Content 9 Human Adaptation and Social Change

Topic 1 Global Warming and Climate Change

Topic 1: Global Warming and Climate Change

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the learners should be able to:
 explain the causes and effects of global warming and climate change;
 identify new challenges faced by human population in contemporary societies; and
 describe how human societies adapt to new challenges in the physical, social, and cultural environment.

Questions:

 Do you feel the extreme heat of the summer season lately?

 Are you wondering why this year’s summer is hotter than last year?

Global Warming and Climate Change

Many believe that the scorching weather we are experiencing today is a result of global warming and climate change.

Global warming is the increase in the Earth's temperature caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Climate change is a result of global warming. It is considered as a long-term shift that happens in the Earth's
atmosphere.

The Causes and Effects of Global Warming and Climate Change

There are both natural and man-made causes of global warming and climate change.

The changes in the climate may naturally be caused by Earth’s activities like volcanic activity, its orbit around the sun,
and many others.

Man-made causes, on the other hand, greatly contribute to the worsening of global warming and climate change. Some
examples that contribute to the phenomenon are burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gases, and
continuously converting forests (deforestation) into industrial, agricultural or residential lands. These human
activities have a higher possibility of speeding up the warming of the planet.

The Philippines is currently experiencing extremely hot weather. The highest temperature to be recorded in the
Philippines for the year is 39.3 degrees Celsius in General Santos City last April 12, 2016.

The hot temperature is not the only problem. The Philippines is presently under what is considered the strongest El
Nino ever experienced. El Nino happens every two to seven years when the water surface is warmer than usual. The
effects of El Nino are lesser rainfalls which can lead to drought, stronger typhoons, and higher chances of forest fires and
grass fires.

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Content 9 Human Adaptation and Social Change
Topic 1 Global Warming and Climate Change

New Challenges in Contemporary Societies

Global warming and climate change are starting to alter our life here on Earth.

 The increase in the global temperature has resulted to incidences of forest fires and grass fires in the mountains
such as in Mt. Apo.
 Drought is also rampant in our country, as an effect of a stronger El Nino. Farmers all over the Philippines are
experiencing drought, which makes it harder for them to produce enough crops for our food supply.
 We had also experienced stronger typhoons in the past years, like typhoon Yolanda. Typhoon Yolanda greatly
devastated parts of Visayas and flooded some areas of Luzon and Mindanao.

These are only some of the challenges we currently face because of global warming and climate change. If global
warming and climate change will not be controlled, we will experience stronger typhoons that can result to more damages,
we will experience more heat-related illnesses, there might be higher death rates because of the increase in the heat
index, and many other effects.

Adaptation to New Challenges in the Physical, Social, and Cultural Environment

Adapting to the new challenges brought by climate change is necessary because they are already unavoidable. Most of
the countries are now developing different strategies they can use to adapt to the challenges of climate change. These
adaptation strategies range from technological responses to policy responses, and changes in the behavior of the people
are also necessary.

 As part of our behavioral change, we are being encouraged to lessen our activities that contribute to the increase
of greenhouse gases. Instead of riding cars, we are encouraged to ride bicycles, public transportations, or even
use carpool so we can lessen the carbon dioxide coming from automobiles.
 We are also encouraged to utilize our water supply properly and stop the old Filipino practice of burning our
trashes. We must also start conserving our forests and revive forests that have been victims of deforestation.
 Some societies are also starting to utilize energy from natural resources like wind energy, water energy, and solar
energy. Other societies where food supply has been affected by climate change have developed crops, seeds,
and farming techniques that can adapt to climate change.

These are only some of the programs developed to help our world adapt to climate change.

Key Points:
 Global warming is the increase in the Earth’s temperature caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
 Climate change is considered as a long-term shift that happens in the Earth’s climate.
 The effects of global warming and climate change are drought, stronger typhoons, higher risk of getting heat-
related illnesses, hotter global temperature, melting of glaciers, higher sea levels, and many others.
 Most countries and societies have started implementing adaptive strategies that can help them cope with the
adverse effects of global warming and climate change.
 Aside from implementing new policies to adapt to global warming and climate change, it is more important to
change our behavior and bad habits.

Activity:
Try measuring the temperature of the day (from 12 noon-4 p.m.) and compare it to the temperature (same time)
from five years ago. You will notice that there has been a notable increase in the temperature that we are feeling
today. This is a manifestation of global warming and climate change. How do you perceive Earth’s temperature
five years from now?

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Content 9 Human Adaptation and Social Change
Topic 1 Global Warming and Climate Change

Points for Reflection:

 Observe the plants around you. They easily wither and die if not watered from time to time. The life span of plants
is becoming shorter because of the intense heat we are currently feeling. How does it affect life on Earth?
 Do you believe we can still prevent global warming and climate change from worsening?

Notes:
 The effects of global warming and climate change may differ depending on the location of a community. Some
may experience extreme heat while others may experience extreme cold.
 The adaptive strategies of societies also differ, depending on how greatly they are affected or in what manner
they are affected by climate change.

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