CHAPTER

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE

12 ENERGY CRISIS

OBJECTIVES:

After studying the chapter, the students shall be able to:

1. Identify the causes of climate change

2. Assess the various impacts of climate change including economic, geopolitical, biological,
meteorological, etc.
3. Apply STS concepts to the issue of climate change

Pre-Assessment: CONCEPT MAP

You might have already heard of “Climate Change” in some social platforms as a hot issue
and advocacy that calls for biological, economical, sociological and political concerns. Below
is a concept map, with the word climate change at the center, write something out of what
you know and understand about this issue.

CLIMATE CHANGE

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PRESENTATION OF CONTENTS
“There is no question that climate change is happening; the only arguable point is what part humans
are playing in it.”
-David Attenborough

Climate Change

Figure 18. Emission of greenhouse gases

Climate change is the range of global phenomena caused by burning fossil fuels that
add heat-trapping gases to the Earth’s atmosphere. Global warming, used interchangeably
with climate change, specifically refers to Earth’s upward trend of temperature since the 20 th
century. It is generally defined as the general warming effect caused by greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation that enters the
atmosphere and radiate it to the Earth’s surface as heat, thereby warming the Earth. Some
common greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming include naturally occurring
gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxides (NOx), and man-
made gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons, (HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
Global warming keeps the planet warm and prevents warm air from leaving the
planet. The global warming potential (GWP) of natural greenhouse gases are small as
compared with that of other anthropogenic gases from the burning of fossil fuels, power
plants, transportation vehicles, and other industrial processes. Man-made greenhouse
gasses and cause adverse global warming.
Deforestation is also pointed at as a culprit to this adverse phenomenon. When forest
land is destroyed, CO2 is released into the air, thus increasing the levels of long-wave
radiation and trapped heat. Deforestation also affects biodiversity because damage in the
rainforest results in the destruction of wildlife habitats.
Several effects of climate change are already felt and observed. One example is the
melting of ice caps in the polar regions of the Earth that causes dilution of salt in the ocean
and disruption of natural ocean currents. Ocean currents control temperatures by bringing

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warmer currents into cooler areas and cooler currents into warmer areas. Disruption of this
activity can result in extreme changes in temperature that may affect global or regional
climate patterns. The melting ice caps also affects albedo, the ratio of the light reflected by
any part of Earth’s atmosphere. Snow, with the highest albedo level, reflects sunlight back
into space making the Earth cooler. When snow melts, the Earth’s temperature rises
resulting in climate change.

Figure 19. The Greenhouse Effect

Changing wildlife adaptations and cycles is another effect of global warming. For
instance, spruce bark beetles in Alaska only appear on warmer months, but since there is a
rise in global temperatures, they started appeared all year-round, chewing on spruce trees
and thus leaving the forest damaged. Polar bears are also decreasing in number because
the melting of the polar ice caps has caused them to starve and lose habitats. Melting ice
caps can also cause sea levels to rise which may greatly affect low-lying coastal areas
where large populations dwell.
Diseases have also spread due to climate change. Migration distances for many
migratory species greatly increased which can possibly displace disease-carrying insects,
crucial pollinators, and crop pests into new areas. Greater distances also mean greater
lengths to go to in order for animals to survive.
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

A thin layer of ozone (O3) is maintained at the stratosphere as protection from the
sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Only a thin layer is needed because when there is higher O 3
concentration, meteorological parameters, i.e., temperature and wind, brings down O 3 in the
troposphere and causes respiratory problems in human. In this case O 3 becomes a criteria
pollutant. Ozone depletion occurring in the stratosphere therefore is a normal photolytic
process as well as O3 formation. The following reactions occur to maintain a thin layer of O3.

O2 + UV (˂242 nm) → O + O (Equation 1)

O + O2 + M → O3 + M (Equation 2)

O3 + UV or visible → O + O2 (Equation 3)

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 Due to the presence of substance X, which are free radical catalysts such as chlorine
radical (Cl●) and bromine radical (Br●) coming from substances made of chloroforms or
bromine-based substances used as aerosols, refrigerants, fire retardants, and the like, and
nitric oxide radical (NO●), and hydroxyl radical (OH●), which are naturally occurring, the
ozone formation and destruction is now represented as follows

X + O3 → XO + O2 (Equation 4)

XO + O2 → X + O2 (Equation 5)

O3 + O → O2 + O2 (Equation 6)

As an intermediate product, say X is Cl●, ClONO 2 will produced. This substance is

inert and is deposited on both the northern and southern polar regions due to winds as the
Earth rotates. The problem occurs when the ClONO 2 reservoirs are exposed to direct
sunlight when a part of the polar region experiences six straight months of daytime, 24/7.
The following reaction produce the obnoxious Cl radical, which is very reactive to the point of
destroying 100,000 molecules of O3 in the stratosphere:

HOCl + hv → Cl + OH (Equation 7)

Cl + O3 → ClO + O2 (Equation 8)

OH + O3 → HO2 + O2 (Equation 9)

2O → 3O2 (Equation 10)

ClO + HO2 → HOCl + O2 (Equation 11)

HOCl + hv → Cl + OH (Equation 12)

The worst case will occur if the available X is Br, which is 100 times more reactive
than Cl (Rownland,2006).
Although a direct relationship exists between global warming and stratospheric ozone
depletion, the correlation on the greenhouse gases as they contribute to creating the cooling
conditions in the atmosphere may lead to ozone depletion.

Acid Deposition
When SO2x and NO2x react with particulate matters (dry) or with water vapor (wet),
acid deposition occurs which causes surface water acidification and affects soil chemistry. At
pH levels lower than 5, acid deposition may affect the fertilization of fish eggs, and can kill
adult fishes. As lakes and rivers become highly acidic, biodiversity is reduced. Many soil
organisms cannot survive if the pH level of soil is below 6. Death of microorganisms because
of acid deposition can inhibit decomposition and nutrient recycling because of the enzymes

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of these microbes are denatured by the acid or are changed in shape so they no longer
function. Deposition of sulfur and nitrogen oxides affects the ability of leaves to reaction
water under stress. The low pH level of soil also allows the rapid mobility of heavy metals
present in the soil,.i.e., Pb²+, Cu²+, and Al3+, and thus, contaminates growing plants, which
may then bioaccumulate the heavy metal concentration as it is passed from a higher trophic
level to another. As these impacts affect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, it is also
imperative to examine the connection between acid deposition and climate change (Mihelcis,
2014).
Thermal Inversion
The major component of photochemical smog, peroxylacetyl nitrate (PAN), is a
combination of different criteria pollutants, PAN is a transporter of NO x intro rural regions and
causes ozone formation in the global troposphere, which can decrease visibility especially in
elevated places. The pollutants that come from sources (i.e., industrial chimney or stack) mix
with air. The mixed air normally rises to the atmosphere. In a normal cycle of thermal
inversion, an unstable air mass and air constantly flow between warm and cool areas. This
allows fumigation of the mixed air on a higher elevation. Due to increased concentrations of
pollutants during an inversion episode, temperatures increase with increasing altitude and
this disrupts the movement of the mixed air to a higher level since the warm inversion layer
then acts as a cap or a layer that forms stable air masses. Thermal inversion is also affected
by weather conditions, or it may also occur in some coastal areas because of the upwelling
of cold water that lowers surface air temperature. Topography or man-made barriers like
high-rise buildings can also create a temperature inversion. The cold air may be blocked by
these barriers and then pushed under the warmer air rising from the source, thus creating
the inversion. Freezing rain or ice storms develop in some areas with a temperature
inversion in a cold area because snow melts as it moves through the warm inversion layer.
The rain continues to fall and passes through the cold layer of air near the ground. As it
moves through this final cold air mass, it becomes “super-cooled” drops, cooled below
freezing point without becoming solid. Intense thunderstorms and tornadoes are also
associated with inversions because of the intense energy released after an inversion blocks
the normal convection patterns of a region. (ThoughtCo.). Thermal inversion profiles lead
sea surface temperature to decrease on the seasonal time scale via heat exchange at the
bottom of the mixed layer, which balances climatological atmospheric cooling in fall and
winter (Nagura et al., 2015).
El Niño is a normal climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface
waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean also known as the “warm phase”. The opposite
of it is La Niña the “cool phase” which is a pattern that describes the unusual cooling of the
surface waters of the region. These phenomena are supposed to occur perennial and
globally, on one end of the equator and on the other. However, abnormalities in the
occurrences of these phenomena cause widespread and severe changes in the climate.
Rainfall increases drastically in Ecuador and Northern Peru, contributing to coastal flooding
and erosion due to the convection above warm surface waters. Increased rains bring floods
that may destroy properties. On the other side of the world, El Niño brings drought that
threaten the supply of water and destruction of crops affecting agriculture. Stronger El Niño
and La Niña event also disrupt global atmospheric circulation bringing cold winters,
unusually heavy rains and flooding in desert areas, and other weather abnormalities
(New/Floods, 2016).
Aside from the physical damages caused by disasters, they also come with mental
and emotional damage. Victims of disasters may suffer from trauma, depression, or anxiety

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because of experiencing loss caused by disasters. This is why climate change should not be
perceived as an isolated issue—it affects may aspects of human life.

ACTIVITY 12
Name: __________________________________ Date: _________________
Course/Yr./Block: ________________________ Score: ________________

After learning about climate change, what natural processes and human activities
causes it and the possible consequences brought about this phenomenon, the question that
comes next is, as a concerned citizen and a student, what can you do about it? What ways
can you think of to mitigate the hazards caused by climate change?
And so here are some amazing activities prepared for you. Have fun!
1. Nature’s Advocates
A. Form groups of 5 and create an infomercial showing how community can help mitigate the
hazards caused by climate change. Each group must choose one from the given areas
below that are affected by climate change. A rubric is prepared below to rate your
performance. You have 15 minutes to conceptualize, and 2 – 3 minutes to present your
output. Enjoy acting!
1. Agriculture and Food Security
2. Economy
3. Biodiversity
4. Health
5. Geography and Ocean ecology
6. Climatic patterns

B. Retaining your group in activity A, create an advocacy campaign by making a poster and
a slogan that tells how community will help mitigate the effects of climate change. Upload
your work in social media, and try to elicit comments from the viewers.

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