Module 9 10

Republic of the Philippines
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ARTS AND SCIENCES
Olongapo City Sports Complex, Donor St., East Tapinac, Olongapo City 2200
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
www.gordoncollege.edu.ph
Title: Other Environmental Problems

No. 9
Introduction
An environmental problem is an imbalance or undesirable change in the environment. Whenever there
is a change in the quality or quantity of any environmental factor which directly or indirectly affects the
health and well-being of man in an adverse manner
III. Topics and Key Concepts
Greenhouse Effect
• An extremely vital process where infrared rays from the sun come into the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Atmosphere traps these rays after they have come in keeping the Earth warm and habitable.
• CO2 (carbon dioxide), N2O (nitrous oxide), and CH4 (methane) are destroying the atmosphere,
causing more infrared rays to reflect on Earth
. • Having more infrared rays reflected on Earth makes the planet warmer.
• As temperature on the planet rise, so do the ocean water level and the ice caps begin to melt.
• The worst possible scenario with thus problem would be mass flooding in low lying areas of the Earth
including many islands in the ocean which would basically disappear.
• It will also cause more tropical storms, hurricanes, extreme temperatures and droughts.
Cause
Too much presence of greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, CH4) in the atmosphere.
Solutions
1. Reduce usage of greenhouse gas emission.
2. Prevent forest fires and the depletion of trees.
3. Do not use nitrogen-based fertilizer to reduce the amount of nitrous oxide.
Acid Rain
• Broad term used to describe several ways that acids falls out of the atmosphere.
• A more precise term is acid deposition, which has two parts: wet and dry
Wet Deposition
 Refers to acid rain, fog and snow.

 As acidic water flows over and through the ground, it affects a variety of plants and animals.
 Strength of the effects depend on many factors, including how acidic the water is, the chemistry and
buffering capacity of the soils involved and the types of fish, trees and other living things that rely on the
water.
Environmental Science
Exclusive for Gordon College ONLY!
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
Dry Deposition
 Refers to acid gases and particles.
 Wind blows these acidic particles and gases onto buildings, cars, homes and trees.
 Can also be washed from trees and other surfaces by rainstorms.
 Runoff water adds those acids to the acid rain, making the combination more acidic than the falling
rain alone.
 Scientists discovered, and have confirmed, that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are the primary
causes of acid rain.
 Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen and other chemicals to
for, various acidic compounds.
 Sunlight increases the rate of most of these reactions; result is a mid solution of sulfuric acid and nitric
acid.
 Acid rain is measured using a
scale called “pH”.
 pH scale measures how
acidic or basic a substance is.
 It ranges from 0-14.
 pH of 7 is neutral; pH less
than 7 is acidic and a pH
greater than 7 is basic.
 Pure water is neutral with a
pH of 7; when chemical are
mixed with water, the mixture
can become either acidic or
basic.
Effects
• Damage to forest and soils, fish and other living things, materials and human health.
• Reduces how far and how clearly we can see through the air, an effect called visibility reduction.
Solutions
 Clean up smokestacks and exhaust pipes
 Use alternative energy sources
 Restore a damaged environment
 Individuals can contribute directly by conserving energy, since energy production causes the largest
portion of the acid deposition problem:
1. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not using.
2. Use energy efficient appliances.
3. Use only electric appliances when you need them.
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
4. Keep your thermostat at 68F during cold weather and 72F when the weather is hot.
5. Insulate your home as best as you can
. 6. Carpool, use public transportation, or better yet, walk or bicycle whenever possible.
7. Buy vehicles with low nitrogen emissions.
8. Be well-informed.
Ozone Layer Depletion
• Ozone layer is a gaseous cover in the Earth’s atmosphere that serves as a shield against
dangerous ultraviolet radiation.
• Excessive levels of UV radiation can cause cataracts, skin cancer and immune system
suppression in humans as well as having harmful effects on other living systems.
• Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs prevalent in Styrofoam, refrigerants, and cleaning agents are
largely to blame for the degradation of the ozone layer.
Solutions
• Avoid using Styrofoam whenever possible.

• Avoid using car if not crucial.
• Avoid excessive use of power.
Water Pollution*
Causes
• Direct contamination.
• Effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants that emits fluids of varying
quality directly into urban water supplies.
• Indirect contamination
• Contaminants that enter the water supply from soils/groundwater systems and from the
atmosphere via rainwater (residue of fertilizers, pesticides, gaseous emissions from
automobiles).
Effects
• Poisonous drinking water, food (animals have bio-accumulated toxins from the environment).
• Unbalanced river and lake ecosystems.
• Deforestation from acid rains.
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
Solutions
 Avoid using heavy food packages (boxes, cartons, bottles).
 Reduce hydrocarbon emission by walking rather than use vehicles if possible.
Soil Erosion
Refers to the movement of soil from one place to another by the action of water or wind.
Erosion by Water
Result of rain detaching and transporting vulnerable soil, either directly by means of rain splash or
indirectly by rill and gully erosion.
*Rainsplash
 Rain may move soil directly.
 Splash is only effective if the rain falls with sufficient intensity.
 As raindrops hit bare soil, their kinetic energy is able to detach and move soil particles in a short
distance.
Erosion by Wind
 Wind can move soil over very large distances of thousands of kilometers and over sea to other
countries.
 It can move soil up-hill.
 Damage is caused in various ways:
1. Loss of fine soil: It is transported furthest away. The fine clay particles bind nutrients
and are crucial to fertility.
2. Loss of crops: crops are lost because they are being dug out, sand-blasted and covered
in soil
3. Damage to soil: the composition of the soil changes, the land is furrowed in rills
4. and gullies, leaving infertile rock behind.
5. Damage to buildings and infrastructure: roads are dug out and sand deposited over
houses, fences, and so on. The farm becomes unrecognizable.
Causes
• Deforestration: forest soils contain many organic matters, indeed often much more than can be
converted by the soil organisms. When a forest is cleared, the trees are burnt, which leads to an
immediate loss in organic matter. It all leads to massive emissions of carbon dioxide
• Fuel wood: cutting forest for fuel wood is another form of deforestation. Fuel wood is usually
City of Olongapo
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converted to charcoal, which burns cleanly. In the process, all hydrogen and oxygen are removed,
so that carbon remains
• Overgrazing: when insufficient amount of grass litter are left for the soil, the soil organisms die
and the soil loses fertility. Sparse cover lets raindrops erode the surface. It is a common practice
that leads to desertification.
• Agriculture: most agricultural practices are harmful to the soil.
• Industrialization: industries can pollute soils, mining operations do.
Factors affecting erosion
Natural factors
a. Heavy rains on weak soil: rain drops loosen particles and water transports them down hill.
b. Vegetation depletion by drought: rain drops are free to hit the soil, causing erosion during
rainfall. Winds blow away the fine particles during droughts.
c. Steep slopes: gravity “pulls harder”; water flows faster, soil creeps slips or slumps downhill.
d. Sudden climate change:
i. Rainfall: erosion increases unexpectedly rapidly as rainstorms become more severe.
ii. Drought: water dries up and soil becomes a playball of winds. Soil biota die. A sudden
rain causes enormous damage.
iii. Changing winds: areas previously sheltered become exposed.
Human-induced factors
a. Change of land (deforestation): the land loses its cover, the its soil biota, porosity and moisture.
b. Intensive farming: the plough, excessive fertilizer and irrigation damage the land, often
permanently.
c. Housing development: soil is bared; massive earthworks to landscape the subdivision; soil is on
the loose.
d. Road construction: roads are cut; massive earthworks, leaving scars behind. Not enough attention
paid to rainwater flow and maintenance of roadsides.
Solutions
• Riparian fencing: by fencing waterways, cattle will not be able to trample river banks and natural
vegetation can regrow. Also tree planting on river sides helps. Make sure the flat land is not part of
the river’s flood zone.
• Shelter belts: shelter belts provide roots at the boundaries of the field, sheltering the soil, supplying
organic matter
• Grassed waterways: a very effective protection of shallow water ways is grass them over. Grass
leaves bend over in the current, protecting the soil. Note that grass needs sunlight, so shelter belts
must be placed on the correct side.
• Spaced tree planting: trees provide deep roots that hold the soil; cycle deep nutrients and lost
nutrients and lost nutrients, provide organic matter and more. Trees must compete with highly
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
metabolizing grassland, thus should be fast growing and deciduous.

• Debris dams: debris dams check the water in the steep gullies. They should not be used in slowflowing
waterways. Any kind of debris would do but natural products such as tree stumps,
branches, plantings are better.
• Retirement fencing: problem areas should be fenced for retirement so that seedlings are no longer
grazed. Fencing is an absolute must to encourage natural growth and to protect tree plantings.
• Close tree planting: on retired land, trees can be planted closely. Once retired, any kind of tree can
be planted, as necessary for forestry or for slow growing native bush.
• Topdressing: fertilizing is the best remedy against erosion, both immediately and in the long term
VI. References
Bueno, D.C (2019). Environmental Science. Books Atbp. Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-621-
409-112-6
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
Title: Ecological Waste Management System

Module No. 10
I. Introduction
People have to manage the produced waste. It is generally generated accordingly with life
continuity and related proportionally with the human activities such as agricultural, industrial,
residential, institutional, municipal, commercial, mining, recreational and others. Waste has to be
managed properly to preserve the planet for the coming generations.
II. Topics and Key Concepts
Waste Management
It is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal of waste materials, usually
ones produced by human activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human health
or local aesthetics or amenity.
Municipal Solid
Important Concepts of Waste Management
waste
liquid
A. Waste Hierarchy
1. Reduce Plastic Waste
2. Reuse Types
3. Recycling of
B. Extended Producer Responsibility solid
waste Bio-Medical
C. Product Stewardship Waste
D. Polluter Pays Principle
gaseous
Hazardous
Waste
E- Waste
Waste Hierarchy
Refers to the “3Rs” reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste
management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste
minimization. The waste hierarchy remains cornerstone of most waste
minimization strategies.
Reduce
It is the process and policy of reducing the amount of waste produced by a
person or a society.
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
Using an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for
the same function, and new life reuse where it is used for a new function.
Potential advantages of reuse are as follows:

1. Energy and raw materials savings as replacing many single use products with one
reusable one reduces the number that need to be manufactured.
2. Reduced disposal needs and costs.
3. Refurbishment can bring sophisticated, sustainable, well paid jobs to underdeveloped
economies.
4. Cost savings for business and consumers as a reusable product is often cheaper than the
many single use products it replaces.
5. Some older items were better handcrafted and appreciate in value.
Potential disadvantages of reuse are:

1. Reuse often requires cleaning or transport, which have environmental costs.
2. Some items, such as Freon appliances or infant auto seats, could be hazardous or less
energy efficient as they continue to be used.
3. Reusable products need to be more durable than single use products, and hence require
more material per item.
4. Sorting and preparing items for reuse takes time, which is inconvenient for consumers
and costs money for businesses.
Recycling
Differs from reuse in that it breaks down the item into raw materials which are then used
to make new items, as opposed to reusing the intact item.
Benefits from Recycling

It is beneficial in two ways:
1. It reduces the inputs to a production system; and
2. Reduces the amount of waste produced for disposal.
The maximum environmental benefit is gained by waste minimization and reusing items in their
current from such as refilling bottles.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

• A strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with
products throughout their life cycles into the market price of the products.
• It imposes accountability over the entire life cycle of products and packaging introduced on
the market.
Product Stewardship
It a concept whereby environmental protection centers around the product itself, and
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
everyone involved in the lifespan of the product is called upon to take up responsibility to reduce
its environmental impact.
Polluter Pays Principle

A principle where the polluting party pays for the damage done to the natural environment.
Republic Act No. 9003

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management
Act of 2000.”
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies. — It is hereby declared the policy of the State to adopt a
systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management
program which shall:
(a) Ensure the protection of public health and environment;
(b) Utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilization of valuable resources
and encourage resource conservation and recovery;
(c) Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source
reduction and waste minimization measures, including composting, recycling, re-use,
recovery, green charcoal process, and others, before collection, treatment and disposal in
appropriate and environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with
ecologically sustainable development principles;
(d) Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid
waste through the formulation and adoption of the best environmental practice in ecological
waste management excluding incineration;
(e) Promote national research and development programs for improved solid waste
management and resource conservation techniques, more effective institutional
arrangement and indigenous and improved methods of waste reduction, collection,
separation and recovery;
(f) Encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste management;
(g) Retain primary enforcement and responsibility of solid waste management with local
government units while establishing a cooperative effort among the national government,
other local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector;
(h) Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among waste generators through the application
of market-based instruments;
(i) Institutionalize public participation in the development and implementation of national and
local integrated, comprehensive and ecological waste management programs; and
(j) Strengthen the integration of ecological solid waste management and resource conservation
and recovery topics into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal education in order
to promote environmental awareness and action among the citizenry.
How can we help solve the solid waste problem?
City of Olongapo
GORDON COLLEGE
Telefax No.: (047) 602-7175 loc 322
Let us refrain from doing what have been prohibited under the law to include but are not limited
to the following:
1. Littering, throwing, dumping of waste materials in public places like roads, sidewalks
canals, esteros, parks and establishment.
2. Open burning of solid waste.
3. Allowing the collection of non-segregated or unsorted waste.
4. Squatting in open dumps and landfills.
5. Open dumping or buying of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials in flood
prone areas.
6. Unauthorized removal of recyclable materials intended for collection by authorized
persons.
7. Mixing of source- separated recyclable materials with other solid waste in any vehicle,
box, container or receptacle used I solid waste collection or disposal; and
8. Manufacture, distribution or use of no-environmentally acceptable packaging materials.
IV. References
Bueno, D.C (2019). Environmental Science. Books Atbp. Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-621-409-112-6
http://nswmc.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/6.ESWM-for-HH.pdf Official Gazette
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/01/26/republic-act-no-9003-s-2001

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Republic of the Philippines

Title: Other Environmental Problems

III. Topics and Key Concepts

 Refers to acid rain, fog and snow.

Ozone Layer Depletion

• Avoid using Styrofoam whenever possible.

Factors affecting erosion

metabolizing grassland, thus should be fast growing and deciduous.

Title: Ecological Waste Management System

II. Topics and Key Concepts

Potential advantages of reuse are as follows:

Potential disadvantages of reuse are:

Benefits from Recycling

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Polluter Pays Principle

Republic Act No. 9003

How can we help solve the solid waste problem?

http://nswmc.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/6.ESWM-for-HH.pdf Official Gazette

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