1.

DEFORESTATION

Deforestation, clearance, or clearing is the removal of the forest or stand of trees from land which in then
convertd to a non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farm, ranches, or
urban use. The most concentrated deforestation occurs in tropical rainforest

Deforstation can occur for sevral reason: trees can be cut down to be used for building or sold as fuel
(sometimes in the form of charcoal or timber), while cleared land can be used as pasture or livestock and
plantation. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in habitat damage,
biodiversity loss, and aradity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

We need plants and trees to survive. They provide oxygen, food, water and medicine for everyone, all
over the globe. But if Deforestation continous at the rate it’s occurring, we won’t have much of the
valuable forestry left. With natural wildfires, illegal logging and the mass amount of timber being
harvested for commercial use, our forests are decreasing at an alarming rate. As well as reducing our
supply of oxygen, the loss of forests is contributing around 15% of our greenhouse gas emissions. To
help, you can buy more recycled and organic products, limiting the amount of paper and cardboard you
use.

EFFECT OF DEFORESTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Forests are complex ecosystems that affect almost every species on the planet. When they are
degraded, it can set off a devastating chain of events both locally and around the world.

Loss of species - Seventy percent of the world's plants and animals live in forests and are losing their
habitats to deforestation, according to National Geographic. Loss of habitat can lead to species extinction.
It also has negative consequences for medicinal research and local populations that rely on the animals
and plants in the forests for hunting and medicine.

Water cycle - Trees are important to the water cycle. They absorb rain fall and produce water vapor that
is released into the atmosphere. Trees also lessen the pollution in water, according to the North Carolina
State University, by stopping polluted runoff. In the Amazon, more than half the water in the ecosystem is
held within the plants, according to the National Geographic Society.

The disturbance of native people - Many native tribes live in the rainforests of the world, and their
destruction is the destruction of these peoples' homes and way of life.

Soil erosion - Tree roots anchor the soil. Without trees, the soil is free to wash or blow away, which can
lead to vegetation growth problems. The WWF states that scientists estimate that a third of the world's
arable land has been lost to deforestation since 1960. After a clear cutting, cash crops like coffee, soy
and palm oil are planted. Planting these types of trees can cause further soil erosion because their roots
cannot hold onto the soil.

Life quality - Soil erosion can also lead to silt entering the lakes, streams and other water sources. This
can decrease local water quality and contribute to poor health in populations in the area
  ARTICLE

A couple of years ago, the Philippine Congress released a study that said about 123,000 hectares of the
country’s forest cover are lost every year. Unless reforestation is started, the study further stated, the
world would be no forest left in the country by 2036 – that’s exactly 23 years from now.

President Benigno S. Aquino III, in his state of the nation address (SONA) in 2011, stated that most
politicians use one possible solution – that of tree planting – as a photo opportunity. “They plant trees,
but they do not ensure that the trees would remain standing after they leave,” he said.

When he was still the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Michael
Defensor admitted that “only 30% of reforestation projects succeeded.” In a Subic meeting of local
executives, he told them: “People hardly recognize the economic benefits from protecting the
environment. Most sabotaged the program.”

The bluntness seemed to echo an earlier study of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, entitled
“Sustainable Forest Management,” which stated, “Most of the (Philippines’) once rich forest are gone.
Forest recovery, through natural and artificial means, never coped with the destruction rate.”

When Ferdinand Magellan “rediscovered” the Philippines in 1521, forests blanketed 95% of the country.
When the Ormoc City, Leyte tragedy happened – which left 8,000 people dead – timber cover was only
18%.“Where have all our forests gone?” asked Roy C. Alimoane, the director of Davao-based Mindanao
Baptist Rural Life Center. American President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “A people without children
would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless.”

Why is the country heading towards oblivion? “I have seen fortunes made overnight from the forest and it
makes my skin crawl to realize that there are many Filipinos who just don’t care about the future
generations’ legacy in the way of forest resources,” said Ferdinand Marcos in 1978.

The said statement, according to veteran journalist Marites Dañguilan-Vitug, is a “doublespeak.” In an

article she wrote for “World Paper,” a Boston-based magazine, she explained: “For, in reality, over 20
years (1965-1985) he used his power to grant and revoke licenses of logging concessions to enrich
himself, his family and his friends. The forests became his grand political tool.”

Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, the vice-chairman and chief executive officer of World Wildlife Fund-Philippines,
agrees. In an article he penned for “Philippine Daily Inquirer,” he surmised that when Marcos came to
power “serious deforestation began.” Before Marcos became president, there were only 58 companies
issued with timber licenses; it swelled to 412 during his presidency.

“Forests were decimated at an astonishing rate of 300,000 hectares per year,” Tan deplored. Toward the
end of the Marcos regime, forest hectarage was down to 7.2 million hectares, “about half of what it was
when he came to power.”

“Who had the privilege of cutting trees?” Vitug asked. “The wealthy and well-connected. They lived in the
big cities. Some even sold their rights to the forest concessions and lived off the green of the land.
Moreover, money for logging supported candidates during election campaigns.”In the past, forest
resources helped fuel the country’s economy. In the 1970s, Philippines was touted the prima donna
among world timber exporters. Today, it is considered “a wood-pauper,” to quote the words of multi-
awarded journalist Juan Mercado.

Even the forests in the lowlands – mangroves, that is – are not spared from denudation. “Approximately
two-thirds of the country’s original mangroves have been lost,” noted Population Reference Bureau’s
Kathleen Mogerlgaard.
Aside from logging (whether legal or illegal), other causes of deforestation in the Philippines are forest
fires, “kaingin” farming (slash-and-burn agriculture), and mining operations. Volcanic eruptions have also
devastated some of the country’s tropical rainforests. Ditto for typhoons, which have devastated
considerable hectares of forest areas.

Surging population has compounded the problem. There were only 19 million Filipinos, according to the
1940 census. By 2020, the population will surge to 111.7 million, National Statistical Coordination Board
projects.“Poverty, lack of jobs and wages, and absence of farm lots in the lowlands have forced some
people to invade the forest,” commented former Senator Heherson Alvarez, who served as environment
secretary during the administration of Corazon Aquino.

Spreading cities have also contributed to decimation of forests. “Asphalt is often the last harvest for many
forests,” the late National Scientist Dioscoro Umali, a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient, once said.The
outcome: food crisis, devastation of lands and water resources, biodiversity facing extinction. “The
productivity of the country’s agricultural lands and fisheries is declining as these (forest) areas become
increasingly degraded and pushed beyond their capacity to produce,” said Mogerlgaard.

The removal of forest cover has bolstered soil erosion in the uplands. “Soil erosion is an enemy to any
nation – far worse than any outside enemy coming into a country and conquering it because it is an
enemy you cannot see vividly,” reminded Harold Ray Watson, the 1985 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for
peace and international understanding. “It’s a slow creeping enemy that soon possesses the land.”

As a result, food production is jeopardized. “The loss of nutrient rich soil reduces crop yields and
contributes to the expanded use of chemical fertilizers – a practice that can, in turn, pollute water
resources,” Alimoane said. “Rivers and streams also carry eroded soil to the coasts, where it interferes
with fish nursery areas.”

But that’s not all. “Extensive soil erosion has resulted in the siltation of waterbeds, reservoirs and dams,
and in the process shortening their productive life spans,” said Dr. Germelito Bautista, of the Ateneo de
Manila University.

The Magat Dam reservoir has been reported to cut its probable life span of 100 years to 25 years. The
Ambuklao Dam reservoir has had its life halved from 60 to 32 years as a result of siltation.Water crisis is
looming. “There has been a drop of 30% to 50% in the country’s water resources in the past 20 years or
so,” pointed out Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero, former executive director of Philippine Council for Aquatic and
Marine Research and Development.

“Rapid forest loss has eliminated habitat for unique and threatened plant and animal species,”
Mogerlgaard observed. “At the rate our forests are getting destroyed, many species many no longer be
around when we need them,” Alimoane said.

More than 400 plant and animal species found in the country are currently threatened with extinction,
including the Philippine eagle and tamaraw, according to the World Conservation Union.had made it lose
its natural habitat,” said ex-president Fidel V. Ramos, who declared the eagle as the country’s bird
icon.Without forest, floods are expected to happen – not only in Metro Manila (which has no forest cover
to speak of) but also in other parts of the country where deforestation continues. The “flooding problems,”
said Aquino in his 2011 SONA, “are caused by the incessant and illegal cutting down of trees.”

Filipinos are urged to stop cutting trees now and preserve the remaining forests the country has. “We
have laid to waste millions of hectares of forest land, as though heedless of the tragic examples of the
countries of Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, where large areas have become barren, if
not desertified,” Alvarez said. “If we have not, in fact, reached this state, we are almost at the point of
irreversibility.”
  INSIGHT

Earth without forests is a picture that most of humankind presently could not conceive. Forests cover
much of the planet’s land area. They are extremely important to humans and the natural world. However,
deforestation has been consuming our forests. Deforestation brings about a lot of unexpected effects on
the earth and results in many negative consequences. “If the current rate of deforestation continues, the
world’s rain forests will vanish within 100 years-causing unknown effects on global climate and eliminating
the majority of plant and animal species on the planet,” according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.
Deforestation increases the greenhouse effect and accelerates global warming. It also causes erosion,
and the silting of lakes or rivers is caused by soil erosion. The same source claims that deforestation is
very hard to be stopped because “the causes of deforestation are very complex.” There are several
reasons why this current trend exists.

Deforestation occurs in many ways. People destroy or degrade forests because, for them, the benefits
seem to outweigh the costs. Underlying causes include such issues as poverty, unequal land ownership,
women’s status, education and the explosive growth of the population. Immediate causes are often
concerned with a search for land and resources, including both commercial timber and fuelwood.

One of the main indirect causes of deforestation is poverty, particularly poverty in rural areas. Although
poverty is not a “principal cause” of deforestation, it is a living condition that the majority of people in this
world must endure. While greed and power can be the motivations of some groups in society that
deforest, survival and the desire to escape from poverty is what drives most people. Poverty is not only
the socioeconomic environment that limits people’s economic options, damages health but also reduces
income generating opportunities.

In order to protect ouselves we must protect first our ground, because it is where we live, without it what
are we? we should be careful, dont overdo everything, we should not kill trees or deforest the forest.
 2. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Pollution is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the environment dirty and not safe or
suitable to use. This can be done through the introduction of a contaminant into a natural environment,
but the contaminant doesn't need to be tangible. Things as simple as light, sound and temperature can be
considered pollutants when introduced artificially into an environment.

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse
change.[1] 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.

KINDS OF POLLUTION

Land Pollution - Release of harmful substances in soil is the major cause of contamination of soil. Soil
pollution causes an indirect damage to humans and other animals. The nutrients taken by the plants are
then transferred to the consumers that depend on these plants. Hence a soil consisting of contaminants
will not only affect the plants growing on the soil but it will also indirectly harm the entire food chain.

Water Pollution - Major part of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and more than half of the total
population of the species reside in water. Water is one of the most important natural resources for
humans and natural vegetation to survive. Water used from a polluted lake directly contaminates its user.

Air Pollution - The most dangerous and common type of pollution, caused by release of harmful gases in
the air. It is majorly caused due to the direct release of chemicals into the environment by industries. The
polluted air we breathe goes into our whole body and affects all the body systems mainly the respiratory
functions.

Noise Pollution - Increase in noise level leads to Noise Pollution. It is not caused due to release of
chemicals or toxins or hazardous gases but is just the loud noise generated in the environment. Noise is
defined as the unpleasant sound that has an adverse effect on the human ear. Though the causes of this
pollution are unlike others, but the effect of this pollution is as hazardous as other types of pollutions. It
directly penetrates into human minds and leads to mental disorders as a major result.

Light Pollution - Most people can't imagine living without the modern convenience of electric lights. For
the natural world, though, lights have changed the way that days and nights work. Some consequences
of light pollution are:
 Some birds sing at unnatural hours in the presence of artificial light.
 Scientists have determined that long artificial days can affect migration schedules, as they allow for
longer feeding times.
 Streetlights can confuse newly hatched sea turtles that rely on starlight reflecting off the waves to
guide them from the beach to the ocean. They often head in the wrong direction.
 Light pollution, called sky glow, also makes it difficult for astronomers, both professional and amateur,
to properly see the stars.
 Plant's flowering and developmental patterns can be entirely disrupted by artificial light.
 According to a study by the American Geophysical Union, light pollution could also be making smog
worse by destroying nitrate radicals that helps the dispersion of smog.
  ARTICLE

Anything added into the environment that results in producing harmful or poisonous effect on living things
is called pollution. Pollution is the process that makes nature’s resources such as land, water, air or other
parts of the environment unsafe or unsuitable to use. Pollution can be of many types: soil, air, water,
thermal, radioactive, noise, and light. The toxins released are inhaled by each one of us while we breathe.

Pollution is a process of making the environment dirty, unhealthy and unsuitable for humans and animals

to live. It is caused due to the release of both tangible and intangible contaminants. These can be

released naturally or by humans themselves accidentally or deliberately.

Preventive measures:

1. Plant trees/cultivate garden to curb polluted air and release more oxygen.

2. Switch off electricity-based equipments when not in use: lights, fans, machines, etc.

3. Make high use of natural energy than electric energy: dry the clothes naturally.

4. Use recyclable products, wherever possible.

5. Avoid plastic bags and use paper bags.

6. Avoid wastage of paper and use both the sides.
7. Restrict usage of hazardous chemicals.

8. Don’t overuse heaters and air conditioners.

9. Use public transport to reduce noise, air and light pollution.

10. Protect Mother Earth by not spilling oil, garbage, sewage water, etc at undesirable places.
11. Stop burning of crackers during marriages, Diwali, etc.
12. Don’t dispose off eatables, packaging in oceans, rivers, etc.

Pollution disturbs our ecosystem and the balance in the environment. By following the above simple

points, we all can restrict pollution at our own level.Each year millions of people die due to various

diseases caused by pollution. The key to live a healthy life is to protect the environment from pollution.

The increase in the pollution level over the years by human and natural causes has caused severe

damage to the earth’s ecosystem. Lifestyle, habitat, etc everything is being adversely affected. Though

natural causes cannot be stopped, but human beings’ accidental and deliberate actions can easily be

stopped which surely will result in the control of pollution generation.

More than 200 million people are affected due to toxic pollutants. Due to pollution, there are few countries

that have faced defected child birth and increase in mortality rate. Humans are regularly exposed to

pollution when they inhale toxic air inside them.

Pollution today poses a major threat to the survival of the world we live in. Smoke or dust released in the

air is the major type of pollution as it is extremely bad for the humans as it directly affects the

lungs. Sewage, harmful content in drinking water is another major type of pollution that makes people

unhealthy and ill because it contains disease-causing germs and viruses.

The environmental consequences of sudden rapid industrialization have resulted in various incidents of

land, air and water resources sites being contaminated with toxic materials and other pollutants,

threatening humans and ecosystems with serious health risks.During manufacturing and construction

activities every bit of natural resources is exploited to covert these into goods that fulfil the needs of the

countries. A major cause for all the causes listed above is the manufacturing that leads to major types of

pollution.

People living next to a building site where there is too much noise and construction activities rigorously

going on tend to fall sick.Pollution can be considered as direct or indirect change in any component of the

biosphere that is harmful to the living components and in particular undesirable for humans, affecting

adversely the industrial progress, cultural and natural assets or general environment of living society.

The biggest irony of all this is that even if we know that the earth is getting polluted, ultimately it is the

human beings themselves who dig their own grave by doing deliberate activities because of which

pollution is caused. It does not only spoil human beings’ health but also worsen their quality of life.

The Government has launched various pollution prevention policies and Acts that focus on preventing

and controlling pollution by random means such as the following:

Adoption of clean and low waste technology, reusing and recycling, environment audit and pollution

monitoring activities, reducing hazardous materials at source wherever feasible, promoting recycling of

waste, etc.There has also been a concept called “Pollution prevention approach” that seeks to increase

the efficiency of a process reducing the amount of pollution generated at its source.
To give effect to the government policies, various steps have been initiated which include statutory

stringent regulations, development of environmental standards, control of pollution generated through

vehicles, spatial environmental planning including industrial estates and preparation of zoning atlas.The

policy statement for reduction of pollution lays emphasis on preventive aspects of pollution decline and

promotion of technologies that help to reduce pollution.

Pollution control is a recent environmental concern. The Government in order to evade pollution has

encouraged industries to regard ‘pollution’ as an economic problem and take reasonable actions to

control the release of polluted/toxic/harmful gases at their end.

Pollution is an act of contaminating the environment by introducing certain hazardous contaminants that

lead to disturbance of ecosystem and directly or indirectly affect the human beings, animals, plants of the

ecosystem. Pollution causes the disturbance of the natural system and balance of environment.Pollution

is an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air, water and soil that

may harmfully affect life or create potential health hazard of any living organism. Technological

advancements done by humans are also one of the main reasons of pollution on the Earth.

Various types of pollution are caused, but mainly the following lead to life threatening and adverse effects

on the humans

ynthetic antibiotics and antimicrobial agents have been widely used by humans for quite some time.

Antibiotics are also extensively used in agriculture to treat livestock, either therapeutically or

prophylactically. It is now commonly understood that bacterial evolution has led to antibiotic resistance

through various cellular mechanisms that can be linked to inherited genetic traits. Hence, antibiotic

resistance can now be traced through the environment by the evaluation of antibiotic resistance genes

(ARGs) in environmental samples. The use of high-throughput sequencing techniques has now made it

possible to evaluate numerous ARGs in environmental samples. The following list of articles presents the

most recent research published in Environmental Pollution on this topic. These articles paint a picture of

how ARGs have spread through surface waters, groundwater, sediment, and soils from around the world.
  INSIGHT

Our earth is the only planet in the universe which has an environmentsuitable for life. Air and water is

needed for survival. Earth provided these essentials and man used them. This usage over the period has

led to serious pollution problems that can be hazardous.

Many industries have come up owing to rapid urbanization. Furthermore, there is an ever increasing

demand of petrol and diesel for running various means of transport. As a result, a heavy amount of

carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, sulphur-dioxide and many more gases are polluting the air. The major

threat to humanity comes from the development of nuclear sciences.

The nuclear experiments worldwide are destroying the atmospheric balance. The poisonous gases,

chemicals and dust released into the air fall back on earth as acid rain harming crops and life. This has

caused various harmful diseases.

Rain water is considered as the purest form of water. Water pollution in lakes, rivers, ponds and other

water bodies is caused by surface water which carries a large amount of chemical discharge of industries

and inorganic discharge of city sewage. Such impurities are a serious threat to the existence of mankind.

Our country faces one more problem i.e. noise pollution. Loud horns during traffic chaos, screaming

loudspeakers at different occasions and blasting crackers that almost make one deaf are killing the

peaceful silence. Use of silencers, abiding by proper traffic regulations and checking excessive use of

public speaker systems can help in reducing noise-pollution.

This is the time of implement the steps for environmental Protection. It has been rightly said that there is

something in this world money can’t buy, such as beautiful scenery and fresh air.

We must prevent anything that are harmful to our environment because it can wreck our earth
 3. GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's
atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate.
There is great debate among many people, and sometimes in the news, on whether global warming is
real (some call it a hoax). But climate scientists looking at the data and facts agree the planet is warming.
While many view the effects of global warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than
others do, the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average
temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years.

The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil
fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the
global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures
could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may
include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and
severity of storms and other severe weather events.

CAUSE

1. that global warming is not occurring and so neither is climate change;

2. that global warming and climate change are occurring, but these are natural, cyclic events unrelated to
human activity; and

3. that global warming is occurring as a result primarily of human activity and so climate change is also
the result of human activity.

EFFECTS

While sea level rise is probably the most talked about outcome of global warming, there are many other
results of similar severity. Mountain glaciers feed rivers and supply fresh water to villages downstream.
Without these glaciers, villagers will have no water supply. Changes in climate will cause animals to alter
their desired habitat. Some estimates predict the extinction of millions species. Warmer waters mean
move violent storms and hurricanes. Heat waves will help spread disease. And the list of possible
consequences goes on.
  ARTICLE

Climate change is happening, it is largely caused by human activities, and it presents a serious threat to
nature and people now, and in the future. Without ambitious mitigation efforts, global temperature rise this
century could exceed 4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with catastrophic impacts.

Climate change and global warming have profound implications for BirdLife International’s conservation
priorities and approaches. It affects the populations and distributions of species, the composition of
ecological communities, and nature’s provision of goods and services – such as food, fuel and clean
water. Climate change also compounds other major threats to biodiversity, such as invasive alien
species, habitat fragmentation and overexploitation.
Climate encompasses temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle
count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time.

The Earth’s climate is changing. 2001-2010 was the warmest decade on record since 1880 and the
decade 1991-2000 was the second warmest (United Nations 2011). From 1906 to 2005, temperature has
increased, on average, 0.74 °C per year.
Correlated with this warming we have seen sea level rise, decreases in snow and ice cover and
increased incidence of extreme weather events (IPCC 2007). The Stern Review on the Economics of
Climate Change reports that by 2050, 200 million people may have been permanently displaced due to
rising sea levels, increased floods and drought (Stern 2006). It is estimated that, since the 1970s, climate
change has been responsible for over 150,000 deaths each year (McMichael et al. 2004).
A 1 °C increase in global temperature could easily double this figure (Patz et al. 2005). The principal
drivers of climate change are variations in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses (GHG,
including water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone) and aerosols, as well as
changes in land cover and solar radiation, all of which alter the energy balance of the Earth’s climate.
Terrestrial and marine ecosystems currently sequester carbon, acting as ‘sinks’. Changes to atmospheric
CO2 concentrations could shift the global carbon cycle towards annual net emissions, turning these
ecosystems into ‘sources’. Concentrations of other greenhouse gasses, including CH 4 and N2O, which
have similar effects, have also increased markedly as a result of human activities.

Continued GHG emissions at or above current levels will cause further warming and induce global climate
change during the 21st century, very probably greater than that observed during the 20th century (IPCC
2007).

The basic mechanisms of the atmospheric ‘greenhouse effect’ are:

1. sunlight passes through the atmosphere and heats the Earth’s surface;
2. the heated surface then cools by emitting infrared radiation into the atmosphere;
3. most of this radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, some of which is re-
radiated back towards the ground and some into space.

The overall effect is to reduce the rate at which the Earth loses heat to space, making the surface and
lower atmosphere warmer than they would otherwise be. IPCC (2007) predicts the average global
temperatures are likely to rise between 1.1 and 6.4 °C (best estimates of 1.8 to 4 °C) above 1990 levels
by the end of the 21st century, depending on our future greenhouse gas emissions. Projected changes in
the temporal and spatial distribution of precipitation will see current local patterns exacerbated. Such
changes would have profound negative impacts on biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.
Assessment Report (AR) 4 from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes key
risks, including (IPCC 2007):
  A rise of 3 °C or more will result in significant loss of forest towards the end of the century, with
serious implications for associated biodiversity.
 Higher temperatures are likely to result in changes to the plankton communities upon which
whole inland aquatic ecosystems depend.
 These changes will impact on the many people who derive their livelihoods from such
environments.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sets a context for
intergovernmental efforts to tackle climate change and recognizes the Earth’s climate system as a shared
resource. The Kyoto Protocol, part of the UNFCCC, sets binding targets for 37 industrialized nations and
the European Community for reducing their GHG emissions (UNFCCC 2011). This agreement will be
extended until at least 2017. To replace it, 194 countries at the UN Climate Change Conference in
Durban, November 2011, agreed to develop a legally binding mechanism by 2015, to come into force in
2020.

Emissions in 2008 were 38% higher than those in 1990; a total of 30.1 billion tonnes of CO2 have been
emitted since this baseline year (United Nations 2011). An increase above 2-3 °C is very likely to trigger
substantial changes in the structure of ecosystems and their ability to functin. However, the emission
reduction pledges made by participant countries at the Conference of the Parties in Cancun during 2010
would still result in a global temperature increase, by 2100, of at least 3.9 °C (Climate Interactive 2011).
Even with successfully implemented climate change mitigation policies, significant change is inevitable
due to lagged responses in the Earth’s climate system.
The IPCC is currently compiling AR5 (for progress, which will place greater emphasis on the socio-
economic aspects of climate change and implications for sustainable development.
Climate change is an issue that must be simultaneously tackled at all scales, by all parts of society. It is
likely, for example, to challenge the realisation of sustainable development, including the Millennium
Development Goals, by reducing the livelihood assets of vulnerable people and by impacting on natural
resources.

In the last 100 years average global temperature has increased by 0.74°C, rainfall patterns have changed
and the frequency of extreme events increased. Change has not been uniform on either a spatial or
temporal scale and the range of change, in terms of climate and weather, has also been variable.

Change in climate has consequences on the biophysical environment such as changes in the start and
length of the seasons, glacial retreat, decrease in Arctic sea ice extent and a rise in sea level. These
changes have already had an observable impact on biodiversity at the species level, in term of
phenology, distribution & populations, and ecosystem level in terms of distribution, composition &
function.

Many changes have been reported in the distribution of species. In general, many species have
expanded their ranges poleward in latitude and upward in elevation. Evidence of contraction in species’
distribution is limited, however, possibly due to reporting difficulties and time lag in such contractions due
to a wide variety of possible mechanism such as population dynamics.

Populations of many species have declined, and although in some cases climate change is believed to
have contributed to the decline, attributing this is fraught with difficulty as it is likely to be only one driver
amongst many. At the species level, changes observed that can be attributed to climate change involve
those surrounding phenology (the timing of events).

Many birds and insects are showing changes, such as earlier onset of migration, egg-laying and
breeding. In terms of ecosystems, there has been some evidence on changes in distribution. e.g. desert
ecosystems have expanded, and tree lines in mountain systems have changed. Changes in the
composition of ecosystems have also been observed (e.g. increased lianas in tropical forest). Such
changes may affect ecosystem function and the ecosystem services they provide. Changes in biodiversity
and ecosystem services due to climate change are not all negative, with some species either thriving or
adapting.

Most of these observed changes are modest, which is possibly due to the limited change in climate that
has occurred. However, future projected changes in climate are much larger. IPCC AR4 suggests that
approximately 10% of species assessed so far will be at an increasingly high risk of extinction for every
1°C rise in global mean temperature, within the range of future scenarios modelled in impacts
assessments (typically <5°C global temperature rise).

Aquatic freshwater habitats and wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, arctic and alpine ecosystems, and
cloud forests are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Montane species and endemic
species have been identified as being particularly vulnerable because of narrow geographic and climatic
ranges, limited dispersal opportunities, and the degree of non-climate pressures. Potential impacts of
climate change on genetic diversity are little understood, though it is thought that genetic diversity will
increase the resilience of species to climate change.

Modelling studies on the potential impact of climate change on species indicates poleward shifts and
changes in altitude, range expansions or contractions corroborating the current evidence in the most part.
However, such studies highlight the individualistic nature of species’ responses to climate change, which
is likely to have a large impact on future composition of ecosystems.

Structure of ecosystems may also change. Models suggest this may have an impact on ecosystem
function. For example, modelling suggests increases in net primary production in northern Europe but
decreases in areas where water is a limiting resource. Changes in productivity are likely to change
services such as nutrient cycling due to changes in litter fall. Other potential changes to ecosystem
services due to climate change, include changes to the provisioning services (e.g. food, fibre, timber),
carbon storage and sequestration, water regulation and disease regulation.

Changes to ecosystems as a result of climate change are likely to have significant and often negative
social, cultural and economic consequences. However, there is still uncertainty about the extent and
speed at which climate change will impact biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the thresholds of
climate change above which ecosystems are irreversibly changed and no longer function in their current
form. Tipping points are points at which a system passes from one steady state to another. These are
used for either climate tipping points or ecosystem tipping points. An example of the latter is Amazon
forest dieback.

There are several methods and tools to assess the impact of climate change on biodiversity and
ecosystem services. Vulnerability assessments have particular meaning in the natural hazards and socio-
economic fields but are used more loosely and encompass a variety of methods in the field of biodiversity
and climate change. Climate envelope modelling is by far the most common tool used to assess potential
impacts (and to infer vulnerability) on species. Although these suffer a number of limitations, they do
provide a first cut assessment of the likely magnitude and direction of change.

Dynamic models, population models and mechanistic models are other modelling tools that have been
used to assess future impact and vulnerability on both species and ecosystems, though ecosystem
service modelling is still in its infancy. These latter models need to become more prominent as climate
envelop modelling mainly provide species exposure to climate change and thus only one facet of
vulnerability. Indeed vulnerability is defined as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity.
  INSIGHT

Global warming is a big issue of the atmosphere on the earth which cause continuous rise in the surface
temperature of the Earth. It has been estimated that in next 50 or 100 year the temperature of earth would
be increased to a great level which would create big problem of living on earth. The highly known and
most basic cause of increasing the Earth’s temperature is continuous rise in the atmospheric carbon
dioxide

Global warming is a major atmospheric issue all over the world. Our earth’s surface becoming hot day by
day by trapping the sun’s heat and rise in the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The bad effects of it
increasing day by day and causing major problems to the living of human being. It has become one of the
subjects of big social issues which need social awareness to a great level. People should know its
meaning, causes, effects and solutions to solve it immediately. People should come forth together and try
to solve it in order to save life on the earth.

Global warming is indeed inevitable in our society. People abusing the creation of God. Instead of being a
steward, people are making a cause of climate change. Global warming, it is too visible in our community.
Different calamities, flash floods, typhoons, earthquakes and such. We are currently experiencing all
these in our generation. We are the beginning of change, yet that change isn't for the best of us, but leads
for the worst.

The greenhouse effect and global warming are issues that are talked about by geologists all the time.
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that keeps the earth at temperatures that are livable. Energy
from the sun warms the earth when its heat rays are absorbed by greenhouse gasses and become
trapped in the atmosphere. Some of the most common greenhouse gasses are water vapor, carbon
dioxide, and methane. If there were no greenhouse gasses, very few rays would be absorbed and the
earth would be extremely cold. When too many rays are absorbed, the earth?s atmosphere starts to
warm, which leads to global warming. Global warming can lead to many problems that affects the
environment in which we live.
 4. IMPROPER WASTE DISPOSAL

Improper waste disposal is one of the biggest environmental issues here in the Philippines.
Itcaused bigger problems that affect not only the environment but also the health and life of the
people.Mismanagement of the waste disposal has a serious effect on water contamination, flooding,
airpollution, water pollution and others. Due to this reason, Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the
Ecological SolidWaste Management Act of 2000 was passed. RA 9003 describes solid waste
management as a disciplineassociated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer
and transport, processing, anddisposal of solid wastes. The manner by which these activities are
conducted shall be in accord with thebest principles of public health, economics, engineering,
conservation, aesthetics, other environmentalconsiderations, and public attitudes. The Act provides
for a comprehensive ecological solid wastemanagement program by creating the necessary
institutional mechanisms (The establishment of aNational Solid Waste Management Commission and
Solid Waste Management Board in each localgovernment unit as mandated by RA 9003) and
incentives (tax exemptions), appropriating funds,declaring certain acts prohibited (littering,
throwing, dumping of waste matters in public places andothers), and providing penalties.Human
activities contribute significantly in waste management. Recognizing the effects ofimproper
management, garbage crisis can be prevented by practicing waste characterization andsegregation
at source

There are many kind of waste that are harmful to our environment if it was thrown improperly:

Solid Waste - Solid waste refers to general household waste. The items you put out for regular garbage
pickup are solid waste. One way to eliminate waste after collection is by depositing it in a landfill.
However, this isn't ideal. Landfills contribute to both water and air pollution. They create an eyesore and
release toxic gases into the atmosphere. Besides, there isn't enough land available to continue to dump
waste.

Electronic Waste - Electronic waste refers to televisions, computers and cell phones. Since they don't break
down in an organic manner, they're harder to dispose of. Electronics contain lead and mercury, which release
toxins into the air and water.

Hazardous Waste - Certain household items are too hazardous to dispose of during regular trash
collection. Items like batteries, paint, motor oil and certain cleaners contain dangerous chemicals.
Flammable, corrosive, toxic or explosive materials are hazardous waste. To dispose of these items via
landfill or incineration is harmful and irresponsible. A licensed professional must handle disposal of these
products. Check with your local municipality for hazardous waste removal experts in your area

Medical Waste - Garbage items that come from hospitals, medical centers and laboratories are medical
waste. Syringes, used bandages, body fluids and medications are potential biohazards. Medical waste
requires special handling. Every business that produces medical waste follows specific regulations for its
disposal. This includes hiring professionals to remove waste in a manner that's safe for everyone.

Organic Waste - Organic waste refers to items that break down and provide nutrients to the soil. Fruit
and vegetable peels, coffee grinds and tree branches are examples of organic waste. Many people are
choosing to recycle organic waste instead of throwing it away. When you compost organic waste, you
turn it into nutrient-rich soil and fertilizer. Flowers bloom brighter and vegetables grow bigger when you
mix soil and compost.
  ARTICLE

A Denbighshire-based waste management consultancy that assists companies in the removal of

recyclables from their waste streams was recommended to use NetRegs.

Stephen Wilson, Environmental Cost Savings Director of Seven Ways Environmental Services, said: “We
offer companies a total waste management solution by reducing the environmental impact of the waste
they produce.
“We have recently installed two balers at the Conwy County Borough Council Civic Amenity Site which
will enable the council to recycle all household plastics. In addition, we have supplied a baler at Gwynedd
Hospital for the recycling of their cardboard.”

“In our industry, we have to be up-to-date with legislation. Initially, we were unsure where to look to get
good quality information, but we were pointed in the direction of the NetRegs and this proved to be the
best advice we could have been given. I would recommend NetRegs to all small businesses.”

Tossing everyday items into the trash can seem like second nature to many people. If you are
implementing recycling techniques into your lifestyle, you are taking a positive step toward helping the
environment. Learner.org notes that in the U.S. alone, over 230 million tons of trash is produced each
year. Less than 25 percent of that waste is recycled and the rest ends up in landfills, incinerated or in
ditches and roadsides. Improper garbage disposal isn’t just an eyesore; it poses a serious threat to
nature.

Tossing everyday items into the trash can seem like second nature to many people. If you are

implementing recycling techniques into your lifestyle, you are taking a positive step toward helping the

environment. Learner.org notes that in the U.S. alone, over 230 million tons of trash is produced each

year. Less than 25 percent of that waste is recycled and the rest ends up in landfills, incinerated or in

ditches and roadsides. Improper garbage disposal isn’t just an eyesore; it poses a serious threat to

nature.

Soil Contamination

It is important to learn the basics of recycling so that the waste that does end up in landfills can be

disposed of properly. Plastics, metals, papers and certain types of glass can all be recycled at your local

recycling center. If you take the time to send these items to recyclable locations, the items can be reused

and returned to consumers. They won’t end up as trash or hurting the environment. If recyclables are

placed into the ground they can potentially contaminate the surrounding soil. The Western Courier shares

with readers that as plastic water bottles break down they can release DEHA, a type of carcinogen that

can cause reproductive problems, liver issues and weight loss. This type of chemical can leach into the
soil and cause contamination that can reach plant and animal life as well as water sources. Newspapers

or paper that contains ink can be toxic to the soil as well. If the garbage is dumped or not contained

properly in a landfill it will contaminate the surrounding ground.

Air Contamination

When disposing of garbage that contains harmful chemicals such as bleach, acid or oil it is important that

it is disposed of in approved containers and labeled correctly. Paper, plastics and other materials that are

burned can contaminate the air when they are burned. Over time the chemicals can build up in the ozone

layer. If they contain toxic chemicals like dioxin they can reach the air that people breathe and cause a

public health risk. Garbage that is disposed of improperly can also begin to release methane gases.

According to the Energy Information Administration, these gases are greenhouse gasses that can destroy

the earth’s ozone layer and contribute to significant climate changes or global warming.
Animals and Marine Life

Humans are not the only ones affected by improper garbage disposal—animals are too. Conservation

International notes that garbage dumping and discharging raw or untreated sewage can threaten marine

life and animals who come in contact with the water. When waste forms a cluster or algal bloom, the area

can suffocate and contaminate sea bottom habitats such as coral and fish reducing their numbers. This

contamination not only destroys their habitat it can also affect human consumption as fish and shellfish

that were feasting off of contaminated areas reach fishermen and are caught for human consumption. Old

fishing lures, plastic bottles, rope, Styrofoam, cigarette butts and fishing lines can be consumed by marine

animals leading to the death of millions each year according to Conservation International.

Medical waste disposal represents one of the single most serious challenges for developing countries.
Most of which is dumped on open land, presenting challenges for today’s generation and future
generation to come.

Through the piles of illegally dumped, medical waste, scavengers run the risk of infection while searching
for used syringes to sell as profit. The re-use of these syringes further spreads diseases such as HIV,
hepatitis B & C, with around 2 million infections.

Open burning of medical waste generates heavy particulate matter (smoke), and harmful dioxins and
furans are the main cause for respiratory illnesses and cancer. As such open burning can affect large
areas of the local populations.
  INSIGHT

Waste disposal procedures exist because people have realized that certain types of waste can do
damage if they’re just thrown anywhere. The system of waste disposal was developed through lots of
research, and is carefully planned to funnel waste into various places, and through various disposal
methods, in order to ensure the safety and health of humans as well as the planet. The problem is that
this carefully planned system doesn’t work if people don’t participate in it; when you dispose of your
waste, you’re the first step in the chain. if you do it properly, the waste goes on to its safe destination. If
you don’t – or if anyone else along the chain doesn’t – do it right, the waste gets sent off into places
where it can do plenty of damage.If you have questions about proper waste disposal, ask. If you don’t
know how to sort your recyclables, or if you’re unsure what to do with old drywall, call around to local
disposal facilities to find the answers. These may seem like small things, but if you let them slip – and
everyone else lets them slip – they can quickly turn into big problems.

The cause is that people nowadays are lazy and irresponsible instead they will throw their garbages in
proper place or to be specific in trash can they will just throw it in the river especially if their houses are
just along the river. As a result many people now suffering different diseases due to the toxins which
poisons fish that we eat and one more thing is that it can lead to red tide that's why we are not safe to eat
fish all the time.

Every day we produce lots of garbage in the kitchen at home. And there is a different kind of garbage in
offices and industries. We throw this litter around. Let's manage to remove it. It is known that every day
thousands of metric tons of garbage are produced in large Sharon. Some land is also required to throw it.

We can burn the litter and protect ourselves. Still he will have to use fuel and pollution will spread to him.
No one wants to stay around the heap pile Mosquito viruses will be born there and they can be
threatened by them.

We should also manage the garbage and earn some income from using modern technology. Every kind
of waste should be deposited separately. Keeping different trunk cans or tanks will make this a
seat.Paper, Bio-Waste, Rubber, Mirror can be used by them in the industries as fuel. By heating the jute,
making the liquid, then making new ones. Polythene and plastic things should also be stored. Some oils
and paper cartons are made like this. As far as possible, the Bio-Wast products should be used.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS:
 INTRODUCTON ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE
 4 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE
 DEFORESTATION
 ARTICLE
 INSIGHT

 ENVIRONMENTAL POLUTION
 ARTICLE
 INSIGHT

 GLOBAL WARMING
 ARTICLE
 INSIGHT

 IMPROPER WASTE DISPOSAL

 ARTICLE
 INSIGHT
 PORTFOLIO
COMPILATION
OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUE

CRISTINE JOY A. TANEO MRS. GEMMA PALMA

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO: