DEFORESTATION.

So I will be giving a brief discussion on each issue.

On the first issue of pollution. Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the
environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be be created by
human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of
air, water, and land and is widely recognized as a global problem.
Global warming and climate change.
Global warming refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature, while climate change
includes warming and the “side effects” of warming—like melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms,
or more frequent drought. Said another way, global warming is one symptom of the much
larger problem of human-caused climate change. Climate change encompasses not only rising
average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and
habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts
Deforestation refers to the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses
such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities. Greatly accelerated by human
activities since 1960, deforestation has been negatively affecting natural ecosystems,
biodiversity, and the climate.
To relate this to the second question there are actually a good amount of environmental laws
both nationally and internationally enacted which are intended to address the issues identified.
Internationally, we have the
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone layer,which is a Convention aimed to
promote cooperation among nations
by exchanging information on the effects of human activities on the
ozone layer
The Montreal Protocol on Ozone-Depleting Substances which is a is a global agreement to
protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it.
The Convention on Climate Change, ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilize
greenhouse gas concentrations "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
(human induced) interference with the climate system."
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, provides the general obligation of the party states to
protect and preserve the marine environment.
The Paris Agreement the Clean Air Act, Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2,
preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, Its aim is to ensure that
international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
And here in the Philippines we have
the Climate Change Act, was enacted to protect the right of the
people to a balance and healthful ecology. The law serves as an action plan
that lays out the strategies, initiatives, and activities to prepare the country
for the inevitable effects of climate change
the Clean Water Act aims to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based
sources
Pollution Control Act, Most of its focal activities pertain to water quality management water
body classification and monitoring, pollution load assessment and inventory, the
specification of effluent standards for a particular water quality, and the promotion of pollution
control technology, strategies and alternatives.
the Forestry Code, lays down the basic principles of forest management and
conservation, and makes provision for the administration of forestry, the
survey and classification of lands for purposes of forestry and the use of
forest resources.
Now that I have identified the major environmental issues and have enumerated the different
national and international laws intended to address to those issues. The only question left to be
answered what the law’s significance in the fight to protect the environment.
“The highest human right is the right to life.”
These are the words of Atty. Antonio Oposa, Jr., one of the foremost environmental lawyers in
the world. He forwards that when the environment is violated, so is the right of any person to a
healthy environment. Amidst the different crises facing humankind today, what should not be
overlooked is the need to respect and uphold the right to a healthy environment.
Environmental law does just that. Environmental law protects not only on the well-being of
humans but also the ecosystem. It ensures that individuals, through our activities, do not cause
harm or that pose threat to the environment and to the human race as a whole and moreover
breathes life to our constitutional right to a healthful and balanced ecology.