UNIT III.

SPECIFIC ISSUES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY (FINALS)

 
LESSON 1. THE INFORMATION AGE (GUTENBERG TO SOCIAL MEDIA)
WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY?
                   Information Technology can therefore be described as any technology
developed/invented that helps to produce, manipulate, store and communicate
information. This is essential for the development and progress of any country. Since
the early ages to the present one, several technologies have been developed to help in
the development of the various ages. they are as follows: Stone age, Iron age, The
middle ages, The industrial age, Electronic age
LIFE BEFORE THE PRINTING PRESS
                   Before the printing press was invented, any writings and drawings had to be
completed painstakingly by hand. Several different materials  (Links to an external
site.)were used to transcribe books: clay and papyrus, wax, and parchment. It wasn’t
just anyone who was allowed to do this; such work was usually reserved for scribes who
lived and worked in monasteries.  Information had no means of mass distribution,
except through storytelling.
Scriptorium
                   The monasteries had a special room called a "scriptorium." There, the
scribe would work in silence, first measuring and outlining the page layouts and then
carefully copying the text from another book. Later, the illuminator would take over to
add designs and embellishments to the pages.
In the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, books were usually only owned by monasteries,
educational institutions or extremely rich people. Most books were religious in nature. In
some cases, a family might be lucky enough to own a book, in which case it would be a
copy of the Bible.

INSPIRATION AND INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS

                   Around the late 1430s, a German man named Johannes Gutenberg was
quite desperate to find a way to make money. At the time, there was a trend in attaching
small mirrors to one’s hat or clothes in order to soak up healing powers when visiting
holy places or icons. The mirrors themselves were not significant, but Gutenberg quietly
noted how lucrative it was to create mass amounts of a cheap product.

 
Gutenburg printing press, movable type 
                   Instead of using wood blocks, Gutenberg used metal instead. This became
known as a "movable type machine," since the metal block letters could be moved
around to create new words and sentences.
                   With this machine, Gutenberg made the very first printed book, which was
naturally a reproduction of the Bible. Today the Gutenberg Bible is an incredibly
valuable, treasured item for its historical legacy.
During the 1300s to 1400s, people had developed a very basic form of printing. It
involved letters or images cut on blocks of wood. The block would be dipped in ink and
then stamped onto paper.
                   Gutenberg already had previous experience working at a mint, and he
realized that if he could use cut blocks within a machine, he could make the printing
process a lot faster. Even better, he would be able to reproduce texts in great numbers.
Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1451 opened lines of
communication throughout the world. The advent of the printing press changed the face
of journalism and education.
INVENTIONS AND INNOVATIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
                   The Information Age began around the 1970s and is still going on today. It
is also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age. This era brought
about a time period in which people could access information and knowledge
easily. There were many different inventions that came about because of the
Information Age, one of which was the computer. The Internet allowed people to access
information with the touch of a button.
CHANGES OF THE INFORMATION AGE
                   The Information Age has changed people, technology, science, economies,
culture, and even the way people think. The Internet is arguably the most prominent
innovation of the Information Age. The Internet changed the way people do everything.
It has made people lazier, but it also makes a large amount of the population smarter.
The Information Age has made industrial countries stronger. With online companies
being some of the most successful and economically stimulating businesses out there,
economies receive more from them and keep our world turning. People are becoming
more mature and more educated due to things like the computer and the Internet. This
time period has reshaped governments, with new technology being created every day.
Governments can now have more advanced and effective militaries. Because of things
like the Internet, new laws had to be put in place to stop hacking, piracy, and identity
theft.
 
 
IMPACTS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
                   The Information Age brought about many new inventions and innovations.
Many communication services like texting, email, and social media developed and the
world has not been the same since. People learn new languages easier and many
books have been translated into different languages, so people around the world can
become more educated. However, the Information Age is not all good. There are people
in the world that believe they can live their entire life through the Internet. Also, huge
criminal organizations rely on hacking into government systems and obtaining
confidential information to continue their way of life.  Jobs have also became easier, and
some jobs can even be done from the comfort of your own home. The Information Age
is also known as the Age of Entrepreneurship. Now entrepreneurs can start and run a
company easier than ever before. It also impacts our work ethics by distracting us and
causing us to lose interest in the task we are doing. This time period has also created a
shortage of jobs and making many jobs obsolete because machines are now being
used to do the work humans once did.
 
IN CONCLUSION...
                   Every era from the Stone Age up to the Industrial Revolution has led to the
world as we know it. Without the information, knowledge and discoveries of those from
the past, we would not be where we are today. The past has shaped our present and
will continue to shape our future.

LESSON 2. BIODIVERSITY AND THE HEALTHY SOCIETY

BIODIVERSITY and the ECOSYSTEM 
Biodiversity (or biological diversity)

 word “bios” – life and Latin. word “diversitas” – variety

 vast variety of life forms in the entire Earth encompassing all kinds of life
forms from the single-celled organisms (unicellular) to the largest multi-celled
organisms (multicellular)
 variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial,
marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which
they are part of
 source of the essential goods and ecological service that constitute the
source of life for all and it has direct consumptive value in food, agriculture,
medicine, and industry

 
 
LEVELS OF BIODIVERSTY
Biodiversity consists of the entire range of living organisms across levels of
organizations – genes, species, and ecosystems.

1. Genetic Diversity
o refers to the total of the variety of genes or inheritable
characteristics present in a population of organisms
o physical (or morphological), physiological (or functional),
behavioral, and sexual (primary and secondary)

Genes – segments of hereditary material that govern the inheritance of a particular trait
from an organism’s parents
Genes determine traits such as differences in color, size, ability to run fast from
predators, of ability to fight off diseases.
Traits – a specific characteristic of an individual (e.g. hair color, blood type)
A population of organisms that share common genes and this is the reason why they
look similar. However, individual members may also have different traits that make them
unique. These differences are part of genetic diversity. Members lacking a diverse set of
genes are less able to adapt and survive.

2. Species Diversity
o refers to variety of life forms and the number of each species
present in a biological community

Species – a particular kind of organism; members possess similar anatomical

characteristics and have the ability to interbreed
 
Measurement of Species Diversity
Species Richness - refers to the total count/number of a group of living organisms
consisting of similar individuals in a defined area.
Species Abundance - refers to the relative numbers among these groups/ the percent
composition of an organism of a particular kind relative to the total number organisms in
the area
Phylogenetic Diversity - considers the genetic relationships between the different
groups of species

3. Ecosystem Diversity
o refers to the variety of ecosystems in a biosphere
o include terrestrial ecosystems known as biomes (tropical
rainforests, grasslands, coniferous forests, etc.) and aquatic
ecosystems (coral reefs, mangrove forests, seas, lakes, etc.)
  Ecosystem – includes all the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic
( non living components) s with which they interact; a community and its
physical environment

Understanding biodiversity within the concept of ecosystem needs a thorough study of

the relationship of the biotic – the living organisms and the abiotic – the non-living
component – i.e., it needs interdisciplinary approach. Biodiversity plays a major role in
this natural dynamics.
 
TERMINOLOGIES:
Endangered species

 species present in such small numbers that it is at risk of extinction e.g. Flying
Lemur : Kagwang
 The Visayan Warty Pig Sus cebifron ( 1994)
 Critically endangered species-seriously at risk of extinction The Visayan
Warty Pig  Sus cebifron (1996)

Rare species

 group of organisms that are uncommon or scarce e.g. mouse deer

Endemic

 an organism exclusively native to a place or biota e.g. Mabolo

Endemism 

 a species that is restricted to a particular geographic region as a result of

factors such as isolation or in response to abiotic conditions.

Extinct

 no longer in existence e.g. bare-backed fruit bat or Dobsonia chapmani

 
WHY IS PHILIPPINES A MEGADIVERSE COUNTRY?
The Philippines is one of the 17 mega biodiverse countries, containing two-thirds of the
Earth's biodiversity and 70 percent of world's plants and animal species due to its

 geographical isolation (the patchwork of isolated islands)

 the tropical location of the country
  diverse habitats
 once extensive areas of rainforest
 and high rates of endemism

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation – agricultural conversion,
urbanization, wetland draining, forest fragmentation
Water use – infrastructure changes, irrigation, municipal use
Habitat Degradation – decline in habitat quality, affects many but not all species, may
be temporary - Primary cause of species extinction globally and in most countries
 
Habitat- the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism. It
provides the organisms that live there with food, water, shelter and space to survive.
Habitat Loss – habitat changed in way that usually adversely affects most or all
species, effects longer term
Habitat Conversion/Transformation – change in habitat, can result in degradation or
loss; conversion often implies loss, 83% of Earth’s surface has been transformed by
humans
Environmental contaminants and pollution; global climate change
Over-exploitation – over-fishing, over-hunting, poaching and non-animal impacts like
over-grazing; and Invasive species.
Climate changes will alter the ecosystems in which many species—including
humans—live.
 - If a species requires a certain temperature or certain amount of water to live, it could
face extinction if global climate change alters its environment
Other species—such as mosquitoes, certain diseases, and some pests—may flourish
and expand their ranges
Poaching- the illegal hunting, killing or capturing of animals, a practice that occurs in a
variety of ways
Non-native or exotic speciesare plants, animals or microbes that have been
transported from one geographic region to an area where they did not live previously

 organisms which are foreign or not native, which have been introduced to an
area also known as: Alien, Exotic,Nonindigenous

Benefits of non-natives :Food,Beauty,Pets,Sportfishing,Control of pests

 
Invasive organisms

 are species that are non-native and cause or are likely to cause economic or
environmental harm or harm human health

What’s so bad about invasive species?

1. alter habitat

2 .  reduce native diversity

3 . exclude or cause disease in natives or beneficial non-natives
4 . hybridize with natives
5 . become harmful to humans

6. readily dispersed by: windwater,wildlife,humans

7. lack natural controls:predators,,insects,diseases

8 .are habitat generalists:

 can tolerate range of temperatures

 can live in variety of habitats
 have a broad diet

9 . outcompete natives:

 shade native plants

 consume nutrients or food of natives
 Hydrilla Takes over water bodies

 
IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY
Ecosystem Services

1. Protection of water resources - natural vegetation cover helps in

maintaining hydrological cycles, regulating and stabilizing water run-off and
acting as a buffer against extreme events such as floods and droughts.
2. Soil protection - biological diversity helps in the conservation of soil and
retention of moisture and nutrients.
3. Nutrient storage and cycling - ecosystem perform the vital function of
recycling nutrients found in the atmosphere as well as in the soil.
 4. Pollution reduction - ecosystems and ecological processes play an
important role in maintenance of gaseous composition of the atmosphere,
breakdown of wastes and removal of pollutants.
5.  Climate stability - vegetation influences climate at macro as well as micro
levels.
6.  Maintenance of ecological processes - different species of birds and
predators help to control insect pests, thus reduce the need and cost of
artificial control measures.

Biological Resources

1. Food, fibre, medicines, fuel wood and ornamental plants - five thousand plant
species are known to have been used as food by humans. A large number of
plants and animals materials are used for the treatment of various ailments.
2. Breeding material for crop improvement - genetic material or genes of wild
crop plants are used to develop new varieties of cultivated crop plants for
improving yield or resistance of crops plants.
3. Future resources - many presently under-utilized food crops have the
potential to become important crops in the future.

 
 
Social Benefits

1. Recreation - forests, wildlife, national parks and sanctuaries, garden and

aquaria have high entertainment and recreation value.

2. Cultural Values - plants and animals are important part of the cultural life of
humans. Human cultures have co-evolved with their environment and
biological diversity can impart

 
POPULATION GROWTH AND POVERTY
Over six billion people live on the Earth. Each year, millions of people are being born.
All these people use natural resources for food, water, medicine, clothes, shelter and
fuel.
Need of the poor and often greed of the rich generate continuous pressure resulting in
over-exploitation and loss of biodiversity.
CONSEQUENCES of BIODIVERSITY LOSS
                Biodiversity loss has many consequences that we understand and many that
we do not. It is apparent that humankind is willing to sustain a great deal of biodiversity
loss if there are concomitant benefits to society; we hope they are net benefits. In many
cases, the benefits seem to accrue to a few individual only, with net societal losses.
However, it is extremely difficult to estimate the future costs of losses in biodiversity or
of environmental damage. 
                 “The Earth will retain its most striking feature, its biodiversity, only if humans
have the prescience to do so. This will occur, it seems, only if we realize the extent to
which we use biodiversity” (Tilman, 2000).
INTERNATIONAL YEAR ON BIODIVERSITY -2010

 Focuses on boosting awareness of biodiversity importance by promoting

actions to foster biodiversity worldwide.

 CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

1. In-situ (on-site) conservation includes the protection of plants and

animals within their natural habitats or in protected areas.
2. Ex-situ (off-site) conservation of plants and animals outside their natural
habitats. These include botanical gardens, zoo, gene bank, seed bank, tissue
culture and cryopreservation.

EXAMPLES OF LAWS ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

 

1. CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Objectives:

To conserve biological diversity, promote the sustainable use of its components,

encourage equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources.

Such equitable sharing includes appropriate access to genetic resources, as well as

appropriate transfer of technology, taking into account existing  rights over such
resources and such technology.
The Convention commits parties to preparing national strategies for conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity.
 
 
CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD
FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) WASHINGTON 3.3. 1973

CITES
  establishes world-wide controls on the international trade in threatened
species of animals and plants
 It requires that this trade be subject to authorization by government-issued
permits or certificates
 in the case of species threatened with extinction, CITES prohibits all
commercial trade in wild specimens

The Convention was signed in 1975 and more than 125 countries are members
The convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora,
often referred to as cites (sigh-teez), is an agreement between governments that
regulates the international trade of wildlife and wildlife products—everything from live
animals and plants to food, leather goods, and trinkets. It came into force in 1975 with
the goal of ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of wild plants
and animals.
There are about 5,800 species of animals and 30,000 species of plants protected by
CITES currently. They’re categorized into one of three appendices, depending on how
at risk from trade they are.
Read More: What is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species?
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reference/convention-on-international-
trade-in-endangered-species/

1. EXECUTIVE ORDER NO.247/E.0. NO.247

 Prescribing guidelines and establishing a regulatory framework for the

prospecting of biological and genetic resources, they’re by product and
derivatives, for the scientific and commercial purposes and for other purposes

 
Read more: Executive Order No. 247, s. 1995
 
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1995/05/18/executive-order-no-247-s-1995/
 
BIOPROSPECTING (BIODIVERSITY PROSPECTING)

 the exploration of biodiversity for commercially valuable genetic resources

and biochemicals
 bioprospecting often use indigenous knowledge for screening potential uses
of plants or animals
  the legal and accepted exploration and search of biological products with
characteristics and traits interesting, appealing and necessary for mankind

 
Who does bioprospecting?

1. researchers
2. scientists
3. local or indigenous people
4. industries

 
Why should bioprospecting activities be regulated?

1. To establish ownership of and to protect our resources from indiscriminate

and illegal collection and utilization
2. To promote and ensure a fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from
the use of our resources.
3. To ensure that the traditional knowledge of indigenous people used in the
development of products from our resources is recognized and properly
compensated; and
4. To deter biopiracy or the collection of our resources and/or use of indigenous
knowledge without permission from the government or from the holders of
such knowledge.                         

What activities are covered and not covered under the current joint
bioprospecting guidelines?

1. Bioprospecting of any biological resource found in the Philippines including

wildlife, microorganisms, domestic or propagated species, exotic species,
2. Bioprospecting of Ex-situ collections of biological resources sourced from the
Philippines,
3. Bioprospecting in all areas, including protected areas under NIPAS, private
lands, as well as ancestral domains and ancestral lands consistent with the
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and
4. Bioprospecting of species listed under the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Red List, whenever allowed by law.

The following activities are exempt:

 Traditional use,
 Subsistence consumption,
 Conventional commercial consumption for direct use such as logging or
fishing,
  Scientific research on wildlife,
 Scientific researches on agrobiodiversity,
 Existing procedures of collection and transport of wildlife species exclusively
for commercial or conservation breeding or propagation,

7. Ex-situ collections currently accessed under international agreements where

the Philippines is a party,
8. Scientific studies with no commercial interests and purely for academic
purposes,using biological resources for taxonomy or solely for the
characterization of biological,chemical or physical properties of the biological
resources and
9. Development of medicinal plants for traditional or alternative medical use
under the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA)

            Whereas, it is in the interest of the State’s conservation efforts to ensure that the
research, collection and use of species, genes and their products be regulated        
and to identify and recognize the rights of indigenous cultural communities to      their
traditional knowledge and practices when this information is directly and   indirectly put
to commercial use.
 
Government agencies involved:

 DENR ,DOST, DA, DOH and  DFA

 
Biopiracy - a situation where indigenous knowledge of nature, originating from    
indigenous people is exploited for commercial gain without permission from or without
compensation to the indigenous people themselves.
Patent-gives an individual or form the right and the privilege to a limited legal      
monopoly and control to make use and sell its invention and /or discovery.
-also gives an individual or a firm the right to exclude others from making, using or
selling the invention to the market.
 
Example of biopiracy
 

 
            The Neem Tree (Azadiracta indica) of India for 200 years, villagers have
regarded the tree as a free pharmacy and the curer of all ailments. Locals have been
using   parts of the tree as traditional cure for wounds,  and gum .problems, smallpox
,hysteria, leprosy, malaria, snake bites and more. In 1994, the European Patent Office
(EPO) granted W.R. Grace EPO 0436257 for a method for controlling fungi on plants
by the aid of a hydrophobic extracted neem oil.  In 1995, a group of international non-
government organizations and representatives of Indian farmers filed a legal
opposition. They submitted evidence that the fungicidal effect of Neem seed extracts
had been known and used for centuries, thereby negating requirement for patentability.
In 1999, the EPO revoked the patent after it found that according to the evidence all
features of the present claim have been disclosed to the public prior to the patent
application  but W.R. Grace was able to exploit its monopoly until 2000.
 
 

 
LESSON 3. MANDATED TOPIC : ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCES
 
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 identify alternative energy sources (biofuel) and their advantages.

ENERGY

 the capacity to do work, expressed in Joules (J)

 utilized in the following areas: home, transportation, economy,

            communication and information technology and environment

Mass and energy are equivalent that is anything with mass also has energy. For an
            object at rest, its energy is its mass.
 Forms of energy

 mechanical (Potential energy and Kinetic energy), chemical, electrical, sound,

heat, light, and nuclear

 The law of conservation of energy: states that energy cannot be created nor

            destroyed but it can be transformed from one form into another form
Example: the energy changes that take place in a television
             electrical→ light→ sound
Sources of Energy Resources:
1.Renewable resources

 natural resources that can be replenished in a short period of time.

Sustainable energy that comes from the environment examples;  solar
energy, plants, soil, air, wind, tides

2. Nonrenewable resource

 a natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown at a scale comparable

to its consumption Examples: coal, oil, natural gas, fossil fuel, minerals