MY POINT OF VIEW: Industries are large producer of carbon dioxide and industrial waste, contributory to the impact of climate change

 

Rescue operations from Tropical storm Nalgae (Local name "Paeng"), an impact of climate change, struck in Parang, Maguidanao, 28 Oct. 2022.

 

By Jun Enriquez (President, Manggaggawang Media ng Mindanaw – MMM)

I was amazed of my research about climate change why is it happening in our environment today. I am sharing this information so that the people will know the causes and effects of climate change as a big challenge to humanity at the present times. This is also calling the attention of those responsible institutions to control their carbon dioxide emissions and industrial waste, including the local government concerning the Solid waste that produces leachate in water pollution. 

Based on the scientific study, as agreed on Kyoto protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005, aimed to reduce greenhouse emissions from industrialized countries with 84 signatories.

In 2003, Philippines ratified the Kyoto protocol and legislated laws for the protection of the environment, such as, RA 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Act of 1997 ; RA 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999; RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000; RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, that creates a comprehensive water quality management scheme; RA 9512 or the National Environmental Awareness and Act of 2008 that promotes national awareness on the role of natural resources in economic growth and the importance of environmental conservation and ecological balance towards sustained national development; RA 9513 or the renewable energy act of 2008 that promotes the development, utilization and commercialization of renewable energy resources. The Climate change Act of 2009, RA 9729 creating the Climate change commission (CCC), chaired by the President, a climate policymaking body of the government, with two supporting bodies, the Climate change advisory board, and the National panel of technical experts, composed of the country’s climate scientists.

The Conference of parties in Paris, on 12 December 2015, the parties reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Agreement also deal with the impacts of climate change, and at making finance flows consistent with a low GHG emissions and climate resilient pathway. The agreement also provides for an enhanced transparency framework.    

COP 27 Climate Summit in Egypt, 22 Nov. 2022

 During the holding of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, held 6-20 November 2022, delivering the Paris Agreement. Climate change is already causing shifts in growing seasons and increased dry spells and heavy rainfall. This has contributed to the growth of malnourishment and the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and yellow fever. Africans, in more senses than one, are now paying the bill for climate change-related adverse effects caused by the historical emissions of developed countries. As the COP27 host, Egypt aims to shift the focus from negotiations and planning to action on the ground, where it is most needed. This calls for immediate action to adapt to climate change, while also slashing emissions. But adaptation has so far drawn little attention, and finance, compared to mitigation. Developed countries under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement are required to assist developing countries meet the costs of adapting to the adverse effects of climate change. Adaptation is good for the economy as investing US$1.8 trillion in adaptation between 2020 and 2030 could generate US$7.1 trillion in benefits. At COP26, developed countries agreed to double financial support for adaptation to US$40 billion per year, but they have not yet met this goal even as African countries said they need about US$700 billion per year from 2025 to adapt. To reflect Africa’s needs and other developing countries, solidarity is key to breaking the stalemate and unlocking the finance needed to cut emissions, build resilience and secure sustainable food and energy systems.

Taking the issue of Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint per year needs to drop to under 2 tons by 2050. By making small changes to our actions will be based on eating less meat, taking fewer connecting flights and line drying our clothes, among others, so we can start making a big difference.

In Coal production, Australia is the largest producer of coal followed by Indonesia and Russia. China, Japan, India and South Korea are the big importers of coal around the globe. Philippines is the third largest importer of coal from Indonesia, next to India and China. 

Please bear in mind that we welcome economic development, but not to the extent at the expense of our environment. Carbon dioxide emissions can be found in the production of energy using fossil fuel, such as coal, diesel fuel, and bunker fuel. Natural gas and the production of chemical products will emit Methane gas (CH4), and Greenhouse gas (GHG) respectively that emits 75 percent carbon dioxide with other chemical compounds. Manufactured chemicals will produce chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that will deplete the Ozone layer, in as far as 15-30 kilometers high from the Earth’s surface. The CFCs in Methane gas and GHG is 10,000 times warming effect more than the carbon dioxide.   

You will also notice the cement production using limestone or Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as its main raw material when heated will emit 44 percent carbon dioxide (CO2). The balance equation will simply show the following chemical formula: CaCO3 + heat = CaO + CO2.  This is basic chemistry which is very important for us to learn to know how much CO2 emissions produced from industrial production.  If the cement industry will process 100 metric tons of limestone (CaCO3) heated to produce cement product per day, then it will produce 44 metric tons or 44,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide daily.

Talking about coal, mostly of high grade coal mineral can be found in Indonesia, one of the the biggest deposit and producer of coal mineral in the world next to Australia. Based on scientific study, coal has 80-90 percent carbon use as fossil fuel in energy production. The burning of coal will produce at least 207 percent carbon dioxide. A kilogram of coal when burned will produce 2.07 kilogram of carbon dioxide. If a certain coal-fired power plant will burn 100 metric tons of coal fuel per day, then it will produce 207 metric tons or 207,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide daily.    

Super Typhoon Noru (Karding) submerged San Miguel, Bulacan, 25 sEPT 2022

 

 

 

What will be the alternative to balance our environment for climate action. Based on environmental study, in one hectare land area will plant 500 trees to arrest carbon dioxide. A tree will last for 100 years and will absorbed 24 kilograms of carbon dioxide called carbon offset and stay in branches, stem and roots. Therefore, in one hectare of 500 trees will have a carbon offset to a total of 12,000 kilograms or 12 metric tons. That’s why, when a tree will be cut, the carbon offset inside the tree will be released to the atmosphere. In one hectare of grasses will sequester 1,634 kilograms of GHG annually, called carbon sink. Likewise, the one hectare of grasses will be able to produce oxygen for 18 people to breath. However, based on the study of Essential Ecosystem Approach to Fishery management (EAFM), seagrasses will produce 35 percent more oxygen than the grasses in the landscapes.  

In my point of view, this is to emphasize that we are now facing the challenges of climate change, a global phenomenon. This aims to reduce global warming through the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, contributory to mitigate climate change. Hope our Philippine government, above all, will seriously prioritized the climate action to bring the temperature way below from 1.98 degrees Celsius down to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030 for safer environment to live on. (Photos: Ph Coast guard Maguindanao; UNOCHA; Internet)