MODULE 14

CLIMATE CHANGE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Explain the concept of climate change
2. Identify the cause and effect of climate change
3. Suggest some ways to mitigate and control their impact on the environment

INTRODUCTION

This section reviews key concepts on climate change and its various impacts on society,
and weighs in on the local, regional and global efforts to address it. It primarily aims to inculcate
environmental awareness among students.

Instruction: Examine the picture below. It was taken during the aftermath of Taal Volcano
eruption on January 12, 2020. Form groups with four members each. Discuss among
yourselves how climate change is connected to environmental destruction. You may share with
your group mates your memories of volcanic eruption in order to enrich your discussion.
Alternatively, you may share your own experience about the impacts of climate change on the
environment. Write notes on the space provided below and be ready to share the highlights of
your discussion in class.

Source: https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/volcano-aftermath-
01132020131619.html

In studying climate change, equations of physics play a fundamental role. But the issue
has been transcended the boundaries of science and involves perspectives that derive from the
fields of economics, politics, cultural and religious beliefs. Issues regarding climate are the
subject of debate and disagreement of different leaders worldwide.

According to President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines are least responsible for climate
change but always carry the heaviest burden. In the recent Global Peace Index 2019 report,

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Philippines was listed as the most vulnerable to climate risks in terms of its overall natural
hazard score, followed by Japan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

But first what is climate change? Climate refers to a long term weather patterns
prevailing over a given area of the planet. The term comes from a Greek word klinein meaning
to slope. It evolved into klima, implying a region of the earth as characterized by its atmospheric
conditions. Climate change is the range of global phenomena caused by burning fossil fuels that
add heat-trapping gases to the Earth’s atmosphere.

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Factors that contribute to climate change can be natural internal process, external forces
and persistent changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in the land use. It can also be
due to natural occurrences or contributes by acts of human being.

Natural causes

1. Volcanic eruptions, one of natural cause, it emits different natural aerosols like carbon
dioxide, sulphur dioxide, salt crystals volcanic ashes or dust and even microorganism or
viruses. It can cause cooling effect on the lithosphere because of the aerosol that block a
certain percentage of solar radiation. The release of sulphur dioxide in the stratosphere
cause acid rain when combine with the water vapour. The most tragic eruption of Mount
Tambora (Indonesia) caused snowfall in the North-eastern United State and Canada. The
eruption of Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) and Mount Krakatau (Indonesia) decreases the
temperature of the planet earth.

2. Orbital Changes. Earth’s movement in the space cause also climate change. As the earth’s
travel around the sun, cyclical variations produce different amount of energy that reaches
the earth. Eccentricity is the shape of the earth orbit that influences seasonal differences:
spring, summer, autumn and winter. Obliquity is the variation of the tilt of Earth’s axis away
from the orbital plane. The more tilt means warmer summers and colder winters: less tilt
means cooler summer and milder winters. Precession is the change in orientation of earth’s
rotational axis. It is cause by two factors: a wobble of Earth’s axis and a turning around of
the elliptical orbit of earth itself.

Human Activities

The attributed acts of human being resulted to the rise of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Scientist turned history and technology to substantiate that there is a causal
relationship between high CO2 and high temperature levels. Changing the atmospheric
abundance of properties of these gases can lead to a global warming climate. It direct affects
the basic elements of people’s lives like water, food, health, use of land and the environment.

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 1. Carbon dioxide (CO2) enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels, solid waste,
trees and other biological materials, and manufacture of cement. Deforestation is also
pointed as the culprit on the rise of amount of carbon dioxide because it reduces the
absorption of these gases from the atmosphere.

2. Methane (CH4) is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and
oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by
the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.

3. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, combustion of
fossil fuels and solid waste, as well as during treatment of wastewater.

4. Halocarbons such as hydrofluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, and

nitrogen trifluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a
variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated gases are sometimes used as substitutes for
stratospheric ozone-depleting substances . These gases are typically emitted in smaller
quantities, but because they are potent greenhouse gases, they are sometimes referred
to as High Global Warming Potential gases

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Water Resources

Flood magnitude and frequency are likely to increase in most regions as a consequence
of increase in the frequency of heavy precept events. Climate change challenges existing water
resources management by adding uncertainty. One-third of the world's population presently
lives in countries that are water-stressed. This number is projected to increase to about 5 billion
by 2025.

2. Agriculture and Food Security

The response of crop yields to climate change varies widely, depending on the species,
cultivar and soil conditions. Degradation of soil and water resources is a major future challenges
for global agriculture. Most studies indicate that mean annual temperature increases of more
than 2.5 °C would prompt food prices to increase as a result of slowing in the expansion of
global food capacity relative to demand. The impacts of climate change on agriculture are

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estimated to result in small percentage changes in global income, with positive changes in more
developed regions and smaller or negative changes in developing regions.

3. Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems

Increasing carbon dioxide concentration would increase net primary productivity

whereas increasing temperatures may have positive or negative effects. If the moisture in the
rangelands, woodlands and dry forests region will decrease, productivity is expected to
decrease. Climate change will lead to pole ward movement of the southern and northern
boundaries of fish distributions, loss of habitat for cold and cool water fish and gain in habitat for
warm water fish.

4. Coastal Zones and Marine Ecosystems

Climate change will result in increased sea surface temperature and sea level;
decreases in sea-ice cover and changes in salinity and ocean circulation. El Niño’s increase in
frequency, plankton biomass and fish larvae abundance would decline and adversely impact
fish, marine mammals, seabirds, etc. Low-latitude tropical and subtropical coastlines, where
there is pressure from human population, are particularly susceptible to climate change impacts.
Coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, salt marshes, mangrove forests, etc. will be impacted
by sea-level rise, and may cause changes in storm frequency and intensity.

5. Human Settlements, Energy and Industry

Economic sectors that support the settlement are affected because of changes in
productive capacity or changes in market demand for goods and services produced there.
Some aspects of physical infrastructure including energy transmission, buildings, transportation
and specific industries (tourism, construction, etc.) may be affected. Population may be affected
through extreme weather, changes in health status, or migration. The most widespread serious
potential impacts are flooding, landslides, mudslides and avalanches, driven by projected
increases in rainfall intensity and sea level rise.

6. Insurance and Financial Services

The costs of extreme weather events have exhibited a rapid upward trend in recent
decades. Part of the observed upward trend in disaster losses is linked to socio-economic
factors - population growth, increased wealth, urbanization in vulnerable areas - and part is
linked to climatic factors such as changes in precept, flooding and drought events. Weather and
climate related losses can stress insurance companies to the point of impaired profitability,
consumer price increases, withdrawal of coverage and many more.

7. Human Health

There is evidence of human health sensitivity to climate, particularly for mosquito-borne

diseases. If heat waves increase in frequency and intensity, the risk of death and serious illness
would increase, principally in older age groups and the urban poor. Climate change will
decrease air quality in urban areas with air pollution problems. Changes in food supply resulting
from climate change could affect the nutrition and health of the poor in some regions of the
world.

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8. Sea Level Rise

The rate of global average sea level rise during the 20th century is in the range 1.0 to
2.0 mm/yr. The average rate of sea level rise has been larger during the 20th century than the
19th century· No significant acceleration in the rate of sea level rise during the 20th century has
been detected. Ocean thermal expansion leads to an increase in ocean volume at constant
mass. The mass of the ocean, and thus sea level, changes as water is exchanged with glaciers
and ice caps. Observational and modeling studies of glaciers and ice caps indicate a
contribution to sea level rise of 0.2 to 0.4 mm/yr. averaged over the 20th century.

MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

Large reductions are possible in some cases. Measures include modifying production
processes, eliminating solvents, replacing feed stocks, materials substitution, increased
recycling, and reduced consumption of greenhouse gas-intensive materials. Energy Supply:
This assessment focuses on new technologies for capital investment and not on potential
retrofitting of existing capital stock to use less carbon-intensive forms of primary energy.

A worldwide effort, the Kyoto Protocol, is taking steps to limit the amount of greenhouses
gases being released into the atmosphere by allotting a certain amount of allowed pollution (or
"pollution credits") to every industrialized country. Companies that have cut back on the amount
of greenhouse gases they are releasing may sell their "pollution credits" to other companies
who are over their allowed amount. For example, if one company is given 10 credits, and they
only release 8 credits worth of greenhouses gases into the air, they can sell the other 2 credits
to another company who is polluting over their limit.

There are many ways to minimize the effect of climate change. Collective individual and
groups environmental efforts should be practiced to mitigate climate change.

1. Greenhouse gas reductions in the use of fossil fuels

More Efficient Conversion of Fossil Fuels: The efficiency of power production can be
increased from the present world average of about 30% to more than 60% in the longer term.
Switching to Low-Carbon Fossil Fuels and suppressing Emissions can reduce emissions. The
lower carbon-containing fuels can, in general, be converted with higher efficiency than coal.
Large resources of natural gas exist in many areas.

Decarbonization of Flue Gases and Fuels, and CO2 Storage: The removal and storage
of CO2 from fossil fuel power-station stack gases is feasible, but reduces the conversion
efficiency and significantly increases the production cost of electricity. For some longer term
CO2 storage options, the costs, environmental effects, and efficacy of such options remain
largely unknown.

2. Switching to non-fossil fuel sources of energy

Switching to Nuclear Energy: Nuclear energy could replace base load fuel electricity
generation in many parts of the world if generally acceptable responses can be found to
concerns such as reactor safety, radioactive-waste transport and disposal, and nuclear
proliferation.

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 Switching to Renewable Sources of Energy: Solar, biomass, wind, hydro, and
geothermal technologies already are widely used. In 1990, renewable sources of energy
contributed about 20% of the world's primary energy consumption, most of it fuel wood and
hydropower.

3. Sustainable Land Management

The productivity and sustainability of a land-use system is determined by the interaction

between land resources, climate and human activities. Especially in the face of climate change
and variability, selecting the right land uses for given biophysical and socio-economic
conditions, and implementing SLM, are essential for minimizing land degradation, rehabilitating
degraded land, ensuring the sustainable use of land resources (i.e. soils, water and biodiversity)
and maximizing resilience.

Sustainable land use and management decide the sustainability/resilience or

degradation/vulnerability of land resources. Land use and management measures include:

 Sustaining existing forest cover

 Slowing deforestation
 Regenerating natural forests
 Establishing tree populations
 Promoting agroforestry
 Altering management of agricultural soils and rangelands
 Improving efficiency of fertilizer use
 Restoring degraded agricultural lands and rangelands
 Recovering CH4 from stored manure
 Improving the diet quality of ruminants

4. Geoengineering

Geoengineering is the intentional manipulation of our environment at the global scale. It

involves engaging in planetary-scale manipulation of the Earth in such a way as to offset the
warming impacts of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations.

A variety of geoengineering schemes have been proposed. Some involve relatively

minimal manipulation with the environment. For example, carbon capture and sequestration
(CCS) involves capturing CO2 from emissions before they enter the atmosphere. Some
captured carbon is buried underground or in the deep ocean. Reforestation or building the
equivalent of artificial trees is used to suck capture carbon dioxide. Other ideas involve fertilizing
the ocean by adding iron, which is a limiting nutrient for marine phytoplankton. In principle, this
would enhance biological productivity and, therefore, lead to increased uptake of atmospheric
CO2 by the upper ocean.

Other schemes attempt to offset the surface warming influence of greenhouse gas
increases by reducing the amount of solar radiation impinging on the Earth's surface— so-
called solar radiation management. One such scheme involves mimicking the cooling effect of
volcanic eruptions by shooting sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere. Another scheme
involves placing large numbers of reflecting mirrors in space at a stable position in the Earth's
orbit. Related schemes involve increasing the Earth's surface albedo by various means.

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 Source: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/meteo469/node/179

Learning Activity 14

Thinking Critically

1. One of the greatest effects of climate change is on our coastal/marine resources.

Based on your observation in our country or specifically in our province (Batangas),
what are some of its impact to our coastal and marine resources?
2. What can you do personally to control the impact of climate change in our country
and province and properly managed our coastal resources?
3. If climate change persists, what could possibly happen to the Earth and humanity
after 20, 50, and 100 years considering the current trend? What should we do now to
mitigate it?

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