FINAL

LESSON 6
PEd – PEACE EDUCATION
 Republic of the Philippines
JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
The Premier University in Zamboanga del Norte
TAMPILISAN CAMPUS
Znac, Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte

GE-PEd – PEACE EDUCATION

LESSON 6: Caring for the Earth

Our planet is incredibly gifted with resources that allow humans to survive. All that we need
in order to live are gifts from Mother Earth:

▪ The air we breathe,

▪ The food we eat,
▪ The water we drink, and
▪ The home we run to for cover.
Unfortunately, instead of nurturing the planet that nurtures us, humans have damaged the earth’s
ability to sustain life. Numerous ecological concerns now threaten the destruction of earth’s life
support systems.

Content

A. Environmental Concerns

Pollution, air, soil and water, haunts our planet. Air pollution occurs when
the air contains gases, fumes, dust or odor in dangerous amounts. Water pollution
is the contamination of water with harmful chemicals or other foreign substances.

Examples of harmful substances in the air

▪ Pesticides
▪ Nitrates
▪ Heavy metals
▪ Gases from petroleum products from industry
▪ Transport activities

Examples of harmful substances in the water

▪ Fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural activities

▪ Sewage from households
 ▪ Lead, mercury, and heavy metals from chemical and industrial
processes

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 3 million people

worldwide are killed by outdoor air pollution on a yearly basis and another 1.6
million by indoor pollution (BBC News, Dec. 3, 2004). Water pollution, on the
other hand, contributes to the death of 15 million children under five every year
while Vector-Borne Diseases, such as malaria, kill another 1.5 to 2.7 million people
on a daily basis (UNEP, March 2001).

1. Global warming is an environmental problem that results from the

increased amounts of greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide and
methane, in the atmosphere. It is caused, among others, by the
combustion of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and the burning of
forests. Cutting down trees destroys the natural means to remove
carbon from the atmosphere. Global warming is a threat as it causes
the death of large numbers of species, reduces agricultural
productivity, and inundates low-lying areas due to the rise in sea levels.
The biggest carbon emitters in the world are the United States,
European Union, China, Russia, Japan and India (BBC News, July 4,
2005).

2. Deforestation is the destruction of forests due to logging, land clearing,

and land conversion, among others. Cutting down of forest trees
destroys the habitat of animals causing the extinction of rare species. It
is responsible for the deterioration of water quality and supply;
devastating floods; air pollution; global warming; soil erosion and
resource shortage.

3. Desertification pertains to the gradual loss of soil productivity due to

human activities and climatic events like droughts and floods. Lost
topsoil takes centuries to build up. Human activities that cause
desertification are inappropriate farming practices, overgrazing, and
deforestation. Since 1990, roughly 6 million hectares are lost to
desertification annually generating an income loss of US$42 billion
(www.ifad.org). Two obvious consequences of the problem are food
insecurity and the loss of livelihood. The International Fund for
Agricultural Development reported in 2007 that 75% of the poor live in
rural areas and are dependent on agriculture for their survival.
B. Impact of Military on the Environment

The environment has long been at the losing end in times of war. Wars
destroy ecosystems. For instance, the Gulf War of 1991 resulted in 65 million
barrels of spilled oil, which killed thousands of marine birds and seeped through
water sources (Engler, 2003). Nagasaki and Hiroshima are still reeling from the
radiation effects of the atomic bombs dropped by the US in 1945. The
International Peace Bureau (IPB) in Geneva (2002) reports that landmines and
unexploded remnants of war like cluster bombs had caused agricultural
degradation in many parts of the world. IPB also reports that Vietnam lost over
80% of its original forest cover from the Vietnam wars.

Military activity is one of the biggest sources of environmental damage. The

world’s armed forces were the single largest polluters on the planet (Science for
Peace, Canada, as cited by IPB, 2002). The development of the military industry
and the testing of weaponry have produced hazardous waste in scandalous
amounts. The IPB reported that the world’s military forces are responsible for the
release of more than two-thirds of CFC-113, a harmful gas, into the ozone layer.

The military is also one of the largest users of environmental resources. For
instance, millions of barrels of oil are used for military activities annually. The US
alone used 180 million barrels of oil in 2006. That is 490,000 barrels of oil
consumed in a day. The energy consumption of the US Department of Defense in
the year 2006 was roughly at the same level as the energy consumption of Nigeria
which had 140 mil- lion people (Karbuz, 2007). The International Peace Bureau
reports that roughly a fourth of the world’s jet fuel is consumed by the military.
It, likewise, reported that military activities involve the use of fuels, explosives,
solvents and other toxic substances which when improperly handled can seep into
the environment. In addition, 9% of the global iron and steel is consumed by the
armed forces and the use of aluminum, copper, nickel and platinum exceeds the
entire demand for these materials by developing countries (Environmental
Studies Institute, n.d.).

The Brundtland Report of 1987 suggests a link between militarization and

environmental stress. It proposes that environmental stress is both cause and
effect of conflict adding that the danger of armed conflicts will increase as
resources become scarcer. It also posits that armed conflicts create obstacles to
sustainable development. A sustainable environment is one that meets the needs
 of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. Hence, caring for the earth is a clear pathway to peace.

C. Caring for the Commons

We all have a common home. The “Tragedy of the Commons” could be

altered by caring for the commons. As the world’s ecology is an interdependent
system, political boundaries become irrelevant to the earth’s survival. As our
planet becomes increasingly endangered, the well-being and security of humans
becomes in peril. Our survival in this planet, therefore, makes cooperation
imperative. Fortunately, efforts are being made to save this planet.

On Pollution, international protocols have been signed restricting emissions

of nitrogen, sulfur and CFCs and reducing the production of greenhouse gases like
carbon dioxide. The Law of the Sea has been established. It defines the rights and
responsibilities of nations in their use of the world’s oceans, establishing
guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine
natural resources. Solid waste management is also practiced in many homes in
several countries.

To help address Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997
generating commitment from greenhouse gases emitters to cut emissions by
2010. Although only Russia, among the six top greenhouse gases emitters has
significantly reduced emission from 1990-2002 (www. bbc.co), the ratification of
the Kyoto Protocol by 180 countries (www.unfccc.int.) sends the message that
cooperation to save the planet is possible.

To help address the issue of Forest Depletion, massive reforestation is now

being done in various parts of the world. One hectare of forest is replanted for
every 5 hectares cleared in Asia (Galang, et. al, 2003). Non-government agencies
and academic institutions are instrumental in the growing awareness of the
effects of deforestation. A log ban is also being enforced in several countries.

To save agricultural lands, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification

was entered into force in 1996 and as of August 2009, 193 countries were Parties
to the Convention (www.unccd.int). The UN Environmental Program reports that
73 percent of drylands in Africa are severely affected by desertification
engendering an income loss of some 90 billion US dollars a year. Hence, there are
active efforts to educate communities on its impacts. Additionally, more farmers
in many parts of the world today engage in organic farming to retain soil nutrients.

Initiatives have been taken to address the harmful effects of militarization

on the environment. The Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty was signed with the objective
of clearing the planet of anti-personnel landmines. The convention entered into
force March 1, 1999. The Arms Control Association reports that as of June 1, 2008,
156 countries had ratified or acceded to the treaty. International discussions,
whether by governments or non-government organizations, on the military
impact on the environment have been made and are still being done.

Seven Environmental Principles

(from a paper prepared by Donna Reyes, Miriam P. E. A. C. E.)

1. Nature knows best.

Any disruption of the natural processes/cycles would have
detrimental effects on the environment. Hence, we should stay as
close as possible to natural products and processes.

2. All forms of life are important.

The variety of life forms contributes to the stability of the
ecosystem. To maintain ecological balance, the conservation of
species and ecosystems is essential to keep life together.

3. Everything is connected to everything else.

The intricate relationships of various elements of the
ecosystem are what bind the components together into one
functional unit. Humans should then be cognizant of how their
interaction with nature alters the ecosystems.

4. Everything changes.
Changes in the biophysical world occur naturally. But human−
induced alteration such as climate change may have harmful
repercussions. Human−induced changes should be managed so
 that negative impacts are minimized.

5. Everything must go somewhere.

By products of consumption go back to the environment.
Hence, non−biodegradable items should be reduced, segregated,
reused or recycled so that they do not pollute land and water
habitats.

6. Ours is a finite earth.

Everything we need is provided for by nature in abundance
but some of these resources are extracted excessively and are
slow to replace. We should buy and consume only what we need.

7. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation.

Humans are not owners but care takers of God’s creation.
Environmental Care

The Earth, whom everyone calls Mother Earth belongs to no one. It is the Creator’s gift
to all that has life. It was so beautifully planned and completely structured in the beginning,
but some people’s greed spoiled the creator’s work.

The world is now plagued with environmental ills. The tropical forests which house the
greater percentage of the species of flora and fauna are continuously facing destruction.
Thousands of hectares of our forests continue to be denuded by illegal and profit- logging
concessionaires and upland dwellers. This environmental rape has brought about great floods,
which have caused soil erosion that in turn rushed down the slopes to the lowlands,
endangering agricultural crops.

Life beneath the sea is also facing uncertainly, as the sea is turning into a world of decay. Coral
reefs are speedily vanishing, when sediments are carried by eroded soil, they block off the sunlight
that coral reefs need. Besides, marine animals are affected by illegal fishing methods that use
dynamites, chemicals and boulders to catch the fish. Uncontrolled disposal of toxic industrial and
domestic or household wastes into the sea give rise to red tide. Our rivers are dying because we
continually dump waste into them.

Air pollution is also widespread. This is due to poor garbage disposal, smoke coming from
factories and hazardous gas produced by smoke belching vehicles.

Global warming is another environmental issue that we face today. It is caused by the
polluting emissions of industrialized nations. All these are happening every day in all parts of the
Earth. And people complain and point accusing fingers to illegal loggers, dynamite fishing, or
unscrupulous industrialists who have little or no regard at all for the effects of certain processes
and practices on the environment. We point accusing fingers to anyone except ourselves. We
failed to realize that we, too, contribute to ecological destruction by simple, seemingly harmless
acts. How?

Take example, typical scenes that one encounters everyday on any street corner. A man lights
a cigarette and throws the matchstick or disposal lighter away. A child throws away a candy
wrapper. Another is plastic cup. A fast-food restaurant nearby serves food in Styrofoam packs and
uses disposable cups, napkins and eating utensils which are then disposed of in open dumpsites
or landfills. The air itself chokes because of increasing motor vehicle emissions and the number of
vehicles grows every day. Parents resort to disposable diapers for their babies with little thought
of the space these many occupy in dumpsites or landfills, not to mention the possible
contamination of ground water. The incandescent bulbs in many homes use up so much energy,
resulting in greater emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from oil-fired power plants.

Aerosol sprays used in most homes as well as defective air- conditioners release chlorofluoro
carbons (CFC’s) into the atmosphere, further damaging the earth’s protective ozone layer. High
phosphate detergents used by many housewives, on the other hand, drain into lakes and river
systems, thereby initiating a process whereby the oxygen needed by plants and marine life to
survive is used up by decaying algae.

Moreover, waste management in the homes leaves much to be desired. Not only does
waste accumulate unnecessarily; waste segregation is likewise not as widespread a practice as it
should be, with much of what can be reused, recycled, composted, or converted into other
products instead of these wastes just ending up in dumpsites or landfills.

All these things occur many times over in any ordinary day in any other places in the world.
Put together, they are causing more harm to the environment than the actions of our more
convenient culprits such as kaingin farmers, illegal loggers, dynamite fishers, or industries.

All these careless acts by almost everyone from the root cause of the pollution and
eventually the destruction of our environment.

If Mother Earth is to survive it all, many of the practices which, we have accustomed to
over many years must be changed.

This change may be effected through legislation, government policy, and the strict
enforcement of pertinent laws, particularly where commerce and industry are concerned. Often
though the problem lies not in commerce and industry, but in individuals, who themselves
determine how business and industries operate. The problem also concerns households, it should
be noted, and for instance, that domestic and not industrial waste accounts for the greater portion
of the pollution in our rivers and lakes.

The need to reorient individuals and households towards more environmentally

responsible behavior makes legislation, government policy, and reinforcement for the most part
ineffective. Government programs to protect our forest, rivers, lakes, and the quality of our air
have failed due to constraints in funds, time, equipment, and manpower, not to mention the”
ningas cogon” mentality which characterizes many worthy programs and projects.

Laws themselves cannot cover practices which fall within the realm of individual freedom.
There are no laws or government policies, for instance, which discourage or prohibit the use of
“disposable”. There is no law which requires manufacturers to keep their packaging to the barest
minimum. Neither is there any law that requires citizens to buy in bulk rather than in “convenient
size” so as to reduce the amount of waste being generated.

Due to limitations of laws and their enforcement, the needed change must come from
within. In order to become effective and lasting, that change must occur in people’s heart. It must
come not out of fear or coercion, which diminishes as the degree of enforcement diminishes, but
out of genuine concern and respect for the environment, humanity, and the other creatures that
inhabit the earth.

Sharing the Earth’s Resources

In a world of great wealth, there is a multitudinous sum of people who live in absolute poverty.
The Human Development Report indicates that of the world’s six billion people, 1.2 billion live on less than
$1/day. The extent of poverty is indicated as well in other measures. For instance, 827.5 million people
are undernourished; 114 million primary age children are not enrolled; and 1. 2 billion have no access to
improved water sources. According to UNICEF, 30,000 children age 5 and below die each day due to
poverty. That is about 210,000 children each week or just under 11 million children each year. They “die
quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the
world.”

In the Philippines, 4.7 million families or 26.9% of the population are poor. The average poverty
line for a family of 5 was determined to be at P6, 274/ month. On an individual basis, 32.9% of the
population, or 27.6 million Filipinos, were poor.
Tragic Gap

While an alarming number suffers from poverty and the accompanying misery it brings, a smaller
number of the world’s population basks on abundant wealth. The richest 5% of the world’s people, for
instance, receives 114 times the income of the poorest 5%. The richest 1% receives as much as the poorest
57%. Similarly, the 25 million richest Americans have as much income as almost 2 billion of the world’s
poorest people. The combined wealth of the world’s 200 richest people is $1 trillion while the combined
income of the 582 million people living in 43 least developed countries is $146 billion. Furthermore, the
developing world spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants.

The tragic gulf between the rich and the poor is also reflected in the Philippine situation. For
example, Sulu Province in Mindanao had an 88.8% incidence of poverty while Metro Manila’s poverty
incidence was only at 4.3%. The PHDR also reports stark contrasts in the poverty related measures of life
expectancy and percentage of high school graduates between the two provinces. Life expectancy at birth
in Manila was at 69.2 while in Sulu, it was 52.23 years. Percentage of high school graduates in Metro
Manila was 74.3% while in Sulu, it was only 18.1%. It is no surprise then that Sulu is one of the top conflict-
affected areas in the Philippines.

A situation where huge numbers of people drown in the cauldron of misery while a few take
pleasure in having a plethora of material choices is a state of violence. Structural violence refers to the
systems, institutions, and policies that meet some people’s human needs, rights, or wants at the expense
of others. Hunger and poverty are symptoms of this violence (Cawagas, Toh and Garrone, eds, 2006).
These systems, institutions and policies are well-entrenched in a global economic international order
controlled by powerful nation-states; international agencies, and transnational corporations where
inequitable trade practices prevail resulting in more tragic gaps between the rich and the poor.

Other Causes of Poverty

What other factors explain this inequality? Historians, political scientists, and peace educators,
among others have offered explanations for this phenomenon.

The causes more frequently pointed to are as follows:

• War. Armed conflicts disrupt the people’s livelihood and all productive activities. In Mindanao,
Philippines, for example, it was estimated that over the period 1970-2001, the output lost was
approximately between 5 billion to 7.5 billion pesos annually (Barandiaran, as cited by PHDR, 2005). And
if investment opportunities that were lost were to be counted in, the economic cost of the war in
Mindanao would amount to 10 billion pesos annually (Schiavo-Campo and Judd, as cited by PHDR, 2005).
Also, four of the five provinces with the highest poverty incidence in the Philippines are found in war-torn
Mindanao: Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Basilan, and Zamboanga del Norte.

• Political systems created by local political elite that have combined with profit-motivated
economic systems that reduce opportunities for most people to earn enough to meet their basic needs
 • Inequitable distribution of wealth and resources much of which has begun in colonial history.
Colonization has had adverse impacts on the colonized nations’ economic situation. The Development
Education Project (1985) reports that colonization altered the economies of the colonized, ensuring the
provision of raw materials for the colonizer, and severely restricting the development of the former. This
left them with major economic and political difficulties. The experience of colonization has also set an
international economic system that assures the West of a steady market for its products. In the
Philippines, the indigenous people were historically self- sustaining but the injustices over the centuries
beginning with colonization have destroyed their self-sufficiency (Dee, in Abueva (ed), 2004).

• Environmental conditions. Some places are blessed with more abundant resources while others
have to contend with lands that cannot yield crops.

• Over -utilization of resources. Coral reefs have been destroyed, forests have been logged, and
agricultural lands have lost much topsoil due to over-application of pesticides by the previous generations
causing reduced yields.

• Lack of opportunities such as employment

• Lack of education

• Corruption

• Over consumption

• Greed

Demystifying Myths about Poverty

It is often touted that poverty is caused by scarce resources, overpopulation or laziness. However,
the Institute for Food and Development Policy (1998) asserts that there is enough grain grown worldwide
to provide every person with 3,500 calories each day and enough food to provide at least 4.3 pounds of
food per person a day worldwide. And even if the United Nations Population Fund claims that better
reproductive health reduces poverty reporting that developing countries with slower population growth
have seen higher productivity (PDI, December 7, 2002), population density does not necessarily
correspond to the prevalence of hunger. China, for instance, has only half the agricultural land per person
compared to India, yet China appears to have eliminated widespread hunger. On the matter of laziness,
farmers, fisherfolk and laborers, among other workers, work very hard and for long hours to survive, yet
they are still on the list of the world’s poor. The Institute for Peace and Justice (1984) asserts that in every
country where there is poverty, a common pattern can be found, that is, a powerful few exercise ever
tightening control over food production and other economic resources at the majority’s expense.

The “Promise” of Economic Globalization

Economic globalization refers to the economic integration of the worlds’ countries through the
increased flow of goods and services, capital and labor (Stiglitz, 2007). Paul Streeten calls this model
globalization “from above” (cited by OlokaOnyango and Udagama, 1999). Its most important aspects are
the breaking down of national economic barriers; the growth in trade; and the key role and influence of
transnational corporations and international financial institutions (Khor, 2000). Economic globalization is
supposed to bring in enormous benefits, among which are:

• the promotion of economic efficiency; and

• the expansion of opportunities for growth and development thereby reducing poverty and
inequity and enhancing human development and security.

Economic globalization has actually triggered capital flows to developing countries and has
created wealth. However, economic indicators from the years 1990 to 2002 indicate that the benefits
have not trickled down to where the majority is. Global unemployment has reached the 185.9 million
mark; 40% of the world’s 6.5 billion people live in poverty; and 59% of the world’s people live in countries
with growing inequality.

What has gone wrong? Critics point to the unfair rules of the game set by the rich countries that
own the transnational corporations and dominate the international financial institutions. Such rules were
designed to work to their advantage. Economic globalization has also overemphasized the material more
than ends that matter such as human rights, development, equity, inclusion, human security and the
environment.

The Human Development Report writes that these values should take precedence over the goal
of profit accumulation for globalization to work. In peace education, the goal that is sought is the
maximization of well-being and not the maximization of profit.

Challenging Economic Inequity

How can the resources of the world be more fairly distributed? The following are suggestions culled from
various organizations working for development and from participants of workshops conducted by the
Center for Peace Education:

Global

• Establish a new international and political economic order that is fair. NETWORK (2005) proposes an
international trade and investment system that respect and support the dignity of the human person as
humans are the subjects of development and not the tools to be used for development. This new
international economic order should not make profit as the sole driving force but take into serious
consideration the advancement of the common good. NETWORK also proposes that this global economic
system respect the global environment to ensure sustainability of our finite earth.

• Wealthy countries should open up their markets to poor countries without conditionality.
• Developed countries should provide unconditional debt relief as it is the foreign debt burden that
compels most developing countries to reduce allocations for basic social and economic services. The
developing world spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants.

• Assistance given to developing nations should be in the form of grants without conditions that further
push the country in the bottom of the poverty cauldron.

• Rich countries should open access to technologies as technology helps propel development.

• Reduce military expenditures so that more resources would be made available for basic services and
productive activities.

National

• A genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform program should be implemented. The Institute for Food
and Development Policy (1998) reported that comprehensive land reform has greatly increased
production in countries like Japan, Zimbabwe and Taiwan.

• Government should increase subsidy for education which helps even the playing field.

• Government and private lending institutions should institute credit reforms that will support small and
medium scale entrepreneurs.

• Government should provide training skills programs such as livelihood and marketing programs.

• Progressive taxation reforms should be instituted to increase the purchasing power of the poor.

• Rural infrastructure, such as farm to market roads and drying facilities for harvest, should be developed.

• The government should make itself more accessible and visible to the people through decentralization.
Decentralization is the process of transferring to local government units political authority, resources and
responsibilities so that the latter may better deliver basic services.

• Transnational corporations should be obliged to make contributions to community development and

environmental protection.

• A code of conduct should be set for transnational corporations to follow. They should take the lead in
paying correct taxes, paying livable and just wages, refusing enticement to bribe, providing security to
their workers and complying with the host country’s environmental standards.

• Reduce military expenditures so that more resources would be made available for basic services and
productive activities.