Unit Title Literacy Training Service 2

Title of the Lesson Environmental Principles and Environmental Sins

Duration 3 Hours

Introduction

This unit focuses on the fundamental knowledge about environmental protection

particularly discussion on the environmental principles and environmental sins. Students
are expected to acquire and understand skills that they can apply into real-life scenarios
and be an active advocates towards environmental protection.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

a. Identify the different human activities that compromises the sustainability and
diversity in our environment

b. Develop a deep sense of responsibility towards environmental protection and act

as catalyst of change in pursuit for sustainable living

c. Apply the best practices and lifestyle choices that contribute to environmental
protection and preservation

d. Create an action plan that will address environmental concerns particularly in

home, school, and the community

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by

individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural
resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair damage
and reverse trends.

It focuses on teaching, acquiring knowledge, and skills on how we can protect

and preserve our environment for the benefit of present and future generation. It is a
process by which people develop an awareness and strategies on how we can utilize
the environment.
THE EIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES

1. Everything is connected to everything else

(Interdependence/Interrelatedness)
Humans and other species are connected/dependent on a number of other
species. The intricate relationships of various elements of the ecosystem bind the
components together into one functional unit. The living component of the
ecosystem affects and is affected by the abiotic components, such as air,
temperature, land. Inter-specific relationships create a dependency with each other
so that they both have to co-exist to live. All these relationships provide
dependencies, check and balances that compose the details of our life-support
systems.

2. All forms of life are important (diversity and sustainability)

All living organisms were created for a purpose in relation to humans, other
species on earth and global ecosystem in general. The variety of life forms,
manifested by the different levels of biological diversity – community, species and
genes – contributes to the stability of the environment. Food webs, food chains and
ecological relationships link plants and animals together in the web of life. Even
bacteria, insects, snakes and rats have ecological functions even though humans
perceive them as parasites or pests.

The composition of biological diversity naturally changes slowly but the rate of
transition has become faster due to factors such as habitat destruction.
Deforestation may diminish forest species such as birds that are vulnerable to
modification of their home. Pollution of waters reduces the quantity of fishes, shells,
algae and other aquatic life. Over harvesting of natural products likewise contributes
to the unsustainable use of food and material resources

3. Everything must go somewhere (pollution)

By-products of consumption go back to the environment. Everything that we
throw away – pieces of paper, left-over food, peelings of fruits, plastic wrappers,
and used containers – have to go somewhere. Even plants and animals have their
own wastes – feces, urine, dead leaves and branches. It is the law of nature that
the by-products of metabolism return to the soil, acted upon first by worms, bacteria
and fungi, and then converted into minerals, to be again absorbed by plants and
eaten by animals.

No matter what you do, and no matter what you use, it has to go somewhere. For
example, when you burn wood, it doesn't disappear, it turns into smoke which rises
into the air, and ash, which falls back down to the earth.

4. Ours is a finite earth (finiteness of resources)

Everything that we need is provided by nature in abundance – food, water, energy,
minerals and air. However, some resources that we depend upon nowadays are
extracted excessively but are slow to replace. These non-renewable resources
experience limits of supply. For instance, fossil fuels produced over thousands of
years may be exhausted in a hundred years. Some energy sources like water, and
wood may be replaced easier but have become inaccessible due to pollution and
excessive extraction. Diminishing forest cover have resulted from logging,
ineffective reforestation and continued land conversion. However, food scarcity and
 poverty may have resulted from failed distribution system rather than inability of the
land and water bodies to yield food.

Pollution reduces the absorbing capacity of air and water. Pollution likewise
reduces the availability of land and water to produce food for human consumption.
Several solutions have been suggested to solve this problem:
 reduction of consumption
 increased use of renewable energy
 emissions trading, and
 pollution control

The philosophy of “sapat”, meaning “enough” suggests that we should buy

and consume only what we need and leave some for the less privileged and the
next generation.

5. Nature knows best (balance of nature)

Nature manifests certain processes that enable it to maintain balance and remain
in a state of equilibrium. The nutrient cycling of nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and
phosphorous in the air, water and land indicates that minerals are utilized within the
confines of the earth. The flow of energy from the sun enables light to be converted
into sugar in plants through photosynthesis, and later for consumer organisms to
obtain energy from plant starch. Food chains and food webs allow transfer of
energy from producers and consumers and provide the means for all living
organisms to acquire nutrition. Population control also occurs naturally through
predator – prey relationships.

The environmental ethics promote that we conform to ecological principles and

stay close to natural products and processes. We should patronize natural food and
consumable materials. Organically grown vegetables provide healthy food without
the side effects that may arise from pesticide

6. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation (stewardship of

nature)
Creation presupposes the existence of a Creator. The beautiful nature around us,
perfect by itself, has deteriorated due to the negative impacts of human use. This
principle suggests how a Human-Creator relationship is translated in our attitude
towards creation. Theologians explain that there are different levels of this
relationship.
 First is a relationship determined by dominion of humans over creation,
that humans can do as they wish because this was given by God. The
book of Genesis says “have dominion over the fish of the sea and the
birds of the air…”
 The second level is one of stewardship, that of a caretaker where humans
are not owners but guardians of the integrity of nature.
 The third level promotes a kinship relationship postulated by St. Francis
de Assisi in the famous verse “Bother sun, Sister moon”, where humans
are no higher than the birds and fishes of the sea.
 Fourth is one of sacrament, where nature becomes a testimony of God’s
love.
 Fifth is a covenant relationship, where protection of the earth is a life
mission manifested in the things that we do and say.
 Different religions from Islam to Buddhism to Judeo-Christian to indigenous
people’s animism express the belief of caring for the earth, including all creatures.
Thus it is the goal of environmental education and biodiversity conservation
education to motivate target audiences towards developing an eco-spirituality that
moves them into a more meaningful relationship with nature and a greater
participation in the biophysical economic processes that make this world a better
place to live in.

7. Everything changes (change)

Changes in the biophysical world occur naturally. As they say, there is nothing
more permanent in this world than change. Consider the following examples.
Metamorphosis of caterpillars to butterflies illustrates morphological changes that
occur in living forms. The increase of vegetation on earth augmented the amount of
oxygen in the atmosphere through time. Seasons are cyclic changes that contribute
to the diversity of flowers, fruits, vegetables and other crops during the year.
Random changes manifested by natural catastrophe such as typhoons destroy
forests, coral reefs and mangroves. Volcanic eruptions annihilate surface flora and
submerge rivers.

Human-induced alteration such as climate change may cause more massive

repercussions. Land use change – from forests to agricultural land to human
settlements – change the composition of vegetation and animals. Human-induced
changes can be managed so that the negative impacts are minimized and positive
changes accentuated. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) provides a tool for
the projection, planning and management of change brought about by
industrialization and human settlement expansion. Effluents can be managed
through policy and pollution control techniques by both industry and government to
achieve clean air and water.
Sustainable development presents a paradigm of change for the 21st Century.
Sustainable development promotes ecological integrity, equitable sharing of
resources and people empowerment as pillars of growth. Biodiversity conservation
contributes to ecological integrity, through both in-situ and ex-situ techniques.
Biodiversity conservation becomes successful only if coupled with poverty
alleviation, improving equity of access to resources and instituting social change.
Environmental education facilitates social transformation by modifying attitudes and
behavior of people towards an ecological ethic.

*Adapted from Barry Commoner, as compiled by Miriam College

8. Sustainability
According to the United Nations (UN) World Commission on Environment and
Development, environmental sustainability is about acting in a way that ensures future
generations have the natural resources available to live an equal, if not better, way of
life as current generations. While it may not be universally accepted, the UN's definition
is pretty standard and has been expanded over the years to include perspectives on
human needs and well-being, including non-economic variables, such as education and
health, clean air and water, and the protection of natural beauty.
 Environmental sustainability is also define as the capacity to improve the quality
of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the earth's supporting
ecosystems.

Individuals have a role to play, but so do institutions that contribute to the cause
on a larger scale. The ways in which we can all live more sustainably can take many
forms, such as:

 Reorganizing living conditions in the form of eco-villages, eco-municipalities, and

sustainable cities
 Reappraising economic sectors (permaculture, green building, sustainable
agriculture) or work practices, such as sustainable architecture
 Developing new technologies (green technologies, renewable energy, etc.)
 Making adjustments in individual lifestyles that conserve natural resources

REFERENCES:

Laudato Si' animation | CAFOD - YouTube

Laudato Si': Animated clip for young people - YouTube

Handout-1_Module-1-The-Seven-Environmental-Principles.pdf (wetlands.ph)

Environmental Sustainability: What Is It? (thebalancesmb.com)