Environmental Awareness

and Education
CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:
IT IS IN THE LAW!
�RA 9512 – An Act to Promote Environmental
Awareness through Environmental Education and for
Other Purposes
 This Act shall be known as the
"Environmental Awareness and Education
Act of 2008"
� SEC. 3. Scope of Environmental Education. - The
Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in
coordination with the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources PENR), the Department of Science
and Technology POST) and other relevant agencies,
shall integrate environmental education in its school
curricula at all levels, whether public or private,
including in barangay daycare, preschool, non-formal,
technical vocational, professional level, indigenous
learning and out-of school youth courses or programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
�Environmental education shall include
◦ environmental concepts and principles,
◦ environmental laws,
◦ the state of international and local environment,
◦ local environmental best practices,
◦ the threats of environmental degradation and its impact on
human well-being,
◦ the responsibility of the citizenry to the environment and
◦ the value of conservation, protection and rehabilitation of
natural resources and the environment in the context of
sustainable development.
RA 9512: "Environmental Awareness and
Education Act of 2008"
�SEC. 4. Environmental Education and Activities as
Part of National Service Training Program. - The
CHED and the TESDA shall include environmental
education and awareness programs and activities in the
National Service Training Program under Republic Act
No. 9163, as part of the Civic Welfare Training
Service component
RA 9512: "Environmental Awareness and
Education Act of 2008"
�SEC. 5. Declaration of Environmental Awareness
Month. - Pursuant to the policy set forth in this Act,
the month of November of every year shall be known
as the "Environmental Awareness Month"
throughout the Philippines.
RA 9512
�The law was approved and Signed by President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo on December 12, 2008.
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
Human overpopulation 
�Also known as population overshoot
�a state in which there are too many people for the
environment to sustain (with food, drinkable water,
breathable air, etc.).
�In more scientific terms, there is overshoot when
the ecological footprint of a human population in a
geographical area exceeds that place's carrying
capacity, damaging the environment faster than it
can be repaired by nature, potentially leading to
an ecological and societal collapse.
�Overpopulation could apply to the population of a
specific region, or to world population as a whole.
Land use
�involves the management
and modification of natural
environment or wilderness in
to built environment such
as settlements and semi-
natural habitats
�Habitat destruction
�Land degradation
�Land pollution
Natural disasters
�A natural disaster is a major adverse
event resulting from natural processes of the Earth;
�Examples are floods, tornadoes, volcanic
eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, wildfires,
and others.
�A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage
property, and typically leaves some economic
damage, the severity of which depends on the
affected population's resilience (ability to recover)
and also on the infrastructure available.
Marine debris
�Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is
human-created waste that has deliberately or
accidentally been released in a sea or ocean.
�Deliberate disposal of wastes at sea is
called ocean dumping. Naturally occurring debris,
such as driftwood, are also present.
�Ocean waste
Water pollution 
�The contamination of water bodies, usually as a
result of human activities. Water bodies include
for example lakes, rivers, and oceans.
�Water pollution results when contaminants are
introduced into the natural environment.
�For example, releasing inadequately
treated wastewater into natural water bodies can
lead to degradation of aquatic ecosystems.
Environmental degradation 
�is the deterioration of
the environment through depletion of
resources such as air, water and soil;
the destruction of ecosystems; habitat
destruction; the extinction of wildlife;
and pollution.
�It is defined as any change or
disturbance to the environment
perceived to be deleterious or
undesirable
Resource depletion
� The consumption of a resource faster than it can be
replenished. Natural resources are commonly divided
between renewable resources and non-renewable resources.
� Use of either of these forms of resources beyond their rate of

replacement is considered to be resource depletion.

� There are several types of resource depletion, deforestation,

mining for fossil fuels and minerals, pollution or

contamination of resources, slash-and-burn agricultural
practices, Soil erosion, and overconsumption, excessive or
unnecessary use of resources.
Environmental health
�It is concerned with all aspects of
the natural and built environment affecting human
health.
�Environmental health is focused on the natural and
built environments for the benefit of human health.
�Other terms referring to or concerning
environmental health are environmental public
health, and health protection.
�Air quality, environmental impact of coal industry,
sanitation
CLIMATE CHANGE
�a. It refers to the significant, long-term changes in the
global climate.
�b. Climate change is a change in the pattern of
weather, and related changes in oceans, land surfaces
and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or
longer
Climate Change
�Climate Change is the defining issue of our time and
we are at a defining moment.
�From shifting weather patterns that threaten food
production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of
catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change
are global in scope and unprecedented in scale.
�Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts
in the future will be more difficult and costly.
GLOBAL WARMING
� a. Global warming is the term used
to describe a gradual increase in the
average temperature of the Earth's
atmosphere and its oceans, a change
that is believed to be permanently
changing the Earth’s climate.
� b. Over the past 50 years, the

average global temperature has

increased at the fastest rate in
recorded history. And experts see the
trend is accelerating.
What causes global warming?
�Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2)
and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in
the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation
that have bounced off the earth’s surface.
�Normally, this radiation would escape into space—but
these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in
the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to
get hotter. That's what's known as the greenhouse
effect.
How is global warming linked to extreme
weather?
�Scientists agree that the earth’s rising temperatures are
fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent
droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful
hurricanes.
�The earth’s ocean temperatures are getting warmer, too
—which means that tropical storms can pick up more
energy. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3
storm into a more dangerous category 4 storm.
Effects of global warming
�The impacts of global warming are being felt across the
globe. Extreme heat waves have caused tens of
thousands of deaths around the world in recent years.
And in an alarming sign of events to come, Antarctica
has been losing about 134 billion metric tons of ice per
year since 2002.
�This rate could speed up if we keep burning fossil fuels
at our current pace, some experts say, and causing sea
levels to rise several meters over the next 50 to 150
years.
What are the other effects of global
warming?
�Each year, scientists learn more about the
consequences of global warming, and many agree that
environmental, economic, and health consequences are
likely to occur if current trends continue:
Effects of Global Warming
� i. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts
which will cause more dramatic water shortages and
increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.
� ii. Rising sea levels which lead to coastal flooding on the

Eastern Seaboard, especially in Florida, and in other

areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.
� iii. Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new

pests, heat waves, heavy downpours, and increased

flooding. All those factors will damage or destroy
agriculture and fisheries.
Effects
�iv. Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and Alpine
meadows could drive many plant and animal species to
extinction.
�v. Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks
will become more common due to higher levels of air
pollution, and the spread of conditions favorable to
pathogens and mosquitoes.
Solutions to Global Warming
� Expand the use of renewable energy and transform our
energy system to one that is cleaner and less dependent on
coal and other fossil fuels.
� Increase vehicle fuel efficiency and support other solutions

that reduce oil use.

� Place limits on the amount of carbon that polluters are

allowed to emit.
� Build a clean energy economy by investing in efficient

energy technologies, industries, and approaches.

� Reduce tropical deforestation and its associated global

warming emissions.
…and always remember the:

SEVEN
ENVIRONMENTAL
PRINCIPLES
Seven Environmental Principles
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1. Everything is connected to everything else.
2. All forms of life are important (thus, the need for
biodiversity).
3. Everything must go somewhere (thus, too much can cause
pollution).
4. Ours is a finite earth (thus, the need for conservation).
5. Nature knows best (thus, the need for ecological
technology)
6. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation.
7. Everything changes.
Let us be the change we
want to see in this
world!”
- MAHATMA GANDHI