Lesson 4: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT economic environment for sustained and broad-based growth; improve
employment, productivity and income; and attain food security.
Process of safeguarding our environment by monitoring humans’ interaction with 2. Social Equity – Social equity should mean allocation of resources on the bases
their environment and various components with them. of efficiency and equity to achieve balanced development.
PHILIPPINE AGENDA 21 3. Empowerment and Good Governance – Empowerment is a precondition of
The Key to Philippines’ Environmental Protection informal choices. Good governance is a necessary precondition to empowerment,
as empowerment is to good governance.
Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) is a program of action into the 21st century for 4. Peace and Solidarity – The cycle of poverty and conflict goes on as the cost of
bringing the Earth into a sustainable future. war escalate in terms of various kinds of destruction while withholding funds for
It was adopted by the participating governments of the world in the United Nations basic services, resulting in more poverty and underdevelopment.
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), otherwise known as the 5. Ecological Integrity – In general, the path towards enhancing the integrity of the
Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992. country’s ecological domain will have to involve heightened and sustained
PA 21 is the Philippines’ commitment to the UNCED. It also lays down the mix of implementation of environmental laws, as well as the continued pursuit of resource
strategies that integrate areas (or Action Agenda), from the national to the regional conservation, and environmental restoration/enhancement programs.
level, with the corresponding implementing platforms and plans.
o The Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) is our own national agenda for sustainable
THE SEVEN ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES
development.
(According to the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Inc.)
It is basically made up of:
Everything is connected to everything else.
a) The Principles of Unity; o The intricate relationships of various elements of the ecosystem bind the
b) The Action Agenda; and components together into one functional unit.
c) The Implementation Strategies. o Inter-specific relationships create a dependency with each other so that they
both have to co-exist to live.
WHAT IS THE ENHANCED PA 21? All forms of life are important (thus, the need for biodiversity).
Ten years after the UNCED, world leaders gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa for o Each organism plays a fundamental role in nature. Since such occupational
the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to reinvigorate global or functional position, otherwise known as niche, cannot be simultaneously
commitment to sustainable development. In line with the Johannesburg Summit, the PA occupied by more than one specie, it is apparent that all living things must be
21 was updated into the Enhanced PA 21, particularly noting that: considered as invaluable in the maintenance of homeostasis in the
ecosystem.
The rise of globalization and the creation of an external environment of finance, o All living organisms were created for a purpose in relation to humans, other
markets, and technology did not seem conducive to sustainable development. species on earth and global ecosystem in general.
The civil society needs to specify its commitments and contributions to achieving Everything must go somewhere (thus, too much can cause pollution).
sustainability in the updated document. o By-products of consumption go back to the environment. Everything that we
Government departments need to be imbued with the sustainable development throw away – pieces of paper, left-over food, peelings of fruits, plastic
perspective with which to handle issues property (“The Philippine Agenda 21”, wrappers, used containers – have to go somewhere.
2014). Ours is finite earth (thus, the need for conservation).
THE GOAL ELEMENTS OF THE ENHANCED PA 21 o Everything that we need is provided by nature in abundance – food, water,
energy, minerals and air. However, some resources that we depend upon
1. Poverty Reduction – Poverty is a central concern of sustainable development. nowadays are extracted excessively but are slow tore place. These non-
Consistent with this, the various consultations for the updating of PA 21 have renewable resources experience limits of supply.
yielded poverty reduction agenda that includes measures to create and enabling o Unlimited needs and wants but with limited resources.
Nature knows best (thus, the need for ecological technology). o Thermal Pollution – Thermal pollution, sometimes called "thermal enrichment",
o Nature manifests certain processes that enable it to maintain balance and is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water
remain in a state of equilibrium. The nutrient cycling of nitrogen, carbon, temperature. This pollution is most often caused by heated discharge from an
sulfur and phosphorous in the air, water and land indicates that minerals are industrial facility or another human activity.
utilized within the confines of the earth Any disruption in the cycle can bring o Noise Pollution – Noise pollution is generally defined as regular exposure to
about imbalance. elevated sound levels that may lead to adverse effects in humans or other living
Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation. organisms.
o Among all creatures, humans are the only ones made in God's image and
have been given the right to have dominion over all His creations. Being the Changes in Climate – Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional
most intelligent and gifted with reason, humans are capable of manipulating climate patterns. It is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather
creation to their own advantage. Yet, creation exists not to be ravaged or patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet
abused but to be taken care of. Humans cannot exist without nature. They as a whole. Climate change may cause weather patterns to be less predictable. In
are co-natural with the environment they live in. If the environment they live polar regions, the warming global temperatures associated with climate change
in is destroyed, with it will go Homo Sapiens. have meant ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate from season
Everything changes. to season.
o Changes in the biophysical world occur naturally. As they say, there is
nothing more permanent in this world than change. Global Warming – Global warming describes the current rise in the average
o Example: Human-induced alteration such as climate change may cause more temperature of Earth’s air and oceans. Global warming is the long-term warming
massive repercussions. Land use change – from forests to agricultural land of the planet’s overall temperature. Though this warming trend has been going on
to human settlements – change the composition of vegetation and animals. for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the last hundred years due
to the burning of fossil fuels.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
The Green House Effect – The greenhouse effect happens when certain gases—
Deforestation – Deforestation refers to the decrease in forest areas across the
known as greenhouse gases—collect in Earth’s atmosphere. These gases, which
world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or
occur naturally in the atmosphere, include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen
mining activities.
oxide, and fluorinated gases sometimes known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Greenhouse gases let the sun’s light shine onto the Earth’s surface, but they trap
Water Crisis – Water scarcity is defined as a water deficiency or a lack of safe
the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere.
water supplies. As the population of the world grows and the environment becomes
further affected by climate change, access to fresh drinking water dwindles.
Ozone Depletion and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) are nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon,
Pollution – Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
chlorine, and fluorine. They are commonly used in spray aerosols and refrigerants.
Types of Pollution: CFCs could deplete Earth's atmospheric ozone layer, which blocks the sun's
damaging ultraviolet rays, when released into the atmosphere.
o Air Pollution – Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air—
pollutants which are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole,
including vehicle emissions, fumes from chemical production, etc.
o Water Pollution – Water pollution is the contamination of water sources by
substances which make the water unusable for drinking, cooking, cleaning,
swimming, and other activities. Pollutants include chemicals, trash, bacteria,
and parasites.
