Christian Social Analysis of a Social Problem:

Environmental Pollution

Lorenzo, MichellePiol, KimPo, Paolo

Yongoyong, Avery

What is happening?

Paraiso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBk8_hFYpE0

An urgent call to save Benguet’s Balili River System

Not Much improvement in Manila Bay water quality

SEWAGE PROBLEMS. Untreated wastewater with human and animal fecal water end up in canals which drain directly into Manila Bay. Photo by Pia Ranada/Rappler

SWIMMABLE AGAIN? The Writ of Continuing Mandamus for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay instructs the government to make the bay fit for swimming again. Photo by Pia Ranada/Rappler

Metro Manila’s Air Pollution

NEW YEAR SMOG. Smog carrying toxic particles and metallic compounds submerge Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City the

morning after New Year's Eve. Photo by Pia Ranada/Rappler

Is the newspaper reporting reliable?

-Could you say it’s not?

-We are contributors to pollution.

Why is this a social problem?

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (NIV)

We are to sustain and protect earth.

Pollution as National, Regional, Local and Global Problem

10 Most Polluted Places on Earth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VgSMrZP9rk

What are the causes and harmful effects of this problem?Air PollutionCause

● Air pollution is cause by the injurious smoke emitted by cars, buses, trucks, trains, and factories, namely sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.

● Even smoke from burning leaves and cigarettes are harmful to the environment causing a lot of damage to man and the atmosphere.

Effect● Evidence of increasing air pollution is seen in lung cancer, asthma, allergies, and various

breathing problems along with severe and irreparable damage to flora and fauna.● Even the most natural phenomenon of migratory birds has been hampered, with severe

air pollution preventing them from reaching their seasonal metropolitan destinations of centuries.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)Cause● Released from refrigerators, air-conditioners, deodorants and insect

repellents cause severe damage to the Earth’s environment.Effect● This gas has slowly damaged the atmosphere and depleted the ozone

layer leading to global warming.

Water PollutionCause

● Industrial waste from the factories, which use freshwater to carry waste from the plant into rivers, contaminates waters with pollutants such as asbestos, lead, mercury and petrochemicals.

● Dumping solid wastes and littering by humans in rivers, lakes and oceans. Littering items include cardboard, Styrofoam, aluminum, plastic and glass.

Effect● Groundwater contamination from pesticides causes reproductive damage within

wildlife in ecosystem.● Swimming in and drinking contaminated water causes skin rashes and health

problems like cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever and stomach sickness in humans.

Why is this a problem of religious faith and justice?Genesis 1:26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”Genesis 1:28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

What major lessons/themes, principles of Catholic Social Teachings are violated or contradicted by the social problem? Explain why a specific lesson is violated or contradicted.

Stewardship of CreationIt is stated that “we are called to protect people and the planet”, we have to be responsible of our actions. This lesson is violated because we are not doing our part to protect our planet. We do some bad habits that destroy our surroundings and it also has some bad effects that other people are also being affected.

What are the government officials (national, provincial, municipality, barangay) doing about it?

Republic Act No. 3931Statement of Policy. It is hereby declared a national policy to maintain reasonable standards of purity for the waters and air of this country with their utilization for domestic, agricultural, industrial and other legitimate purposes.

Republic Act No. 9211 - Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003a. Promote a healthful environment;b. Inform the public of the health risks associated with cigarette smoking and tobacco use;c. Regulate and subsequently ban all tobacco advertisements and sponsorships;d. Regulate the labeling of tobacco products;e. Protect the youth from being initiated to cigarette smoking and tobacco use by prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors;f. Assists and encourage Filipino tobacco farmers to cultivate alternative agricultural crops to prevent economic dislocation; andg. Create an Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-Tobacco) to oversee the implementation of the provision of this Act.

Smoking in Public PlacesDesignated Smoking and Non-Smoking Areas

Republic Act No. 9275 - Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004Statement of Policy. The State shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters.

Inclusion in the Investments Priority Plan (IPP)Tax and Duty Exemption on Imported Capital EquipmentTax Credit on Domestic Capital EquipmentTax and Duty Exemption of Donations, Legacies and Gifts

Financial Assistance ProgramExtension or Grants to LGUs

What Can You Do About It?As individuals, we can help with the protection of our God-given

environment by being responsible. Being responsible can take us a long way, it can bring so much change. We should be responsible

enough to throw my trash properly, keep our oceans/river/etc. clean by not spilling oils or any trash in it, and keep the air fresh by avoiding any kind of smoke that would harm earth, in short, mind cleanliness. Sadly,

the earth can't change back to how it used to be hundreds of years ago. But on the bright side, cleanliness can help our world become a better place compared to how it is now. Cleaning what needs to be

cleaned and disposing our trash the right way is what our environment needs. Also, reducing, reusing, and recycling bring great help to the

environment. If we do our best to do those things, we contribute a lot in conserving the planet. We should also influence our friends and family and everyone else to do the same and reduce, reuse and recycle. In doing so, we will have alleviated a portion of the population on the

road to saving our planet. God gave this beautiful place for us to enjoy, so in return, we should do our part to be stewards and take care of His

gift.

What Can Others Do About It?Maybe the others don't really notice what's happening to the environment, and that maybe they think

all of these natural calamities (flooding, thunderstorms, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.) are normal to occur always, but what they don't know is that there are ways to avoid these things, and that if everyone started to care for the earth, and go clean and green, we may only be experiencing a little of these traumatizing events. A way for the people to know and to be updated in what's happening to our planet is that the government should create ways to inform and remind everyone that they should

think of the consequences that would take place if people decide to do the wrong things for the environment -- throw trash improperly, pollute the waters and air, disregard reducing, reusing and

recycling, be inconsiderate, etc.

People should start saving energy and avoid things that would cause pollution, like reduce the usage of vehicles and start using bicycles or any environmental means of protection. Another is that we should stop using plastics,

and use alternatives like paper bags and the likes. Everyone should think that we should all save and stop wasting what we have now, and in doing that, another positive effect is that the manufacturers would save

energy, avoid air pollution by lessening their deliveries, etc. These are only few of the ways to save the

environment, there's no need to state everything, the only bottomline is to keep in mind cleanliness.

Everyone is responsible to what's happening in our planet, we should all work together to keep the environment clean and green, no one has an excuse not to do so, because we all benefit from it. This is our planet, we should love it as if it's a part of ourselves. We should all keep in mind

that when we take care of our planet, it gives us so much in return.

Also . . .