Unit IV- Mandated Topics

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a serious threat to the planet and the people. It is also
threatening the global economy. This problem needs everybody’s collaboration to mitigate and
adapt to the effects it brings. We should also change the way we consume and produce goods
so that we will lessen the factors that drive climate change in order to live in a comfortable
environment where all our basic needs are met at the same time enjoying economic
development but in a sustainable manner.
This module discusses the meaning of climate change, its causes and effects, as
well as ways to live with it.

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, the learners are expected to:

1. define climate change;

2. identify the causes of climate change;
3. assess the various impacts/effects of climate change including economic, geopolitical,
biological, meteorological, etc.;
4. list or create mitigation strategies to minimize the effects of climate change;
5. apply STS concepts to the issue of climate change.
 What is Climate Change?

Climate change is a significant change in the measures of climate, such as

temperature, rainfall, or wind, lasting for an extended period – decades or longer.
The Earth's climate has changed many times during the planet's history, with
events ranging from ice ages to long periods of warmth.
What’s different about this period of the earth’s history is that human activities
are significantly contributing to natural climate change through our emissions of greenhouse
gases. This interference is resulting in increased air and ocean temperatures, drought, melting
ice and snow, rising sea levels, increased rainfall, flooding and other influences.

NASA’s Definition of Climate Change

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defined climate change as a
broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add
heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased
temperature trends described by global warming, but also encompass changes such as sea-level
rise; ice mass loss in Greenland, Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts
in flower/plant blooming; and extreme weather events.

What Causes Climate Change?

Human activity is the main cause of climate change. People burn fossil fuels and convert land
from forests to agriculture. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, people have burned more
and more fossil fuels and changed vast areas of land from forests to farmland.

Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. It is called a greenhouse gas
because it produces a “greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse effect makes the earth warmer, just as a
greenhouse is warmer than its surroundings.
Carbon dioxide is the main cause of human-induced climate change. It stays in the atmosphere for a
very long time. Other greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide, stay in the atmosphere for a long time.
Other substances only produce short-term effects.

Greenhouse Gases and their Sources

Greenhouse gases act like the glass in a greenhouse, trapping the sun's heat and stopping it from
reradiating back into space.
Many of these gases occur naturally, but human activity is increasing the concentrations of some
of them in the atmosphere, in particular:
 carbon dioxide (CO2)
 methane
 nitrous oxide
 fluorinated gases

CO2 is the greenhouse gas most commonly produced by human

activities and it is responsible for 64% of man-made global warming. Its
concentration in the atmosphere is currently 40% higher than it was when
industrialization began.
Other greenhouse gases are emitted in smaller quantities, but they trap heat far more effectively
than CO2, and in some cases are thousands of times stronger. Methane is responsible for 17% of man-
made global warming, nitrous oxide for 6%.
 Causes for Rising Emissions
 Burning coal, oil and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.

Cutting down forests (deforestation). Trees help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2 from
the atmosphere. So when they are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the carbon stored
in the trees is released into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.

 Increasing livestock farming. Cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane when they
digest their food.
 Fertilizers containing nitrogen produce nitrous oxide emissions.

 Fluorinated gases (HFC, PFC, SF6) produce a very strong warming effect, up to 23 000 times
greater than CO2. but are released in smaller quantities and are being phased down by
regulation.

QUESTIONS:
1. What substance is the greatest contributor of greenhouses gases?
2. From what sector of the society does it come from?
3. How can we minimize the production of this gas?
 What are the Impacts of Climate Change?

The world is already feeling the impact of climate change, with the planet only
0.8 0 C warmer than in pre-Industrial times. Many of us could experience the harsher impact of a
2 ºC warmer world within our lifetime, that is, 20 to 30 years from now. And 4 ºC is likely by the
end of the century, if the world does not act now. These impacts are brought by increase in
earth’s temperature, sea level rise, change in precipitation and extreme weather events.

Health Impacts
• Weather-related mortality/ infectious diseases
• Air quality respiratory illnesses

Forest Impacts
• Change in forest composition
• Shift geographic range of forests

Impact on Coastal Areas

• Erosion of beaches /Disappearance of Islands
• Cost to defend coastal communities

Agricultural Impacts
• Low crop yields
• Drought

Species & Natural Areas

• Shift on ecological zones
• Loss of habitat and species

Water Resources Impacts

• Change in water supply
• Poor water quality
• Increased composition for water
Impact on Settlements
• Flooding
 How is the Philippines Affected by Climate Change?

1. The Philippines is the world’s 3rd country that’s most vulnerable to climate change.

• The Philippines has no land barrier to protect against climate impact.

• Its 16 provinces are among 50 in the Asian region that are most vulnerable to weather
related risks.
• It has accelerating environmental deterioration, unsustainable development practices,
and population growth.
2. The urban poor and coastal communities are particularly vulnerable.
• The Philippines has the 10 cities of the world that are most vulnerable to sea level rise
and intensifying storm surges.
• Informal settlements, which account for 45% of the Philippines’ urban population, are
particularly vulnerable to floods due to less secure infrastructure, reduced access to
clean water, and lack of health insurance.
• Sea level rise will increase by 50 cm by 2060, and by 100 cm by 2090. A storm surge of
100 cm sea level rise will affect 14% of the total population and 42% of the coastal
population.
• Wind intensity and maximum wind speed will increase by the end of the century,
worsening coastal erosion.
3. Agriculture and fisheries will be hit hard.
• Climate-related impact is expected to reduce agricultural productivity in the
Philippines.
• Warming oceans and ocean acidification affect coral reefs, which serve as feeding and
spawning grounds for many fish species that support the livelihoods of fisher folk.
• Extreme heat during the summer months will affect 90% of the land.
• Global warming can reduce rice yield by 75% by the end of this century.
• Coral bleaching and reef degradation will lead to loss of fisheries.
• A climate that is 4 ºC warmer will decrease catch potential by 50% in southern
Philippines and increase by 6-16% in northern Philippines.
 What are the Approaches to Climate Change?

There are three integrated approaches to climate change and disaster risks.

1. MITIGATION - Mitigation is action that will reduce man-made climate change. This includes action
to reduce GHGs or absorb GHGs in the atmosphere.

Examples of mitigation measures:

• Reducing GHG emissions by constructing bike lanes and green buildings
• Increasing GHG sequestration through reforestation
• Protecting carbon sinks, for example, through Bantay Gubat (forest watch) or Bantay
Bakawan (mangrove watch)

2. ADAPTATION - Adaptation is action that helps people cope with the effects of climate change. For
example, construction of barriers to protect against rising sea levels, or conversion to
crops capable of surviving high temperatures and drought.

Adaptation includes:
• Responses or measures that address drivers of vulnerability, such as crop insurance for
farmers
• Responses or measures that directly confront climate change impact, such as flood control
that incorporates climate change and climate variability in design
• Reponses or measures that build resilience to current and future climate risks
(i.e. Introduce climate-resilient rice varieties), such as climate-resilient rice varieties

3. DISASTER RISK REDUCTION - Disaster risk reduction is an action taken to reduce the risk of disasters
and the adverse impact of natural hazards, through systematic efforts
to analyze and manage the causes of disasters, including through
avoidance of hazards, reduced social and economic vulnerability to
hazards, and improved preparedness for adverse events. It is tailor-
made to help counteract the added risks arising from climate change.
 Examples of disaster risk reduction measures:
• Risk assessment in development plans
• Risk reduction in land use Planning
• Early warning systems
• Evacuation procedures and communication protocols

• Hazard-awareness trainings

DISCUSSION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

1. As a student and member of the society, how can you help in reducing climate change, or its
effects, in order to live a sustainable life based on the preservation or improvement of the
following?
 Water
 Food and Agriculture
 Fish Production
 Health
 Ecosystem
 Coasts

2. What are the effects of climate change to the economy of the Philippines? What should the
Philippine government do to solve/minimize these effects?

3. What is the effect of climate change to the geography of the Philippines?

4. What is the effect of climate change to the politics of the Philippines?

"We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the
last generation that can do something about it."
--Jay Insle