GED0011 - Science, Technology, and Society

Environment and Climate

Change
MPS Department | FEU Institute of Technology
 OBJECTIVES

● Identify the causes of climate change.

● Assess various impacts of of climate change including economic, geopolitical, biological, meteorological,
etc.
● Discuss the role of Filipinos to achieve climate justice through climate action.
● Discuss how climate change affect life on land and life below water.
● Identify current local and international efforts to protect our natural resources in land and water.
Environment
● All the things around us with This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-NC

which we interact
● Living things
● Animals, plants, forests, fungi,
etc.
Environment
● Nonliving things
● Continents, oceans, clouds, soil,
rocks
● Our built environment
● Buildings, human-created living
centers
● Social relationships and
institutions
 What is Environmental Science?
• It is the systematic study of our environment and our
proper place in it.
• It is highly interdisciplinary, integrating natural sciences,
social sciences, and humanities in a broad, holistic
study of the world around us.
• “Study of how earth works, how we interact with the earth
and how to deal with environmental problems.”
What is Environmental Engineering?
“sound engineering thought and
practice in the solution of
environmental sanitation
…provision of safe water supplies;
… proper disposal of recycle of
wastewater and solid wastes;
…drainage…..”
Davis, Mackenzie and Susan Masten
(2004), Principles of Environmental
Engineering and Science,
International Edition. McGraw Hill
Companies
Natural Resources:
Vital to Human Survival
“…the earth enables our people
to survive, the environment
must be respected and
maintained. As long as the
earth remains healthy, the
people remain healthy.” (Long
and Fox, 1996)
Global Human Population Growth

More than 7.8 billion humans

(2020)
Philippines – 109 million (2020)
Why so many humans?
Agricultural revolution
Stable food supplies
Industrial revolution
Urbanized society powered by fossil fuels
Sanitation and medicines
More food
 Human population growth exacerbates all
environmental problems
The growth rate has slowed…but we still add
more than 200,000 people to the planet
each day We depend completely on the
environment for survival
Life has become more pleasant for us so far
(Increased wealth, health, mobility, leisure
time)
But…natural systems have been degraded
and environmental changes threaten long-
term health and survival
 The “Ecological Footprint”

The environmental impact of a person

or population
Amount of biologically productive land + water for raw materials and to
dispose/recycle waste

Humans have surpassed the Earth’s

capacity

We are using 30% more of the planet’s resources than are available on a
sustainable basis!
Ecological Footprints of Different Countries

The ecological footprints of

countries vary greatly
The U.S. footprint is almost 5 times
greater than the world’s average
Developing countries have much
smaller footprints than developed
countries
What are the challenges we face?
Challenges in Agriculture
• Expanded food production led to increased
population and consumption
• It’s one of humanity’s greatest achievements,
but at an enormous environmental cost
• Nearly half of the planet’s land surface is used
for agriculture
• Chemical fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Erosion
• Changed natural systems
Challenges in Pollution
• Waste products and artificial chemicals used in farms, industries, and
households
• Each year, millions of people die from pollution
Challenges in Climate
• Scientists have firmly concluded that humans are
changing the composition of the atmosphere

• The Earth’s surface is warming

• Melting glaciers
• Rising sea levels
• Impacted wildlife and crops
• Increasingly destructive weather

Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon

dioxide concentrations have risen by 37%, to the
highest level in 650,000 years
 Challenges in Biodiversity
• Human actions have driven many species extinct, and biodiversity is declining
dramatically

Biodiversity loss may be our biggest environmental problem; once a

species is extinct, it is gone forever
Our energy choices will affect our future
The lives we live today are due to fossil fuels
• Machines
• Chemicals
• Transportation
• Products

• Fossil fuels are a one-time bonanza; supplies will

certainly decline

We have used up ½ of the world’s oil supplies; how will

we handle this imminent fossil fuel shortage?
Sustainable Solutions Exist
We must develop solutions that protect both our
quality of life and the environment
Organic agriculture
Technology
Reduces pollution
Biodiversity
Protect species
Waste disposal
Recycling
Alternative fuels
Sustainability
Sustainability
• Leaves future generations with a rich and full
Earth
• Conserves the Earth’s natural resources
• Maintains fully functioning ecological
systems

Sustainable Development: the use of

resources to satisfy current needs without
compromising future availability of resources
Will we develop in a sustainable way?
Sustainable solutions that meet
• Environmental goals
• Economic goals
• Social goals

Requires that humans apply

knowledge from the sciences to
• Limit environmental impacts
• Maintain functioning ecological
systems
Conclusion
• Environmental science helps us
understand our relationship with the
environment and informs our attempts to
solve and prevent problems.
• Solving environmental problems can
move us towards health, longevity, peace
and prosperity.
• Environmental science can help us find
balanced solutions to environmental
problems.
 Life Below Water
Environment and Climate Change
Water and Its Uses
•Domestic
•Municipal
•Industrial
•Irrigation and Livestock
Farming
•Fisheries
•Power Generation
•Recreational
Water Bodies
Water body -means both natural and man-made bodies
of fresh, brackish, and saline waters, and includes, but
is not limited to, aquifers, groundwater, springs,
creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, lagoons, water
reservoirs, lakes, bays, estuarine, coastal and marine
waters.
Water Bodies
Water Bodies
Water Bodies
Sources of Water Pollution

POINT SOURCE: any identifiable source of pollution

with specific point of discharge into a particular water
body
NON-POINT SOURCE: any source of pollution not
identifiable as a point source to include, but not be
limited to, runoff from irrigation or rainwater, which
picks up pollutants from farms and urban areas.
Effects of Water Pollution

Aesthetic effects
Health effects
Loss of water ecosystems (biodiversity)
Economic
PROTECTING OUR WATER RESOURCES

• RA 9275 Clean Water Act

a policy of economic growth in a manner consistent with the
protection, preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh,
brackish and marine waters.
• DAO 2016-008
Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards of
2016 is in compliance with the Philippine Clean Water Act
which mandates the DENR to enforce, review and revise water
quality guidelines as well as review and set effluent standards
WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES
• Water Quality -means the characteristics of water, which
define its use in characteristics by terms of physical,
chemical, biological, bacteriological or radiological
characteristics
•Water quality guidelines -level for a water constituent or
numerical values of physical, chemical, biological and
bacteriological or radiological parameters which are used to
classify water resources and their use,
•Based on health risks
•Not intended for direct enforcement but only for water quality
management purposes
Protection from Point Sources

Effluent standards are limits in terms of concentration

and/or volume for any wastewater discharge coming
from a point source
Different limits depending on classification of receiving
water body
•Set-forth in DAO 2016-08
•GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS: all point sources
must meet the general effluent standards at all times
Protection from Pollution from Non-Point Sources

Watershed management
•Pollution prevention measures include regulating land
use, banning the use of certain chemicals
•Management of urban runoff
•Street sweeping, anti-littering laws
•Treatment of storm water or storm water diversion
•Preservation of wetlands
 Life on Land
Environment and Climate Change
What is Solid Waste?
Solid wastes are any
discarded or abandoned
materials.

Solid wastes can be solid,

liquid, semi-solid or
containerized gaseous
materials.
SOLID WASTE

Solid waste refers to all discarded

• household waste;
• commercial waste;
• non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste;
• street sweepings;
• construction debris;
• agricultural waste; and
• other nonhazardous/non-toxic solid waste.
SOLID WASTES

BIODEGRADABLE WASTE – WASTE THAT CAN BE DECOMPOSED BY

NATURAL PROCESS. (EG.DOMESTIC SEWAGE, FOOD TABLE SCRAPS,
VEGETABLE PEELINGS, PAPER, ETC.)

NON – BIODEGRADABLE WASTE – WASTE THAT CAN NOT BE DECOMPOSED

BY NATURAL PROCESS. ( EG. ALUMINUM, CANS, GLASS, METALS, ETC.)
TYPES OF SOLID WASTE

AGRICULTURAL SOLID WASTE = INCLUDES ANIMAL MANURE, WASTE FROM

SLAUGHTER HOUSES, CROP HARVESTINGS, ETC.

MINERAL SOLID WASTE = WASTES IN MINING MINERALS AND FOSSIL

FUELS.

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE =

A. INDUSTRIAL WASTE = TOXIC HAZARDUOS

WASTES FROM INDUSTRIAL FIRMS.

B. RESIDENTIAL WASTE = HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE.

Examples of Solid Wastes
• Waste tires
• Scrap metal
• Latex paints, empty aerosol cans
• Furniture and Appliances
• Household Garbage (ex. Food wastes)
• Vehicles
• Oil
• Construction and demolition Debris
SOLID WASTE
The following are not covered by RA 9003
• Waste identified or listed as hazardous waste (either solid, liquid,
gaseous or in semisolid form) which may cause or contribute to death,
serious or incapacitating illness, or acute/ chronic effect on the health
of persons and other organisms;
• Infectious waste from hospitals
• Waste resulting from mining activities, including contaminated
soil and debris.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
M u n i ci p al w ast e shall ref er t o wast es produced
f r om ac t iv it ies wit hin loc al gov er nm ent unit s
which include a co mb i n at i o n o f d o mest i c ,
co mmerci al , i n st i t u t i o n al an d i n d u st ri al
w ast es an d st reet l i t t ers.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
RA 9003 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

An act providing for an

Implementing Rules and ecological solid waste
Regulations for R.A. management program,
creating the necessary
9003: DENR institutional mechanisms
Administrative Order No- and incentives, declaring
certain acts prohibited
2001-34 issued on and providing penalties,
December 21, 2001 appropriating funds
therefore, and for other
purposes
SOLID WASTE SEGREGATION
Solid wastes shall be segregated into the following
categories:
1. Compostable;
2. Non-recyclable;
3. Recyclable;
4. Special wastes; and
5. Any other classification determined by the National Solid
Waste Management Commission.
Impacts of Solid Waste
• HEALTH and ENVIRONMENT
• Disease
• Generation of greenhouse gases
• Odour, aesthetics
• Flooding
• Pollution/ contamination of water supplies
• Affects marine habitats
• Results to losses in trade and tourism
Solid Waste Management

• control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport,

processing, and disposal of solid wastes

• involves evaluating local needs and conditions, and then

selecting and combining the most appropriate waste
management activities for those conditions.
Ecological Solid Waste Management
Systematic management of solid waste which provides
for:
1. Waste reduction at source;
2. Segregation at source for recovery of reusables, recyclables and
compostable;
3. Segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing,
treatment and disposal of solid waste; and
4. All other waste management activities which do not harm the
environment.
Recycling
• prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases
and water pollutants,
• saves energy,
• supplies valuable raw materials to industry,
creates jobs,
• stimulates the development of greener technologies,
conserves resources and
• reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.
Materials Recovery Facility
• Facility designed to receive, sort, process, and store
compostable and recyclable materials efficiently and
in an environmentally sound manner
• Advanced facilities makes use of the properties of
materials to sort the waste
• Involves manual labor
Solid Waste Disposal
• Open dump shall refer to a disposal area wherein the
solid wastes are indiscriminately thrown or disposed of
without due planning and consideration for environmental
and Health standards.
• Controlled dump shall refer to a disposal site at which
solid waste is deposited in accordance with the minimum
prescribed standards of site operation
• Sanitary landfill refers to a waste disposal site designed,
constructed, operated and maintained in a manner that
exerts engineering control over significant potential
environment impacts arising from the development and
operation of the facility
Solid Waste Disposal

Sanitary Landfill

Dump Sites
Sanitary Landfill

Advantages

• volume can increase with little Disadvantages

addition of people/equipment
• completed landfill areas can
• filled land can be reused for other settle and requires maintenance
community purposes
• requires proper planning, design,
and operation
 Dump Sites

Disadvantage

• health-hazard - insects, rodents

Advantage etc.

• Inexpensive • damage due to air pollution

• ground water and run-off pollution

Landfill Design Considerations

Impact of
Liquid Liquid
Collection On Geometry of
Stability Cell

Integration
With Integration with
Final LFG Collection
Closure
Incineration Plants

• Most expensive solid waste management options

• Requires highly skilled personnel and careful
maintenance.
• Good choice only when other, simpler, and less
expensive choices are not available.
• Can be used to reduce the original volume of
combustibles by 80 to 95 percent.
• Not allowed in the Philippines due to RA 8749 (Clean Air
Act)
Philippines Laws

• Republic Act No 9003 -Ecological Solid Waste Management

Act of 2000

• Republic Act 7160 (Local Government Code)

• Mandates local government units to exercise
powers, functions and responsibilities in providing
basic services and facilities related to general
hygiene, sanitation, beautification and solid waste
collection, transport and disposal.
References
• Easton, Thomas A. (2016), Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Science,
Technology, and Society 13th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education.
• Floridi, Luciano. The Fourth Revolution: How the Infosphere is
Reshaping Human Reality, Oxford University Press, 2014.
• McNamara, Daniel J. in “A Return to the Beginning,” in Stellar Origins,
Human Ways: Readings in Science, Technology, and Society, ed. Ma.
Assunta Cuyegkeng, Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press,
2011.
• Serafica, Familen, et.al. (2018) Science, Technology and Society. 1st
Ed. Rex Book Store.
• Volti, Rudi (2017), Society and Technological Change.