TOPIC 4
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TOPIC 4
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
I. Module Overview
This chapter will give students insights and understanding on environmental
protection and awareness. Specifically, this module will discuss the following
topics:
1. Environmental Protection and Management Introduction
2. Seven Principles of Environment and Environmental Laws
3. Forest Protection, Conservation and Development
4. Water Sanitation and Conservation
5. The Role of the Youth in the Environmental Protection and
Management
II. Desired Learning Outcome
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
define environmental protection, climate change, and solid waste
management
discuss the causes and impacts of climate change
enumerate the different principles of environment and environmental
laws
discuss the roles of the youth in protecting and managing the
environment
apply best practices and lifestyle choices that contribute to
environmental protection and preservation
III. Motivation
Environment has always been around us. This has been the basis of
everybody’s existence and survival. Different issues are arising concerning the
environment, may it be natural or man-made phenomenon. With this, what can
you infer on the picture below?
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IV. Content Focus
Environmental Protection and Management Introduction
Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural
environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to
conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where
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possible, to repair damage and reverse trends. It also focuses on solving
problems arising from the interaction between humans and environmental
systems and includes issues related to conservation, pollution, loss of
biodiversity, land degradation or environmental policy.
The key aim of environmental protection is to prevent the degradation of
the natural environment which is affected by increasing population, technology
and overconsumption, all of which have created a negative impact on the
environment and continue to put humans and animals at risk.
Because of these issues, the concepts of protecting and managing the
environment had been included in the curriculum to give awareness to the youth.
Aside from this, environmental education has also been pushed through to be
part of the program and its importance has been given emphasis.
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how
natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage
their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often
used to imply education within the school system, from primary to post-
secondary. However, it is sometimes used more broadly to include all efforts to
educate the public and other audiences, including print materials, websites,
media campaign, etc. Related disciplines include outdoor education and
experiential education.
The following are the importance of environmental education.
1. All major natural resources in the country are in grave danger of
irreparable damage.
2. A society cannot survive if its natural resources and rendered unfit for
use by its people.
3. The only hope of salvaging this grave situation is by making the young
aware that they need to proactively begin to protect the environment
they will inherit.
4. Science and Technology can help in a limited way but cannot deliver
it.
5. It is a moral and ethical education for changing people’s attitude.
6. To protect children living in polluted regions, environmental education
represents a relevant means of prevention.
7. It is a need of the time to propose environment education delivered
with moral concept.
8. It is conceived to sustain participation of the citizens especially the
youth particularly in combating ill effects of climate change.
Seven Principles of Environment and Environmental Laws
1. Everything is connected to everything else. (Ang lahat ng bagay ay
magkakaugnay.)
Human interaction with nature oftentimes alters the ecosystems. The
waste we improperly dispose of brings about the deterioration of land and
water quality. This may in turn reduce their capacity to provide life for
other organisms. Deforestation causes soil erosion and the earth
deposited on the water bodies covers the coral reefs resulting to fishery
loss. Suspended particulates from vehicular and stationary sources may
cause lung problems among city residents. War causes destruction of
wildlife and habitats. There is a cause and effect chain, even when it is
neither always visible nor observable.
2. All forms of life are important.(Ang lahat na may buhay ay
mahalaga.)
All living organisms were created for a purpose in relation to humans,
other species on earth and global ecosystem in general. Thus, when a
species becomes extinct, it is like removing a piece of a jigsaw puzzle
from the web of life. The variety of life forms, manifested by the different
levels of biological diversity – community, species and genes –
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contributes to the stability of the environment. Food webs, food chains
and ecological relationships link plants and animals together in the web of
life. Even bacteria, insects, snakes and rats have ecological functions
even though humans perceive them as parasites or pests.
The composition of biological diversity naturally changes slowly but the
rate of transition has become faster due to factors such as habitat
destruction. Deforestation may diminish forest species such as birds that
are vulnerable to modification of their home. Pollution of waters reduces
the quantity of fishes, shells, algae and other aquatic life. Over harvesting
of natural products likewise contributes to the unsustainable use of food
and material resources.
To maintain ecological balance, therefore, the conservation of genes,
species and ecosystems becomes essential to keep life together.
Biodiversity conservation strategies commence with the protection of both
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Land uses, such as protected areas,
ensure that the natural state of these habitats continue to exist in
designated areas. Community-based approaches in conservation
maximize citizens’ participation in protected areas. Integrity of natural
ecosystems can likewise be guarded through the preservation of
indigenous species.
3. Everything must go somewhere. (Ang lahat ng bagay ay may
patutunguhan.)
By-products of consumption go back to the environment. Everything that
we throw away – pieces of paper, left-over food, peelings of fruits, plastic
wrappers, used containers – have to go somewhere. Even plants and
animals have their own wastes – feces, urine, dead leaves and branches.
It is the law of nature that the by-products of metabolism return to the soil,
acted upon first by worms, bacteria and fungi, and then converted into
minerals, to be again absorbed by plants and eaten by animals. In short,
they enter into a material cycle that is an integral part of the ecosystem.
But what happens if what we throw is an artificial product such as plastic?
Then natural bacteria can not recognize them and may not be capable of
breaking them apart. These non-biodegradable products must enter
another material cycle – the one that goes to the factory to be
manufactured into a new product. Thus the retrieval, collection and
recycling of these materials become necessary so that they do not pollute
land and water habitats.
4. Ours is a finite earth. (Ang kalikasan ay may hangganan.)
Everything that we need is provided by nature in abundance – food,
water, energy, minerals and air. However, some resources that we
depend upon nowadays are extracted excessively but are slow to
replace. These non-renewable resources experience limits of supply. For
instance, fossil fuels produced over thousands of years may be
exhausted in a hundred years. Some energy sources like water, and
wood may be replaced easier but have become inaccessible due to
pollution and excessive extraction. Diminishing forest cover have resulted
from logging, ineffective reforestation and continued land conversion.
However, food scarcity and poverty may have resulted from failed
distribution systems rather than inability of the land and water bodies to
yield food.
It can be argued that increasing population decreases the amount of
resources available to each person. Carrying capacity, or the ability of the
ecosystem to support a number of people, may be influenced by limit of
resources due to an increasing population. Competition increases as the
carrying capacity is reached. Per capita consumption must also be taken
into account because people in Northern countries generally consume
more food, energy and resources than people in the developing Southern
countries. Carrying capacity may be addressed two ways: increase
resources and reduce population growth. Agricultural productivity for
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instance may be increased with better availability of water and farm
inputs.
Pollution reduces the absorbing capacity of air and water. Pollution
likewise reduces the availability of land and water to produce food for
human consumption. A river classified a Class IV means that it becomes
fit only for only for navigation and can no longer sustain life forms.
Likewise, oil spills from accidents or war destroy bays and rivers.
Waterways that have become cesspool of domestic wastes cannot
contain fishes and shells or if they do might transmit toxins and harmful
bacteria to consumers.
5. Nature knows best. (Ang kalikasan ang mas nakakaalam.)
Nature manifests certain processes that enable it to maintain balance and
remain in a state of equilibrium. The nutrient cycling of nitrogen, carbon,
sulfur and phosphorous in the air, water and land indicates that minerals
are utilized within the confines of the earth. The flow of energy from the
sun enables light to be converted into sugar in plants through
photosynthesis, and later for consumer organisms to obtain energy from
plant starch. Food chains and food webs allow transfer of energy from
producers and consumers and provide the means for all living organisms
to acquire nutrition. Population control also occurs naturally through
predator – prey relationships.
The equilibrium in the ecosystem is maintained, thus if humans intervene,
unforeseen negative impacts known as ecological backlash, may arise.
Floods are often times backlashes of excessive felling of trees. The
importation of golden kuhol, that became a pest, reminds us that
biological organisms may not acclimatize in a new environment or may
cause harm to indigenous species.
6. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation. (Ang
kalikasan ay maganda at tayo ang tagapangasiwa ng lahat na nilikha
ng Diyos.)
Different religions from Islam to Buddhism to Judeo-Christian to
indigenous people’s animism express the belief of caring for the earth,
including all creatures. Thus it is the goal of environmental education and
biodiversity conservation education to motivate target audiences towards
developing an eco-spirituality that moves them into a more meaningful
relationship with nature and a greater participation in the biophysical
economic processes that make this world a better place to live in.
7. Everything changes. (Ang lahat ay nagbabago.)
Changes in the biophysical world occur naturally. As they say, there is
nothing more permanent in this world than change. Consider the following
examples. Metamorphosis of caterpillars to butterflies illustrates
morphological changes that occur in living forms. The increase of
vegetation on earth augmented the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
through time. Seasons are cyclic changes that contribute to the diversity
of flowers, fruits, vegetables and other crops during the year. Random
changes manifested by natural catastrophe such as typhoons destroy
forests, coral reefs and mangroves. Volcanic eruptions annihilate surface
flora and submerge rivers.
Human-induced alteration such as climate change may cause more
massive repercussions. Land use change – from forests to agricultural
land to human settlements – change the composition of vegetation and
animals. Human-induced changes can be managed so that the negative
impacts are minimized and positive changes accentuated. Environmental
impact assessment (EIA) provides a tool for the projection, planning and
management of change brought about by industrialization and human
settlement expansion. Effluents can be managed through policy and
pollution control techniques by both industry and government to achieve
clean air and water.
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Sustainable development presents a paradigm of change for the 21st
Century. Sustainable development promotes ecological integrity,
equitable sharing of resources and people empowerment as pillars of
growth. Biodiversity conservation contributes to ecological integrity,
through both in-situ and ex-situ techniques. Biodiversity conservation
becomes successful only if coupled with poverty alleviation, improving
equity of access to resources and instituting social change.
Environmental education facilitates social transformation by modifying
attitudes and behavior of people towards an ecological ethic.
IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
LAW DESCRIPTION
R.A. 9003 – Ecological Solid In partnership with the stakeholders, the
Waste Management Act of 2020 law aims to adopt a systematic,
comprehensive, and ecological solid
waste management program that shall
ensure the protection of public health and
environment. The law ensures proper
segregation, collection, storage, treatment
and disposal of solid waste through the
formulation and adoption of best eco-
waste products.
R.A. 9275 – Philippine Clean The law aims to protect the country’s
Water Act of 2004 water bodies from pollution from land-
based sources (industries and
commercial establishments, agriculture
and community/household strategies). It
provides for comprehensive and
integrated strategy to prevent and
minimize pollution through a multisectoral
and participatory approach involving all
the stakeholders.
R.A. 6969 – Toxic Substances, The law aims to protect the country's
Hazardous and Nuclear Waste water bodies from pollution from land-
Control Act of 1990 based sources (industries and
commercial establishments, agriculture
and community/household activities). It
provides for comprehensive and
integrated strategy to prevent and
minimize pollution through a multi-sectoral
and participatory approach involving all
the stakeholders.
R.A. 8435 – Agriculture and It establishes that the Department of
Fisheries Modernization Act of Agriculture, together with other
1997 appropriate agencies, should take into
account climate change, weather
disturbances and annual productivity
cycles in forecasting and formulating
appropriate agricultural and fisheries
programs.
R.A. 8749 – Clean Air Act of 1999 This moves for an effective air quality
management program that will mitigate
the worsening problem of air pollution in
the country.
R.A. 9512 – National This promotes national awareness on the
Environmental Awareness and role of natural resources in economic
Education Act of 2008 growth and the importance of
environmental conservation and
ecological balance towards sustained
national development.
R.A. 9513 – Renewable Energy It promotes the development, utilization
Act of 2008 and commercialization of renewable
energy resoruces.
R.A. 9175 – Chainsaw Act of An act regulating the ownership,
2002 possession, sale, important and use of
chainsaws, penalizing violations thereof
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and for other purposes.
R.A. 9147 – Wildlife Resources An act providing for the conversation and
Conservation and Protection Act protection of wildlife resources and their
of 2001 habitats, appropriating funds therefore
and for other puposes.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid waste management is one of the various ecological challenges in
the Philippines. It is how the people control and solve challenges concerning
solid wastes. There have been several ordinances from different barangays,
municipalities, cities and provinces that aim to address this matter. Efforts of the
Local Government Units (LGUs) in the Philippines are overwhelming but it must
be a joint effort of the LGUs and its community that can actually make it work.
We have an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude towards garbage disposal.
The system of garbage disposal can be described simply as: tapon (by the
individual, household); hakot (by government trucks and/or private contractors);
tambak (in open dumpsites); kalat (due to improper manner of disposal, retrieval,
inadequate collection and over-congestion in dumpsites); sunog (to burn the pile
of uncollected garbage). The cycle is unending.
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As part of the problem, we should break the cycle and take the initiative to
be part of the solution. Schools are cradles of values formation and students form
the majority of its community.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is any change in climate over time whether due to natural
processes or as a result of human activity.
It is a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human
activity that alters the components of the global atmosphere. An addition to
natural climate variability, observed over comparable time periods (United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
Below are the frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers
about climate change.
1. What is the cause of climate change?
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Climate change is primarily caued by the accumulation of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, trapping heat of the sun
commonly known as the greenhouse effect.
The “Greenhouse Effect” is the warming that happens when
certain gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap heat. These gases heat
from escaping, like the glass walls of a greenhouse that is why it is
call greenhouse effect.
2. What are the impacts of climate change?
Climate change has impacts to a diverse range of sectors such as
the following
Agriculture – too much or too little rain can lead to decrease in
crop yield that can affect food supply.
Health – increase in the number of causes of vector-borne
diseases.
Biodiversity – certain species might not survive in areas where
temperature is changing. This would lead to the change in
composition of species of a certain ecosystem.
3. What are some strategies that may address the impacts of climate
change?
Addressing climate change requires adaptation and mitigation
strategies. Adaptation refers to the adjustment in natural or human
systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their
effects, which moderates harm or exploits behavioral
opportunities. On the other hand, mitigation in the context of
climate change pertains to human interventions that address
anthropogenic or human-induced emissions by sources abd
removal of all greenhouse gases, including ozone-depleting
substances such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
4. What is the international community doing to solve climate
change?
Responding to the call for action, the international community
crafted and signed the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, which seeks to stabilize greenhouse gas
concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
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dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to
allow ecosystem to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure
thatfood production is not threatened, and to enable economic
development to proceed in a sustainable manner.
5. What is the government doing to help solve climate change?
The Philippine government created the Climate Change
Commission through Republic Act 9729 otherwise known as the
Climate Change Act of 2009.
Climate Change Commission is the sole policy-making body of the
government tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate action
plans of the government related to climate change. The
commission is also tasked to formulate the National Framework
Strategy on Climate Change and the National Climate Change
Action Plan. The National Framework Strategy on Climate Change
is a technical document which is the basis to protect vulnerable
communities from the adverse effects of climate change.
FOREST PROTECTION, CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Forests are essential to life on earth. Forests do not only hold the majority
of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity but provide crucial ecosystem services as
they regulate water cycles, provide clean air and protect the soil from erosion.
Through human activity, however, forests are disappearing at alarming rates.
The forest area of the Philippines is estimated to have declined from 12
million hectares in 1960 to a current level of about 5.7 million hectares (which
includes less than 1 million hectares of virgin forest largely confined to very steep
and inaccessible areas). It is difficult to obtain accurate land use data as all areas
over 18 degrees of slope are classified as forest regardless of whether any tree
cover is present. The official figure of forest area is about 33% of the land area.
As indicated above, this is not supported by other data.
FOREST PROTECTION
Forest protection is a branch of forestry which is concerned with the
preservation or improvement of a forest and prevention and control of damage to
forest by natural or man-made causes. (example - fire, animals, insect, fungi,
injurious plants and adverse climatic conditions.)
Strategies to stop deforestation and protect forests include:
1. public policy and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws;
2. market-driven mechanisms, primarily eco-certification programs
that inform consumers and affect purchasing decisions; and
3. programs that enable wealthy nations and corporations to make
payments to countries and communities for maintaining their
forests.
FOREST CONSERVATION
Forest conservation as the name suggests is the preservation and the
protection of forests. It also involves the reversal of deforestation and
environmental pollution. The preservation of all natural resources is absolutely
essential for the balance of our ecosystem.
Importance of Forests
Let us take a look at why forests are so very important to us and our
environment. We are basically dependent on forests for our survival. And so their
conservation is of essential importance.
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The most important function of forests is that it produces mass amounts
of oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Oxygen is the main respiratory gas
for all animals, it ensures our survival.
And while photosynthesis, trees also absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
This is one of the main pollutants of air pollution. Hence forests also reduce air
pollution.
Forests also prevent soil erosion and keep soil pollution in check.
Deforestation, in fact, leads to soil erosion on a large scale since the topsoil
comes loose.
Forests also play an important part in the water cycle and control
moisture levels of our ecosystem.
And finally, forests are the natural home and habitat for millions of
species of animals, birds, and insects.
Ways to Conserve the Forest
Controlled Deforestation
While deforestation cannot be avoided completely, we must look to
control it. Young and immature trees should not be felled as far as possible. We
must look to avoid large-scale commercial deforestation as well. Adapting
practices such as clear-cutting or selective cutting will be beneficial in the long
run.
Protect against Forest Fires
Forest fires are the most common and deadly cause of loss of forests.
They can start due to natural causes or can be accidents caused by man or even
intentional in some cases. Once a fire spreads in a forest it is very difficult to
control. Precautions must be taken for such incidents. Making fire lanes,
spreading chemicals to control fire, clearing out dry leaves and trees etc.
Afforestation
This is the process by which we plant more trees in the area. We try to
increase the forest cover by manual transplantation, or fresh plantation of trees. It
is an attempt to balance our ecosystem to reduce the effects of deforestation and
environmental pollutions of all types.
Better Farming Practices
Slash and burn farming, overgrazing by cattle, shifting agriculture are all
farming practices that are harmful to the environment and particularly to forests.
We must keep all these practices under control.
Jhoom farming is one such practice we can employ to combat forest
pollution. In the North-east areas of India, where the land is kept barren after
cutting the crops. Weeds and creepers and wild plants grow on this land and
make it fertile again in time. And then the land is cultivated again.
The benefits of forest conservation include biodiversity protection, non-
timber products, erosion control, pollination, ecotourism, and other ecosystem
services.
One strategy the government employed to encourage reforestation and
protection of forestlands were tenure instruments. As of December 2013, 2.9
million ha of forestlands were secured in agreements (FMB-DENR, 2013). These
were also one method of log production.
Community-based forest management agreement (CBFMA). This was the
most commonly used agreement between a local community and the
government with the initiative centered on the integration of people-oriented
management and sustainable development. Under the EO 263 in 1995, the
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contract has a term of 25 years renewable for another 25 years. Under this
tenure instrument, 1.6 million ha were developed by 1,884 people’s organizations
in 2013.
Timber license agreement (TLA). This was defined as a long-term license
granted by the DENR secretary to a company for the harvest and removal of
timber and other forest products. As of 2013, 177,085 ha were under the
agreement operated by three companies in Samar and Zamboanga del Norte
however, there were no reported operations in the same year.
Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA). IFMA was negotiated
between DENR and a qualified individual planning to industrialize a specific
forest domain. Existing IFMAs amounted to 140 totaling to 1.0 million ha with
Mindanao having the most number at 83 IFMAs.
Tree Farm Lease (TFLA) and Agroforestry Farm Leases (AFFLA). TFLA
allowed planting of commercial, non-commercial trees or both in a small tract of
land while AFFLA enables sustainable land management and productivity at the
same time by combining agricultural and forest crops that were compatible with
the local climate, topography, and slope.
Socialized industrial forest management agreement (SIFMA). DENR allowed
an individual the right to develop and manage a small area of forestland aligned
with the sustainable development.
Private forest development agreement. A landowner can help develop a forest
plantation inside his private property through this agreement.
Forest and grazing management agreement (FLGMA). This tenure instrument
was a production sharing agreement between the government and an individual
or a corporation over the development and utilization of grazing lands.
Special and forestland use permits and agreement. This allowed a natural or
juridical person to occupy, manage, and develop a public forestland albeit
temporarily and subject to government share. Special land use permit (SLUP) fell
under this umbrella along with special land use lease agreement (SPLULA),
forestland use agreement for tourism purposes (FLAgT), and special forestland
use agreement (FLAg).
WATER SANITATION AND CONVERSATION
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water
and adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing
human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap.
Sanitation systems aim to protect human health by providing a clean
environment that will stop the transmission of disease, especially through the
fecal–oral route. For example, diarrhea, a main cause of malnutrition and stunted
growth in children, can be reduced through adequate sanitation. There are many
other diseases which are easily transmitted in communities that have low levels
of sanitation, such as ascariasis (a type of intestinal worm infection or
helminthiasis), cholera, hepatitis, polio, schistosomiasis, and trachoma, to name
just a few.
Safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene are crucial to human health
and well-being. Safe WASH (Water, Safety and Hygiene) is not only a
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prerequisite to health, but contributes to livelihoods, school attendance and
dignity and helps to create resilient communities living in healthy environments.
Drinking unsafe water impairs health through illnesses such as diarrhoea,
and untreated excreta contaminates groundwaters and surface waters used for
drinking-water, irrigation, bathing and household purposes.
Evidence suggests that improving service levels towards safely managed
drinking-water or sanitation such as regulated piped water or connections to
sewers with wastewater treatment can dramatically improve health by reducing
diarrhoeal disease deaths.
The DENR releases practical tips to save water in light of current water
sitch.
1. Turn the faucet off to prevent leakage. Installing low volume/high
pressure (LV/HP) nozzles or flow constrictors reduces water usage by
up to 50 percent.
2. Use a water dipper (tabo) and pail (timba) instead of the shower while
taking a bath. Taking a bath together may help save water, too.
3. Instead of running water, use a glass of water when brushing your
teeth. Be smart while you gargle. Don’t let the water run while you’re
brushing.
4. Buy new water-efficient toilet bowls that consume only 2.6-4 liters of
water for every flush. Old waters use up 14 liters of water per flush.
5. Discard leftover food BEFORE washing dishes. As much as possible,
use a basin (palanggana) to save water as well as dishwashing soap.
6. Wash all your clothes at once. Don’t allow the water in your wash
basin (batya) to overflow.
7. Reuse water from your laundry to flush your toilet, clean your car, and
water your garden plants.
8. Instead of water hose, use only pail and towel when washing your car.
9. Water your plants only before sunrise or after sunset to prevent water
loss due to vaporization.
10. Collect rainwater in pails and basins, and store it for future use (e.g.,
watering the plants, cleaning the house).
11. In restaurants and hotels, serve water only to guests when they ask
for it. Collect leftover drinking water and use it to water your garden
plants.
12. Switch off the water valve in buildings that are not operational at night.
Turn off the gate valve in the evening, and turn it one again the
following morning.
13. Report broken pipelines and illegal water connections to proper
authorities.
The Role of the Youth in the Environmental Protection and Management
Young people constitute a large part of the world’s population and young
people will have to live longer with the consequences of current environmental
decisions than will their elders. Future generations will also be affected by these
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decisions and the extent to which they have addressed concerns such as the
depletion of resources, biodiversity loss, and long-lived radioactive wastes.
Young people are considered as the backbone of the nation. They can
play an active role in protecting and improving the environment. They can
change their lifestyle and how it affects the environment. They can make their
homes, schools and youth organizations more environmentally friendly by
adopting environmentally friendly practices, recycling of different materials as
well as preserving resources such as water and electricity. Engaging youth in
environmental protection not only creates direct impact on changing youth
behaviors and attitudes, but possibly influence their parents, relatives and
families.
By applying the greening knowledge at home and schools, we can help to
market city, a greener city. Discarding computers, electrical appliances and
rechargeable batteries can seriously harm the environment. Youth role is to
implement recycling programs for used computers and electrical appliances. You
can arrange for collection services with them. There are also many collection
points for recycling of rechargeable batteries, so do not simply throw them away.
Youth have a role to play in environmental and conservation efforts that will
improve livelihoods.
GREEN TIPS:
Going Green in House
Close the running tap water, when not needed.
Use the dishwasher, when the dishes are full. Try to avoid using it more
often i.e. for each single plate.
Try to be cautious in using water. Turn off taps when not used. By this
way, it is estimated every home can save more than a gallon of water,
which is very high when combined in a local.
Turning off Lights and saving electricity as much as possible is also a way
to go green. During the daytime, it is good to open windows and screens
to let sunlight in and fill house with warmth. After all, sunlight is essential
for body in the form of vitamin A.
The local power company would be able to provide a free presentation on
how to make the home a better energy efficient home.
Going Green with Recycling and Reusing
Giving away unwanted or unusable materials to free service organizations
is a better way to start going green.
Reusing the furniture would save some extra money spent on newer
furniture. For example, one can remodel a table by adding sheets of wood
to it and create his own wardrobe.
Recycling paper, plastics, glass and metals could also be done by making
use of the local trash pickup service.
Instead of simply throwing older items, one can use his creativity in
creating the essence out of them. For example, the older screen cloth
could be stitched with flat sheets and made as curtains or cloth piece
covering the shades of the lamp. They are easy and cheap in terms of
interior decorating materials.
Choosing reusable water bottles in comparison with plastic bottles every
month is a nice way to avoid using plastics and reusing the water bottles.
They may be expensive at the beginning, but once getting used to it, they
would prove worthy providing health and hygiene besides going green.
Going Green with Transport
Carpooling or vehicle pooling is the best way to save environment from
three or four times the pollution. Carpooling can be done with friends,
neighbors, or relatives working in the same direction as yours, not
necessarily the same company.
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Maintaining the vehicle regularly and providing it for service near a
service station would help minimize its pollution output.
Many companies have started offering the plan 'Work while you are at
home'. Enjoying this benefit not only saves green, but also enables one to
spend quality time together in a family and allowing to save costs of
travelling and fuel.
These are some of the going green tips. Following them will give a
healthy and wealthy life.
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V. Self-Check
1. As a student, how can you promote environmental protection and
management awareness?
2. As a member of your community, what could your contribution be in
protecting and conserving the environment?
VI. Assessment
Identify some environmental problems you have encountered or observed in your
community and make an action plan that will address the problems. Consider the
things you have learned in this module in developing your action plan.
Rationale
General
Objective
Specific
Obective
Performance
Measure and
Activities Strategies Key Players Time Frame
Problems Expected
Outcomes
Generalizations:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.
VII. REFERENCES
Acharya, R. (2013, June 25). Young Professionals for Agricultural Development. Retrieved from [Link]:
[Link]
%20people%20can%20play%20an,protecting%20and%20improving%20the
%20environment.&text=They%20can%20make%20their%20homes,such%20as%20water%20and
%20electricity.
Aguila, Z. (2019, March 11). Cosmopolitan. Retrieved from [Link]
[Link]
BASF. (2020). BASF We Create Chemistry. Retrieved from [Link]:
[Link]
resources-and-ecosystems/[Link]
Organization, W. H. (2020). Retrieved from [Link]
[Link]
SONNY N. DOMINGO, A. J. (2018). Forest Protection in the Philippines. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine
Institute for Development Studies.
[Link]. (2018, October 4). Retrieved from [Link]:
[Link]
about
Wikipedia. (2020, July 17). Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from [Link]:
[Link]
Wikipedia. (2020, September 15). Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from [Link]:
[Link]
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