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. Identified the causes of climate change

2. Assessed the various impacts of climate change including economic, geopolitical, biological, meteorological, etc.
3. Applied STS concepts to the issue of climate change
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CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a global phenomenon caused by burning fossil fuels that resulted to gases being
trapped in the atmosphere. When this happens, trapped gases in the atmosphere caused the Earth to be
severely heated. 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 (Greenhouse effect) refers to gradual increase of temperature of the Earth. It is the
warming effect caused by greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. It keeps the planet warm and prevents warm
air from leaving similar to gases being trapped on the surface.
Examples of gasses that cause global warming are carbon dioxide and methane. Other gasses that
are man-made include chlorofluorocarbons, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride.
Deforestation (burning of trees and other vegetation) is one activity that causes global warming. Forest
fire releases carbon dioxide into the air, results to increase the level of long wave radiation and trapped heat.
Such activity is dangerous not only to plants in the forest but as well as all the animals that live on it. Humans
are also greatly affected by Global warming. Trapped gasses in the atmosphere are detrimental to human’s
health.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change also caused the melting of ice caps in the Polar Regions. This phenomena 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. This will
also lead to the destruction of habitat for the polar bears that thrive on snow.
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 depletion occurring in the stratosphere is a normal photolytic process as well as ozone

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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

formation. An ozone-depleting substance like chlorofluorocarbons used as aerosol propellants was ban in the
United States since 1970s. However the use of new chemicals in refrigeration, fire suppression, foam insulation
and other applications emit chlorofluorocarbon in the air which contributes to ozone depletion.

There are three oxygen atoms containing an Ozone molecule. The ultraviolet ray is very harmful to
humans and plants. The Atmospheric Ozone layer serves as a protection. It is located in the layer of
stratosphere about 15 to 30 kilometers 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 “hole” over Antarctica is one of the examples of ozone depletion that occurred since early
1980s. It is not literally a hole instead it is a large area in the stratosphere with extremely low ozone. Ozone
hole could be found in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America

ACID DEPOSITION

Acid deposition is a term use to describe 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

Thermal inversion occurs when 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 concentration of
pollutants the temperature increases and disrupts the flow of the mixed air to a higher level.
Peroxyacetyl nitrate 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.
Thermal inversion occurs in some coastal areas due to the upwelling of cold water that lowers surface
air 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.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

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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

Video or vlog Presentation

Instructions: Create a 5–10-minutes group video presentation/vlog discussing issues and problems brought by
climate change and promote environmental awareness. Use the following.

1. Is climate change caused by humans? Why or why not?

2. How is climate change affecting people, animals and the ocean?
3. How is climate change affecting farms and our food?
4. What can a student do about climate change?
5. How is climate likely to change in the future?

Your work will be assessed using the following criteria:

4 3 2 1
Depth of Content It covers all the It includes basic It includes essential The content
topics in dept with knowledge about information about includes minor
details and the topic. The the topic, but it has details and several
examples. The content seems to 1-2 mistakes in the mistakes in the
knowledge of the be good. facts. facts.
topic is excellent.
Originality and Work is insightful Work is insightful Work shows some Work is not original.
Insight and shows a high and shows insight and some
degree of imagination. degree of
imagination. imagination.
Accuracy of The student The student made The students made It was hard to
language use communicated well a few mistakes in some mistakes in understand due to
using correct vocabulary and vocabulary and incorrect use of
vocabulary and grammar but there grammar. vocabulary and
grammar. were no patterns of grammar.
errors.
Videography- The overall quality Most of the quality The quality of the The quality of the
clarity of the video and the of the video and the video is not very video and the focus
focus were focus were good, but the are not very good.
excellent. excellent. overall focus was
excellent.
Timeliness Completed work Completed work Completed work Completed work
was passed earlier was passed on the was passed the day was passed more
than the deadline deadline given. after the deadline than a day after the
given. given. deadline given.

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
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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