DIE-OFF

FOCUS: DIE-OFF AND THE

PHILIPPINES
WHAT IS DIE-OFF?

The term die-off refers to the sudden, abrupt

decline of a species population/number. With
humans, this phenomenon may be caused by
several factors concerning capacity of
resources, population distribution and other
social and environmental issues. Once a
population has exceeded the capacity of its land
and have experienced overshoot with its
environment, the population will undergo
precipitate decline in number which will most
probably lead to wipe out or extinction.
I. CAUSES OF DIE-OFF

There is not one, sole reason for the occurrence of

die-off for such phenomenon is caused by
several factors and is brought upon by different
social, economical and environmental problems.

• OVERPOPULATION
• EXHAUSTON OF RESOURCES
• POLLUTION
OVERPOPULATION
This problem refers to the uncontrolled growth of inhabitants
of a particular place or area whose number continues to
rise and eventually exceeds the capacity of their land and
resources. “Overpopulation refers to when an organism’s
numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. In
common parlance, the term usually refers to the
relationship between the human population and its
environment, the earth. Overpopulation is not solely a
function of the size or density of the population.
Overpopulation can be determined using the ratio of
population to available sustainable resources. If a given
environment has a population of ten, but there is food or
drinking water enough for only nine, then that
environment is overpopulated” -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation.
OVERPOPULATION
•Each year 90 million new people
join the human race
• From today’s 6.8 billion, world
population will reach 8.5 billion by
2025
• “…the present population, with its
resource consumption patterns and
technologies, has clearly exceeded
the capacity of Earth to sustain it.
This is evident in the continuous
depletion and dispersion of a one-
time inheritance of essential, non-
substitutable resources that now
maintains the human enterprise.”
(e.g., Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1991; Daily
& Ehrlich 1992).
OVERPOPULATION and DIE-
OFF
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION
The next cause of die-off the researchers have determined is the
depletion and exhaustion of resources which is directly related
to overpopulation. Resource exhaustion is explained by the
persistent use of natural resources until the capacity and
sustainability of these resources are exceeded. This results into
the deterioration of resources as they become useless and
unbeneficial. As the population grows, the usage of resources
increases as well. And if overpopulation is present then the
resources allotted shall become insufficient and incapable of
sustaining human needs.

Along with this comes the severe reduction of our natural resources
more particularly the aquaculture, agriculture and fossil fuels.
These natural resources are essential to our survival and
ironically, our survival is what destroys and drains these
resources as we continuously abuse them.
 RESOURCE EXHAUSTION -
AQUACULTURE

Overfishing is widespread mostly in Asian

countries as fisheries all around the continent
are overexploited. Overpopulation and
industrialization have been the main reasons of
resource degradation.
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION -
AQUACULTURE
“Population and development pressures have been mounting in
coastal areas worldwide for the past 30 years, triggering
widespread resource degradation. Coastal fisheries are
overexploited in much of Asia, Africa and parts of Latin America.
In some cases—as in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia,
China, Japan, India, the west coast of South America, the
Mediterranean and the Caribbean economically important
fisheries have collapsed or are in severe decline. Nearly all
Asian waters within 15 kilometers of land are considered
overfished." says Ed Gomez, director of the Marine Science
Institute at the University of the Philippines in Manila”
The increasing density of human populations in coastal areas, and
the resultant destruction of coastal wetlands, mangrove forests,
coral reefs and other coastal ecosystems, threatens the habitat
of many fish species.
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION -
AQUACULTURE

The exploitation of the aquaculture does

not only pertain to over fishing but to the
over harvesting of other marine products
such as corals, shells, and other marine
wildlife.
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION -
AGRICULTURE

Suffering equally as the aquaculture is the agriculture. The rapid

growth in population brings about a greater demand for
agricultural products. The increase in demand forces producers
to sacrifice sustainability of resources to satisfy the needs of the
growing population. Moreover, unethical practices are done to
satisfy these persistent needs and demands. The sustainability
and preservation of this resource are being sacrificed so as to
compensate for lifestyle over demand.
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION -
AGRICULTURE
A bit of history, indeed some prehistory, helps inform our
perspective. “The problem we address is a 10,000-year-old—in
a geologic sense—recent phenomenon, given that we humans
have been around with the big brain about 20 times that long.
Before agriculture we were gatherers and hunters. We took but
we did not plant. Once we started planting, soil disturbance was
required every year because the plants that sustained this more
settled way of human life were annuals, mostly from the grass
family. Annual grasses like wheat, rice, corn, rye, and barley
account for 70 percent of all human calories. For convenience
sake, we planted these annuals in monocultures. As we did, we
created two edges on this agricultural sword: soil erosion as the
consequence of the necessary annual plowing, and the pests
that the monoculture invites. The first, over the long term, is
more serious than the latter, but combined, they largely but not
exclusively define The Problem of Agriculture.” -http:
//www.landinstitute.org/vnews/display.
/ART/2000/12/01/37e288b43.
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION –
FOSSIL FUELS

The different forms of fossil fuels – oil, gas and coal – comprise
90% of the global commercial energy production. Commercial
energy is significant in this age of technology and modernity as
it aids to our needs and convenience as well as to our survival.
But at present, the natural resources of our fossil fuels are
experiencing rapid diminish. Moreover, the consumption of fossil
fuels has turned into an addiction and has resulted in
catastrophic pollution. This result is chronic and has gone far
beyond what species, including humans, and natural systems
can tolerate.
RESOURCE EXHAUSTION –
FOSSIL FUELS
“For when we study Global Peak Oil, we learn quickly that
an unprecedented economic discontinuity – let’s call it
PetroCollapse -- seems imminent as supplies of fossil
fuels fall forever shorter and shorter of demand. And
when we study Global Climate Change, we learn that an
unprecedented environmental discontinuity -- something
hideously in accord with the vengeful justice of the Gaia
Hypothesis -- is now all but unavoidable as more and
more ancient carbon is un-earthed, and burned, and re-
deposited into the atmosphere. We study these
discontinuities and learn of worst-case scenarios. We are
confronted with the fact that die-off is a real possibility.
We see that there is an abyss beneath our feet, an abyss
of our own creation” -http:
//www.culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=73&Itemid=33.
POLLUTION
Adding to all of these destructive factors is an equally
destructive force called pollution. “Pollution is the
introduction of contaminants into an environment, of
whatever predetermined or agreed upon proportions or
frame of reference; these contaminants cause instability,
disorder, harm or discomfort to the physical systems or
living organisms therein. Pollution can take the form of
chemical substances, energy, such as noise, heat, or
light energy. Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can be
foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring;
when naturally occurring, they are considered
contaminants when they exceed natural levels” -http:
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution.
POLLUTION

This destructive force causes severe problems concerning the

cleanliness and survival of species. This has been a problem
since time immemorial and it is showing no signs of stopping or
even subsiding. If this problem persists, then it shall be in no
time that our earth suffers even more gravely that even us
humans, could not tolerate it. As a result, we would suffer from
numerous deadly diseases and eventually cure would be
something unavailable as caused by the destruction and
exhaustion of natural resources.
POLLUTION
“Other causes of the coral die-off were "pollution in all its forms,"
she said. This included domestic, agricultural and industrial
pollution, and sedimentation, which happens when steep
hillsides near the coast are deforested and mud slides down into
the sea and accumulates on top of reefs….Although the report
is mainly focused on the extent of the decline rather than its
causes, the reasons behind it are principally human ones, said
the team leader, Dr Isabelle Côté, a French-Canadian specialist
in tropical marine ecology. They include industrial, agricultural
and other human pollution, and in particular, over-fishing, she
said.” -http://www.mindfully.org/Water/2003/Coral-Overfishing-
Pollution18jul03.htm. Pollution is a problem concerning not only
the rainforests, the marine ecosystems, the animal species but
most importantly it concerns us humans. Moreover, it threatens
us. And worst, it is killing us.
CAUSES OF DIE-OFF
The problems identified above are only a few of countless
problems that are unstoppably causing permanent
damage onto the earth. It may be too late to repair the
damages done, but the ability to lessen their impacts on
nature and human lives never ceases. Now, let us ask
ourselves, “Is our species reproducing so quickly that we
are outpacing the Earth's ability to house and feed us? Is
our demand for natural resources destroying the habitats
that give us life? If 40 million acres of tropical forest—an
area equivalent to twice the size of Austria—are being
destroyed or grossly degraded every year, as satellite
maps show, how will that affect us?” -http:
//dieoff.org/page120.htm. And let us find out for
ourselves what the answers are.
II. SOLUTIONS
There is not one single solution as there is not
one sole cause of die-off. The different causes
of die-off each corresponds to a number of
possible solutions. These solutions are not
instant and do not guarantee immediate results
but with the right attitude and discipline, nations
and societies would have a great chance of
betterment and improvement. Provided here
are solutions meant not only for analysis and
study but more importantly for implementation.
These solutions would be a good source of help
in the fight against the possible occurrence of
die-off.
SOLUTIONS -
OVERPOPULATION
“Once we recognize the fact that overpopulation is a problem and that increasing
standards of living around the world will add to our resource-use and pollution-
management challenges, it's tempting to start thinking that disease, poverty, and
premature death are unfortunate but necessary (as long as they happen to
someone else, of course). We must resist any such temptation and work toward
better solutions.
We should:
• continue to strive to reduce suffering by combating disease and poverty around
the world;
• continue to improve resource efficiency and pollution control so that standards of
living can rise without negative impact; and
• keep human population to numbers that are sustainable.
On the population front, that means:
• making sure people around the world have access to family planning services;
• empowering women in developing countries economically, socially, and legally in
a manner that results in them having an equal say (with their husbands) in
reproductive decisions;
• modifying school curricula to include information on population levels and
implications for the future;
• reforming tax laws in a way that encourages couples to have no more than two
children. (They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax
code would no longer subsidize more than two.)
SOLUTIONS – RESOURCE
EXHAUSTION
• Increasing awareness for need to stabilize
resource consumption
• Conducting natural resources damage
assessments
• Demonstrating need for effective use of
resources
• Providing structure for exploitation of natural
resources
• Reducing lifestyle over demand on resources
• Abolishing unethical practices in natural
resource management
III. PLACES OF DIE-OFF

St. Matthew Island (1944)

• Tragedy of the Commons and Lack of Natural
Predator
• 29 reindeers were moved to the island, after 19 years,
its population boomed to 6,000. Then the commons
depleted, the island exceeded its carrying capacity,
and the population declined to 42.
Easter Island (Present)
• Tragedy of the Commons
• Forests were wiped out, drove their plants and
animals to extinction, and saw their society spiral into
chaos and cannibalism.
IV. PHILIPPINES AND DIE-
OFF
Subject matters concerning the Philippines for the reason
that these matters and issues are seen to be the cause of
possible die-off:
Social matters:
Poverty, overpopulation, death and crime rates and
others.
Environmental matters:
Pollution, marine exploitation and agricultural land
exhaustion and others.
In this study the researchers focused on the findings in
overpopulation, marine exploitation, agricultural
mistreatment and pollution.
Overpopulation
 Overpopulation
Overpopulation in the Philippines is a problem that needs to
be focused on for it serves as a root cause of other
problems in the country. Families in the Philippines
usually consist of three siblings, an amount which is
relatively large compared to other Asian countries. But
there are also a large percentage of Filipino families that
consist of five or more siblings despite the poor living
conditions of the majority. This trend proves to be
unbeneficial to the country’s progress as it adds up to the
growing problem of overpopulation. These figures only
illustrate that population growth is inconstant and
uncontrolled – growth continually increases. If this pattern
continues, then eventually the growth shall continually
increase until all regions in the Philippines become
overpopulated.
Marine Exploitation
“Philippine coral reefs are in critical danger and unless these
precious resources are managed well, poverty and food
insecurity will continue to haunt us”-Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary
Heherson T. Alvarez
Ecosystems present in the coastal zone, includes the coral
reefs, identified as the most biologically productive
environment second only to tropical rain forests,
mangrove areas, sea grass beds and soft bottom
communities. Coral reefs have the potential of producing
more than 1 million three hundred twenty thousand
(1,320,000) metric tons of fish.
Marine Exploitation
Of the country’s 25,819 sq. kms. of coral reefs, only 4% are
spared from overexploitation, destructive fishing
practices, sedimentation, landbased pollution and global
climate change, stresses Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Elisea G. Gozun
Philippines, as an archipelago, relies heavily on the
surrounding seas as source of food, nutrients and other
essentials and products and as a vital resource for
survival. The benefits provided by the seas comprise a
large percentage of the country’s economic income, but
unfortunately this rich natural resource is on the verge of
destruction as unethical use and abusive consumption
are done by Filipinos themselves.
Agricultural Land Exhaustion
 Agricultural Land Exhaustion
 With the increase in the number of farms, the area of
land being used for agriculture decreases which means
that each agricultural land are is being used up more and
more. If this trend shall persist, then more agricultural
land will be over harvested and exhausted. This would
cause decline in economic income in the country as
supplies within the country experience shortage that it is
unable to satisfy national needs. Such occurrence only
means incapability of export and a need for imported
goods. This goes consequently with the increase in
demand for agricultural supply as caused by
overpopulation.
Pollution
Pollution
 *Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions (2003E) - 72
million metric tons, of which Oil (66%), Coal (26%),
Natural Gas (7%)
 *Carbon Dioxide Intensity (2004E) - 0.3 Metric tons per
thousand $2000-PPP**
 CO2 Emissions 75,299.2 metric tons [37th of 178]
 CO2 Emissions (per capita) 0.857065 per 1,000 people
[116th of 176]
 CFC consumption 105,641 [17th of 107]
 Definition: CFC consumption
Units: Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) Tons (Metric
Tons x ODP)
Pollution
 Pollution is a very serious matter in the Philippines and
the harm it brings upon nature and more alarmingly
humans is a matter of great concern. Pollution also adds
up to the depletion of natural resources working
alongside with exploitation and exhaustion.
Conclusion
 In conclusion, congested areas in the Philippines are seen as a
possible cause of die off in the country. It is caused by the
improper distribution of the vital resources. People tend to go to
the places where the resources are abundant and cause further
congestion. Therefore, there’ll be more division of resources for
consumption, more land will be occupied, more water will be
needed, and commons will be used further. The government
can make a move to increase the overall resources to be
distributed but it would most probably backfire in the
overshooting of the environment and exceeding its capacity to
produce. As said above, environment overshoot and exceeding
the lands capacity lead to a sudden decline in the population,
therefore, die off. Consequently, people move from one area to
another and bring with them not only themselves but the harmful
effects caused by their unethical use and consumption of
resources. It is indispensable for humans to create pollution no
matter where they are for it is equally indispensable not to
create trash and waste.
Die Off

Die Off

The End Timothy John Estrada

Jonathan Kit Reyes