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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

 
 

Biodiversity and Climate Change

Posted By: Efren ES Ricalde @ 4:18 PM
Comments: 3

 



  • Today, I attended a Forum on "Biodiversity and Climate Change" held at the auditorium of the National Institute of Geological Sciences. It was conducted on the occasion of the 2007 International Day for Biodiversity. With me was Hermes Dorado, our Chairman of the Board.

    We attended the forum as coping with climate change is one of GSI's corporate social responsibility pillars and a component of the company's Strategic Program named "Modernizing the Philippine Archipelagic State 2015".

    Dr Ed Listanco, Director of NIGS opened the forum by situating climate change based on geological perspective and the anthropogenic cause of climate change.

    A paper on "Climate Change and Biodiversity" written by Dr A.C. Alcala of SUAKCREM, Siliman University was distributed. The highlights of the paper are :

1. Climate Change is not a new Phenomenon

  • at the peak of the ice age 20,000 years ago, the sea levels was 100-120 meters lower than what it is now as large as volumes of water were held in ice
  • The earth slowly warmed resulting to rise of sea level. The present sea level was reached 6,000 years ago
  • The carbon dioxide concentrations fluctuated in past but the trend in rise has been dramatic during the period of 1900 to 2000 AD.


2. Natural Causes of Climate Change

  • continental drift
  • volcanic eruption
  • earth's tilt
  • comets and meteorites
  • ocean currents


2. Human-induced causes

  • use of fossil fuels
  • deforestation
  • human activities that increase production of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases
In less than 300 years since the industrial revolution, humans have burned a
large amount of oil, gas, and coal as source of energy. According to the
conclusion of climatologist, the primary reason for rapid changes in
temperature, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is human use of fossil
fuels.


3. Effects/Manifestations of Climate Change

  • Trapped heat from the sun and increased temperatures on ground and oceans
  • Heavy rainfalls in some areas and droughts in others
  • Glaciers melts and spring comes earlier
  • Rise in ocean levels and salt water intrusion into land
  • Changes in ocean circulation
  • Permanent stratification of ocean waters
  • Changes in weather patterns

4. Quantitative Measurements of Changes

  • Total global temperature change since 19th century is 0.6 degree C
  • CO2 concentration in atmosphere before industrial era (1750) was 280 ppm +/- ppm
  • CO2 concentration was 367 ppm in 1999, 377 ppm in 2004
  • 280 ppm was exceeded during the past 420,000 yrs and not within the past 20 million years
  • Oceans absorb about 1/3 of human-induced CO2, uptake declines with absorption

5. Experts' Predictions/Conclusions

  • Possible rise in global temperature could be from 1.4 degrees C to 5.8 degrees C by 2100
  • Large climate related impacts predicted, for example, hurricanes and typhoons would increase in severity
  • End of Ice Age, the disappearance of Glacial Ice in the North Pole
  • It will take centuries for CO2 level to come down to the pre-industrial level of 280 ppm from the 377 ppm today
  • With more CO2 absorbed by oceans, efficiency of building calcium carbonate skeletons by marine organisms is lessened/prevented, thus could lead to extinctions

6. What are we to do?

  • Change energy consumption patterns
  • Increase sequestration of CO2 already in the atmosphere by implementing Kyoto Protocol, reforestation of denuded lands, protection of the 20,000 sq km coral reefs, restore 500,000 has of mangrove forests
  • Protect remaining forests
  • Adopt measures to increase soil storage of rain water
  • Conserve natural marshes
  • Avoid reclamation in coastal areas and building structures on reclaimed areas which are vulnerable to rising sea levels
  • Strenthen foundations of buildings in reclaimed areas to decrease risk to sea level rise and coastal erosion
    I have attached a program showing the list of other speakers.
    A plenary discussion followed and I asked two questions
  • 1) Is CDM a priority strategy considering that the Philippines is not a major contributor to CO2 emission? Should we be more focused on adaptive measures to sea level rise?
  • 2.) Considering that Philippines is an archipelago, should we now make an inventory of our islands before they are drowned by the sea level rise? Indonesia is doing it now before it is too late. Hermes mentioned the strategic importance of island inventory as it is the basis of the country's boundary lines.
    Finally, a 14-point Forum Resolution was formulated which will be posted on pvpnetwork.net for comments. I look forward that we will all read the resolution and submit our own reviews and recommendations.

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Comments:
Climate Change is indeed a problem that we as humans inflicted upon ourselves in the name of so-called development. At the most recent meeting of the IPCC, they have issued a stern statement saying that unless something is done to cut down emissions the planet is expected to heat up, produce stronger typhoons just to name a few. What Engr. Dorado proposed something about inventorying islands potential for submersion as a result of sea level rise is a minute task. As a country we have to move forward towards pinpointing out GHGG emissions and how much of our natural environment in the Philippines could act as sinks to these GHGs. Dennis Muzones
 
During the forum, I pointed out that the Philippines being the least contributor of GHGG emissions among nations, the top three of which are China, US and India, should focus on adoption and mitigation measures.

With 34,000 kilometers of shoreline and majority of about 1800 municipalities being coastal LGUs, the government should now prepare for the impact of sea level rise caused by Climate Change.

Unlike devastations such as massive landslides and flooding caused by strong typhoons where damage to properties and lives are localized, inundation of coastal communities and cities will give rise to millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) not from conflict but from internal migration of coastal folks to higher grounds.

Relief efforts become a futile exercise for such a nationwide devastation.

I believe, it is about time to make a new land use plan to locate higher communities and build infrastructures to protect key coastal cities and municipalities.

We cannot wait for tomorrow, we need to to do it now.
 
Curbing climate change (CC) is everybody's business. Sea level rise is indeed eminent. Preparing for such an event is really a cause that every island state as well as an archipelagic country should address. But how? The National Census for 2000 indicated an inrease in coastal population and if you would look at the powerpoint presentation material I made for Archiphil 1 which was stored in my PC terminal then you will know exactly how much it is increasing annually. The next question is why are people flocking to the coasts? People are flocking to the coasts either for political (they were driven away from their propoerty and/or their lands were sequestered or leased out to big businesses) or economic (the sea as a easiest source of income due to its open resource condition)reasons. Where do we put communities who were in the first place driven from their original homes. CC manifestation is not solely sea level rise.

What I would recommend is that we approach it politically, socially, economically and environmentally. We need to curb our emissions and pressure the big and wealthy countries to do the same.
 
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  • "MaSci to GSI" is a compendium of experiences from childhood to present. M2G shares my insights and knowledge on education, hard work, integrity, honesty, creativity, transparency, and aspiration of a Filipino. M2G maps my journeys and adventures as a boy, student, dreamer and entrepreneur.
 
 
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Location: Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines

Efren, President/CEO of GSI, is an experienced public speaker and an avid tennis player, photographer, a beginner classical guitarist. He was the former Chairman of Philippine Geomatics Association (PhilGeo) and is an active member of other IT associations. He has a diploma in Strategic Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific, units in MS Remote Sensing in UP Diliman, BS Geodetic Engineering at UP Diliman and an alumni of Manila Science High School.

 
 

 

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