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LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES:

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

1. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plantsOur ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity production, and burning coal accounts for 93% of emissions from the electric utility industry [EPA, pg. 10]. Every day, more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply.

2. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportationOur modern car culture and appetite for globally sourced goods is responsible for about 33% of emissions in the U.S. [EPA pg. 8] With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and manufacturing. Our consumption is outpacing our discoveries of ways to mitigate the effects, with no end in sight to our massive consumer culture.

3. Global Warming Cause: Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabedsMethane is another extremely potent greenhouse gas, ranking right behind CO2. When organic matter is broken down by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions (anaerobic decomposition) as in rice paddies, methane is produced. The process also takes place in the intestines of herbivorous animals, and with the increase in the amount of concentrated livestock production, the levels of methane released into the atmosphere is increasing. Another source of methane is methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly.

4. Global Warming Cause: Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmlandThe use of forests for fuel (both wood and for charcoal) is one cause of deforestation, but in the first world, our appetite for wood and paper products, our consumption of livestock grazed on former forest land, and the use of tropical forest lands for commodities like palm oil plantations contributes to the mass deforestation of our world. Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and this deforestation releases large amounts of carbon, as well as reducing the amount of carbon capture on the planet.

5. Global Warming Cause: Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplandsIn the last half of the 20th century, the use of chemical fertilizers (as opposed to the historical use of animal manure) has risen dramatically. The high rate of application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers has effects on the heat storage of cropland (nitrogen oxides have 300 times more heat-trapping capacity per unit of volume than carbon dioxide) and the run-off of excess fertilizers creates ‘dead-zones’ in our oceans. In addition to these effects, high nitrate levels in groundwater due to over-fertilization are cause for concern for human health.

6. Global Warming Effect: Rise in sea levels worldwideScientists predict an increase in sea levels worldwide due to the melting of two massive ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, especially on the East coast of the U.S. However, many nations around the world will experience the effects of rising sea levels, which could displace millions of people. One nation, the Maldives, is already looking for a new home, thanks to rising sea levels.

7. Global Warming Effect: More killer stormsThe severity of storms such as hurricanes and cyclones is increasing, and research published in Nature found:“Scientists have come up with the firmest evidence so far that global warming will significantly increase the intensity of the most extreme storms worldwide. The maximum wind speeds of the strongest tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981, according to research published in Nature this week. And the upward trend, thought to be driven by rising ocean temperatures, is unlikely to stop at any time soon.”

8. Global Warming Effect: Massive crop failuresAccording to recent research, there is a 90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose between moving their families to milder climes and going hungry due to climate change within 100 years.“Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. “Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts.”” – Guardian: Global warming causes 300,000 deaths a year

9. Global Warming Effect: Widespread extinction of speciesAccording to research published in Nature, by 2050, rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species. And because we can’t exist without a diverse population of species on Earth, this is scary news for humans.This 6th mass extinction is really just a continuation of the holocene extinction which began at the end of the last ice age and has resulted in the extinction of nearly all of the Earth’s megafauna animals, largely as a result of human-expansion.“Climate change now represents at least as great a threat to the number of species surviving on Earth as habitat-destruction and modification.” Chris Thomas, conservation biologist at the University of Leeds

Widespread species loss and lists of endangered species just keep growing. This is a concerning matter on many fronts.

10. Global Warming Effect: Disappearance of coral reefsA report on coral reefs from WWF says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification. The ‘bleaching’ of corals from small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival.“Despite the oceans’s immensity — 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface with an average depth of almost 4km (2½m) — there are indications that it is approaching its tipping point. For reefs, warming waters and acidification are closing in like a pair of jaws that threaten to make them the first global ecosystem to disappear.” – Times Online: 21st-century Noah’s Ark needed to save coral reefs from extinction

LAWS ENACTED BY CONGRESS:

Climate Change Act (RA 9729) In October 2009, the Climate Change Act (RA 9729) was signed to create the Climate Change Commission, an agency "tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change."

RA 10174 In August 2012, RA 10174 was signed, amending the Climate Change Act. This law establishes, among others, a survival fund to provide long-term finance streams for effectively addressing climate change.

Clean Air Act of 1999Republic Act 8749, or the Clean Air Act of 1999, goes beyond “making the polluter pay.” It focuses primarily on pollution prevention rather than on control by encouraging cooperation and self-regulation among citizens and industries. It also enforces a system of accountability for adverse environmental impacts to heighten compliance to government environmental regulations.

Renewable Energy lawEcological Solid Waste Management Law - created the National Solid Waste Management Commission, which aims to establish segregation among garbage and wastes.

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Clean Water ActSolid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), barangays are responsible for collecting and separating biodegradable, compostable, and reusable materials, while the municipality collects non-recyclable and special materials. Sanitary landfills must be built to contain the future solid waste of the metropolis. Once in place and better waste management is achieved at the barangay level, the current sites can be closed. Because of leachate leaking hazardous chemicals into ground water and streams, the current dumps will still need to be cleaned.The Clean Water Act (RA 9275), signed in 2004, is a beginning to solving sewage pollution. The law: (i) requires designation of multi-sectoral Water Quality Management Areas (WQMA) to monitor and upgrade local water resources; (ii) mandates preparation of a national sewage and septage program and requires interconnection of all existing sewage lines; (iii) requires implementation of a wastewater charge system for all industries located in WQMAs that discharge wastewater and a financial liability mechanism under which new factories and infrastructure will put up an environmental guarantee fund, insurance, or bond; and (iv) provides investment incentives for compliance in the form of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under the Investment Code for projects involving wastewater treatment and water pollution control.Under the 1999 Clean Air Act (RA 8749), all incineration is banned to prevent air pollution. However, the law ignored modern incineration technologies, which are non-polluting and can produce energy and construction materials as by-products. Aside from an imminent solid waste crisis, medical and chemical wastes are not properly disposed of or need to be shipped abroad. Metro Manila generates many tons of medical waste daily, but the law forced medical incinerators to close without providing an alternative.A Supreme Court ruling in January 2002 (GR 147465) affirmed that not all incineration is banned. The decision reads “Section 20 [of the Clean Air Act] does not absolutely prohibit incineration as a mode of waste disposal; rather only those burning processes which emit poisonous and toxic fumes are banned.”

Recommendations: (14)

A. Environment: Solid Waste. Implement the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003). Build sanitary landfills to contain the future solid waste of the metropolis and clean up existing dumpsites. Improve garbage collection and recycling. Establish clear rules and standards that would allow modern incineration technologies. Amend the Clean Air Act to allow non-polluting clean incineration. (Medium-term action by DENR, MMDA, LGUs, and private sector)

B. Environment: Air. Implement the Clean Air Act (RA 8749). Clean Manila’s air faster by removing all vehicles that fail to meet pollution standards. Crack down on corrupt emission stations. Replace 2-stroke with 4-stroke engines. Convert jeepneys and buses from diesel to natural gas. (Medium-term action by DENR, DOTC, and DTI)

C. Environment: Water. Implement the Clean Water Act (RA 9275) to increase sewage systems and water treatment plants in all cities and municipalities in order to reduce water pollution. (Long-term action DENR, DPWH, LGUs, and private sector)

D. Environment: Rivers. Replicate the KapitBisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP) project to clean and restore the Pasig River for other polluted waterways. (Medium-term action private sector)

E. Environment: Water. Increase access to water and sanitation facilities for more Filipinos, in “waterless” municipalities and for residents of slums in urban areas. (Long-term action DENR, DPWH, LGUs, and private sector)

F. Environment: Reforestation. Reduce the rate of deforestation to zero. Protect remaining forests effectively and increase reforestation of damaged watersheds. (Long-term action DENR, LGUs, and private sector)

G. Environment: Reefs. Continue to fight illegal fishing methods that destroy reefs. Expand reef restoration programs and education of coastal communities. (Immediate action DENR, LGUs and private sector)

H. Environment: Plastic Bags. Educate the public to use reusable non-plastic bags and consider laws to reduce the widespread use of plastic that pollutes the marine environment and clogs waterways. (Immediate action DENR, Congress, LGUs, and private sector)

I. Disasters: Prevention. Incorporate disaster prevention, not just disaster reaction, into planning, development, and education. (Medium-term action NEDA, LGUs, and private sector)

J. Disasters: Typhoon Warning Systems. Install Doppler radars, capable of predicting rainfall, with coverage of Luzon and Visayas. Improve alert systems when typhoons are approaching and when full dams need to spill water. (Immediate action PAGASA, DOST, DILG, LGUs, and private sector)

K. Disasters: Flood. Seek to create flood-proof cities by undertaking extensive flood-control measures, improving drainage, building dikes and water retention facilities, and planting trees. (Medium-term action DENR, DPWH, DILG, LGUs, and private sector)

L. Disasters: Earthquakes. Develop and implement a program to make cities safer against major earthquakes. Make gas, electric, and water supply facilities more secure and make codes for building construction stricter following best practices to more advanced countries. Audit buildings and infrastructure for safety. (Medium-term action DENR, DILG, LGUs, and private sector)

M. Disasters: Hazard Maps. Prepare and publish Hazard Maps for earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, tsunami, fire, and rising water levels due to climate change and other hazards. (Medium-term action concerned agencies)

N. Global Warming. Implement the planning, educational and other tasks of the Philippine Climate Change Commission (PCCC) created in 2010 by the Philippine Climate Change Act (RA 9729) especially making the country better prepared to deal with natural disasters. (Medium-term action OP and concerned agencies)

What is Sustainable Development?

Environmental, economic and social well-being for today and tomorrow

Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:[1]

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:

the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; andthe idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."All definitions of sustainable development require that we see the world as a system—a system that connects space; and a system that connects time.

When you think of the world as a system over space, you grow to understand that air pollution from North America affects air quality in Asia, and that pesticides sprayed in Argentina could harm fish stocks off the coast of Australia.

And when you think of the world as a system over time, you start to realize that the decisions our grandparents made about how to farm the land continue to affect agricultural practice today; and the economic policies we endorse today will have an impact on urban poverty when our children are adults.

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We also understand that quality of life is a system, too. It's good to be physically healthy, but what if you are poor and don't have access to education? It's good to have a secure income, but what if the air in your part of the world is unclean? And it's good to have freedom of religious expression, but what if you can't feed your family?

The concept of sustainable development is rooted in this sort of systems thinking. It helps us understand ourselves and our world. The problems we face are complex and serious—and we can't address them in the same way we created them. But we can address them.

It's that basic optimism that motivates IISD's staff, associates and board to innovate for a healthy and meaningful future for this planet and its inhabitants.

What is sustainable development"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its core is an approach to development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as a society.All too often, development is driven by one particular need, without fully considering the wider or future impacts. We are already seeing the damage this kind of approach can cause, from large-scale financial crises caused by irresponsible banking, to changes in global climate resulting from our dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources. The longer we pursue unsustainable development, the more frequent and severe its consequences are likely to become, which is why we need to take action now.  So is it all just about the environment?Living within our environmental limits is one of the central principles of sustainable development. One implication of not doing so is climate change.But the focus of sustainable development is far broader than just the environment. It's also about ensuring a strong, healthy and just society. This means meeting the diverse needs of all people in existing and future communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and inclusion, and creating equal opportunity.If sustainable development focuses on the future, does that mean we lose out now?Not necessarily. Sustainable development is about finding better ways of doing things, both for the future and the present. We might need to change the way we work and live now, but this doesn't mean our quality of life will be reduced.A sustainable development approach can bring many benefits in the short to medium term, for example:Savings - As a result of SDC scrutiny, government has saved over £60m by improving efficiency across its estate.Health & Transport - Instead of driving, switching to walking or cycling for short journeys will save you money, improve your health and is often just as quick and convenient.How does it affect me?The way we approach development affects everyone. The impacts of our decisions as a society have very real consequences for people's lives. Poor planning of communities, for example, reduces the quality of life for the people who live in them. (Relying on imports rather than growing food locally puts the UK at risk of food shortages.)Sustainable development provides an approach to making better decisions on the issues that affect all of our lives. By incorporating health plans into the planning of new communities, for instance, we can ensure that residents have easy access to healthcare and leisure facilities. (By encouraging more sustainable food supply chains, we can ensure the UK has enough food for the long-term future.)How do we make it happen?We all have a part to play. Small actions, taken collectively, can add up to real change. However, to achieve sustainability in the UK, we believe the Government needs to take the lead. The SDC's job is to help make this happen, and we do it through a mixture of scrutiny, advice and building organisational capacity for sustainable development.

-smlasmarias/01.08.2015-