in fish catch, putting food security in danger.
3. Ocean acidification
The shift in the Ph levels of our oceans can lead to
widespread coral reef death. Because of the imbalance,
shrimps are not able to develop skins, oysters cannot
develop shells. Fish larvae mat not be able to develop
bones. This further endangers food security and
livelihood.
4. Sea levels to rise by 4 to 6 meters
Current data show an increase in sea surface heights.
Scientists say this is due to the melting of ice sheets in
the southern and northern portions of the globe like
Antarctica and Greenland. Sea level rise by 4 to 6
meters can submerge low-lying communities like
Tacloban City which stands only 3 meters.
5. Tropical cyclones to intensify
The creation of tropical cyclones is already being
recorded in areas where the phenomenon had never
been observed. On November 8, 2013, Super Typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan), said to be the strongest in recorded
history, devastated cities in Visayas.
6. Rainfall, river flow, and flooding to intensify
Monsoon rainfall in the Philippines will reach new highs
and lows. Some parts of the country will make it more
difficult for agriculture and aquaculture sectors which
are highly dependent on weather. Philippine cities are
already experiencing unprecedented amounts of
rainfall. In Tacloban City, rainfall increased by 25% from
1998 to 2011. More rainfall will lead to more flooding
and can trigger landslides in upland communities.
Climate change also impacts our country's ability to
feed people. Karen Bermejo (2017) wrote:
1. Climate change is altering production ecosystems
and compromising food security and nutrition for
millions of people in the Philippines, according to the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN
FAO). According to Jose Manuel Fernandez, UN FAO's
representative to the Philippines, due to climate change
crop yields are expected to decline by 25% while
catches of main fish species are expected to decline by
40% in tropical countries like the Philippines.
2. Climate change also affects farmers. Because of too
much heat too much rain crops are ruined. An example
of this is the 8-month drought which affected the
Western Visayas region from October 2015 to May
2016 which damaged crops in more than 80,000
hectares farmland and resulted to more than P2 billion
pesos in losses. The drought has also affected farmers
and crops in the provinces of Quezon, Camarines
Norte, Samar, Laguna, and Mindoro.
3. Food security declines. The Global Food Security
Index (GSFI) showed a decline in the Philippines'
ranking. From 74, it dropped to 79th among 113
countries based on the data released by the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU).
4. Malnutrition increases. Based on the latest National
Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research
Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), malnutrition rate in the Philippines
is also increasing. The Philippines malnutrition rate or
stunting among children under 5 years old has
increased 33.4% from just 30.3% in 2013.
What is the Energy Crisis?
Energy crisis is any great bottleneck in the supply of
energy resources to an economy. In popular literature
though, it often refers to one of the energy sources used
at a certain time and place, particularly those that
supply national electricity grids or serve as fuel for
vehicles
The energy crisis is the concern that the world's
demands on the limited natural resources that are used
to power industrial society are diminishing as the
demand rises These natural resources are in limited
supply. While they do occur naturally, it can take
hundreds of thousands of years to replenish the stores.
Governments and concerned individuals are working to
make the use of renewable resources a priority, and to
lessen the irresponsible use of natural supplies through
increased conservation.
The energy crisis is a broad and complex topic. Most
people don't feel connected to its reality unless the price
of gas at the pump goes up or there are lines at the gas
station. The energy crisis is ongoing and getting worse
despite many efforts. The reason for this is that there is
not a broad understanding of the complex causes and
solutions for the energy crisis.
Causes of the Energy Crisis
Some causes of the energy crisis were identified as
follows:
1. Overconsumption
The energy crisis is a result of many different strains on
our natural resources, not just one. There is a strain on
fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal due to
overconsumption - which then in turn can put a strain on
our water and oxygen resources by causing pollution.
2. Overpopulation
Another cause of the crisis has been the increase in the
world's population and its demands for fuel and
products. No matter what type of food or products you
choose to use- from fair trade and organic to those
made from petroleum products in a sweat shop - not
one of them is transported without a significant drain in
our energy resources.
3.Poor Infrastructure
Aging infrastructure of power generating equipment is
yet another reason for energy shortage. Most of the
energy producing firms keep on using updated
equipment that restricts the production of energy. It is
the responsibility of utilities to keep on upgrading the
infrastructure and set a high standard of performance.
4.Unexplored Renewable Energy Options
Renewable energy still remains unused in most
countries. Most of the energy comes from non-
renewable sources like coal. It still remains the top
choice to produce energy. Unless we give renewable
energy a serious thought, the problem of energy crisis
cannot be solved. Renewable energy sources can
reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and also help
reduce greenhouse emissions.
5. Delay in Commissioning of Power Plants
In few countries, there is a significant delay in
commissioning of new power plants that can fill the gap
between the demand and supply of energy. The result is
that old plants come under huge stress to meet the daily
demand for power. When supply doesn't match
demand, it results in load shedding and breakdown.
6. Wastage of Energy
In most parts of the world, people do not realize the
importance of conserving energy. It is only limited to
books, internet, newspaper ads, lip service and
seminars. Unless we give it a serious thought, things
are not going to change. Simple things like switching off
fans and lights when not in use, using maximum
daylight, walking instead of driving for short distance,
using CFL instead of traditional bulbs, proper insulation
for leakage of energy can go a long way in saving
energy.
7. Poor Distribution System
Frequent tripping and breakdown are result of a poor
distribution system.
8. Major Accidents and Natural Calamities
Major accidents like pipeline burst and natural
calamities like eruption of volcanoes, floods,
earthquakes can also cause interruption to energy
supplies. The huge gap between supply and demand of
energy can raise the price of essential items which can
give raise to inflation.
9. Wars and Attacks
Wars between countries can also hamper supply of
energy specially if it happens in Middle East countries
like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE or Qatar. Price of
oil reached its peak causing global shortages and
created major problem for energy consumers.
10.Miscellaneous Factors
Tax hikes, military coup, political events, severe hot
summers or cold winters can cause sudden increase in
demand of energy and can choke supply. A strike by
unions in oil-producing firms can definitely cause an
energy crisis.
What are Possible Solutions to the Energy Crisis?
Many of the possible solutions to the energy crisis are
already in place, but they have not been widely
adopted. They are:
1. Move towards Renewable Resources
The best possible solution to the energy crisis is to
reduce the world's dependence on non-renewable
resources and to improve overall conservation efforts.
Much of the industrial age was created using fossil
fuels, but there is also known technology that uses
other types of renewable energies such as steam, solar,
and wind. The major concern isn't so much that we will
run out of gas or oil, but that the use of coal is going to
continue to pollute the atmosphere and destroy other
natural resources in the process of mining the coal that
it has to be replaced as an energy source. This is not
easy because many of the leading industries use coal,
not gas or oil, as their primary source of power for
manufacturing.
2. Buy Energy Efficient Products.
Replace traditional bulbs with CFL's and LED's. They
use less watts of electricity and last longer. If millions of
people across the globe use CFL's and LED's for
residential and commercial purposes, the demand for
energy can go down and an energy crisis can be
averted.
3. Lighting Controls
There are a number of new technologies that make
lighting controls much more interesting and help save a
lot of energy and cash in the long run. Prese lighting
controls, slide lighting, touch dimmers, integrated
lighting controls are few of the lighting controls that can
help to conserve energy and reduce overall lighting
costs.
4. Easier Grid Access
People who use different options to generate power
must be given permission to plug into the grid and get
credit for power you feed into it. The hassles of getting
credit of supplying surplus power back into the grid
should be removed Apart from that, subsidy on solar
panels should be given to encourage more people to
explore renewable options.
5. Energy Simulation
Energy simulation software can be used by big
corporations to redesign building unit and reduce
running business energy cost. Engineers, architects and
designers could use the design to come up with the
most energy efficient building and reduce carbon
footprint.
6. Perform Energy Audit
Energy audit is a process that helps to identify the areas
where your home or office is losing energy and identify
steps you can take to improve energy efficiency. Energy
audit when done by a professional can help you to
reduce your carbon footprint, save energy and money
and avoid energy crisis.
7. Common Stand On Climate Change
Both developed and developing countries should adopt
a common stand on climate change. They should focus
on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through an
effective cross border mechanism. With current
population growth and overconsumption of resources,
the consequences of global warming and climate
change cannot be ruled out. Both developed and
developing countries must focus on emission cuts to cut
their emission levels to half from current trend levels by
2050.
CHAPTER V
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
Introduction
Environmental awareness leads us to understand the
fragility of our environment and the importance of its
protection. Promoting environmental awareness is an
easy way where each one can keep sustaining and
improving nature and ecology.
Environmental awareness is important for several
reasons:
1) it fosters a sense of connection to the natural world;
2) it promotes sustainable development; and
3) it encourages conservation of irreplaceable natural
resources and vulnerable plant and animal species.
In addition, environmental awareness essentially serves
as an educational tool making people understand the
economic, aesthetic and biological importance of
preserving resources and reducing or eliminating the
harmful impacts of alternations caused by man.
Environmental awareness on education helps people
realize the consequences of human activities on lands
and identifies remedial solutions.
Promotion of Environmental Education
Environmentalism is an ideology that evokes the
necessity and responsibility of humans to respect,
protect and preserve the natural word from the abusive
or wrong use of humans.
There is a need to keep our environment healthy for our
children. They should not have to inherit our
environmental problems and in order to keep their
future bright, spreading awareness is imperative.
While efforts are being exerted at the national and
international level to protect our environment, we should
do our part as individual citizens. Each one becomes
aware of the worth of good quality living.
The school is the major venue for developing
environmental awareness in students. Environmental
issues often arise with a lack of understanding of nature
and the ecological environment and the inappropriate
use of natural resources.
The school plays an important role in the formation of
children's positive attitudes towards the environment.
Environmental education in a process that allows
individuals to explore environmental issues, engage in
problem solving and take action to improve the
environment as a result, individuals develop a deeper
understanding of environmental issues and show the
skills to make informed and responsible decisions.
The components of environmental education are:
 awareness and sensitivity to the environment
and environmental challenges;
 knowledge and understanding of the
environment;
 attitudes of concern for the environmental and
motivation to improve or maintain environmental
quality;
 skills to identify and help resolve environmental
challenges; and
 participation in activities that lead to the
resolution of environmental problems.
There is no one road to solving problems. Rather,
environmental education teaches us how to weigh
various options and use problem-solving and decision-
making skills to arrive at the correct options.
Top 10 benefits of Environmental Education
1) Imagination and enthusiasm are heightened.
2) Leaming transcends the classroom.
3) Critical and creative thinking are enhanced.
4) Develop tolerance and understanding
5) State and national learning standards are met
for multiple subjects.
6) Biophobia and nature deficit disorder decline.
7) Healthy lifestyles are encouraged.
8) Communities are strengthened.
9) Responsible action is taken to better the
environment.
10) Students and teacher are empowered.
Beliefs and Convictions
Religions perform a vital role in enlightening people to
acquire values, traditions, beliefs, conduct and to
become stewards of the environment. Each of the
religions professed by the Filipinos also includes
concern for the environment. St. Francis of Assisi felt he
was called to be concerned for all of God's creation.
(Haveria, 2019.) The impoverishment and self-denial of
St. Francis was his way of self-discipline (Encyclical
letters of Pope Francis, (2015). Pope Francis further
mentioned that true human advancement should have
moral character. Change in human behavior is needed.
More and more people are switching to behavior that is
safer for the earth. (Haveria, 2019).
Green marketing is a tool for protecting the environment
for future generations. In this regard, the ESD which
stands for Environmental Science Education is being
promoted as a way to assist people in cultivating
attitudes, developing skills and enhancing knowledge to
make wise decisions for our benefit.
Ramon (2015 in Haveria, 2019) stated that
environmental education is built on ecological belief and
deference to all forms of organisms on earth.
Environmental stewardship is environmental education
in action.
Moreover, Ramon (2015) mentioned in her study that
environmental stewardship can be seen in terms of
academic service learning which includes among
others:
1) help in forging linkages with the outside community
for nature preservation activities such as tree planting:
2) educate people on proper waste segregations;
3) reduce waste, reusing and recycling materials; and
4) decrease energy cost in school campuses.