CHAPTER VI

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
 OBJECTIVES:

01 02 03
Explain the Discuss biodiversity Discuss and present
importance of of organisms within solution to the
environmental ecosystems and its environmental issues
education. significance to and concerns.
Filipino quality of
life.
 ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION

• Introduced in the Philippine Education

System for many years.
• The goal of environmental education is to
have an environmentally literate and
responsible citizenry who will ensure the
protection and the improvement of the
environment and bring about
sustainability of resources on earth for
the survival and stability of life.
 ENVIRONMENTA
L EDUCATION
DEFINED:

• A process of teaching and

learning, helping people to
acquire understanding, skills and
values that makes them active
and informed citizens in the
development and maintenance
of an ecological, sustainability
and socially just society.
• Contextualizing environment
issues within the physical,
biological, social, economic,
historical and cultural
imperatives of the Philippines.
 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, ITS
ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN THE
COMMUNITY

• Population growth
• Poverty
• Deforestation
• Pollution of water
• Air and soil
• Waste disposal
• Loss of species
 ECOSYSTEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Agricultural Ecosystem – the “backbone” of our country’s economy since many

Filipinos depend on farming.
Coral Reef Ecosystem – it provides recreation and tourism opportunities due to
its magnificent beauty.
Freshwater Ecosystem – clean water means clean ecosystem as a whole.
Forest Ecosystem – a healthy forest ecosystem is “productive”
Marginal Ecosystem – are people-induced ecosystems
• Mangrove Ecosystem – provide food and shelter to various marine organisms
from its prop root
 ECOSYSTEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Seagrass Ecosystem– are called the meadows of the sea, the source of
food for planting-eating animals.
Softbottom Ecosystem – is found in the open seas beyond light
penetration from a depth of 50 meters up to more than 10,000 meters
deep.
• Urban Ecosystem – refers to the loci of human activities.
 POLLUTION

Pollution is defined as the alternation of

our surrounding
• Pollutants can be solids, liquids, or gases
 CLASSIFICATION AND SOURCES OF
POLLUTION

Air Pollution – is defined as physical and chemical altercation of

the properties of air.

Major Types of Air Pollution:

a. Outdoor Pollution
b. Indoor Air Pollution
 THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAJOR
SOURCES OF OUTDOOR POLLUTION:

Burning of fossil fuels for power consumption

Photochemical and industrial smog
• Volcanic eruptions which emit sulfur dioxide and suspended particulates
• Forest Fire, “Kaingin”, or, the Fire and Lighting
• Evaporation of vilatile organic compounds from decaying organic matters
• Natural Radioactive 222-gas from uranium deposits
Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution is responsible for major health
effects. Every year, the health of countless people
is ruined or endangered by air pollution
Damage of Human Health
• Overloading and degrading of the body’s defense mechanisms
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
• Lung cancer
• Damage of plants that lead to dehydration and inhibition of
photosynthesis
• Damage of materials
• Depletion of ozone layer
• Increase global warming caused by “green house effect”
 FIVE MAJOR INPUT CONTROL
METHODS

Restrict population growth

Use less energy
Improve energy deficiency
Reduce waste
1. Move to none-polluting renewable forms of energy production
Air Pollution – Solutions
Air pollution because of its disastrous effects need to be
curbed. In order to accomplish this, government, scientists
and environmentalists are using to testing a varirty of
meyhodd aimed at reducing pollution.

Two main types of air pollution control:

• Input control – involves preventing a problem before it
occurs, or, at least limiting the effects the process will
produce.
• Output control – this method of control seeks to fix the problems caused by
air pollution. This means cleaning up an area that has heen damaged by
pollution. This is more expensive than the input control.

Air Pollution has indeed become a serious problem. With the efforts to
addrrsd this problem, the passage of the “Clear Air Act” in 1999 is a milestone
to provide comprehensive and integrated policy for air quality management.
The National Ambient Air Quality Values had been in set in the law to
protect health, safety and the general welfare.
 THE CLEAN AIR ACT (TAKEN FROM THE
PRIMER ON THE CLEAN AIR ACT OF DENR)

Republic Act No. 8749, otherwise knows as the Philippine Clean Air Act, is a comprehensive air quality
management policy and program that aims to achieve and maintain healthy air for all Filipinos.
The guiding principles of the Clean Air Act (CAA) provide that the state shall:
• Protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and
harmony of nature;
• Promote and protect the global environment while recognizing the primary responsibility of local government
units to deal with environmental problems;
• Recognize that the responsibility of cleaning the habitat and environment is primarily area-based;
• Recognize that the clean and healthy environment is for the good of all and should, therefore, be the concern of
all.
 All potential source of air pollution (mobile, point and
area sources) must be within the air quality standards.

Mobile sources- refer to vehicles like cars, trucks, buses,

jeepneys, tricycles, motorcycles and vans.
COVERAGE OF
THE CAA Point sources- refer to stationary sources such as
industrial firms and the smoke stacks of power plants,
hotels and other establishments.

Area sources-refers to sources of emissions other than

the above mentioned. These include smoking, burning of
garbage, and form construction, unpaved ground etc.
 WHAT THE CWTS STUDENTS CAN DO
TO HELP CLEAN THE AIR

The CWTS students can conduct information campaign related to the “Clean Air Act” informing
the community people on how to help clean the air.
1. For vehicle owners/motorist:
- Maintain vehicle by changing oil regularly (every 5,000 km)
- Keep the engine well-tuned based on the owner’s manual
- Keep tires properly inflated
- Plan trips and observe proper driving habits
- Remove unnecessary things from the trunk. Don’t overload and travel only at speed required
by traffic regulations and road conditions
2. For commuters:
- Try talking to the jeep/bus/tricycle driver about the high health risks of poor
vehicle maintenance and improve driving practices
- Patronize the mass transit such as bus, train (MRT, LRT)

3. For Office Workers:

- Reduce use of air conditioners
- Make sure that lights are energy efficient
- Use company vehicles wisely
- Use natural lighting by opening window curtains at daytime
4. At Home:
- Use low watt bulbs or energy saving light
- Limit the use of air-conditioning units a few degree higher
- Don’t burn garbage
- Avoid using aerosols
- Properly dispose refrigerant, refrigeration, equipment and use coolant

5. For Everyone:
- Talk to people on what they can do about pollution
- Report smoke-belchers to LTO, MMDA, and/or the appropriate local government units
- Walk or ride in mass transit transportation
- Stop burning of garbage in community
- Plant trees
- Don’t smoke in public places
Water Pollution

A. Major sources of water pollution

• Point source – a source of pollution that discharges pollutants into bodies of water
to specific location.
• Non-Point Source – a source of pollution that are widely scattered and discharges
pollutants over a large sea.

B. Water pollution-causes
- The dumping of sewage, sludge, garbage, and even waste/pollutants from houses,
industries and even government into the water makes it polluted, yet the
government does not care or give attention to it.
C. Water Pollution-Effects
- Both government and non-government projects are implemented and carried
out to clean up the water like the “Clean Water Act”, industries are beginning
to reduce waste disposal from water and making of degradable products.

Solid Waste/Land Pollution

D. Causes of Garbage
- Effects of “thrown-away and disposable society”
- Overpopulation
- Overproduction of non-biodegradable materials
- Medical waste
- Household waste
Solid Waste and Its Disposal
• Landfills – designed to reduce the amount of waste
that leaks out into the environment.
• Incineration – the process of reducing solid waste
by burning it first.
• Ocean Dumping – discharge of wastes into the
ocean.
 EFFEC TIVE WAYS OF R EC YC LING AND R EDUC ING
NON-B IODEGRADAB LE AND DEGRADAB LE WASTE

Commercial products in the market are utilized non-biodegradable products

which contribute to the growing amount of environmental waste if not properly
disposed.
Ecological Waste Management (EWM) through zero-waste concept is primarily
concerned with maximizing opportunities and mobilizing school resources to
achieve the vision and goals of sustainable Earth and Society through the low-
technology approach concept.
 NATURE OF BIODEGRADABLE AND
NON-BIODEGRADABLE WASTES

1. Biodegradable Waste
They are compostable and can be reused as feeds,
fermentable, fuel and fertilizers.

2. Non-biodegradable Waste
They are factory returnable and can serve as
potential sources of livelihood projects.
THE 4R’S OF WASTE MANAGEMENT-
GUIDING PRINCIPLE

Reduce – avoid Reuse – reuse items

wasteful consumption that are useful instead
goods of throwing them away

Recycle – the process

Repair – repair
whereby portions of
reusable items to make
these wastes are sorted
them functional rather
out and used for
than throwing them.
something of benefit.
 SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE WAYS OF THE
4R’S (PERSONAL WASTE
MANAGEMENT)
• Avoid over-packed goods
• Avoid disposable goods such as throw-away razors, pens, papers, and lately even disposable
cameras
• Buy food in bulk and patronize products whose contents are refillable.
• Buy durable products
• Practice composting
• Patronize recycled and recyclable goods. There different kinds of plastics. Avoid polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) containers, often used such as cooking oil and salad dressing bottles. Avoid
containers made from multiple layers of plastics such as squeezable bottles. These are virtually
non-recyclable. Chlorinated Polyethylene (CPE) plastics are highly recommend instead.
• Patronize products that are made from renewable, rather than, non-
renewable resources.
• When buying products such as shampoos and other toiletries, choose those
with as little packaging as possible. Avoid products which use numerous
and unnecessary layers of olastics, cardboard and Styrofoam as they will
only add to garbage you throw out. Choose products with reusable or
recyclable containers. Jars and tin cans can be reused at home instead
being thrown away as garbage.
• Recycle paper. It is one of saving our trees. Use backsides of used paper as
recycle paper such as sketch pad. You can also send all your used paper to
RECYCLE CENTERS. You may have one in your neighborhood. Share
your magazines, newspapers and comic books with your friends.