UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY

Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
SUBJECT CODE : GEE 001
TOPIC OR LESSON 3 : Contemporary Issues and Problems in the Environment
SUB-TOPIC/S : Overfishing
Ozone Layer
Deforestation

OVERFISHING

Causes of Overfishing
Poor fishing management
• Many fisheries around the world are either unregulated or are governed by policies that
exacerbate the issue. Article XII, Section II of the Philippine Constitution states that fisheries are
owned by the public and guarantees use of the resource for all citizens.

Human Population Growth

• A significant element is the human population's expansion, which will double in around 35 years.
The nation's inadequate population program is evident in the seemingly endless influx of people
to coastal areas.
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Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

Poverty
• It illustrates how other economic sectors have been unable to sustainably create jobs. The
number of fishermen rises because of poverty. Landless and without a place to go, the
unemployed are pushed into coastal areas where many turn to fishing as a source of income.
Due to their growing numbers, poor fishermen play a significant role in the widespread destruction
of fish habitats with destructive fishing techniques and an excessive amount of fishing effort.

Effects of Overfishing
Socio-economic Impact
• Oceans have supplied us with sufficient seafood for years, but that is no longer the case.
Overfishing over the last couple of decades has stripped the oceans of their fish supply. And this
has affected many people’s everyday way of life and source of income. With no valuable fish left
in the waters to fish, the fishing industry is on the verge of collapse.

Rise of the Endangered Species

• Another concern of overfishing is that because the industry is so large, there are a number of sea
creatures who get caught in the process, but don’t get used for food. This can mean everything
from dolphins to turtles can be impacted by the presence of fishing fleets.
• The excessive catching of unwanted fishes can prevent the continuation of the population and
cause the loss of billions of fishes. According to the International Union for Conservation of
Nature's (IUCN) Red List of endangered species, 1,616 species of fish are at risk for extinction;
another 989 are endangered and 627 are critically endangered.

Destruction of Coral Reefs

• A lot of fishes come from different coral reefs, but when people plant traps to catch fishes close
to the reefs, it can damage the reefs, which needs time to heal.
• When fish populations decline, particularly those that feed on algae, algae can grow unchecked,
eventually smothering corals. 55% of the world’s coral reefs are affected by overfishing.

Solutions
1. Working with Governments
• The lack of regulations and specific policy, and the fact that fishing has been an industry tied to
the history of humans and civilization, many groups, like the World Wildlife Fund, are helping
countries learn to prepare adequate and effective management protocols.

2. Creation of More Protected Areas

• Setting up more protected areas in the ocean is an effort to help reduce the effects of overfishing
on some of the world’s most incredible reefs and marine structures. If the created protected areas
 UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

could be regulated with strict rules and proper aquaculture practices, it could stop overfishing
once and for all.

3. Labels for Consumers

• The Groups are also attempting to raise consumer awareness of the seafood they consume and
buy. Consumers can learn more about which fish are threatened by overfishing and where the
fish are from by reading pamphlets and practical instructions. Many of them offer options of fish
that aren't in as much danger, like the one from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

4. Aiding Developing Countries

• Since fishing is a significant business in many underdeveloped and underprivileged countries,
conservation efforts are concentrated on assisting these regions in setting up practices that will
ensure sustainability over time.
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Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

OZONE LAYER

• The ozone layer is one layer of the

stratosphere, the second layer of
Earth’s atmosphere. The stratosphere
is the mass of protective gases clinging
to our planet.
• The stratosphere gets its name
because it is stratified, or layered: as
elevation increases, the stratosphere
gets warmer. The stratosphere
increases in warmth with elevation
because ozone gases in the upper
layers absorb intense ultraviolet
radiation from the sun.

Ozone is only a trace gas in the atmosphere—only about three molecules for every 10 million molecules of
air. But it does a very important job. Like a sponge, the ozone layer absorbs bits of radiation hitting Earth from the
sun. Even though we need some of the sun's radiation to live, too much of it can damage living things. The ozone
layer acts as a shield for life on Earth.

• Ozone is good at trapping a type of radiation

called ultraviolet radiation, or UV light, which can
penetrate organisms’ protective layers, like skin.
This then may damage DNA molecules in plants
and animals. There are two major types of UV
light: UVB and UVA.
• UVB is the cause of skin conditions like
sunburns, and cancers like basal cell carcinoma
and squamous cell carcinoma.

The ozone layer is getting thinner. Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a reason we have
a thinning ozone layer. A CFC is a molecule that contains the elements carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. CFCs
are everywhere, mostly in refrigerants and plastic products. Businesses and consumers use them because
they're inexpensive, they don't catch fire easily, and they don't usually poison living things. But the CFCs start
eating away at the ozone layer once they get blown into the stratosphere.
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Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

Ozone molecules, which are simply made of three joined oxygen atoms, are always being destroyed
and reformed naturally. But CFCs in the air make it very difficult for ozone to reform once it’s broken apart.
The ozone layer, which only makes up 0.00006 percent of Earth’s atmosphere, is getting thinner and thinner
all the time.

“Ozone holes” are popular names for areas of

damage to the ozone layer. This is inaccurate.
Ozone layer damage is more like a really thin
patch than a hole. The ozone layer is thinnest
near the poles.

Solutions to Ozone Layer Depletion

The depletion of the ozone layer is a serious issue and various programs have been launched by the
government of various countries to prevent it. However, steps should be taken at the individual level as well
to prevent the depletion of the ozone layer.

Following are some points that would help in preventing this problem at a global level:

Avoid Using ODS

• Reduce the use of ozone depleting substances. E.g., avoid the use of CFCs in refrigerators and air
conditioners, replacing the halon-based fire extinguishers, etc.
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Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

Minimize the Use of Vehicles

• The vehicles emit a large amount of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming as well as
ozone depletion. Therefore, the use of vehicles should be minimized as much as possible.

Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

• Most of the cleaning products have chlorine and bromine releasing chemicals that find a way into
the atmosphere and affect the ozone layer. These should be substituted with natural products to
protect the environment.

Use of Nitrous Oxide should be Prohibited

• The government should take actions and prohibit the use of harmful nitrous oxide that is adversely
affecting the ozone layer. People should be made aware of the harmful effects of nitrous oxide and
the products emitting the gas so that its use is minimized at the individual level as well.
 UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

DEFORESTATION

What is Deforestation?
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. The UN’s
Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the annual rate of deforestation to be around 1.3 million km2
per decade.

What is the cause of Deforestation?

Agriculture is the Number 1 Cause of Deforestation

• According to the FAO, agriculture causes around 80% of deforestation. And how does agriculture
cause so much deforestation? According to the same report, 33% of agriculture-caused deforestation
is a consequence of subsistence agriculture – such as local peasant agriculture in developing
countries. Commercial or industrial agriculture (field crops and livestock) cause around 40% of forest
loss – in the search for space to grow food, fibers or biofuel (such as soybeans, palm oil, beef, rice,
maize, cotton and sugar cane). It is also particularly interesting to note livestock is believed to be
responsible for about 14% of global deforestation. The main reasons why have to do with the large
areas require both to raise livestock but also to grow its (soy-based) food.
 UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

Deforestation Caused by New Constructions

• The construction of human infrastructures has also been driving deforestation. More specifically,
10% of deforestation can be attributed to new infrastructures that serve the current human lifestyle
in four main ways: transportation, transformation and energy generation. On one hand, roads, rails,
ports or airports have been built to move all sorts of goods – from cereals and fruits to spices,
minerals or fossil fuels – either directly to trade centers or to transformation sites. So while at first
there were only fruit trees, roads soon arrived to allow transporting fruit to other regions. And while
some goods were and are collected manually, others such as coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, but
also meat, dairy or spirits, required the construction of large extraction, transportation and/or
transformation infrastructures.

How Urbanization is causing Deforestation

The populational shift that is leading people to move from rural areas to urban areas is also
contributing to deforestation. This urban growth – in which 68% of the world’s population is expected to live
in cities by 2050 – is leading to an exponential growth of housing and consumption sites. And as cities become
larger so they can host more people, they challenge the natural boundaries surrounding them, often leading
to deforestation. This is one of the reasons why deforestation is happening.

How does Deforestation affect the environment?

1. The Effects of Deforestation on Biodiversity
The most known consequence of deforestation is its threat to biodiversity. In fact, forests represent
some of the most veritable hubs of biodiversity. From mammals to birds, insects, amphibians or plants, the
forest is home to many rare and fragile species. 80% of the Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests.
By destroying the forests, human activities are putting entire ecosystems in danger, creating natural
imbalances, and putting Life at threat. The natural world is complex, interconnected, and made of thousands
of inter-dependencies and among other functions, trees provide shade and colder temperatures for animals
and smaller trees or vegetation which may not survive with the heat of direct sunlight. Besides, trees also
feeding animals with their fruits while providing them with food and shelter they need to survive.

2. The Effects of Deforestation on Local People and Their Livelihoods

Healthy forests support the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people globally, one billion of whom are among the
world’s poorest. This means there are many people depending on forests for survival and using them to hunt
and gather raw products for their small-scale agriculture processes. But in developing countries such as
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Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

Borneo, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, or Mexico, land tenure systems are weak. This allows big businesses to
get these lands and use them for other ends, disrupting local people’s lives.
Locals then have to make one of two choices. They can decide to abandon “their” land and migrate
somewhere else, avoiding conflict and embracing the challenge of a new different life. Or they can stay and
work for the companies exploring it in remote plantations – often getting unfair wages and working under
inhumane conditions. In some countries like Mexico, plantations’ owners are often forced to share their profits
with local cartels to keep their families alive and to avoid having their crops burned.

3. Deforestation for Food May Lead to Food Insecurity in the Future

Today, 52% of all the land used for food production is moderately or severely impacted by soil erosion.
In the long term, the lack of healthy, nutritious soil can lead to low yields and food insecurity. Forests and the
benefits they provide in the form of food, income and watershed protection have an important and often
critical role in enabling people around the world to secure a stable and adequate food supply. Forests are
important to the food insecure because they are one of the most accessible productive resources available
to them.

4. Soil Erosion is One of the Consequences of Deforestation

Deforestation weakens and degrades the soil. Forested soils are usually not only richer on organic
matter, but more resistant to erosion, bad weather, and extreme weather events. This happens mainly
because roots help fix trees in the ground and the sun-blocking tree cover helps the soil to slowly dry out. As
a result, deforestation will probably mean the soil will become increasingly fragile, leaving the area more
vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides and floods.

5. Deforestation Affects and Contributes to Climate Change

Forests and trees store carbon. When they are degraded or completely cleared, e.g., by fire – a process
referred to as deforestation – this stored carbon has the potential to be released back into the atmosphere
as carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change. If we speak about tropical forests, they hold more than
210 gigatons of carbon, according to WWF. And what’s worrying is that the destruction of these trees has
two big negative side-effects:
Firstly, taking down trees means they’ll release back into the atmosphere the CO2 they were keeping.
Secondly, fewer trees available means reducing the planet’s overall ability to capture and store CO2. Both
these effects negatively contribute to the greenhouse effect and to climate change. As a matter of fact, while
food and agriculture account for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation is estimated to be
responsible for 10-15% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
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Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

Where is Deforestation happening?

(Countries Most Impacted by Deforestation)
The Effects of Deforestation in The Amazon Rainforest

• Brazil and the Amazon Forest are also important (for the wrong reasons) deforestation areas
worldwide. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the world’s largest forest hotspots, with huge biodiversity
reserves. Its ability to store carbon and produce oxygen makes it of the “lungs” of the planet.
• Since the 1960s, the Amazon Forest has been under threat, and nearly 760 000 km2 (around 20%
of its original size) of forest area was lost. Before 1980-1990, large industrial projects such as dams,
roads, or mines were the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon region, together with
subsistence farming.
• Cutting down rainforests can damage habitat, diminish levels of biodiversity and food sources,
degrade the soil, pollute rivers and lands, and cause areas to dry out affecting the overall productivity
for the peoples and animals that live there.
The Effects of Deforestation in Southeast Asia – Indonesia and Borneo

• Indonesia and the island of Borneo are emblematic symbols of the global phenomenon of
Deforestation. This region in Southeast Asia is naturally one of the richest reserves of forest and
biodiversity in the world. But at the same time, it is also one of the regions that have been suffering
the most deforestation in recent decades. According to FAO, between 1990 and 2012 alone,
Indonesia lost about 9 million hectares of its forests, largely due to deforestation caused by palm oil.
One of the most important causes of deforestation in Indonesia and Borneo is unquestionably the
production of palm oil.
• According to FAO, between 1990 and 2000, nearly 6 million hectares of palm oil plantations have
gradually replaced Indonesian forests. This makes the palm oil industry one of the biggest
contributors to deforestation in Southeast Asia – and it is expected to continue to be so. Due to
pressure from NGOs (such as Greenpeace’s recent report) and new regulations, as well the
expectations of consumers, the situation of the palm oil industry is slowly starting to improve.
• Indonesia now accounts for nearly 35% of the world’s sustainable palm oil production, although the
sustainable palm oil market is still small (only 19% is certified). Despite industries still posing serious
environmental problems, the media spotlight on this topic is beginning to shift the lines.

Deforestation in Africa

• Africa is also a large area suffering from deforestation. In fact, it experiences more deforestation than
Asia: about 2 million hectares of forest disappear each year in Africa. In Nigeria, for instance, over
90% of forests were lost because of practices that started in the colonial era. Woodcutting of forest
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reserves and the development of cocoa and palm oil plantations are among the main causes of
deforestation in Africa, together with land cleaning for mining activities.
• ‘Water Towers’ in Africa face intense pressures from deforestation. The degradation of these forests
for agriculture, charcoal burning and encroachment for settlement, have undermined the ability of
these forested landscapes to provide critical ecosystem services such as the provision of water.
These forests have the ability to store rainwater during the rainy season and release it slowly during
drier periods. Hence, the continued degradation of these forests contributes to a growing water crisis.

How can we stop Deforestation?

(Solutions to Deforestation)
1 – Consuming Less and More Consciously Helps Stop Deforestation

• As consumers we can choose to buy less industrial and transformed products such as cookies, crips,
noodles or cosmetics that use plenty of palm oil. Instead, we can go for a home-made approach with
fewer chemicals and food preservatives which is better for both the planet and our health. However,
if you are not willing to make such changes – because they are time consuming – you can still
consume more responsibly while keeping your lifestyle. To this regard, you can buy products from
brands adopting eco-friendly business practices. When it comes to food, buying directly to small
farmers using agroforestry practices is the best choice for the planet.
2 – Give indigenous people control of the land

• Research suggests that one of the most effective solutions to deforestation is giving indigenous
people control of the land. A 2021 study found that tree-felling reduced by a fifth where indigenous
communities were in control. In some cases, deforestation rates were lower than in national parks.
• Joe Eisen is executive director of Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), an NGO working in Africa and
South America. He believes that such findings are a major cause for optimism. “The evidence
increasingly backs up RFUK’s founding principle: that entrusting forests to indigenous peoples and
other local communities… is the most effective and socially just way of protecting them,” he says.
Many indigenous populations have a strong cultural and spiritual connections to the forest. They are
therefore likely to act in a way that ensures its survival.
3 – Lead by Example and Spread Awareness

• If you start adopting the behaviors mentioned above to help stop deforestation you can lead by your
example. Teach your family, friends or colleagues what deforestation is and why it is happening, the
causes and consequences of deforestation, and what solutions individuals, consumers and
organizations can adopt.
4 – Supporting Tree Planting Organizations
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Planting trees is one of the easiest and most meaningful ways you can help preserve the environment and
combat global climate change. Because climate change has taken center stage when it comes to
environmental issues, many charities have advertised their reforestation efforts. By planting trees and helping
forests regrow where they have been severely degraded, we're helping to reduce the impacts of climate
change, slow biodiversity loss, ensure clean water and air for everyone, and provide full, healthy forests for
future generations.
 UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

CONCLUSION

The environment is important in supporting life on Earth, whether it is a person, animal,

or plant. Our environment is constantly changing, and as it does, there are some issues that
are causing harm to life and the earth's ecosystem that we need to be more aware of. People,
unfortunately, forget that we are a part of nature because our daily activities are constantly
degrading the quality of the environment, resulting in the loss of survival from the earth. Above
all, humans and their desire for more are the root causes of all environmental issues.

We must be in balance with nature and take care of it. We need to reconsider how we
use natural resources. People must be aware that the natural world is at the verge of
collapsing. People must be much more cautious in how they live their lives in light of the types
of environmental issues that our planet is facing. People must recognize that they are not the
primary users of the environment and build environmentally friendly homes. We must consider
future generations and what will be left behind after we are gone. People must devise
solutions to environmental issues. But most importantly, people's lifestyles must be drastically
altered until nature takes the final drastic measures. Every individual is responsible for saving
our planet from these environmental issues. If preventive measures are not taken, our
children and grandchildren will face serious consequences. The government should also take
steps to raise public awareness. Every individual should be involved in reducing and
controlling these issues.

Environmental issues indicate the environmental catastrophe. If these issues are not
addressed, there will be no life on Earth in the near future.