Activity 12.

1 (5pts)

Go to this link and answer the following questions about air pollution https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=e6rglsLy1Ys

1. What causes air pollution?

Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the atmosphere that pose serious
health and environmental threats. Some air pollution comes from natural sources like volcanic
eruptions, wildfires or allergens while most air pollutions results from human activities also
known as human made pollution.

2. Name the types of human made pollution. What are its sources and effect to human health?
There different types of human made air pollutions are greenhouse gases, smog and
toxic air pollutants.

GREENHOUSE GASES

When we burn fossil fuels to produce energy, they release greenhouse gases into the air. These
emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases trap heat from the
sun in earth’s atmosphere leading to a rise in global temperatures. These creates a cycle where air
pollution contributes to climate change and climate change creates higher temperatures in turn higher
temperatures intensifies some types of air pollutions.

SMOG

Smog is a type of air pollution that reduces visibility and has serious health effects. Climate change
increases smog because it forms in the presence of high heat and increase levels of ultraviolet radiation.

Smog is divided into two categories: sulfurous and photochemical

Sulfurous smog is made up of chemical compounds called sulfur oxides. It occurs when burning sulfur
baring fossil fuels, such as coal while Photochemical smog also called ground level ozone. Is a result of
the reaction between sunlight, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds.

SMOG not only creates a brown haze that reduces visibility but also harms plants, irritates the
eyes, and causes respiratory distress.

TOXIC POLLUTANTS

Toxic pollutants are chemicals such as mercury, lead, dioxins and benzene that are release
during gas or coal combustion, waste incineration or burning of gasoline. In addition to adverse
environmental effects, toxic air pollutions can cause serious health problems such as cancer,
reproductive complications, and birth defects.

3. How does air pollution contributes to global warming?

When we burn fossil fuels to produce energy, they release greenhouse gases into the air. These
emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases trap heat from
the sun in earth’s atmosphere leading to a rise in global temperatures. These creates a cycle where
 air pollution contributes to climate change and climate change creates higher temperatures in turn
higher temperatures intensifies some types of air pollutions.

4. Can air pollution be prevented? How?

Yes, air pollution can be prevented. Air pollution has many consequences for our planet but there
are solutions. We can limit all these toxic pollutants, smog and greenhouse gases by decreasing the use
of fossil fuels, such as in transportation, manufacturing and electricity generation and by replacing them
with alternative energies like solar, wind and geothermal. Lastly, producing clean energy is crucial but
equally important is to also reduce our consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits and using
more efficient devices.

Conclusion:

Activity 12.3 (5pts)

Open this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkSXB-lRAp0#:~:text=today%20we%20take

%20you%20to,unreported%20world%20classic%20in%20April. And answer the following questions
after watching it.

1. What is the world’s dirtiest river in the world?

The world’s dirtiest or polluted river in the world is the Citarum River on the island of Java
Indonesia.

2. What are the sources of wastes emptied in the river?

 There are various sources of wastes that make the Citarum River as one of the most polluted
river in the world. One of the sources of wastes emptied in the river is the rubbish from every villages
which has been emptied in the sides of the river. Each village has about 6,000 inhabitants and they can
produce up to ten tons of rubbish a day and there is no waste collection as such. Next, the water from
the river is channeled through the villages. These water channels are also open sewers which is also
connected to the village’s communal bathroom, which is where the residents wash clothes, wash dishes,
brush their teeth while trying to expertly maneuver around bits of human excrement that are floating in
the water which is also considered as a source of waste that is polluting the river. The river also passes a
major industrial area which is a textile industry. These textile factories have sprung up along the river.
They use the water from the Citarum River as well as discharging their waste chemicals into it. Hundreds
of textiles factories was pouring untreated waste into the river. There is a major pipe from the factories
which releases untreated, toxic chemical waste. The factories usually dump the waste water into the
river at midnight. They’ll check first to see whether the coast is clear before dumping the toxic waste.

There have been a wastewater legislation that is put into place in 2009 for all factories but the
government simply doesn’t enforce it. If the government continues to neglect the pipe, it will be
disastrous for our ecosystem.

3. How does it affect the people who rely on that river for food, irrigation and supply?

35 million people or most of the people on the Island of Java Indonesia relies on the Citarum
River but it’s become a toxic river of waste and is known as the world’s dirtiest river in the world. The
river that had used to be an environmental paradise is now covered with all kinds of rubbish, dead
animals and is polluted by an industrial wastewater. Sadly, most of the rubbish that were in the river
were plastics and won’t degrade for decades.

For many years, the river served as a source of food for the people of Indonesia. Before, people
had been catching fish from the river but now they are after a different kind of catch. As the river
became polluted, 60% of the fish species have been wiped out. Instead of fishes, the people now have
been scavenging for different kinds of rubbish on the river. Rubbish that they can recycle and sell to a
merchant, in order to earn for a living.

Millions of people also depend on the river for washing and drinking. The Citarum River is their
only water source. The water from the river is channeled through the villages, bringing a tide of
pollution with it that’s seeping into their drinking wells which locals believe that provides the cleanest
water in the village. It contaminates the groundwater affecting every water source in the village. All the
water sources are contaminated with heavy metals. The water has mercury at nearly four times the
recommended safe level for drinking water. What makes it more dangerous is that these heavy metals
are not degradable, which means that even boiling the water does nothing. The residents, especially the
children who regularly drink the water are at risk of getting cancer, mental retardation, and very slow
growth.

The water from the river also irrigates on the paddy fields and everyone that lives around the
area eats the rice that is grown in the fields. The river is the only one who provides all the water for the
villages. Since it is contaminated, everything that is channeled in it also ended up being contaminated.
 Also, one of the many concerns of the people were the children. The children could not stop
scratching their faces which results to a lot of rashes. The older people knew that it is because of the
dirty water that they have been using. Many blame the rashes in the rural sewage but others blame it to
the chemicals from the textile factories which have sprung up along the river. The people knew that
using the water from the river is dangerous but they have no option.

4. What is being done by the people of the community and the government to solve the problem?

There are various contaminants that go into making the Citarum River as one of the most
polluted in the world but regardless of where the pollution comes from, the ultimate responsibility still
lies within the Indonesia’s ministry of environment. If a water treatment company is supplying an
untreated water or water with a lot of toxins, the government would shut it down or if factories are
breaching the laws, the government will take enforcement actions against them. In this case, the
government should shut down the polluting factories. The dangers of heavy metals are well
documented but no one is monitoring what they’re doing to the people who live on the Citarum.

The Indonesian Government stated that they have understand the problem in Citarum River but
they can’t fix it overnight. They have claimed that they had shut down a factory for illegally dumping a
chemical waste into the river but they did not disclose any details of the incident or name the company
because in reality, the government is not doing anything. The Indonesian government could not shut
down the textiles industry as these industries were a billion-dollar industry that helps make Indonesia
the largest economy in Southeast Asia.

As for the people of the community, they have tried to stop factories from polluting the river by
staging peaceful protests. These people had lost faith in the government and decided to take the
matters with their own hands. Through their perseverance and team work, they have managed to
identify the outlet pipe that’s been polluting the river and blocked it up. They had hope to flood the
factory causing as much disruption as they can by blocking those pipes. The people of the community
will only stop if the companies will stop contaminating the river. If there’s no change, they will
permanently block them until those industries have learned their lesson.

Conclusion:

The Citarum River on the island of Java, Indonesia was the world’s dirtiest river. What’s
happening to the Citarum River is a danger to the people who live on it. There are also similar stories in
many countries which the governments were struggling to cope with the massive population growth and
the need to provide jobs for the people have turned them on having a blind eye to unfolding
environmental disasters.
Activity 12.2 (5pts)

Read the article of Karl Begnotea entitled “Investigating mining pollution and plunder in Nueva
Vizcaya” at http://bulatlat.com/main/2014/10/05investigating-mining-pollution-and-plunder-in-
nueva-vizcaya/

Then answer the questions that following questions:

1. What is the importance of Begnotea taking samples of water and sediments in Didipio River?
What analysis do you thing he will do with it?
- The abundant natural resources and biologically diverse ecosystems of the province of Nueva Vizcaya,
known as the Watershed Haven of Cagayan Valley, are greatly imperiled by foreign large-scale mining
and militarization. Karl Begnotea, a biologist who serves as an organizer and field researcher of the
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, witnessed that this serves as an environmental
disaster which destroys the nature particularly the massively polluted Didipio River.

Murky-brown water flowed from the river and the sediments from its riverbed was muddy,
sticky and of a greenish-grey color. This was drastically different from the pristinely clear water and
brown sand and pebbles of the still-unaffected Surong Creek. These were the observations taken from
the water sampling and laboratory testing of water and sediments from the river.

Water sampling is the process of taking a portion of water for analysis or other testing.
Taking samples of water and sediments in Didipio River is important because it identifies contaminants
and prevents water-borne diseases. Water quality testing makes sure that water is safe and meets local
and international water standards. This can be completed using water sampling techniques and using
technology to estimate the amount and level of chemicals in it. Through this sampling, it can be a great
tool for their study to the remote communities of Nueva Vizcaya. It can also be a concrete indictment
against the unfavorable impacts of large-scale mining and mining policies and attestation of the
continuing struggles of the ecosystem.

2. Explain how mining pollution can affect other towns and municipalities in Nueva Vizcaya.

Mining is the extraction of minerals and other geologic materials of economic value from
underneath the Earth. However, it has adverse effects to the environment such as inducing loss of
biodiversity, soil erosion, and contamination of surface water, groundwater, and soil. The leakage of
chemicals from mining sites can also have detrimental effects on the health of the population living at or
around the mining site. Most minerals contain heavy metal which are toxic to organisms.

Mining pollution often affect people, plants, and other organisms in an ecosystem through the toxic
chemicals that buoyantly float in waters like rivers which serves as one of the main source of livelihood
in the province of Nueva Vizcaya. It causes water pollution which includes metal contamination,
increased sediment levels in streams, and acid mine drainage. It adversely impacts irrigation, fishing,
swimming, domestic water supply, normal pH of groundwater, and other activities dependent on such
water bodies. The acidic water released from metal mines or coal mines can also drain into surface
water to acidify groundwater which can have fatal effects on life sustained by water. Water sources
affected can be transferred to other towns, which may affect different livelihood like plantations and
farms. The water irrigated which is affected by chemicals can stunt the growth of different flora and
fauna along the waterways. These pollutions can also damage the soil which in case, may be unable to
be used for agriculture. These agricultural products which are affected by the toxic minerals, will then
eventually end up in our farm markets and may be distributed to the different towns around Nueva
Vizcaya. In addition, not only humans will be affected, animal wildlife especially the marine animals also
suffer from this. It leads to a massive habitat loss for animal’s diversity disrupting the balance of an
ecosystem by reducing the population of animals which may lead to their extinction. Rare animals that
used to roam around the forest can now no longer be seen. Mining pollution may also severely damage
our body’s circulatory, excretory, digestive, and nervous systems. Pollutant present in the air can
damage the health of people living near the site. Diseases of the respiratory system and allergies can be
triggered by the inhalation of such airborne particles. Also, the creation of landscape spot like open pits
and piles of waste rocks due to mining operations can lead to the physical deterioration of the land in
the mining site. Aside from destabilizing the ground, it has lost its nutrients which prohibits the
possibility of restoring its biological diversity. The once mountainous area has now become a big bank of
broken rocks, loose soil, and unhealthy water system.

3. Define the communities “continuing struggles”. What are they fighting for? What have they lost?

Different communities continue to struggle in terms of livelihood, health, and safety. The local
indigenous and peasant population’s lives had worsened since the mining companies occupied their
lands with numerous cases of harassment, violence, deception and other human rights violation. They
continue to fight for their rights in their property that was forcibly taken and with little amount of
compensation with only P11, 500.00 for their destroyed homes and livelihood. They battle for their right
to their land to continue their lives and livelihood. Different organizations and families have lost their
source of income. They have lost their rights to their own land which had been robbed by the
development aggression of human against nature that despoil our natural resources and take off the
sustainable future of our future generations. Different human rights and security have been violated.
The promised development and security by FCF and Ocean Gold Mining remains on paper. However, the
rule of survival remains unchanged and people are forced to find a new way of living and providing for
their families.
Activity 12.4  (5pts)
Open this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptfD3IdAPxQ  GMA Reporter’s Notebook:
Problema sa Basura Masosolusyunan pa kaya?  After watching it answer the questions
below.
1.    Why is solid waste a problem that cannot be solve? Has it something to do with the
government or the people?

Soil, water and air pollution can all be a result of improper waste disposal and occurs
when either of them becomes contaminated with hazardous materials. Not only does this
contribute to the creation of a greenhouse gas effects but also causes significant harm to
marine and wildlife. One of the reasons why solid waste is a problem that can’t be easily solve is
because laws are often lax. Burning of garbage’s and open dumping were allowed.
Frequently, a lack of funds prevents municipalities in such countries from ever being able to
even create a proper waste management system, in the first place.
Also, solid waste management is not the government’s responsibility alone, it is
everyone’s business. The government is not the only one who’s responsible and who had
something to do with the solid waste problem. It is everyone’s problem, as every one of us
were producing wastes.

2.   What are the dangers posed by open dump site to the people and to the environment?

Open dumps pose the following health, safety, and environmental threats:

It can cause Fire and explosion, Inhalation of toxic gases, Injury to children playing on or around
the dump site, Disease carried by mosquitoes, flies, and rodents, Contamination of streams,
rivers and lakes, Contamination of soil and groundwater, Contamination of drinking water,
Damage to plant and wildlife habitats, Decrease in the quality of life to nearby residents and the
local community. Open dumps create a public nuisance, divert land from more productive uses,
and depress the value of surrounding land.

3.    What is the rule of LGU on solid waste management? Do all of them follow the solid
waste management act?

Under RA 9003, LGUs are primarily responsible for the effective and efficient solid waste
management, particularly garbage segregation and disposal. Sadly, only 27% of 1,515
Local Government Units comply with RA 9003.

Conclusion:

In general, the reduction, reuse and recycling system, and ultimate disposal in
environmentally sanitary landfill in the Philippines, unfortunately, could still be considered as not
effective and efficient in attaining a clean environment and in decreasing the country’s GHG
emissions and its effects to local and global climate change. This is manifested by the low compliance
of LGUs to Republic Act 9003 and rampant littering and unhealthy practice of burning wastes in
some open dumps and areas. Hence, we believe that the key to effective solid waste
management in the Philippines is firstly the political will of the LGUs to innovatively comply with
RA 9003, through mobilization and participation of community, private and informal waste sectors
towards minimizing solid waste and uplifting the economic status of the vulnerable groups of
waste pickers, buyers and scavengers.

Activity 12.5 (5pts)

Describe your contributions to reduce the volume of you solid wastes at home.

1. Buy in bulk!
This helps to reduce packaging waste and can save money, too!
2. Compost it!
The fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, grass clippings and leaves
can all be composted. I can save on fertilizers and if I grow my own vegetables, I will
likely see improved yields. The organic matter will also act as a sponge to absorb more
water, meaning I might not need to water my plants as much, saving my money and
time.
3. Recycle more!
Fill up a notebook before starting a clean one. Also, by making shopping list
on a recycled paper or old envelopes and print on both sides of the paper. By
thinking twice before printing material from the internet. When possible, print
on both sides of the paper.
4. Purchase wisely and recycle
I can reduce the amount of waste I produce by purchasing products that
come with less packaging and/or come in packaging that can be recycled.
5. Repurpose old things
Repurpose old things like using old tee shirts as cleaning rags or food
containers as storage containers for other things like office supplies.
6. Use reusable grocery bags, and not just for groceries
Just like a reusable water bottle, I may already have a reusable grocery bag

Note: Activities not given as an assignment should be performed at home.