Acknowledgment

The researchers wish to express their sincere and heartfelt gratitude, deep

appreciation and profound recognition to all person whose unwavering support, inspiration

and unceasing encouragement to make this research work possible.

Ms. Marrian Hista- Villacrusis who gives assistance and intellectual guidance from

the initial stage up to tje final phase of this endeavor

Ruel B. De Gracia who untirely find the information needed in this work and for the

typing.

They would like to thanks Heizel H. Datahan and Ferdinand E. Bautista of Municipal

Environmental Resource Management for the information that they gave during the time we

conducted an interview.

To the family and friends of the researchers for their financial, moral and spiritual

unconditional support.

Above all, Almighty Father, who preserveth soul provided them with knowledge and

wisdom, patience ,courage, sound mind and healthy body, and whose never ending love,

goodness and blessing made our work a reality for without God, the researcher can do

nothing.

The authors
CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Climate change, specifically global warming, has captured the attention of people

worldwide and has inspired more debate and action may it personal, political and corporate

perhaps any other environmental issue in history.

But all of that discussion, along with the mountains of data and conflicting points of

view that go with it, sometimes make it hard to really know what’s going on. This guide will

help you cut through the rhetoric and confusion and get to the facts. The first step toward

learning what can be done to reduce global warming, and how you can help, is to understand

the problem.

Scientists have determined that a number of human activities are contributing to

global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that

normally would exit into outer space.

While many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the

greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, human use of fossil fuels

is the main source of excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-

fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide
and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation is another significant source

of greenhouse gases, because fewer trees means less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen.

During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of carbon

dioxide has increased by 31 percent. Over the same period, the level of atmospheric methane

has risen by 151 percent, mostly from agricultural activities such as raising cattle and

growing rice.

As the concentration of greenhouse gases grows, more heat is trapped in the

atmosphere and less escapes back into space. This increase in trapped heat changes the

climate and alters weather patterns, which may hasten species extinction, influence the length

of seasons, cause coastal flooding, and lead to

Global temperatures are expected to increase 3.5 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050,

and there is a 1-in-10 chance that the increase could be far worse, a risk that many experts

believe is too great to ignore.

Rising temperatures will alter global weather patterns that have a direct effect on

water supplies and agriculture. Deserts will expand, the frequency and severity of droughts

and deadly heat waves will increase, and snow will disappear in most areas except on the

very highest mountain peaks.

Sea levels worldwide are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches by 2100, and will

continue to rise for at least the next 1,000 years.

 Fierce storms, such as hurricanes, will become more frequent and more floods will

occur, due to rising sea levels and heavier rainfall in some areas.

Continuing global warming will also lead to a rise in many diseases that are deadly to

humans. Flooding will contaminate water supplies in some areas, giving rise to infectious

diseases. Rising temperatures will also increase the range and breeding grounds of

mosquitoes and other disease-bearing insects, exposing more people to diseases such as

malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and encephalitis.

Global concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide ,three of the most

notable greenhouse gases have increased significantly over the past 250 years as direct result

of human activities. Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases now far

exceed any found during ice core research spanning the past 650,000 years.

The increase of carbon dioxide is due primarily to the use of fossil fuels, such as oil

and coal, and changes in land use, such as cutting down forests to make way for farming,

housing and other development. Increases in methane and nitrous oxide are primarily due to

agriculture.

Global warming is caused by a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. A

greenhouse (or glasshouse) is good for growing things because it traps heat inside and stays

hotter than the atmosphere around it. Earth's atmosphere behaves like a gigantic greenhouse,

though it traps heat a different way. Gases high in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide

and methane, behave like a giant piece of curved glass wrapped right round the planet.
 The Sun's rays (mostly visible light and short-wavelength, high-energy ultraviolet

radiation) pass straight through this "greenhouse gas" and warm up Earth. The warming

planet gives off heat energy (longer wavelength infrared radiation), which radiates out

toward space. Some of this outgoing radiation does not pass through the atmosphere, but is

reflected back down to Earth, effectively trapping heat and keeping the planet about 33

degrees hotter than it would otherwise be. This is called the natural greenhouse effect and it's

a good thing. Without it, Earth would be much too cold to support the huge diversity of life

that it does.

The greenhouse effect would be nothing to worry about were it not for one important

thing. Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries (when coal-burning

steam engines were first used on a large scale), humans have been using energy in far greater

quantities. Car engines, for example, which were invented in the mid-19th century, work by

burning gasoline (petrol) with oxygen from the air to make heat in a chemical reaction called

combustion. As a byproduct, combustion gives off (or "emits") invisible carbon dioxide gas

(the gas our bodies breathe out). In a similar way, power plants use combustion to make our

electricity by burning fuels like coal, gas, and oil so they give off carbon dioxide too.

Most of the energy people use is made by burning these so-called fossil fuels

-producing huge clouds of carbon dioxide, which are known as carbon dioxide emissions.

The carbon dioxide drifts up into the atmosphere and makes Earth's greenhouse gas just a

little thicker. This is called the enhanced greenhouse effect. As a result, more of the Sun's
heat gets trapped inside the atmosphere and the planet warms up. To summarize: burning

fossil fuels give off carbon dioxide, which increases the greenhouse effect and heats the

planet. The process we call global warming. This is often described as an anthropogenic

process, which simply means "humans caused it".

Statement of the problem

Global warming has become the hottest problem all over the world. Many countries

have on how to stop the thinning of ozone layer.

In this light, the study intends to informed how global warming started and what the

nations around the world move to the save us from destruction.

Significant of the study

This research focused on how global warming affects humanity. It must be know to

everyone to atleast informed them what is the present condition of our surrounding when we

talked about climate change. It was observed that we yearly visited by typhoons not because

of our geographical location but because of weather pattern that absolutely affected by global

warming.

As experienced in our town that during late noon, it is very hot. The climate condition

of our place way back to early time is very different from today. Everyone is responsible for

the preservation of our environment to guaranty our survival. Let’s move and commit

ourselves for the protection of our beloved Home.

Scope and limitation

The focal of this study is know what is the present condition of our environment.

Climate change is wide and need to be given attention. It is brought by the thinning of ozone

layer which caused by greenhouse gases that traps in the atmosphere and at end lead to

global warming.

CHAPTER 2

Climate change

Climate is the pattern of weather in a particular place: how much sunlight and rainfall

it gets, how windy it is, and so on. The world's weather is entirely powered by the sun. Since

Earth rotates on a tilted axis, different parts of our planet are heated by different amounts at

different times of year, making some regions hotter than others and causing the seasons. The

temperature variations between one part of the world and another cause differences in air

pressure, producing winds, storms, and even hurricanes. The Sun's heat also warms the seas

unevenly, driving ocean currents which, in some ways, are like underwater winds from one

place to another. Links between the atmosphere and the oceans can produce complex weather

patterns such as El-Niño, a kind of abnormal and erratic weather that happens every few

years in the Pacific. Scientists believe that greater amounts of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere, and hotter temperatures on Earth, will significantly change the climate across the

whole planet. This climate change is already beginning to happen in parts of the world.
 Climate change is nothing new. Earth's climate has been changing regularly for

hundreds of millions of years, sometimes getting colder and sometimes warmer. Everyone

knows about Ice Ages those periods of history when Earth was far colder than it is now. The

climate change people talk about today seems to be different. Most scientists believe it is

caused by systematic global warming caused by a gradual increase in fossil fuels. Whereas

traditional climate change makes Earth as a whole either hotter or cooler, modern climate

change is going to make the climate much more erratic hotter in some places, cooler in

others; drier in some places; wetter elsewhere.

Global Warming is one of the most talked and campaigned about issues of the 21st

century. We all know that it is an undeniable fact that while the world population is

increasing, the pollution is also increasing in a larger ratio. Many countries successfully

implemented “Green” policies, to protect our environment and our future. These policies are

increasingly being implemented in Central Europe in countries such as Germany. Recycling

garbage, plastic, and even old appliances belongs to the strict regimen. Other policies such as

fines imposed on littering, burning of waste or leaves, and even the encouragement of

collective transportation have been imposed.

CHAPTER III

Methodology

For the past few years, many have recognized the unpredictable weather condition.

Suddenly rain comes and afterwards it will fade away and here comes the horrifying strikes

of sun rays. Many suffered from the destructive storm which worn out the place where it

headed for the past few months.

Mr. Ferdinand Bautista, personnel of Environmental Resource Management Office of

Maragusan had urged everyone to plant more trees and minimized the use of plastic as their

fuel in heating.

“Image, what would happen to us. We will suffer imperiously the the impact of global

warming which the settlers in Maragusan happen if we don’t give importance our

environment, our survival would not be assured.

 “Most human activity just like burning plastics could make the ozone layer become

thinner and thinner as the years past. The percentage of the heat increases, so it will overheat

the earth’s surrounding.

So with Heizel H. Datahan, an Environment Resource Management Assistant stressed

that ozone hole getting bigger and bigger. “I think all living things could practically burned

soon because of the dangerous radiation of the sun.The Earth’s temperature starts to sparks as

the ozone hole becomes wider and wider. “Everyone could experience eye disorder like

blindness and eye cataract and less far skin cancer.

CHAPTER IV
 The components of the global climate system consisting of the atmosphere (including

the troposphere and stratosphere), the geosphere (which includes the solid earth (lithosphere),

the oceans, rivers and inland water masses (hydrosphere) and the snow, ice and

permafrost(cryosphere)) and the biosphere (the transition zone between them within which

most plant and animal life exists and most living and dead organic matter (biomass) is to be

found). The figure also shows the main physical processes that take place within the climate

system andthus exert an influence on climate.

Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases (except water vapor)

adjusted for heat retention characteristics, relative to CO2

 Man-
Natural Percent of
Multiplie Pre-industrial made Tot. Relative
CO2. ( #'s are unit-less) addition Total
r (GWP) baseline(new) addition Contribution
s (new) (new)
s (new)
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 1 288,000 68,520 11,880 368,400 72.369%
Methane (CH4) 21 (3) 17,808 12,117 6,720 36,645 7.199%
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) 310 (3) 88,350 3,599 4,771 96,720 19.000%
CFC's (and other misc.
(4) 2,500 0 4,791 7,291 1.432%
gases)
Total 396,658 84,236 28,162 509,056 100.000%

The chart at left summarizes the % of greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth's

atmosphere from. This is not a very meaningful view though because the data has not been
corrected for the actual Global Warming Potential (GWP) of each gas, and water vapor is
ignored. But these are the numbers one would use if the goal is to exaggerate human
greenhouse contributions:
Man-made and natural carbon dioxide (CO2) comprises 99.44% of all greenhouse gas
concentrations (368,400 / 370,484 ) --(ignoring water vapor).
Anthropogenic (man-made) CO2 additions comprise (11,880 / 370,484) or 3.207% of
all greenhouse gas concentrations, (ignoring water vapor).
Total combined anthropogenic greenhouse gases comprise (12,217 / 370,484) or 3.298% of
all greenhouse gas concentrations, (ignoring water vapor).
The various greenhouse gases are not equal in their heat-retention properties though, so to remain
statistically relevant % concentrations must be changed to % contribution relative to CO2.
CHAPTER V

Atmospheric condition
 The atmospheric concentrations of several greenhouse gases are rising as a result of

human activities on earth. Carbon Dioxide, one of the most important industrial gases today,

is released in the atmosphere largely by burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil.

Its concentration in the atmosphere is known have increased by 30% over the past centuries.

Like CO2 other greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide have been increasing as

well.

With the pace with which human activity on earth continues to grow climate

scientists believe that the global average temperature will continue to rise. According to a

research report released by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) by the end of

the next century earth may warm by 1.8ºF to 6.3ºF (1°-3.5°C) easily making it warmer than

any time since the evolution of humans and adding to that and all of the 10 warmest years on

record have occurred in the last 15 years.

Unfortunately, the Philippines cannot brag about any environmental policies in any

way. It is indeed true that a Waste Management Act has been implemented, yet if we look at

our everyday lives; the sad reality comes crushing down on us Filipinos. We barely care for

our environment. We see wrappers all over what should have been a green environment. We

see people burning their garbage in their homes and on the streets. We even love to shower

ourselves with the abundance of fresh water, which could have been saved. All of these

things do not really imply that the Philippines is really affected by global warming (which it
is in fact, but more of that later), rather it seems that Philippines plays a big role as a

contributor in global warming.

While many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the

greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, human use of fossil fuels

is the main source of excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-

fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide

and other heat-trapping gases i atmosphere. Deforestation is another significant source of

greenhouse gases, because fewer trees

means less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen.

Industrial Age Accelerates Global Warming

That changed with the start of the Industrial Revolution, when new agricultural and

industrial practices began to alter the global climate and environment. Before that time,

human activity didn’t release many greenhouse gases, but population growth, deforestation,

factory farming, and the widespread use of fossil fuels are creating an excess of greenhouse

gases in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.

In February 2007, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC), representing the work of 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries, stated that

human activity "very likely" has been the primary cause of global warming since 1950. (In

science, nothing is ever claimed to be "certain" or absolute, which leaves open the possibility
of further research and discovery, but the term “very likely” indicates more than 90 percent

certainty and is considered virtual confirmation.)

The IPCC report also said that human activity has been a major contributor to climate

change since the start of the Industrial in the mid-1700s.

Greenhouse Gases and the Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon, and many greenhouse gases occur

naturally, so why are they cited as problems whenever global warming is discussed?

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

The "greenhouse effect" often gets a bad rap because of its association with global warming,

but the truth is we couldn't live without it.

Life on earth depends on energy from the sun. About 30 percent of the sunlight that

beams toward Earth is deflected by the outer atmosphere and scattered back into space. The

rest reaches the planet's surface and is reflected upward again as a type of slow-moving

energy called infrared radiation.

The heat caused by infrared radiation is absorbed by "greenhouse gases" such as water vapor,

carbon dioxide, ozone and methane, which slows its escape from the atmosphere.

Although greenhouse gases make up only about 1 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, they

regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that

surrounds the planet.

This phenomenon is what scientists call the "greenhouse effect." Without it, scientists

estimate that the average temperature on Earth would be colder by approximately 30 degrees

Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit), far too cold to sustain our current ecosystem.

Humans Contribute to the Greenhouse Effect

While the greenhouse effect is an essential environmental prerequisite for life on

Earth, there really can be too much of a good thing.

The problems begin when human activities distort and accelerate the natural process by

creating more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than are necessary to warm the planet to

an ideal temperature.

Burning natural gas, coal and oil -including gasoline for automobile engines-raises

the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Some farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane and

nitrous oxide.

Many factories produce long-lasting industrial gases that do not occur naturally, yet

contribute significantly to the enhanced greenhouse effect and "global warming" that is

currently under way.

Deforestation also contributes to global warming. Trees use carbon dioxide and give

off oxygen in its place, which helps to create the optimal balance of gases in the atmosphere.
As more forests are logged for timber or cut down to make way for farming, however, there

are fewer trees to perform this critical function.

Population growth is another factor in global warming, because as more people use

fossil fuels for heat, transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases

continues to increase. As more farming occurs to feed millions of new people, more

greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.

Ultimately, more greenhouse gases means more infrared radiation trapped and held, which

gradually increases the temperature of the Earth's surface and the air in the lower atmosphere.

The Average Global Temperature is Increasing Quickly

Today, the increase in the Earth's temperature is increasing with unprecedented speed.

To understand just how quickly global warming is accelerating, consider this:

During the entire 20th century, the average global temperature increased by about 0.6

degrees Celsius (slightly more than 1 degree Fahrenheit).

Using computer climate models, scientists estimate that by the year 2100 the average global

temperature will increase by 1.4 degrees to 5.8 degrees Celsius (approximately 2.5 degrees to

10.5 degrees Fahrenheit).

While the majority of mainstream scientists agree that global warming is a serious

problem that is growing steadily worse, there are some who disagree. John Christy, a

professor and director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in
Huntsville is a respected climatologist who argues that global warming isn't worth worrying

about.

Christy reached that opinion after analyzing millions of measurements from weather

satellites in an effort to find a global temperature trend. He found no sign of global warming

in the satellite data, and now believes that predictions of global warming by as much as 10

degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21st century are incorrect.

Scientists agree that even a small increase in the global temperature would lead to

significant climate and weather changes, affecting cloud cover, precipitation, wind patterns,

the frequency and severity of storms, and the duration of seasons. Rising temperatures would

raise sea levels as well, reducing supplies of fresh water as flooding occurs along coastlines

worldwide and salt water reaches inland. Many of the world’s endangered species would

become extinct as rising temperatures changed their habitat.

Millions of people also would be affected, especially poor people who live in

precarious locations or depend on the land for a subsistence living.

Certain vector-borne diseases carried by animals or insects, such as malaria, would become

more widespread as warmer conditions expanded their range.

Currently, carbon dioxide accounts for more than 60 percent of the enhanced

greenhouse effect caused by the increase of greenhouse gases, and the level of carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing by more than 10 percent every 20 years.

 If emissions of carbon dioxide continue to grow at current rates, then the level of the

gas in the atmosphere will likely double, or possibly even triple, from pre-industrial levels

during the 21st century.

Climate Changes are Inevitable

According to the United Nations, some climate change is already inevitable because

of emissions that have occurred since the dawn of the Industrial Age.

While the Earth’s climate does not respond quickly to external changes, many scientists

believe that global warming already has significant momentum due to 150 years of

industrialization in many countries around the world. As a result, global warming will

continue to affect life on Earth for hundreds of years, even if greenhouse gas emissions are

reduced and the increase in atmospheric levels halted.

To lessen those long-term effects, many nations, communities and individuals are

taking action now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming by reducing

dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy, expanding forests, and

making lifestyle choices that help to sustain the environment.

Whether they will be able to recruit enough people to join them, and whether their

combined efforts will be enough to head off the most serious effects of global warming, are

open questions that can only be answered by future developments.

The Greenhouse Gases

Many greenhouse gases occur naturally, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide,

methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Others such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),

perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) result exclusively from human

industrial processes.

Human activities also add significantly to the level of naturally occurring greenhouse

gases: Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by the burning of solid waste, wood

and wood products, and fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal).

Nitrous oxide emissions occur during various agricultural and industrial processes, and when

solid waste or fossil fuels are burned. Methane is emitted when organic waste decomposes,

whether in landfills or in connection with livestock farming. Methane emissions also occur

during the production and transport of fossil fuels.

Greenhouse gases vary in their ability to absorb and hold heat in the atmosphere, a

phenomenon known as the "greenhouse effect." HFCs and PFCs are the most heat-absorbent,

but there are also wide differences between naturally occurring gases. For example, nitrous

oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, and methane absorbs

21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide.Greenhouse Gases at Highest Levels in

650,000 Years

Prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution, the levels of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere were about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv). Current levels are about 370
ppmv. The concentration of carbon dioxide and other key greenhouse gases in our

atmosphere today is higher than at any time in the past 650,000 years, and probably higher

than in the past 20 million years.

According to the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) from the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by the end of the 21st century we could expect

to see carbon dioxide concentrations of anywhere from 490 ppmv to 1260 ppmv if we don't

act now to lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. That's between

75 percent and 350 percent above pre-industrial concentrations.

Scientists working in Antarctica have confirmed that levels of key greenhouse gases

that contribute to global warming, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are higher today than

at any time in the past 650,000 years.

According to the research, published in the journal Science in November 2005,

carbon dioxide levels today are 27 percent higher than the highest previous level in the last

650,000 years, and methane levels are 130 percent higher.

By analyzing the ice chemistry of a two-mile-long ice core they drilled and extracted

in 10-foot sections, scientists were able to determine temperatures at various times from the

past. Air bubbles trapped within the ice contain air and greenhouse gases from hundreds of

thousands of years ago, enabling scientists to assess air quality at many points throughout the

millennia.
 Research also shows that human activity is the cause of the dramatic increase, which

refutes the arguments of skeptics who claim that today’s global warming trend is merely part

of a naturally recurring temperature cycle.

"The levels of primary greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide

are up dramatically since the Industrial Revolution, at a speed and magnitude that the Earth

has not seen in hundreds of thousands of years," said Ed Brook, an ice core expert at Oregon

State University. "There is now no question this is due to human influence."

Looking More Deeply Into the Past

Earlier ice cores gave scientists data for the past 440,000 years, so this new research

extends the scientific view by another 210,000 years. Still, it falls short of a period scientists

are eager to study when climate conditions were similar to those in our own time.

Brook is co-chairman of a group of European and American scientists that plan to start

drilling an ice core in the future that could produce ice and air bubbles that are between 1.2

million and 1.5 million years old, which would more than double the length of the scientific

record on global warming.

Human activity is increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

at a rate that has probably never been seen before in the planet's history. There is no serious

scientific disagreement or debate on this point.

The Philippine Situation

Communities in both developed and developing countries are already suffering from

these impacts, and small island nations . The Philippines is no exception.

Last year alone, the country was subjected to a slew of destructive storms, floods and

droughts. Material damage ran into the billions. The human toll was far greater. Massive

waves swept away thousands of homes in Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao and the Visayas. And in our

very own backyards, centuries-old trees were ripped apart. Currently the country experiences

abnormal weather in the form of a cold spell. PAGASA data indicates that extreme weather

events have been increasing here over the last four years.

In 2000, the Philippines forwarded to the UNFCCC its Initial National

Communication, the milestones of the country insofar as accomplishing the objectives of the

Convention are concerned. More specifically, this report presented the gains made in the

fields of greenhouse gas abatement and inventory. Also noted were gains significantly

achieved in strengthening institutions and processes in relation to the mitigation, prevention

and adaptation initiatives in the country. A lot of work still needs to be done though.

Recommendations of the report include the institutionalization of the process of greenhouse

inventory, particularly among the government agencies concerned and greater involvement

of the academe through related studies. More studies on adaptation and vulnerability under

climate change conditions are also suggested.

 At the institutional level, the Philippines was one of the earliest countries to recognize

the importance of a systematic institutional response to the problem of climate change. Prior

to the signing and ratification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the

creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change (IACC) in May 8, 1991 under

the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural

Resources (DENR) was a concrete manifestation of the Philippines’ attempt to promptly

address the issue of climate change. Composed of representatives from government agencies

as well as NGO representatives, IACC was created by virtue of Presidential Order No. 220

with the secretary of the DENR sitting as chair and the secretary of the DOST as co-chair.

The ultimate aim of the committee is to harness and synergize the various activities

being undertaken by the national government and civil society in response to the crisis posed

by growing problem on climate change.

Current and Future Effects Of Global Warming

The effects of global warming are often discussed in future terms, but many of those

effects are already under way and having an impact on everything from biodiversity to

human health. But it’s not too late. If we act now, most scientists believe we can avoid many

of the worst effects of global warming.

Serious Effects of Global Warming Already Have Begun

The effects of global warming in the 21st century and beyond are expected to be disastrous,

according to the summary of a scientific report issued on April 6, 2007 by the world’s

leading panel of climate change scientists. And many of those changes are already under

way.

Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, the report from

Working Group II of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC) which took six years to compile and draws on the research of 2,500 scientists from

more than 130 countries also makes it clear that while poor people worldwide will suffer

most from the effects of global warming, no person on Earth will escape its consequences.

The effects of global warming will be felt in every region and at all levels of society.

“It’s the poorest of the poor in the world and this includes poor people even in prosperous

societies who are going to be the worst hit,” said Rajendra K Pachauri, the chairman of the

panel and an energy expert from India. “People who are poor are least equipped to be able to

adapt to the impacts of climate change, and therefore, in some sense, this does become a

global responsibility, in my view.”

The summary report on the effects of global warming is part two of a four-part IPCC

report that will be released in stages throughout 2007. The first part, released in February

2007, confirmed with 90 percent certainty that global warming is now unstoppable and

humans are to blame for a significant portion of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that have

caused global temperatures to rise dramatically since the middle of the 20th century.
The risks of rising sea levels due to Global Warming

Sea levels worldwide are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches by 2100, and will

continue to rise for at least the next 1,000 years. By comparison, global sea levels rose 6 to 9

inches in the 20th century, so the effects of global warming on sea levels are clearly

accelerating.

Rising sea levels will create millions of environmental refugees as people are forced

to leave their homes in coastal areas. Many nations will be unequipped to cope with the

waves of immigrants looking for new homes.

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will change the pH balance of

seawater, making it slightly more acidic. Although the oceans will remain alkaline, marine

biologists predict that a shift toward greater acidity could threaten the survival of coral reefs

and plankton an essential and fundamental link in the marine food chain.

Even a moderate increase in the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could easily

push average global temperatures to levels last seen 125,000 years ago during a warm period

between two ice ages. At that time, sea levels were 12 to 20 feet higher than they are today.

Much of the water from that earlier period is now frozen in Greenland and Antarctica, but

many of those ice fields are beginning to melt.

 Because scientists are not certain how quickly polar ice will melt, the estimates of sea

level increases in the report are based on how much warming oceans will expand and do not

take into account anticipated runoff from melting ice on land in Greenland and the polar

regions.

The report predicts severe melting of Arctic ice during the 21st century and

significant melting of the Greenland ice fields over the next few hundred years.

At the same time, the Antarctic ice sheet, which is much colder, may actually increase in size

because of increased snowfall in that region. The increase of Antarctic ice could offset rising

sea levels slightly between now and 2100, but not enough to change the overall trend of

rapidly rising sea levels.

Urgent Action is Needed to Reduce Global Warming

Rising global temperatures may bring some temporary benefits, according to the

report, most notably increased food production due to more rainfall and longer growing

seasons at mid-to-high latitudes and fewer deaths associated with cold weather. But scientists

expect these short-term benefits to be outweighed by increased drought, flooding, water

scarcity and hunger in other regions as well as more death and disease worldwide.

Findings of the report include:

1. Projected climate change is likely to affect millions of people who are already vulnerable.

Heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts will cause increased death, disease and other

harm. Global warming is also expected to lead to more deaths due to malnutrition, diseases

that cause diarrhea, cardio-respiratory diseases related to higher concentrations of ground-

level ozone, and wider distribution of diseases carried by insects, rodents, etc.

2. Millions more people are projected to be at risk from coastal flooding due to sea level rise,

especially in densely populated and low-lying settlements that already face other challenges,

such as hurricanes and tropical storms.

3. Approximately 20-30 percent of plant and animal species assessed so far are likely to be at

higher risk of extinction if increases in global average temperature exceed 1.5-2.5 degrees

Celsius. The global average temperature already has increased by about 0.74 degrees Celsius

over pre-industrial levels.

4. In the course of the current century, water supplies stored in glaciers and snow cover are

projected to decline, reducing water availability in regions supplied by melt water from major

mountain ranges, where more than one-sixth of the world population currently lives.

Basically, the changes in language were aimed at reducing the level of confidence

with which scientists were making predictions about current and future effects of global

warming. Some sections that previously used the phrase “very high confidence,” which
indicates more than 90 percent certainty, were changed to read “high confidence,” which

means more than 80 percent certainty.

Mitigation individuals, industries and governments may be able to head off or reduce

some of the anticipated effects of global warming, according to the IPCC report, but no

amount of mitigation will prevent most of the effects outlined in the report from taking place

over the next few decades. Humans, like other species, will have to adapt to a changing

world. At the same time, the report is very clear that “unmitigated climate change would, in

the long term, be likely to exceed the capacity of natural, managed and human systems to

adapt.”

Sustainable development also could help limit the impacts of global warming by

reducing the vulnerability of people in the areas most likely to be seriously affected and by

increasing the adaptability of those regions and the people who live there. Unfortunately,

sustainable development is not widely practiced and is development plans.

Leadership

Climate changes continue to increase over time, and their effects continue to

accumulate and give rise to more far-reaching impacts. As a result, our ability to achieve

effective mitigation, adaptation and sustainable development may be undermined by the

global warming impacts such measures are meant to help relieve. Addressing these global

issues will require much more aggressive efforts worldwide combined with increased

investment by developed countries.

 The Philippine government is a signatory of the Kyoto protocol, where countries

pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it lacks genuine policies and programs

to mitigate climate change and help communities adapt to its impacts. The Arroyo

administration promotes and pursues globalization-oriented policies in strategic sectors, such

as energy, mining, forestry, agriculture and trade which will render it more vulnerable to the

impacts of climate change. While hunger is increasing, the government is promoting massive

biofuel production that endangers food security and agricultural self-sufficiency. It passed the

Biofuels Act, which will lead to widespread conversion of agricultural land to grow biofuels.

Fire and Ice

Climatologists have been raising alarms about global warming for years, and now

geologists are getting into the act, warning that melting glaciers will lead to an increasing

number of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions in unexpected places.

People in northern climates who have been looking south and shaking their heads

sadly over the plight of people living in the path of Atlantic hurricanes and Pacific tsunamis
had better get ready for a few seismic events of their own, according to a growing number of

prominent geologists.

Ice is extremely heavy weighing about one ton per cubic meter and glaciers are

massive sheets of ice. When they are intact, glaciers exert enormous pressure on the portion

of the Earth’s surface they cover. When glaciers begin to melt as they are doing now at an

increasingly rapid rate due to global warming that pressure is reduced and eventually

released.

Geologists say releasing that pressure on the Earth’s surface will cause all sorts of

geologic reactions, such as earthquakes, tsunamis (caused by undersea earthquakes) and

volcanic eruptions.

Global Warming and Human Health

The outgoing head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Western Pacific

Region identified health care financing and climate change as the two gravest threats facing

countries in the Asia Pacific region. Deaths from all causes are known to rise when

temperatures go up, and heart attacks and cardiac arrests are more likely when it is very cold.

It was anticipated that global warming would increase deaths during hot temperatures but

that this would be compensated for by fewer deaths in the winter. Global warming describes

the increase of the earth's average temperature beginning with the Industrial Revolution in

the late 18th century.

 Although increases to the planet's average temperature have been recorded in ice

core data for millions of years, the speed and frequency of the current temperature increase

has resulted in this recent heating episode being called global warming. It is attributed to the

increase in the burning of fossil fuels initially for steam engines and then in the creation of

electricity. Both the fossil fuel consumption and temperature rise curves have increased

exponentially in the last two centuries, leading the scientific community to conclude that the

use of fossil fuels is the one of the main causes of global warming. The evidence supporting

this conclusion is now overwhelming, with governments, corporations and individuals

realizing the implications and the importance of reducing its causes .

Global Responsibilities of Developed and Developing Nations

The United States, which currently emits more greenhouse gases than any other

nation, has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, choosing instead to initiate a separate

multinational effort with less ambitious goals. Patz and his colleagues say their work

demonstrates the moral obligation of countries with high per-capita emissions, such as the

United States and European nations, to take the lead in reducing the health threats of global

warming. Their work also highlights the need for large, fast-growing economies, such as

China and India, to develop sustainable energy policies.

Scientists believe that greenhouse gases will increase the global average temperature

by approximately 6 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. Extreme floods, droughts
and heat waves, such as Europe's 2003 heat wave, are likely to strike with increasing

frequency. Other factors such as irrigation and deforestation can also affect local

temperatures and humidity. According to the UW-Madison and WHO team, other model-

based forecasts of health risks from global climate change project that climate-related disease

risks of the various health outcomes assessed by WHO will more than double by 2030.

Flooding as a result of coastal storm surges will affect the lives of up to 200 million

people by the 2080s.Hazardous ozone pollution days in the Eastern U.S. could increase 60

percent by 2050.

Biodiversity conservation

The scientist say that conservation efforts in the future will be complicated by a large

number of unknowns including the severity of climate change and the response of individual

species of climate shifts.

"Forecasting species-level responses to novel climates is a serious challenge... the

potential for ecological surprises in the tropics adds urgency to current conservation efforts,"

they write. "Disappearing climates increase the likelihood of species extinctions and

community disruption for species endemic to particular climatic regimes, with the largest

impacts projected for poleward and tropical montane regions," write Williams and

colleagues, adding that biodiversity hotspots -- like those in Andes, Mesoamerica, southern
and eastern Africa, Himalayas, Philippines, and Wallacea (Indonesia) -- are at particular risk

from disappearing and shifting climate.

They further note that global biodiversity is not only threatened by climate change,

but also by increasing habitat loss, higher levels of exploitation, and growing impact from

invasive species.

"Climate change is just one of many current ecological stressors," they write. "These

factors, together with the projected development of novel climates and the threat that the

climates particular to some biodiversity hotspots may disappear globally, create the strong

likelihood that many future species associations and landscapes will lack modern analogs and

that many current species and associations will be disrupted or disappear entirely."

Global Warming and Natural Resources

The deadly combination of abnormal weather patterns associated with climate change

and continued destructive logging -- which together brought on the recent catastrophic

flooding in Oriental Mindoro, Isabela, Palawan, Quezon, Bicol, and Caraga -- will continue

to wreak havoc in the country unless concrete steps are taken to curb both climate change and

logging, Greenpeace warned.

“Catastrophic floods have already been attributed to extreme precipitation associated with

climate change . But even more extreme devastation results when such abnormal weather

events combine with the effects of destructive logging,” said Von Hernandez, Campaign
Director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “The Philippines has already experienced the

impacts of this deadly combination many times in the past, the worst among them being the

Ormoc tragedy in 1990 and the Aurora and Quezon disasters of 2004. These disasters will

continue to recur so long as measures to mitigate climate change and stop logging are

notundertaken,” he added.

Foods which occurred almost simultaneously in various provinces throughout the

country have displaced tens of thousands of families living in the affected areas.

In a Greenpeace report released November last year entitled “Crisis or Opportunity:

Climate Change Impacts and the Philippines” author Leoncio Amadore PhD, one of the

Philippine’s foremost meteorologists, determined that the impacts of climate change have

already been manifested in the Philippines by extreme climate occurrence such as, floods,

droughts, forest fires, and an increase in tropical cyclones.

“Climate change will aggravate the misery of an already over-burdened Filipino

community,” explained Amadore, “Countries must combine both adaptive strategies such as

disaster-preparedness programs and, continuous vulnerability assessments along with

emission reduction measures such as displacing fossil power with renewables and energy

efficiency.“

Logging, meanwhile, has exacerbated the effects of heavy rains. Continuous logging

both legal and illegal severely compromises the natural carrying capacity of the forests,

which act as effective barriers against strong winds, rains, and landslides during typhoons, to
provide protection from natural calamities. Citing statistics, Greenpeace said that an average

of 500 lives is lost every year due to the 17 to 22 typhoons that pass through the country

annually. This figure more than doubled in the November-December 2004 floods and

landslides. Ten times that number perished in the Ormoc Tragedy, which also occurred in the

month of November, in 1991. These numbers and other

“devastation” statistics, such as damage to property and infrastructure will increase as the

frequency and strength of typhoons increase.

While the government has cited extreme rainfall as the cause of floods, it has yet to

acknowledge that the denudation of forest lands have also had a hand in the calamities.

Government officials always use the extreme precipitation argument to wash their

hands off any responsibility for the disastrous floods. Given the increasing prospects of

extreme precipitation in the future, the government should carry out stronger measures to

protect remaining forests and stop destructive logging, as well as

institute policies to reduce the country’s dependence on climate change-causing fossil fuel

energy systems and create a massive shift towards renewable energy.

While we cannot entirely blame human folly for some of these catastrophes, nature

has brutally highlighted our collective failure to listen and learn from its bitter lessons.

Simply put, what we inflict upon nature, we inflict upon ourselves. Indeed our experiences

with earlier disasters should have prepared us to anticipate and take

preemptive action against future environmental hazards.

 Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organization that uses non-violent

creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to force solutions that are

essential to a green and peaceful future.

Global Warming: Politics, Government, Business

Governments play an important role in the effort to reduce global warming with

public policies and tax incentives that help to promote constructive action by businesses and

consumers, and through regulation that can prevent abuses that worsen the problem.

An international group of influential lawmakers and business leaders have unveiled a new

initiative that is intended to force governments to stop dragging their feet on climate change

and to do more to reduce global warming.

Business and industry are often cast as environmental villains, and while it is true that

the business community produces more than its share of greenhouse gases and other

pollutants, businesses also create many of the innovative technologies and strategies needed

to address global warming and other serious environmental issues. Ultimately, businesses

respond to the market, and the market is you and me.

The environment has become a hot topic for the media, with global warming leading

the list of subjects. One of the best examples is An Inconvenient Truth, which evolved from a

slide show into a documentary film that won two Academy Awards.
Global Warming: Science and Skepticism

Despite widespread scientific consensus about the reality and urgency of global

warming and its anticipated effects, there are still people who swear that global warming is a

hoax and others who argue that no scientific evidence exists. The arguments of most global

warming skeptics are easy to refute if you know the facts.

Is Global Warming a Hoax?

Isn't it true that the global warming scare is really just a hoax perpetrated by

environmentalists who want to attract more funding and liberals who want to promote big

government? No, it is not true. This argument surfaces every now and then during

discussions of global warming, often supported by some random and isolated bit of outdated

information, but it is a ridiculous claim.

Worldwide, every major scientific agency or institution that studies climate, oceans or

the atmosphere agrees that the global climate is warming rapidly and the primary cause is

greenhouse gas emissions related to human activity. Even a short list would include such

notable organizations as: National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ,NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS),

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,The Royal Society of the UK (RS) ,Canadian
Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS),Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC)

While there are some scientists who legitimately disagree with the majority of their

colleagues about global warming, others are skeptics-for-hire, accepting money from

companies or organizations that hire them to challenge the scientific consensus in order to

create public uncertainty and stall political action that could slow global warming.

Explore Renewable Energy Options

Many nations count on coal, oil and natural gas to supply most of their energy needs,

but reliance on fossil fuels presents a big problem. Fossil fuels are a finite resource.

Eventually, the world will run out of fossil fuels, or it will become too expensive to retrieve

those that remain. Fossil fuels also causes air, water and soil pollution, and produce

greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar and hydropower, offer clean

alternatives to fossil fuels. They produce little or no pollution or greenhouse gases, and they

will never run out.

Recommendation
 As a citizen and a consumer, you can influence public policy and business decisions

that effect global warming and the environment. You can also make lifestyle choices every

day that reduce your contribution to global warming.

Things You Can Do to Reduce Global Warming

Burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the

greenhouse effect and global warming.

You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global

warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help

reduce global warming.

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying

products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for

you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper,

glass and aluminum cans. If there isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in

your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can

save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning

Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around

doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the

amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.

Turn down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep

temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and

higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

3. Change a Light Bulb

Compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more energy

efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by

Thomas Edison. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less

energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up

to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so

they are safer to operate and can reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and

offices.

4. Drive Less
Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great

forms of exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check out options for

carpooling to work or school.

When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your

tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of

gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the

atmosphere.

5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products

When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances

now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed

to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and other

packaging that can't be recycled. If you reduce your household garbage by 10 percent, you

can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

6. Use Less Hot Water

Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it

is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds

of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot

water and the energy required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds
of carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on your

dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

7. Use the "Off" Switch

Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and

using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video

player, stereo and computer when you're not using them.

It's also a good idea to turn off the water when you're not using it. While brushing your teeth,

shampooing the dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for

rinsing. You'll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource.

8. Plant a Tree

If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and other

plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are an integral part of the natural

atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the

increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human

activities. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its

lifetime.
9. Encourage Others to Conserve

Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and

co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and

policies that are good for the environment.

These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly

budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse

gases and contribute to global warming.

Celebrate Earth Day: How One Person Can Change the World

Ways to Help Save the Planet

You may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution and save endangered

species single-handedly, but by choosing to live an earth-friendly lifestyle you can do a lot

every day to help achieve those goals.

And by making wise choices about how you live, and the amount of energy and

natural resources you consume, you send a clear message to businesses, politicians and

government agencies that value you as a customer, constituent and citizen.

Eat Your Vegetables

Eating less meat and more fruits, grains and vegetables can help the environment

more than you may realize. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products contributes heavily to
global warming, because raising animals for food produces many more greenhouse gas

emissions than growing plants

Producing plastic bags uses a lot of natural resources, and most end up as litter that

fouls landscapes, clogs waterways, and kills thousands of marine mammals that mistake the

ubiquitous bags for food. Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic bags are used and discarded

every year more than a million per minute. The count for paper bags is lower, but the cost in

natural resources is still unacceptably high especially when there is a better alternative.

Reusable shopping bags, made of materials that don’t harm the environment during

production and don’t need to be discarded after each use, reduce pollution and save resources

that could be put to better uses than making plastic and paper bags. Reusable bags are

convenient and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some reusable bags can even be rolled

or folded small enough to fit into a purse or pocket.

Try Reusable Shopping Bags

The next time the clerk at your favorite grocery store asks whether you prefer “paper

or plastic” for your purchases, consider giving the truly eco-friendly response and saying,

“neither.”

Plastic bags end up as litter that fouls the landscape, and kill thousands of marine

mammals every year that mistake the floating bags for food. Plastic bags that get buried in

landfills may take up to 1,000 years to break down, and in the process they separate into
smaller and smaller toxic particles that contaminate soil and water. Furthermore, the

production of plastic bags consume millions of gallons of oil that could be used for fuel and

heating.

Paper Better Than Plastic

Paper bags, which many people consider a better alternative to plastic bags, carry

their own set of environmental problems. For example, according to the American Forest and

Paper Association, in 1999 the U.S. alone used 10 billion paper grocery bags, which adds up

to a lot of trees. But if you decline both paper and plastic bags, then how do you get your

groceries home? The answer, according to many environmentalists, is high-quality reusable

shopping bags made of materials that don’t harm the environment during production and

don’t need to be discarded after each use.In addition, many organic grocery stores and

consumer co-operatives carry reusable shopping bags.

Experts estimate that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed and discarded

annually worldwide more than a million per minute.

Here are a few facts about plastic bags to help demonstrate the value of reusable bags—to

consumers and the environment:

● Plastic bags aren’t biodegradable. They actually go through a process called

photodegradation—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic particles that

 contaminate both soil and water, and end up entering the food chain when animals

accidentally ingest them.

● Hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other marine mammals die

every year after eating discarded plastic bags they mistake for food.

● Some governments have recognized the severity of the problem and are taking action

to help combat it.

Plant a Tree

"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit

in."

-- Greek proverb

The PLANT A Tree Campaign is but an acorn, but it can also be practically and

symbolically a significant expression of our common determination to make a difference in

developing and developed countries alike.We have but a short time to avert serious climate

change. We need action.

We need to plant trees alongside other concrete community-minded actions and in

doing so send a signal to the corridors of political power across the globe that the watching

and waiting is over – that countering climate change can take root via one billion small but

significant acts in our gardens, parks, countryside and rural areas,” he said. Other

actions people can take to help mitigate or reduce climate change include driving less,
switching off lights in empty rooms, and turning off electrical appliances rather than leaving

them on standby.

Take the Pledge and Plant a Tree

The campaign encourages people and organizations around the world to enter pledges

on a web site hosted by the UNEP. The campaign is open to everyone concerned citizens,

schools, community groups, nonprofit organizations, farmers, businesses, and local and

national governments. A pledge can be anything from a single tree to 10 million trees.

In the scheme of things, 4,000 trees may not spell much of a difference in the fight

against the worldwide phenomenon called global warming.

Believing in the power of small beginnings, they planted thousands of tree saplings in

Metro Manila and neighboring provinces early this week in the hope of awakening Filipinos

Earth-loving sensibilities.

Consider Switching to an Alternative Fuel

The growing interest in alternative fuels for cars and trucks is motivated by three

important considerations:

● Alternative fuels generally produce fewer vehicle emissions that contribute to smog,

air pollution and global warming;

 ● Most alternative fuels are not derived from finite fossil-fuel resources; and

Conclusion

Global warming is the rise in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere

primarily due to the so called “Greenhouse gases”. According to the Hadley Center for

Climate Prediction and Research in UK, when there is a change in the world’s ocean

temperature, typhoons and cyclones will become more frequent and more and severe.

Countries with winter season will experience longer and colder seasons than before.

Moreover, the world’s mean water level is predicted to rise up by 15-95 cm by the year 2100

due to the melting of the ice in the polar region, resulting to the disappearance of many small

islands.

Global warming is an issue for global concern, started in the 19 th century with the

news about the thinning of the ozone layer, the Earth’s natural shield from the sun’s direct

radiation, being a direct result from this phenomenon. The badly affected areas are countries

in the tropics, subtropics and developing countries. It is expected to bring heavy rainfall im

dry months and more frequent tropical cyclones and typhoons in the areas.
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