LESSON 2

CLIMATE CHANGE
OBJECTIVES

• Explain the political, economic, and social aspects of climate change.

• Discuss the different programs, policies, and rules of the government and of
international organizations in relation to climate change.

• Assess the effects of climate change on the environment, society, and

livelihood of people, in the country and in the world.

• Identify the environmental problems experienced by one’s community.

• Discusss the steps followed by the government in times of environment

problems in one’s community.
THE HISTORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE

WHAT IS CLIMATE
CHANGE?
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

According to the American Meteorological Society,

• Climate change refers to “any systematic change in the long-term

statistics of climate elements (such as temperature, pressure, or winds)
sustained over several of decades or longer.”

According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Climate change defines it as “a change in climate that is caused by the

change in the normal and/or variability of elements of climate change that
persists for a long period of time that can be traced directly or indirectly
from people’s actions that change the composition of the atmosphere.”
Climate change refers to the change in climate pattern or the
climate that persists for many decades and continue to change,
particularly the increase in temperature of the atmosphere that
will result to a dangerously how weather condition in that years
that follow.
THE HISTORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE

THE HISTORY OF
GLOBAL WARMING
AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
There are studies in Europe and North America since 1930s that
show increase in temperature of the atmosphere as a result of
using fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution.

A British engineer named Guy Stewart Callendar suggests the

“Callendar Effect” or the warming of the atmosphere, which is
the initial study on the concept of green house effect that can
be traced to the use of fossil fuel.
In 1965, the US government informed the public of the continuous
increase of GHG.

In 1972, UN held its first ever conference the the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) was created.

After three years, the term global warming was first used in the research
paper of Wallace Broecker, and since then, numerous researches have
been conducted on the negative effects of using carbon (i.e.) and the
most alarming of which is the damage it is causing the ozone layer.
In 1987 and 1990, the Protocol was signed by developed
nations in Montreal and Kyoto declaring their support in
lessening the use of chemicals that damage the ozone layer.
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL
ASPECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

POLITICAL ASPECT
Climate change is a global issue that governments make
policies and laws relevant to this. Some of these includes
allowing funds for the use of renewable and nuclear
energy, levying tax on the use of carbon, and declaring
illegal the burning of fossil fuel or CFCs
(chlorofluorocarbons).
The Hockey Stick and Climate Gate: A Political Debate

Professor Mann became popular because of his

presentation of a graph that looks like a hockey stick
showing the global temperature in the past millennium.

Some parts of the e-mail were used to make it look there

was manipulation or that scientists conspired to
deliberately keep the results of scientific researches from
public access.
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL
ASPECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

ECONOMIC ASPECT
The increase of economic activities during the Industrial
Revolution in the 19th century resulted to a big demand for
energy and for raw materials needed for the creation of this
energy.

This resulted to the increase of GHG.

According to studies, there is a correlation between the

GDP to the use of fossil fuel and other types of carbon.
 Other Countries
52%

France
Italy
1%
2%
Canada
2%
UK
2%
Germany
4%
Japan
5%
Russia
8% USA
24%
ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE THE GHG
EMISSIONS

• Cap-and-Trade - This is popularly known as carbon trading or

selling of rights and permission to dispose GHG in the atmosphere.

• Carbon capture and storage - This is a technology that controls

the emission of carbon from fossil fuel (that coal plants usually use),
transfers, and buries it underground or in a permanent storage.
ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE THE GHG
EMISSIONS

• Using Nuclear Energy - it was introduced as a “cleaner” alternative

for fossil fuel because it does not emit CO2 to be able to produce
electricity. The process of building nuclear plants require the use of
fossil fuel and uranium that also leaves tailings of carbon.

• Geoengineering - This refers to the intentional or deliberate action

of people to counter global warming and climate change. This
includes putting sulphate in the stratosphere to redirect the sunlight
to the outer space; putting iron in the ocean so that plankton would
grow to absorb CO2.
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL
ASPECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

SOCIAL ASPECT
Climate change increases the danger brought by typhoons,
drought, flooding, change in the amount of rain, long-term
change in temperature, and the level of seawater. This also
brings direct and indirect effects to issues that involve
health, food security, occupation, income, and
livelihood of people.
The urban poor are the most affected by climate change
because of their lack of opportunities to live in clean and
safe places. Most of them live in low lands that are
dangerous in times of flooding and when the level of
seawater rises.
SIGNS OF GLOBAL WARMING IN OUR
ENVIRONMENT

• Melting of ice in the Arctic Habitat of Animals

• Spread of Diseases • Rising Acidity of the

Oceans
• Drought
• Air Pollution and Heat
• Flooding and Super Wave
Typhoon

• Destruction of the Natural

RESPONDING TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
Personalities who responded to the challenges posed by climate
change:

• Pen Hadow, Martin Harley, and Ann Daniels - They dug snow
for five hours every night to gather information about their
research.

• Valerie Cassey - Initiated “Kyoto Protocol” whose objective is to

set a standard of development that does not negatively affect the
environment or what is known as sustainable development.
Personalities who responded to the challenges posed by
climate change:

• Zhao Zhong - established “Green Camel Bell”, an NGO whose

aim is to broaden the awareness of the Chinese people on
environmental issues.

• Olga Speranskaya - recommended to the Russian government

to eliminate the stored chemicals and pesticides in their
country.
Organizations were established to respond to the problems caused by
climate change:

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - To conduct in

government level researches on problems caused by global warming.

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) - It

obliged the countries to lessen or control the emission of greenhouse
gases.

• IPCC Report on Global Warming - Warns the public of the increase in the
greenhouse gases produced because of man’s activities.
THE RESPONSE OF THE PHILIPPINES
ON CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES
The government responded to climate change by passing the
RA 9729 of 2009 or the Climate Change Act of 2009.

It aims to systematically include in the policies and programs of

local and national governments the concept of climate change
as a way to prepare for the dangers it brings.
The National Framework Strategy (2010-2012), the Philippine
government aims to strengthen the adaptability and flexibility of
the Filipino people in facing the challenges brought by the
climate change.
PHILIPPINE LAWS IN RELATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE

• Article I and II of the Philippine Constitution

• Are both giving priority to the protection of the

environment by passing laws and plans such as
establishing the Commission on Climate Change to assess
the ability of the government to move the people to fight
the negative effects of the climate change.
PHILIPPINE LAWS IN RELATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE

• RA 9729 (Climate Change Act of 2009)

• Aims to include in a systematic way the concept of climate

change in policy making and in the development plans of
all government agencies so that they would be able to
prepare the public of the dangers the climate change may
bring.
PHILIPPINE LAWS IN RELATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE

• RA 9367 (Biofuels Act of 2006)

• States that the country should decrease its dependence

on imported fuels to the protect the public’s health, the
ecosystem, and the environment. As an alternative, it
encourages the use of biofuels such as biodiesel and
bioethanol fuel.
PHILIPPINE LAWS IN RELATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE

• RA 8749 (Clean Air Act of 1999)

• It sets emission standards on the amount and quality of

smoked emitted by automobiles wherein only those who
pass the standard will be given vehicle registration.

• It also limits the pollutants that industries may emit.

PHILIPPINE LAWS IN RELATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE

• RA 9003 (Philippine Ecological Solid Waste Management

Act of 2000)

• It provides legal outline for a systematic, comprehensive,

and ecological program to make sure that solid waste are
not going to be harmful to public’s health and that the
environment is protected.
GOVERNMENT’S PROJECTS IN
RELATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
• Climate Change Mitigation or the Greenhouse Gas
Reduction

• ECO-Towns Ecologically Stable and Economically Resilient

towns

• Establishment of the Philippine Climate Change Research

and Development Agenda
TWENTY STEPS TO FIGHT GLOBAL
WARMING
• Ensure the quality of your • Use reusable bags
vehicles’ wheels, machines,
and mileage • Buy appliances with Energy
Star Logo
• Carpooling
• Patronize organic vegetables
• Turn-off the lights in the even for a few times a week
workplace during break time
• Monitor the consumption of
• Turn-off and unplug computer electricity
TWENTY STEPS TO FIGHT GLOBAL
WARMING
• Open the windows in your home • Replace electric bulbs with
compact fluorescent or with LED
• Pay your bills online bulb
• Live in the city • Use hybrid or electric cars

• Ride the bus • Do not use the shower and the bath
tub
• Telecommute
• Use solar energy
• Dry clothes the traditional way
• Vote wisely
• Have a small home