Mandated Global Topic: College of Science - Department of Biology

Module 06
Mandated Global Topic
Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Science – Department of Biology
Overview:
Module 06 – Mandated Global Topics

Overview:

Lesson 1: Energy Crisis/Alternative and Sustainable Energy
Lesson 2: Climate Change/Global Warming
Lesson 3: Environmental Awareness
Lesson 4: Global Pandemics

Lesson 1:
Energy Crisis/
Alternative and Sustainable Energy

Objectives:
1. Trace the energy flow through the food chain, food web and food pyramid as
these determine ecosystem survival, diversity, and distribution.
2. Discuss solutions to current environmental problems such as the biodiversity
loss, deforestation, coastal restoration, and the like and relate it to the need for
sources of sustainable energy
3. Identify the causes of Climate Change
4. Assess the various impacts of climate change including economic, geopolitical,
biological, meteorological, etc.
5. Critically analyze the factors and processes affecting the dynamics of ecosystems as
they are affected by natural phenomena and by the action of man.
6. Appreciate the aesthetic value of a balanced environment, its influence on the
development of a wholesome character and inspiration in the arts and other fields of
human endeavor.

OVERVIEW
⮚ Human-centered, or anthropocentric, view of our relationship to nature to

emphasize the value of securing the resources needed for further
development.
⮚ Environment-centered, or ecocentric, view of our relationship to nature to
emphasize the value of conserving her integrity and beauty.
⮚ 816 species that have become extinct
⮚ 11,046 species that are threatened with extinction
⮚ Nearly 25% of the world’s most important marine fish stocks are depleted,
overharvested, or just beginning to recover from overharvesting.
⮚ The global rate of deforestation averaged 9M ha/yr in the 1990s
⮚ Soil degradation on as much as 65% of agricultural land

⮚ Issues : species extinction, industrial pollution, forest loss, ecosystem
degradation, overfishing, and degraded freshwater
⮚ environmental problems are not primarily technological or economic
but behavioral and cultural
⮚ technological and economic activity may be the direct cause of
environmentally destructive behavior, it is values, both cultural and
institutional
⮚ Technologies are born of social values that guide identification of
environmental problems in relation to human needs.
⮚ Social values define what is right, good, and appropriate.
⮚ social values define how we view nature and how we view our place
within it.
FOSSIL FUELS
Conventional
Sources of Energy

⮚ Fossil fuels are the remains of once-living organisms that
were preserved and altered as a result of geologic forces.
⮚ Significant differences exist in the formation of coal from that
of oil and natural gas.
⮚ Biological and geologic processes in various parts of the
geologic cycle produce the sedimentary rocks in which we
find coal—are our primary energy sources; they provide
approximately 80% of the energy consumed worldwide.

Coal was formed from plant material that had been
subjected to heat and pressure. Freshwater swamps
covered many regions of the Earth 300 million years ago.
Today we see deposits of plant materials, known as peat,
being formed in bogs.

Due to geologic changes in the Earth, some of these
organic deposits were submerged by seas. The plant
material that had collected in the swamps was then
covered by sediment. The weight of the sediment on top
of the deposit compressed it and heat from the Earth
caused the evaporation of water and other volatile
compounds. Thus, the original plant material was
transformed into coal.

⮚ Oil and natural gas, like coal, are
products from the past.
⮚ When these organisms died and
accumulated on the ocean bottom
and were buried by sediments, their
breakdown released oil droplets.
⮚ These accumulations of oil are more
likely to occur if the rock layers were
folded by geological forces.

Use of Fossil Fuels

The three nonrenewable fossil-fuel resources—coal, oil, and natural gas—
supply over 80% of the energy consumed world-wide. Each fuel has advantages
and disadvantages and requires special techniques for its production and use.

Coal Use
⮚ Coal is the world’s most abundant fossil fuel,
⮚ it supplies less than 30% of the energy used in the world.
⮚ It varies in quality and is generally classified in four categories:
⮚ lignite,
⮚ sub-bituminous,
⮚ bituminous, and
⮚ anthracite.

Oil Use
⮚ Worldwide about 33% of the

energy consumed comes from oil.
⮚ Oil has several characteristics that
make it superior to coal as a
source of energy.
⮚ Its extraction causes less
environmental damage than does
coal mining.
⮚ It is a more concentrated source of
energy than coal, it burns with less
pollution, and it can be moved
easily through pipes.


Natural Gas Use
⮚ 3rd major source of fossil-fuel energy,

supplies over 20% of the world’s
energy.
⮚ used primarily for heat energy,
⮚ other uses, can be the manufacture
of petrochemicals and fertilizer.

FOSSIL FUELS

What is Energy Crisis?
The energy crisis is the concern
that the world's demands on the
limited natural resources that are
used to power industrial society are
diminishing as the demand rises.
These natural resources are in
limited supply. While they do occur
naturally, it can take hundreds of
thousands of years to replenish the
stores.

How essential are energy sources
and services to human societies?

⮚ Industrialized countries are so completely dependent on fossil fuels and
nuclear energy that we cannot imagine an economy apart from these
energy sources.
⮚ Developing countries are following the same example, hoping to enhance
the well-being of their people.
⮚ They have a long way to go; more than 1.3 billion people lack access to
electricity, and another billion have unreliable service.
⮚ Our pursuit of energy sources and services exacts an underappreciated toll
in human life and well-being.
⮚ The processes of energy exploration, extraction, transportation, and power
generation carry risks that often result in accidental deaths.
⮚ They also cause air and water pollution, which pose risks to human health.

Causes of Energy
Crisis

OVERCONSUMPTION
The energy crisis is a result of many
different strains on our natural
resources, not just one. There is a strain
on fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal
due to overconsumption

OVERPOPULATION
Another cause of the crisis has
been the steady
increase in the world’s population
and its demands for fuel and
products.

POOR INFRASTRUCTURE
Aging infrastructure of power generating
equipment is yet another reason for energy
shortage. Most of the energy producing
firms keep on using outdated equipment
that restricts the production of energy. It is
the responsibility of utilities to keep on
upgrading the infrastructure and set a high
standard of performance.

UNEXPLORED RENEWABLE
ENERGY OPTIONS
Renewable energy still remains
unused is most of the countries.
Most of the energy comes from
non-renewable sources like coal.
It still remains the top choice to
produce energy.

WASTAGE OF ENERGY
Simple things like switching off
fans and lights when not in use,
using maximum daylight,
walking instead of driving for
short distances, using CFL
instead of traditional bulbs,
proper insulation for leakage of
energy can go a long way in
saving energy.

MAJOR ACCIDENTS AND
CALAMITIES
Major accidents like pipeline
burst and natural calamities like
eruption of volcanoes, floods,
earthquakes can also cause
interruptions to energy supplies.
The huge gap between supply
and demand of energy can raise
the price of essential items
which can give rise to inflation.

WARS AND ATTACKS
Wars between countries can
also hamper supply of energy
specially if it happens in
Middle East countries like
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran,
Kuwait, UAE or Qatar.

MISCELLANEOUS FACTORS
Tax hikes, strikes, military coup,
political events, severe hot
summers or cold winters can
cause sudden increase in demand
of energy and can choke supply.
A strike by unions in an oil
producing firm can definitely
cause an energy crisis.

Alternative
and
Renewable
Energy
Sources
Sources of Energy
Solar Energy
Solar power harvests the energy of the
sun through using collector panels to
create conditions that can then be
turned into a kind of power. Large solar
panel fields are often used in desert to
gather enough power to charge small
substations, and many homes use
solar systems to provide for hot water,
cooling and supplement their
electricity.

Sources of Energy
Wind Enerrgy
The new innovations that are
allowing wind farms to appear
are making them a more common
sight. By using large turbines to
take available wind as the power
to turn, the turbine can then turn
a generator to produce electricity.

Sources of Energy
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is the energy
that is produced from beneath the
earth. It is clean, sustainable and
environment friendly. High
temperatures are produced
continuously inside the earth’s
crust by the slow delay of
radioactive particles.

Sources of Energy
Nuclear power is amongst the most abundant
forms of alternative energy. It creates a number
of direct benefits in terms of emissions and
efficiency, while also boosting the economy by
creating jobs in plant creation and operation.

13 countries relied on nuclear power to
produce at least a quarter of their electricity
as of 2015 and there are currently 450
plants in operation throughout the world.
The drawback is that when something goes
wrong with a nuclear power plant the
potential for catastrophe exists. The
situations in Chernobyl and Fukushima are
examples of this.

Sources of Energy
Hydroelectric method is some of the earliest
means of creating energy, though its use began
to decline with the rise of fossil fuels. Despite
this, it still account for approximately 7% of the
energy produced in the US.
Hydroelectric energy carries with it a number of

benefits. Not only is it a clean source of energy,
which means it doesn’t create pollution and the
myriad issues that arise from it, but it is also a
renewable energy source. Better yet, it also
offers a number of secondary benefits that are
not immediately apparent. The dams used
in generating hydroelectric power also contribute
to flood control and irrigation techniques.


Sources of Energy
Biofuels In contrast to biomass energy sources,
biofuels make use of animal and plant life to create
energy. In essence they are fuels that can be obtained
from some form of organic matter.

They are renewable in cases where plants are
used, as these can be regrown on a yearly basis.
However, they do require dedicated machinery for
extraction, which can contribute to increased
emissions even if biofuels themselves don’t.
Biofuels are increasingly being adopted,
particularly in the United States. They accounted
for approximately seven percent of transport fuel
consumption as of 2012.


Sources of Energy
Biomass energy comes in a number of
forms. Burning wood has been used for
thousands of years to create heat, but more
recent advancements have also seen waste,
such as that in landfills, and alcohol products
used for similar purposes.
Focusing on burning wood, the heat

generated can be equivalent to that of a
central heating system. Furthermore,
the costs involved tend to be lower and the
amount of carbon released by this kind of
fuel falls below the amount released by fossil
fuels.

Sources of Energy
Tidal Energy uses the power of water to
generate energy, much like with
hydroelectric methods but its application
has more in common with wind turbines in
many cases.
Though it is a fairly new technology, its

potential is enormous. A report produced in
the United Kingdom estimated that tidal
energy could meet as much as 20% of the
UK’s current electricity demands.


What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is essentially power
generated from a source that is
constantly being replenished. In theory,
this type of energy should never run out,
making it a much more efficient option
than non-renewable sources such as
fossil fuels and gas, which are
damaging to the atmosphere.
Renewable energy sources are natural,
and include the likes of wind
power and solar panels.

What is Green Energy?
Green energy is
defined as power
generated from
natural sources, such
as wind, water and
sunlight.


What is Sustainable Energy?

In order for an energy resource to
be considered sustainable the
resource must not be utilized at a
rate exceeding its renewal rate.
The utilization must in addition
result in economic and societal
benefits without damage to nature
and the environment.

Lesson 1 Activity:

1. Cite an example of alternative energy that is not
sustainable? Why do you think so?
2. Explain in not less than 5 sentences why it is
considered as such

LESSON 2
CLIMATE CHANGE

INTRODUCTION
⮚ Human health has always been influenced by climate and weather.

⮚ Changes in climate and climate variability, particularly changes in weather
extremes, affect the environment that provides us with clean air, food, water,
shelter, and security.
⮚ Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors,
threatens human health and well-being in numerous ways.
⮚ Given that the impacts of climate change are projected to increase over the
next century, certain existing health threats will intensify, and new health threats
may emerge.
⮚ Connecting our understanding of how climate is changing with an
understanding of how those changes may affect human health can inform
decisions about mitigating (reducing) the amount of future climate change,
suggest priorities for protecting public health, and help identify research needs.

WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?
1. The planet's climate has constantly been

changing over geological time, with
significant fluctuations of global average
temperatures.
2. Current period of warming is occurring more
rapidly than any past events caused by
anthropogenic reasons.
3. Greenhouse gases are at the highest levels
they have ever been over the last 800,000
years.
4. Climate change has interrelated
repercussions.

WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?
o There is an overwhelming scientific
consensus that global warming is
mostly man-made: 97% of climate
scientists have come to this
conclusion.
o One of the biggest drivers by far is
our burning of fossil fuels – coal, gas
and oil – which has increased the
concentration of greenhouse gases –
such as carbon dioxide – in our
atmosphere.
o Other activities like clearing land for
agriculture, is causing the average
temperature of our planet to increase.

⮚ Global warming started making
headlines back in the late 1980s.
⮚ In 1992, 165 nations signed an
international treaty, the UN
Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC).
⮚ They have held meetings annually
ever since (called “Conference of the
Parties” or COP), with the aim of
developing goals and methods to
reduce climate change as well as
adapt to its already visible effects.
⮚ Today, 197 countries are bound by
the UNFCCC.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
Global warming has reached
approximately 1°C above pre-industrial
levels. Every half degree (or even less) of
global warming counts.
• heatwaves will occur more often and
last longer, and that extreme
precipitation events will become
more intense and frequent in many
regions.
• oceans will continue to warm and
acidify, and global mean sea level will
continue to rise. All of this will have,
and is already starting to have, a
devastating impact on human life.
In October 2018 reports by
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) states an urgent need
to address climate change
The IPCC warns that in order to avoid

catastrophic global warming, we must
not reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial
levels – or at very minimum not exceed
that.
The report sets out the massive

differences between the 1.5°C and 2°C
scenarios.
By working to limit the increase in average global average
temperatures to 1.5°C, the IPCC states that we could for
example:
• Reduce the number of people both exposed to climate-
related risks and susceptible to poverty by up to several
hundred million by 2050.
• Protect 10 million people from risks related to sea levels.
• Reduce the proportion of the global population exposed to
increase in water stress by up to 50%, or one in every 25
people on this planet.

IPCC report gave the world a clear deadline to avoid catastrophe:
⮚ greenhouse gas emissions must be halved from their 2010 levels by

2030 to avoid reaching 1.5°C.
⮚ governments must take immediate steps to change course.
⮚ The longer we take to do this, the more we will have to rely on costly
technologies that could have harmful impacts on human rights.
Credible targets must be set by 2020 to stop the increase of emissions,

otherwise “we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway
climate change.”

WHO IS IMPACTED THE MOST
BY CLIMATE CHANGE?
Climate change is and will continue to harm all of us

unless governments act. However, its effects are likely to
be much more pronounced for certain groups:
• those communities dependent on agricultural or coastal

livelihoods
• those who are generally already vulnerable,
disadvantaged, and subject to discrimination.

These are some of the ways climate change
BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND can and is exacerbating inequalities:
DEVELOPING NATIONS:
- At a national level, those in low-

lying, small island states and less
developed countries will be and
already are among those worst
affected.
- The 2018 heatwave in the northern
hemisphere made headlines across
Europe and North America, but
some of the worst effects were also
felt in places like Pakistan, where
more than 60 people died – mostly
laborer’s already working in intense
heat – as temperatures soared
above 44°C.

BETWEEN DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND
CLASSES:
- The effects of climate change and fossil fuel-

related pollution also run along ethnicity and
class lines.
- In North America, it is largely poorer
communities of color who are forced to
breathe toxic air because their
neighborhoods are more likely to be situated
next to power plants and refineries.
- They experience markedly higher rates of
respiratory illnesses and cancers, and
African Americans are three times more
likely to die of airborne pollution than the
overall US population.

BETWEEN GENERATIONS:
- Future generations will experience the worsening

effects unless action is taken now by governments.
- However, children and young people are already
suffering due to their specific metabolism, physiology,
and developmental needs.
- This means, for example, that the forced
displacement experienced by communities impacting
a whole range of rights – from water, sanitation and
food to adequate housing, health, education, and
development – is likely to be particularly harmful to
children.

BETWEEN COMMUNITIES:
- Indigenous peoples are

among the communities most
impacted by climate change.
- They often live in marginal
lands and fragile ecosystems
which are particularly
sensitive to alterations in the
physical environment.
- They maintain a close
connection with nature and
their traditional lands on
which their livelihoods and
cultural identity depend.

WHY DO WE NEED TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE?
1. Because We All Deserve Equal Protection.
We are all born with fundamental human rights, yet these

rights are under grave threat from climate change. While
climate change threatens all of our lives in some way or
other, people who experience discrimination are among
those likely to be the worst affected. We are all equally
deserving of protection from this universal threat.

2. Because There Is Nothing To Lose From Acting, And
Everything To Gain.
Fighting climate change gives us a chance to put the wellbeing of

people first by ensuring a right to a healthy environment. This will give
us an opportunity to enhance human rights, for example by enabling
more people to access cleaner and cheaper energy resources and
create job opportunities in new sectors.

3. Because We Have The Knowledge, Power And Ability To Stop
Climate Change.
- Many people are already working on creative, inspiring, and innovative

solutions to address climate change.
- From citizens to companies to cities, there are people all over the world
actively working on policies and campaigns and solutions that will protect
people and the planet.
- Indigenous peoples and minority communities have for centuries
developed sustainable ways of living with the environments that they call
home.
- We can learn from them and, with their consent, benefit from their know-
how to inform our own efforts to find a different way of interacting with our
planet.

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Module 06

Mandated Global Topic

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

⮚ Human-centered, or anthropocentric, view of our relationship to nature to

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

⮚ Worldwide about 33% of the

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

⮚ 3rd major source of fossil-fuel energy,

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Hydroelectric energy carries with it a number of

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Focusing on burning wood, the heat

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Though it is a fairly new technology, its

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

⮚ Human health has always been influenced by climate and weather.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

1. The planet's climate has constantly been

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

The IPCC warns that in order to avoid

The report sets out the massive

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

⮚ greenhouse gas emissions must be halved from their 2010 levels by

Credible targets must be set by 2020 to stop the increase of emissions,

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Climate change is and will continue to harm all of us

• those communities dependent on agricultural or coastal