VI Environmental Education

Our planet is in trouble! Almost every day we seem to hear of yet another problem affecting
the environment-and what a list of problems!- pollution, acid rain, climate change, the
destruction of rainforest and other wild habitats, the decline and extinction of thousands of
species of animals and plants and so on.
Nowadays, most of us now that these threat exist and that humans have caused them many
of us are worried about the future of our planet and unless we find a way of solving the
problems we have made then the environment suffer even more.
It all sounds so sad but we certainly mustnt despair! Each one of us, regardless of age can do
something to help slow down and reverse some of the damage. We cannot leave the problem-
solving entirely to the experts-we all have a responsibility for our environment. We must learn
to live in sustainable way e. I. learn to use our natural resources which include air, fresh water,
forest, wildlife, farmland and seas without damaging them. As populations grow and lifestyles
change, we must keep the word in a good condition so that future generations will have the
same natural resources that we have.

Environment Education
Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural
environments function and particularly, how human beings can manage their behaviour and
ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used more broadly to include all
efforts to educate the public and other audiences including print materials, websites, media
campaigns, etc. Related disciplines include outdoor education and experiential education.
Environmental education is learning process that increases people knowledge and
awareness about the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and
expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to
make informed decisions and take responsible action (UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1978).
EE focuses on:
1. Awareness and sensitivity about the environment and environmental challenges;
2. Knowledge and challenges about the environment and environmental challenges.
3. Attitude concern for the environment and help to maintain environmental quality.
4. Skills to mitigate the environmental problems; and
5. Participation for exercising existing knowledge and environmental related programs.
Resource

A resource is a source or supply from which benefit is produced. Typically

resources are materials or other assets that are transformed to produce benefit
and in the process may be consumed or made unavailable. From a human
perspective a natural resource is anything obtain frim the environment to satisfy
human needs and wants.

Resources have a three main characteristics:

1. Utility.
2. Limited availability and,
3. Potential for depletion or consumption. Resources have been variously
categorized as biotic versus abiotic, renewable versus non-renewable, and
potential versus actual, along with more elaborate classifications.

Land or natural resources

Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many natural resources are
essential for human survival, while others are used for satisfying human desire. Conservation
is the management of natural resources with the goal of sustainability. Natural resources may
be further classified in different ways.
Resources can be categorized on the basis of origin:

1. Abiotic resources comprise non-living things (e. g. land water, air, and minerals
such as gold, iron, copper, silver).
2. Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere. Forest and their products,
animals, birds and their products, fish and other marine organisms are important
examples. Minerals such as coal and petroleum are sometimes included in this
category because they were formed from fossilized organic matter, though over long
periods time.

Natural resources are also categorized based on the stage of development;

1. Potential resources are known to exist may be used in the future. For example,
petroleum may exist in many parts of India ad Kuwait that have sedimentary rocks,
but until the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential
result.
2. Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality
determined, and are being used in present times. For example, petroleum and natural
 gas is actively being obtained from the Mumbai High Fields. The development of an
actual resource, such as wood processing depends upon the technology available and
the cost involved. That part of the actual resource that can be developed profitably
with available technology is a called a reserve resource, while that part that cannot
be develop profitably because of lack technology is called a stock resource.

Natural resources can be categorized on the basis of renewability:

1. Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological periods.

Minerals and fossils are included in this category. Since their rate of formation is
extremely slow, they cannot be replenished once they are depleted. Out of these,
the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them, but coal and petroleum
cannot be recycled.
2. Renewable resources such as forest and fisheries can be replenished or
reproduced relatively quickly. The highest rate at which a resource can be used
sustainably is the sustainable yield. Some resources like sunlight, air and wind are
called perpetual resource because they are available continuously, though a limited
rate.

Natural Resources are also categorized based on distribution:

1. Ubiquitous Resources are found everywhere (e .g air, light, water).
2. Localized resources are found in certain parts of the world (e. g. ,copper, and
iron. Ore, geothermal power).

Resource use and sustainable development.

Typically resources cannot be consumed in their original formed, but rather through
resources development they must be proceed into more usable commodities. With increasing
population the demand for resources is increasing they are marked differences in resource
distribution and associated economic inequality between regions or countries with
developed countries using more natural resources than developing countries sustainable
development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving
the environment.
 Various problems relate to the usage of resources:
1. Environmental degradation.
2. Over-consumption.
3. Resource curse.
4. Resource depletion.
5. Tragedy of the commons.

Various benefits can result from the ways usage of resources:

1. Economic growth.
2. Ethical consumerisms.
3. Prosperity.
4. Quality of life.
5. Sustainability.
6. Wealth.

Environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion
resources such as air, water, and soil. The destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of
wildlife. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be
deleterious or undesirable.

Over consumption
Is a situation where resource use has outpaced the sustainable capacity of the
ecosystem. A prolonged pattern of over consumption leads to inevitable environmental
degradation and the eventual loss of sources basis. Generally the discussion of over
consumption parallels that are over population; that is more people there are, the greater
consumption of raw materials is sustain their lives.

Resource curse
The resource curse (paradox of plenty) refers to the paradox that countries and religion
with the abundance of natural resources, specifically point-source non-renewable source like
minerals and fuels, tend to have less economic growth and worst development outcomes
than countries with fewer natural resources. This is hypothesis to happen for many different
reasons, including the decline in the competitiveness of other economic sectors, volatility of
revenues from the natural source sector due to exposure to global commodity market swings,
government mismanagement of resources, or weak, ineffectual, unstable or corrupt
institution (possibly due to the easily diverted actual or anticipated revenues stream from
extractive activities).
Resource depletion
Resource depletion is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials
with a region. Resources are commonly divided between renewable resources and non-
renewable resources. Use of either of this forms of resources beyond their rate of
replacement is considered to be resource depletion. Resource depletion is commonly used in
reference to farming, fishing, mining, and fossil fuel.
Causes of resource depletion
1. Over- consumption/ excessive or unnecessary use of resources.
2. Non- equitable distribution of resources.
3. Over population.
4. Slash- and burn agricultural practices.
5. Technological and industrial development.
6. Erosion.
7. Irrigation.
8. Mining for oil and minerals.
9. Aquifer depletion.
10. Forestry.
11. Pollution or contamination of resources.

Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of the contaminants into a natural environment that causes
instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i. e. physical system or living
organism. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat
or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/ energies
or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or non point
source pollution.
A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil. Three factors determine
the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, its concentration its persistence.

Effect of pollution
1. Health effects -overview of main health effects on humans from some common
types of pollution.
2. Environment pollution- pollution has been found to be present widely in the
environment. There are number of effects of this:
a. Bio magnification describes situation where toxins (such as heavy metals) may
pass though tropic levels, becoming exponentially more concentrated in the
process.
 b. Carbon dioxide emissions cause ocean ac
c.
d. idification- The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earths ocean as CO2
becomes dissolved.
e. The emission of greenhouse gases leads to global warming which affects
ecosystems in many ways.
f. Invasive species can out-compete native species and reduce biodiversity
invasive plants can contribute debris and bio-molecules (allelopathy) that
can alter soil and chemical composition of an environment, often reducing
native species competitiveness.
g. Nitrogen oxides are removed from the air by rain and fertilize land which can
change the specie composition of ecosystems.
h. Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants to carry
out of photosynthesis and leads to the production of tropospheric ozone
which damages plants.
i. Soil can be become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will be affect
other organisms on the food web.
j. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can cause acid rain which lowers the pH
value of soil.

Types of Pollution
1. Air Pollution. Air pollution is indication of disturbances to the
composition of compounds in the atmosphere, as it may be
summarized as shown:
a. Excess emission of gasses/ vapor into atmosphere;
b. Saturation of chemical compounds/ particulars;
c. Rate of dissipation (smaller than) rate of absorption through
Various (i.e. carbon nitrogen cycle); and
d. Emergence of new chemical reactions of reactive and non-
biodegradable compounds.
Global warming, acid rain, smog, ozone depletion are some effects of air
pollution.

2. Water Pollution. Water pollution is contamination of water by foreign

matter that deteriorates the quality of the water. Water pollution covers
pollution in liquid forms like ocean pollution and river pollution. As the
term applies, liquid pollution occurs in the oceans, lakes, streams, rivers,
underground waters and bays and any liquid-containing areas. It involves
 the release of toxic substances, pathogenic germs, substances that require
much oxygen to decompose, easy soluble substance, radioactive, etc. They
become deposited upon the bottom and air accumulations interfere with
the condition of aquatic ecosystem. An example of which is the
eutrophication: lack of oxygen in a water body caused by excessive algae
growths because of enrichment of pollutants.
3. Land Pollution. Land pollution involves the following mechanism:
a. Deposition of solid waste;
b. Accumulation of non-biodegradable materials;
c. Toxification of chemicals into poisons; and
d. Alteration of soil chemical composition (imbalance of chemical
equilibrium to soil medium).

Waste
Waste- (also known as rubbish, refuse, garbage, junk, and litter) is any unwanted or
useless materials. Waste is directly linked to human both technological and social.

Waste Management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing
and monitoring of waste materials. The term, usually relates to materials produced by human
activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the
environment or aesthetics. Waste management is a distinct practice from resource recovery
which focuses on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources.
There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage
between countries or regions. Some of the most general, and widely used concepts include:

1.Waste hierarchy.
The waste hierarchy refers to the 3 Rs reduce reuse and recycle which classify
waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste
minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste
minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the the maximum
practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste.
2. Polluter pays principle
The polluter pays principle is a principle where the polluting party pays for the
impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers
to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste.
The Philippine land

The once spectacular primary forest of the Philippines are now relic of a bygone era.
What little primary forest remains exist is the island of Palawan, the last sanctuary for the
palawan eagle.

Between 1990 and 2005 the Philippines lost a third of its forest cover. While the
deforestation rate is around 2 percent per year, this represents a 20 percent drop from the
rate of 1990s. Widespread logging was responsible for much of the historical forest loss in the
Philippines. Despite government bans on timber harvesting following severe flooding in the
late 1980s and early 1990s, illegal logging continues today. Illicit wood cut from secondary
and primary forests is routinely smuggled to other Asian countries.

After temporarily lifting the log export ban in the late 1990s, the government has
increasingly tried to crack down on timber smuggling and forest degradation, but with limited
success. Additional threats to Philippine forest come from legal and illegal mining operations-
agricultural fires, collection of fuel wood, and rural population expansion. In recent years,
deforestation has been increasingly blamed for soil erosion, river siltation, flooding, and
drought. Environmental awareness is now rising in the countrys environment.
With less and less forest in the Philippines, locals are increasingly reliant on plantations to
meet their timber needs. As a result, plantation cover has fallen 65 percent between 1990 and
2005.

The continuing disappearance of Filipino wild lands is of great concern to ecologist due to
the high levels of endemic species. Of the 1,196 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals,
and reptiles in the country, nearly 46% are endemic. Among plants, the number is around
40%.Only about 5% of the Philippine land area is under some form of protection.

Recent scientific studies reveal that human activities have contributed significantly to the
increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that causes climate change.

The Philippine is a hot spot for climate change disasters particularly the risk for agriculture
and food security due to extreme EL Nino an severe tropical cyclones. The spread of infectious
diseases is influenced by fluctuations in climate variables, temperature, relative humidity and
rainfall.

Diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, cholera, have increased throughout the years.
Climate change impacts on coastal zones and marine ecosystem caused massive coral bleaching
especially in 1998 due to elevated sea temperature and fish kills and red tides like the one that
occurred in 1992 which was an EL Nino period.
Scientist warned that the Philippines could experience famine by 2020, as the adverse impact
of global warming takes its tool on nature resources. Thousands will be displaced from their
homes especially in low-lying coastal communities.

Aside from the natural calamities, the Philippines is looming with garbage problems despite
the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or the republic Act (R A) 9003.

The 2007 first quarter data from the National Solid Waste Management Commission shows
that there are 677 open dump sites, 343 controlled dumps, and 21 landfills in the country. An
additional 307 dump sites are subject for closure or rehabilitation plans but without definite
schedules for enforcement. About 215 additional landfills are being proposed to be set up
nationwide.

About 1,000 open and controlled dump sites exist in the country. Prominent dumps all over
the country can be found in Antipolo, and Montalban in Rizal, Baguio City, Obando, Bulacan,
and San Pedro, Laguna.

Environmentalist stress that Republic Act 9003 calls for the adoption the best environmental
practices in ecological waste management and explicitly excludes waste incineration as an
ecological option. These polluting disposal facilities are major sources of greenhouse gas
emissions to the atmosphere which adds to global warming.
Landfills and open dumps, according to studies, account for 34 percent of human related
methane emissions to the atmosphere, a global warming gas that has 23 times more heat-
trapping power than carbon dioxide. These landfills and open dumps are illegal under RA 9003.
Incinerator, on the other hand, have significantly higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions
(per kilowatt) than a coal-fired power plant when all the carbon coming out of an incinerators
stacks is measured. Such emissions are banned by the countrys Clean are illegal under Air Act.
Inaction on garbage contributes to the death of at least two persons every minute due to
complications from environmental problems. His incidents could be prevented if the country
only developed a more efficient environmental management program.
Mismanagement of waste has serious environmental consequences ground and surface
water contamination, local flooding, air pollution, exposures to toxins, and spread of disease.
Many of the disposal sites contain infectious material, thus threatening sanitation workers and
waste-pickers.
Annual waste generation in the Philippines is expected to grow 40% by 2010. improvements
in recycling, collection, and disposal will become even more critical as garbage production
continues to increase with population growth and economic development.
 Past efforts to promote waste segregation at source have minimal impact despite the
presence of Republic Act 9003. Most of these were barangay, city, and municipal ordinances
providing sanctions and penalties for non-compliance. Campaigns, seminars, training, and
other different community activities were implemented with the help of various private groups
or NGOs to pursue the objectives of solving the garbage problem.
RA 9003 further calls for the establishments of materials recovery facilities, or ecology
centers, in every barangay or cluster of a barangay. To date, only 1,923 ecology centers exist,
serving 2,133 barangays of a total 41,975 nationwide. In Quezon City alone, only 52 barangays
have established Materials Recovery facilities out of a total 142.

Peoples Behavior Toward Waste

Behavior is a key cultural aspect that is embedded in peoples way of life. Studying a
communitys behavior and introducing ones require intensive, long-term, and creative social
marketing. This can be done by studying the demographic and cultural fiber of the community
through immersion and capacity building activities.
The Resources, environment and economics center for studies, Inc.s (REECS) 2002 study
on household waste management system and the attitudes and behavior of the communities in
two barangays in Metro Manila ( Bennagen, Nepomuceno, Covar, 200) showed that.
1. Waste management is still perceived by many as the responsibility of government.
2. Public participation I waste management, especially in segregation source, remains
limited.
3. more extensive awareness- raising activities and training o ecological waste
management are needed, together with stricter enforcement of the law and local
ordinances must be observed
4. There is lack of community empowerment and political will to resolve the problem.
Recognizing the empowerment of the environments immediate recovery and affects of
improper waste management in the Philippines, the Filipino people recognize that there is a need
of understanding and reformation of attitudes and concern towards the protection of
environment. The impending garbage crisis can be prevented if we only practice waste
segregation at source, recycling, and composting as what the law requires. An intensive social
marketing program has to be established on a long-term scale with in barangay - the smallest
unit of the local government.

Local Waste Management Act

Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act provides the legal
framework for the countrys systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste
management program that shall insure protection of public health and the environment. The
implementing rules and regulations of R.A No. 9003 are contained in DENR administrative order
No. 20o1-34.
Solve Waste Problems
There are many ways to do it. A highly recommended formula is to adopt the 3Rs. Of
Ecological Waste Management: REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE. In addition to that, 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 public places like road, sidewalks,
canals, and stereos, parks and establishments;
2. Open burning pf solid waste.
3. allowing the collection of non-segregated or unsorted waste.
4. Squatting in open dumps and landfills;
5. Open dumping or burying of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials in flood-
prone areas;
6. Unauthorized removal of recyclable material intended for collection by authorized
persons;
7. Mixing of source-separate recyclable material with other solid waste in any vehicle, box,
container or receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal.
8. Manufacture, distribution or used of non-environmentally acceptable packaging
materials.
9. Establishments or operation of open dump; and
10. Importation of consumer products packaged in non-environmentally acceptable
materials.
Education And Awareness
Education and awareness in the are of waste and waste management is increasingly
important from a global perspective of resource management. The Talloires Declaration for
sustainability concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of environmental pollution
and degradation, and the depletion of natural resources. Local, regional, and global air
pollution, accumulation and distribution of toxic waste, destruction and depletion of forest, soil
and water depletion of the ozone layer and emission of greenhouse gases threaten the
survival of humans and thousands of other living species, the integrity of the earth and its
biodiversity, the security of nations, and the heritage of future generations.
 VII social
Awareness
And disaster
Preparedness

Social consciousness
Social consciousness is a consciousness shared within a society. It can also be defined as a
social awareness; to be aware of the problems that different societies and communities face on
a day-to-day basis: to be conscious of the difficulties and hardships of society.
Many studies have been to examine the roots of social consciousness. It is believed to arise as
a response to social injustice experienced by the individual or in the lives of other around the
individual. There are three levels of social consciousness: acquired, awakened, and expanded.

Acquired
A subject with an acquired social consciousness derives his or her viewpoint from the
mainstream culture. This individual avoids identifying himself or herself with a marginalized
culture. This individual generally is either not aware of or does not acknowledged the way
differences among people affect the treatment they receive within a society. This individual is
not fully active in society. The person with an acquired social consciousness does not question
mainstream viewpoints, and acts accordingly,without confrontation.

Awakened
A subject with an awakened social consciousness explorers alternatives to the dominant
cultural viewpoint. This person might identify with a marginalized group, but the mainstream
culture is central to his or her questioning or exploration. The subject recognizes and challenges
and social injustice. the focus of discontent and action is often over the right to be visible, to
have choice, or to be self-determining. This is awakened level of social awareness.

Expanded
A subject with an expanded social consciousness strongly identifies with their marginalized
group. This person views status as a continuously changing social construct, thus viewing
responses as a lifelong process. This individual has an understanding of complexity of the social
hierarchy, and acts carefully after weighing both sides.

Implication
Consciousness brings moral implication. Often, people with an awakened consciousness
becomes socially active. A socially conscious person tends to be empathetic towards others
regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, class, or sexual identity.
Social problems are problems and difficulties that people often face in soiety.
These include:
1. Crime
2. corruption
3. unemployment
4. poverty
5. homelessness
6. hunger
7. disease

Crime
Crime is the breach of laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribed a
conviction.

Types of crime
1. Drug Crimes. The drug-crime category encompasses a range of offenses connected with
the use, transportation, purchase, and sale of illegal drugs.
2. Street crime. The most common forms of predatory crime-rape, robbery, assault,
burglary, larceny, and auto theft-occur most frequently in urban streets. Racial minority
citizens account for disproportionately high number of the arrest for street crimes.
3. Organized crime. the term organized crime refers to the unlawful activities of members
of criminal organizations that supply illegal goods and services.
4. Political Crime. The political-crime category contains both crimes by the government and
crimes against the government. Political goals motivate political criminals.
5. Victim less crime. Consensual acts and violations in which only the perpetrator is hurt,
such as the personal use of illegal drugs, are called victim less crimes.
 6. White-collar crime. White-collar are offenses that persons commit while acting in their
legitimate jobs and professions. White-collar criminals behave in unethical ways for self-
gain or the benefit of a business, victims of white-collar include the economy,
employers, consumers, and the environment.

Crime Prevention
The ultimate goal of crime prevention is to reduce the risk of being a victim. In order to
accomplish this effectively, it is important to remove opportunities for a criminal to take
advantage of you or property. You are attempting to prevent either victimization or
criminalization by presenting an unattractive target to the criminal. This effort at removing
opportunities is often referred to as target hardening. Target hardening can be as complex as
installing a high tech alarm system or taking self-defense course to something as simple as
locking your door. Successful crime prevention efforts will promote a safer community by
enhancing the perception of safety and the attitudes and behavior that help people feel safe.

National Security