FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 14

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 14

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

MODULE OVERVIEW

This module views key concepts on climate change and its diverse impacts on society, and identify
various plans to address it by local, regional and global efforts. It primarily aims to inculcate environmental
awareness among students.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

1. identify the importance of biodiversity as a source of different biological resources;
2. discuss the adverse effects of resource depletion on society and the measures to mitigate them; and
3. determine the interrelatedness of society, environment and health

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a global phenomena caused by burning fossil fuels in which the Earth’s
atmosphere are trapped with heat gases. According Riebeek (2010), climate has changed when the planet
received more or less sunlight due to subtle shifts in its orbits as the atmosphere or surface changed or when
the Sun’s energy varied. The global average surface temperature rose from 0.6 to 0.9 degrees Celsius
between 1906 and 2005, and the rate of temperature increase has nearly doubled in the last 50 years.
Global warming refers to Earth’s gradual increase of temperature. It is the warming effect caused by
greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. It keeps the planet warm and prevents warm air from leaving.
Some greenhouse gasses that cause global warming are carbon dioxide, methane. There are also
man-made gases such as chlorofluorocarbons, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and sulphur
hexafluoride.
Deforestation is one activity that causes global warming. Destroying forest land releases carbon
dioxide into the air, results to increase the level of long wave radiation and trapped heat.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Melting of ice caps in the Polar Regions is one of the effects of climate change. It causes infusion of
salt in the ocean and destroys natural ocean currents. These ocean currents bring warm current to cooler
areas of the ocean and vice versa thus controlling and balancing the temperature. Albedo is also affected by
the melting of ice caps. It is the ratio of the light reflected by any part of the Earth’s atmosphere. Snow for
example has the highest albedo level, so when the snow melts the temperature of the Earth will rise and polar
bears also started to decrease due to lack oh habitat.
Another effect of climate change is the change in wildlife adaptations. For example, spruce bark
beetles in Alaska which commonly appears during warm months started to appear all year around eating
spruce trees thus damaging forest all year around.
According to Bradford and Pappas (2017), the effect of climate change is also expected in the society.
Agricultural systems will be affected specifically in land where drought is expected due to severe weather,
greater number and diversity of pests, lower groundwater tables and a loss of arable land could cause severe
crop failures and livestock shortage worldwide. Although carbon dioxide may help increase plant’s growth, it
may become less nutritious. This loss of food security may affect the food markets and could start famines.
Less nutritious food could also affect human health.

OZONE DEPLETION

Ozone is a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms. It serves as a protection from the ultraviolet
rays which are very harmful to humans and plants. Atmospheric ozone is located in the layer of stratosphere
about 15 to 30 kilometer above the surface of the Earth. At a certain period of time, ozone molecules are
formed constantly and destroyed in the stratosphere when chlorine and bromine atoms come into contact with
ozone in the stratosphere which leads to ozone depletion. Ozone depletion occurring in the stratosphere is a
normal photolytic process as well as ozone formation.

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 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 14

An ozone-depleting substance like chlorofluorocarbons used as aerosol propellants was ban in the
United States since 1970s. However rapid growth of new chemicals in refrigeration, fire suppression, foam
insulation and other application emit chlorofluorocarbon in the air which contributes to ozone depletion.
Ozone “hole” over Antarctica is one of the example of ozone depletion occurred since early 1980s. It
is not literally a hole instead it is a large area in the stratosphere with extremely low ozone. Even North
America, Europe, Asia and much of Africa, Australia, and South America were ozone depletion occurred.

ACID DEPOSITION

Acid deposition is a terms that includes any kind of precipitation with acidic components like sulphuric
acid or nitric acid that fall on the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. Examples of this are acidic
rain, acidic snow, acidic fog, acidic hail or even acidic dust.
Acid deposition occurs when sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide are emitted into the atmosphere and
react with wet or dry matters. This causes surface water acidification and effects soil chemistry.
Acid deposition affects the fertilization of fish eggs and kills adult fishes when the acid level lowers
than 5. Soil organisms cannot survive when the acid level of the soil is below 6. The ability of leaves to retain
water under stress is also affected when deposition of sulphur and nitrogen oxide happens.

THERMAL INVERSION

Peroxylacetylnitrate is a transporter of nitrogen oxide to different rural areas that causes ozone
formation in the troposphere. This may lead to lower visibility in elevated areas. The normal cycle of thermal
inversion means an unstable air mass and air constantly move between warm and cool areas which allow
fumigation of the mixed air on a higher elevation. However, due to high concentrations of pollutants the
temperature increases and disrupts the flow of the mixed air to a higher level.
Thermal inversion occurs in some coastal areas due to the upwelling of cold water that lowers surface
sir temperature. Topography or man-made barriers like buildings can create temperature inversion because
the cold air may be blocked by these buildings and pushed under the warmer air rising from the source.
El Nino is usually described as the unusual warming of surface waters also known as “warm phase”. It
brings droughts that commonly affect the agriculture and shortage of portable water to drink. La Nina is the
opposite of El Nino also known as “cool phase” and it is the unusual cooling of the water surface. It brings
extreme rainfall that causes flooding and erosion and destroys properties or even kill humans and animals.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Environmental efforts must be done individually and collectively in order to minimize the effect of climate
change. It is an individual and global responsibility to care for the environment as it changes contiguously.
There are many ways to minimize the effect of climate change, one way is to minimize the emission of
carbon dioxide from fossil fuels through the use of renewable energy like solar, wind, or hydropower as
sources of energy is highly recommended. Refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances with energy
efficient tagged should be considered before buying. The use of fuel-efficient vehicles with higher fuel
economy performance is another way to lessen fossil fuel consumption.
Philippines is one of the signatories in the Kyoto Protocol which is an international agreement that
extends the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In 1997 it was adopted
but the first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. Developed countries committed to
minimize their carbon dioxide emissions up to 2% until 2050 to help address the problem of climate change.
Another global agreement that Philippines along with 197 countries signed is Montreal Protocol. It
was set to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone
depleting substances. It aims to help the ozone layer recuperate from the hole it has attained due to
increasing presence of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere.

REFERENCES

1. Quinto, EJ., Nieva, A. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 194-202. Quezon City: C&E
Publishing.
2. Riebeek, H., Simmon, R. (2010). Global warming. Retrieved from
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/GlobalWarming/page2.php
3. Bradford, A., Pappas, S. (2017) Effect of Global Warming. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html

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 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 14

4. Environmental Protection Agency (2017) Basic Ozone Layer Science. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/basic-ozone-layer-science
5. Pacala, S. (2009). Sharing global CO2 emission reductions among one billion high emitters. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 106(29) 11884-11888.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.090523406.
6. US EPA. (2007). International Action-the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the layer.
Retrieved from https:/www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/international-actions-montreal-protocol-
substances-deplete-ozone-layer

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