THE INFORMATION AGE Module 10

Introduction
The Information Age is now upon us. The pace at which technology is evolving is ever
increasing – and people are eager to embrace it. Through the use of computers, cell
phones, pagers, calculators, video game consoles and many other technologically
advanced products, communication has changed dramatically. The information age is
changing peoples every day activities and making tedious tasks run more efficiently.
Personal use and business-related use of computers and technology are constantly
increasing. Although there are many positive aspects of the Information Age, there are also
many negatives, such as how the Internet is unregulated. Also, there's a very large legal
issue over privacy, as well as many ethical issues computer-users face daily. Many believe
that this era, as developed as it currently is, will continue to progress and evolve over the
years to come.

DEFINITION OF INFORMATION AGE

Information age is the modern time in which information has become a commodity that is transmitted
freely, easily and quickly by using personal computer networks. This period is also called the Computer Age,
the Digital Age and the New Media Age. It is the period that started in the last quarter of the 20th century.

According to James R. Messenger who proposed the theory of Information age in 1982, “the
Information age is true age based upon the interconnection of computers via telecommunications, with these
information systems operating on both a real time and as needed basis.

HISTORY OF INFORMATION AGE

As man evolved, information and its dissemination has also progressed in many ways.
The table below traces the history and emergence of the Information Age (United States American
History, n.d)

Table 1: Timeline of the Information Age

Year Event
3000 BC Sumerian writing system used pictographs to represent words
2900 BC Beginning of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing
1300 BC Tortoise shell and oracle bone writing were used
500 BC Papyrus roll was used
220 BC Chinese small seal writing was developed
100 AD Book (parchment codex)
105 AD Woodblock printing and paper was invented by the Chinese
1455 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press using movable metal type
1755 Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary standardized English spelling
1802 The Library of Congress was established
Invention of the carbo arc lamp
1824 Research on persistence of vision published
1830’s First viable design for a digital computer
Augusta Lady Byron writes the world’s first computer program
1837 Invention of the telegraph in Great Britain and the United States
1861 Motion pictures were projected onto a screen
1876 Dewey Decimal system was introduced
1877 Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated high-speed photography
1899 First magnetic recording were released
1902 Motion picture special effects were used
1906 Lee DeForest invented the electronic amplifying tube (triode)
1923 Television camera tube was invented by Zvorkyn
1926 First practical sound movie
1939 Regularly scheduled television broadcasting began in the US
1940s Beginning of information science as a discipline
1945 Vannevar Bush foresaw the invention of hypertext
1946 ENIAC computer was developed
1948 Birth of field-of-information theory proposed by Claude E. Shannon
1957 Planar transistor was developed by Jean Hoerni
1958 First integrated circuit
1960s Library Congress developed LC MARC (machine readable code)
1969 UNIX operating system was developed, which could handle multitasking
1971 Intel introduced the first microprocessor chip
1972 Optical laserdisc was developed by Philips and MCA
1974 MCA and Philips agreed on a standard videodisc encoding format
1975 Altair Microcomputer Kit was released: First personal computer for the public
1977 Radioshack introduced the first complete personal computer
1984 Apple Macintosh computer was introduced
Mid 1980s Artificial Intelligence was separated from information science
1987 Hypercard was developed by Bill Atkinson recipe box methaphor
1991 Four hundred fifty complete works of literature on one CD ROM was released
January RSA (encryption and network security software) Internet security code cracked for a
1997 48-bit number
A major defining event during the early Information Age is the invention of the Internet. Originating from
communication networks used by military and academic circles such as the ARPANET, this network was
expanded to worldwide coverage over the following years, culminating in the creation of the first web browser,
WorldWideWeb, in 1990. The Internet soon become a revolutionary bridge that connects the entire world
together, as companies begun to utilize the Internet to improve their commercial efficiency, and people sharing
their thoughts through mediums such as electronic mails (e-mails), digital forums and social networks, which
gives the era its name due to the massive, ever-growing volume of information distributed digitally around the
world. The internet itself considered to be the decisive technology of the information Age (Castells, 2014).

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIETY

 The impacts of the INFORMATION AGE can be felt in virtually every area of people’s lives. These
changes have the potential to increasingly influence how people communicate, live, work or even spend time
for leisure now and even in the future.
As world population grows, so does the number of Internet users across the globe.
Thanks to the internet, each person with marginal views can see that he’s not alone. And when these
people find one another via social media, they can do things — create memes, publications and entire online
worlds that bolster their worldview, and then break into the mainstream.
Without social media, social, ethical, environmental and political ills would have minimal visibility.
Increased visibility of issues has shifted the balance of power from the hands of a few to the masses.
While social media activism brings an increased awareness about societal issues, questions remain as to
whether this awareness is translating into real change.

The Challenges of Social Media

Social media has been blamed for promoting social ills such as:

Cyberbullying:
Teenagers have a need to fit in, to be popular and to outdo others. This process was challenging long
before the advent of social media. Add Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram into the mix and you
suddenly have teenagers being subjected feeling pressure to grow up too fast in an online world.

Michael Hamm, a researcher from the University of Alberta conducted a study that showed the effects of
social media on bullying. 23% of teens report being targeted and 15 percent said they’d bullied someone on
social media. Teenagers can misuse social media platforms to spread rumors, share videos aimed at
destroying reputations and to blackmail others.

Lack of Privacy:
Stalking, identity theft, personal attacks, and misuse of information are some of the threats faced by the
users of social media. Most of the time, the users themselves are to blame as they end up sharing content that
should not be in the public eye. The confusion arises from a lack of understanding of how the private and
public elements of an online profile actually work.
Unfortunately, by the time private content is deleted, it’s usually too late and can cause problems in
people’s personal and professional lives.

Fake News
It is popular wisdom that people today suffer information overload. A lot of information available on the
internet that spreading fake news. People spend more and more of time absorbing information without
validating if it is reliable or not.

DATA PRIVACY ACT

Information and communications technology play a vital role in nation-building and development of the
country. In the information age, he who holds information holds power. From macro-economic perspective, the
free flow of information is concededly vital to the growth of any nation, and key to the success of any business.
With the power that follows information. Hence, it is in the interest of the State to govern the parameters by
which such power will be held, while at the same time ensuring the free flow of information to promote
innovation and growth.
From the perspective of citizens and individuals, the State also protects their fundamental human rights
to privacy of communication. And with the exponentially increasing availability of ways and means to access
personal data and information, it becomes the duty of the State to guard against transgressions of the
individual’s rights.
Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 2 minutes each day online, the highest in the world,
according to recent data. The Philippines also tops social media use for the fourth straight year. Vast amounts
of personal information from the Philippines, including photos of daily activities, are freely circulating the Web.
 What has the country done to ensure privacy and data protection?

In 2012, the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA) “to protect
the fundamental human right to privacy of communication while ensuring free flow of information to promote
innovation and growth [and] the [State’s] inherent obligation to ensure that personal information in information
and communications systems in government and in the private sector are secured and protected”.

The DPA and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) apply to all acts done or practices engaged
in and outside of the Philippines if:
● If the person, either an individual or an institution, involved in the processing of personal data is located
in the Philippines;
● The act or practice involves personal data of a Philippine citizen or Philippine resident;
● The processing of personal data is done in the Philippines; or
● The act, practice or processing of personal data is done by an entity with links to the Philippines,
subject to international law and comity.

“Personal data” refers to all types of personal information.

“Processing” is any operation/s performed upon personal data. These operations include, but are not
limited to the collection, recording, organization, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, consultation, use,
consolidation, blocking, erasure, or destruction of data.

While technology has certainly lifted many humans out of poverty and enriched our lives in many ways, it
has also made the world increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. The rapid disruption of many
established industries has meant that even the most intelligent and conscientious individuals have had to
struggle to stay relevant in the modern globalized economy—while others, inundated with information to make
sense of, can’t figure out how to make all the right decisions the first time, and must spend years broke,
jobless, underemployed, or burnt out. We are not weaker or stupider than our ancestors, but the world is more
challenging than ever before and we need to go through more trial and error than they did in order to secure a
comfortable existence. Continued technological development will increase material abundance even more, but
technology alone cannot solve the problem of figuring out whom to distribute resources to and getting
everyone on board with how resources are distributed.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Position Paper

Watch the documentary The Internet Revolution and Digital Future Technology
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xZFZO7USA). After watching the clip, write a 300 – 500 word paper
discussing the impact of information revolution to you.

Your work will be assessed using the following criteria:

4 3 2 1
Depth of Content Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Lacks
comprehensive comprehensive basic understanding understanding of
understanding of the subject for
the reflection.
subject for understanding of of the subject for
reflection and the subject for reflection.
work can be reflection.
used as an
 example for
others.
Originality and Work is insightful Work is insightful Work shows some Work is not
Insight and shows a and shows insight and original.
high degree of imagination. some degree
imagination. of
imagination.
Style and Clarity Ideas are clearly Ideas are clearly Ideas show some Ideas are not
articulated and articulated and degree of clarity communicated
well developed. well developed. but are not well clearly nor are
developed. they well
developed.
Organization Writing is Writing is Writing som Writing is
and well-organized well-organized has e of unorganized and
Grammar with no spelling with few spelling degree with contains many
and grammatical and grammatical organizationand spelling and
errors. errors. some spelling grammatical
grammatical errors.
errors.
Timeliness Completed work Completed work Completed work Completed work
was passed was passed on was passed the was passed
earlier than the the day after the more than a day
deadline given. deadline given. deadline given. after the
deadline given.

SUMMARY

The following learning points summarize what you have learned in this section:
● The Information Age (sometimes called the Digital Age and the New Media Age) is a period starting in
the last quarter of the 20th century when information became effortlessly accessible through
publications and through management of information by computers and computer networks. According
to James R. Messenger, who proposed the Theory of Information Age in 1982, this interconnection
operates on real-time and as-needed basis, and that they are driven by convenience and user-
friendliness.
● However, the growth of information transmission, recording, and management grew at a fast rate,
causing great difficulty. It also created a technological divide between those who can afford internet
services and those who cannot, increasing the gap between socioeconomic classes. Other problems
that is caused by these developments include compromise on reliability, which gives rise to
misinformation; reinforcement of biases and beliefs of like-minded people belonging to social media;
control of public opinion and harassment; online predation, identity theft, scamming, and other new
crimes; pornography; and cyberbullying.

REFERENCES

● Quinto, Edward Jay M. and Nieva, Aileen D. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp 132-146.
Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
● Newest Documentaries (2018, January 21). The Internet Revolution and Digital Future Technology
[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xZFZO7USA
 College of Teacher Education
Second Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
Module 11

BIODIVERSITY AND A HEALTHY SOCIETY

Course Title: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Course Code: GE 7
Name: ________________________________________
Course and Year: ________________________________________
Contact Number: _______________________________________
Instructor: BERNADETH S. GALAMGAM

Introduction
This module focuses on the interconnections among society, environment, and health. It
tackles the value of biodiversity as a source of food, medicine, and other biological resources in
relation to the consumption of goods. The module specifically covers the relationship of biodiversity
with (a) health and medicine; (b) food; (c) energy; (d) water storage and flood control; and (e) air
and water treatment. I. Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

● identified the importance of biodiversity as a source of different biological resources;

● discussed the adverse effects of resource depletion on society and the measures to
mitigate them; and ● determined the relatedness of society, environment, and health.

II. Lecture

BIODIVERSITY

According to Quinto and Nieva (2018), biodiversity is “the variety of life present in ecosystem.”
It is all the different kinds of life you will find in one area: the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and
even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. It is everywhere and each
member work together to sustain and support life and ensure that balance is retained.

There are three different types of biodiversity: genetic, specific, and ecological diversity:
1. Genetic diversity refers to the individual variations among organisms of the same species,
as well as variations between populations that due to local condition adaptations. These
variations among individuals are passed from one generation to the next.
2. Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a particular region, either in an
ecosystem or the entire biosphere. This is affected by the environmental conditions.
Usually, this is used as a measure of how diverse a certain ecosystem is, since species is
the basic unit of biological classification. The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) defines
an endangered species as one that is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant
portion of its range.” Threatened species are those that are considered likely to become
endangered in the near future.
3. Ecological diversity refers to the varieties of ecosystems and the interactions of these
species. The variations
of topographical and climactic conditions contribute to ecological diversity.

Society benefits greatly from biodiversity because it acts as a source of biological resources
and essential services such as food, medicine, energy, and more. Therefore, biodiversity can be
exploited and abused. Because of this, humans should be responsible in ensuring that these are
protected.

To have a better understanding of the three types of Biodiversity, you may watch the following
video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4. You may take note of the examples stated.

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Human health benefits greatly from biodiversity. Many plants are used to treat illnesses
since 2600 BC, as exemplified by herbal medicine use. Natural products are used today in the
synthesis of drugs in the treatment of diseases. Some of these are as follows:

i. Cupressus sempervirens (cypress) which has been used to treat coughs, colds,
and inflammation
ii. Commiphora myrrha (myrrh) which has been used to treat coughs, colds, and
inflammation
iii. Salvia apiana (California sage) which has been used to aid in childbirth and help
protect from respiratory ailments according to Indian tribes of Southern
California
iv. Alhagi maurorum (camel thorn) used by Israelis, Konkani people, Romans
because of its believed diuretic, diaphoretic, laxative, expectorant,
gastroprotective, antiseptic, and anti-diarrheal effects from its manna, a sweet
and gummy substance from its stems and leaves than contain melezitose and
sucrose
v. Ligusticum scotium (Scottish lovage) which was believed to treat hysterical and
uterine disorders as well as relieve flatulence and stimulate the senses
vi. Salix (willow tree) where salicylic acid, the active ingredient of the anti-
inflammatory drug aspirin, was derived
vii. Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) where morphine, a painkiller first used in
the 1800s, was derived
viii. Pilocarpus where pilocarpine, a drug used for xerostomia or dry mouth, was
isolated and a treatment for Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that
damages the salivary and lacrimal glands, was derived
ix. Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) where digitoxin, used in the management of
congestive heart failure, was derived
x. Cinchona succirubra Pav. Ex Klotzsch where quinine, used for the treatment of
malaria, was isolated

However, biodiversity loss and environmental hazards pose threats to human health. Some
illnesses are environmentally-linked or related, such as Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, cancer,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity, occupational injuries, dysentery,
arthritis, malaria, and depression. Hazards such as pollution, toxic chemicals, food contaminants,
dangerous work, poor housing conditions, urban sprawl, and poverty also increase the risk of
illnesses. The role of organisms in disease transmission are also more apparent. This highlights
the importance of the study of the relationship among biodiversity, health, and the environment.

FOOD

During Stone Age, humans relied only on hunting and foraging for food. As populations
increased, food demand also increased. This led to the domestication of animals and cultivation of
plants. Lands were also developed for agriculture.

Nutrition and biodiversity are linked at many levels; the ecosystem, with food production as an
ecosystem service. Nutritional composition between foods and among varieties/cultivars/breeds of
the same food can differ dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the diet.
 According to the World Health Organization, biodiversity is a vital element of a human being’s
nutrition because of its influence to food production. Biodiversity is a major factor that contributes to
sustainable food production for human beings. A society or a population must have access to a
sufficient variety of nutritious food as it is a determinant of their health as human beings.

Biodiversity is necessary for growth of crops. About 39 of the 57 leading global crops need
pollinators. Agrobiodiversity, "the variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms at
the genetic, species and ecosystem levels that sustain the ecosystem structures, functions and
processes in and around production systems, and that provide food and non-food agricultural
products,” became the result of this necessity. Intensified and enhanced food production through
irrigation, use of fertilizer, plant protection (pesticides), or the introduction of crop varieties and
cropping patterns affect biodiversity and thus impact global nutritional status and human health.

To learn more about food nutritional impact of biodiversity, please read T.C.H. Sutherlands’
article entitled Food Security: Why is biodiversity important? (www.cifor.org/library/3577/food-
security-why-is-biodiversity-important/).

ENERGY

Humans rely on energy provided by ecosystems to do the necessary activities in order to

survive.

Below is a timeline highlighting the developments in energy utilization and inventions.

Year Developments
Stone Age heat energy
1000 BC Coal
400 BC water energy/ hydropower
1300 Windmills
1820 natural gas
1830 electric generator
1850 commercial oil
1860 first solar powered system
1892 geothermal energy
1942 first nuclear fission reactor
19th and 20th century utilization of coal energy

Though it is not apparent that energy utilization has an effect on biodiversity, the risks that
energy sources and energy demand pose are seen as threat to biodiversity by many environmental
organizations. These threats include wildlife mortality, habitat loss, fragmentation, noise and light
pollution, invasive species, and changes in carbon stock and water resources. Examples that could
be cited were nuclear reactor accident in 19179 at Three Mile Island near Middletown,
Pennsylvania, the biggest oil spill in the US waters, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1980 in Alaska, the
coal ash spill in Tennessee, oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan
(Battaglia, 2013).

WATER STORAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL

As you have seen from previous modules, the earliest civilizations were situated near bodies
of water because livelihoods depended on it. Water was also used for irrigation and floodways were
used to prevent flooding due to tides. By the late 19th century, dams were built for water supply and
irrigation.

Drinking water was very important. About 2000 years ago, wells were used in the Middle
East because of the
demand for drinking water. Aqueducts were invented and built by Romans and Greeks to maintain
stable water supplies.

The relationship between biodiversity and water resources is very important. Forests filter
and store freshwater, as well as affect transpiration and evaporation. Roots and leaves promote
infiltration of water to aquifers. Percolation allows water to move into rivers and lakes.

Though flooding is mostly known to cause extreme damage such as property damage and
crop damage,
flooding can also help famers distribute and add nutrients to soil, making the soil healthier and more
fertile for cultivation.
Floods can also add nutrients to rivers and lakes thus improving the ecosystem.

Virtually all of Earth’s ecosystems have now been dramatically transformed through human
actions. More land was converted to cropland in the 30 years after 1950 than in the 150 years
between 1700 and 1850. Between 1960 and 2000, reservoir storage capacity quadrupled and, as a
result, the amount of water stored behind large dams is estimated to be three to six times the
amount held by rivers. Some 35% of mangroves have been lost in the last two decades. Roughly
20% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed and an additional 20% have been degraded.
(greenfacts.org)

AIR AND WATER TREATMENT

When there are excessive amounts of certain gases in the air, the capacity of the environment to
clean itself and be resilient is diminished. Too much nitrogen stimulates growth of nitrogen-loving
plants, but diminishes the occurrence of others. It also reduces forests’ resilience against drought,
frost, pests, and diseases. Also, water has a high nitrate concentration limit, making its protection of
plant species to be difficult.

Ozone can also affect the environment depending on its amount and location. Ground level ozone,
created by chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the
presence of sunlight, promote early flowering that affect synchronization of pollinators and flowers,
damage leaves of salad crops, and reduce crop yield (for example, in 2000, wheat and tomato yield
decreased by 14 and 9 percent, respectively).

If vegetation is damaged, the sink capacity for carbon dioxide and ozone is reduced. In
effect, the water cycle is affected.

PROTOCOLS ON BIODIVERSITY

We, as human inhabitants of the ecosystem, must preserve and conserve the biodiversity of
all creatures. In simple terms, it is true that people will always depend on biodiversity on the
wholeness of our being and in our everyday lives.

Somehow, there are ways and processes in the ecosystem that are not apparent nor
appreciated by us, human beings. Think about the need to drink clean and fresh water, the need to
eat healthy vegetables and food, or the need of man to transport which makes him rely on fuel. All
of these are human needs that are answered and provided by our ecosystem. Thus, if we fail to
keep the process of taking care of the ecosystem, it is us who are actually putting our lives at risk.

Significant decline in biodiversity has direct human impact when ecosystem in its insufficiency
can no longer provide the physical as well as social need of human beings. Indirectly, changes in
the ecosystem affect livelihood, income, and on occasion, may even cause political conflict. (WHO,
n.d.).

Major threats biodiversity identified by United Nations’ Environment Programme are: habitat
loss and destruction; alteration in ecosystem composition; over-exploitation; pollution and
contamination; and global climate change.

There is a need to enhance the implementation of regulations and worldwide protocols.

These include:

1. Montreal Protocol. It is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by

phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone
depletion. It was agreed on 16th September 1987, and entered into force on 1st January
1989.

2. Kyoto Protocol. It is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part one) global
warming is occurring and (part two) it is extremely likely that human-made CO 2 emissions
have predominantly caused it. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11
December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. There are currently 192 parties
(Canada withdrew from the protocol, effective December 2012) to the Protocol.

3. Cartagena Protocol. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological

Diversity is an international agreement on biosafety as a supplement to the Convention on
Biological Diversity effective since
2003. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by
genetically
modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. The Protocol entered into force
on 11 September 2003. As of December 2019, the Protocol had 172 parties, which includes
168 United Nations member states, the State of Palestine, Niue, the European Union, and
now Uzbekistan signed on October 25, 2019.

The loss of biodiversity has many consequences that we understand and many that we do not.
As stated by Tilman, “The Earth will retain its most striking feature, its biodiversity, only if humans
have the prescience to do so. This will occur, it seems, only if we realize the extent to which we use
biodiversity (Rainforest Conservation Fund, 2017)”

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Module Output

Make a proposal plan on how to mitigate threats to biodiversity. State ways on how to solve these
issues. Criteria is as follows:

Content – 30 %
Presentation – 30 %
Organization – 30 %
Grammar – 10%
Total 100%

SUMMARY

The following learning points summarize what you have learned in this section:

● Biodiversity is the variety of life present in ecosystem.

 ● Biodiversity and human health, energy, air, and water are interrelated. Loss of biodiversity
and the degradation of environment has negative effects on human life.
● To ensure that there are prevented, we must ensure that the protocols agreed upon by
nations worldwide are enforced.

REFERENCES

1. MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp.
96-104. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
2. Quinto, Edward Jay M. and Nieva, Aileen D. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp
147-162. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
3. Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 122-132. Quezon City: Rex
Bookstore.
4. Sunderland, T. (2011). Food security: why is biodiversity important? International Forestry
Review. 13(3), pp. 265-274. Retrieved from http://www.legato-project.net/NPDOCS/13-3-
IFR-copy.pdf

College of Teacher Education

Second Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

Module 12
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS AND GENE THERAPY

Course Title: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Course Code: GE 7

Name: ________________________________________

Course and Year: ________________________________________

Contact Number: ________________________________________

Instructor: BERNADETH S. GALAMGAM

Introduction

This section discusses moral and ethical issues concerning Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMOs) and their impacts on society. It also discusses forms and applications of
Gene Therapy. I. Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

● discussed the ethics and implications of GMOs and potential future impacts;
● described gene therapy and its various forms;
● explored the opportunities that may be opened by gene therapy in the future; and
● assessed the potential benefits and detriments to global health of GMOs and gene therapy

II. Lecture

MODULE OVERVIEW
 This section discusses moral and ethical issues concerning Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMOs) and their impacts on society. It also discusses forms and applications of Gene Therapy.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)

Biotechnology

According to Bragdon in the module released by Biodiversity International entitled “Law and policy
of relevance to the management of plant genetic resources”, biotechnology uses biological
systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for
specific use. Biotechnology includes such early practices as selective breeding of farm animals and
using microorganisms to make wine and cheese. Today, biotechnology also encompasses genetic
engineering, the direct manipulation of genes for practical purposes. Genetic engineering has
launched a revolution in biotechnology, greatly expanding the scope of its potential applications.
Tools from the DNA toolbox are now applied in ways that affect everything from agriculture to
criminal law to medical research. Modern biotechnology gives scientists molecular tools for
obtaining a better understanding of the structure and function of genes in living organisms. Modern
biotechnology has aimed to develop new precision tools and diagnostics; speed up breeding gains
and efficiency; develop pest- and disease-resistant crops; combat salinity, drought, and problems of
agriculture; enhance the nutritional quality of food; increase crop varieties and choice; reduce input
and production costs; and increase profits.

Genetically Modified Organisms

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one that has acquired by artificial means (through
recombinant DNA methods, gene modification, or transgenic technology) one or more genes from
another species or even from another variety of the same species. The majority of the GM
organisms that contribute to our food supply are crop plants. GM crops are widespread in the
United States, Argentina, and Brazil; together these countries account for over 80% of the world’s
acreage devoted to such crops.

Most methods for cloning pieces of DNA in the laboratory share certain general features. One
common approach uses bacteria, most often Escherichia coli. E. coli chromosome is a large circular
molecule of DNA. In addition, E. coli and many other bacteria have plasmids, small circular DNA
molecules that replicate separately from the bacterial chromosome. A plasmid has only a small
number of genes; these genes may be useful when the bacterium is in a particular environment but
may not be required for survival or reproduction under most conditions.

To clone pieces of DNA in the laboratory, researchers first obtain a plasmid and insert DNA from
another source (“foreign” DNA) into it. The resulting plasmid is now a recombinant DNA molecule.
The plasmid is then returned to a bacterial cell, producing a recombinant bacterium. This single cell
reproduces through repeated cell divisions to form a clone of cells, a population of genetically
identical cells. Because the dividing bacteria replicate the recombinant plasmid and pass it on to
their descendants, the foreign DNA and any genes it carries are cloned at the same time. The
production of multiple copies of a single gene is called gene cloning.

Roles of GMOs

I. Food and Agricultural products

1. Pest resistance (e.g., Bt corn, where corn has been modified with gene from Bacillus
thuringensis which is toxic to corn borers)
2. Virus resistance (e.g., rainbow papaya, where protein from papaya ringspot virus was
introduced to papaya)
3. Herbicide tolerance (e.g., Roundup Ready soybean, where the herbicide glyphosphate was
introduced to soybeans)
4. Fortification (e.g., Golden Rice, where beta-carotene was introduced to rice which fortified it
with vitamin A)
5. Cosmetic preservation (e.g., Arctic apple, where the apple does not brown easily)
6. Increase growth rate (e.g., AquAdvantage salmon, where genes from ocean pout was
introduced to Pacific Chinook salmon to make them grow faster)

II.Non-Food crops and microorganisms

1. Flower production (e.g., Blue Rose, where 31,51-hydroxylase gene was introduced)
2. Paper production (e.g., poplar trees, where genes that code for ferulic acid was inserted to
modify lignin structure)
3. Pharmaceutical production (e.g., periwinkle plant, where bacterial genes was modified to
enhance the production of vinblastine that is used for cancer treatments such as Hodgkin’s
lymphoma)
4. Bioremediation (e.g., Nicotiana glauca or shruc tobacco, where it was modified with
phytochelatin TaPCSI1 to help it accumulate high levels of zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, and
boron and produce high biomass)
5. Enzyme and drug production (e.g., cyclomaltodextrin, which is used as a food flavor
enhancer that was produced by Bacillus modified by Thermoanaerobacter)
6. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases (e.g., Humulin, genetically engineered insulin for Type I
diabetes patients developed by National Medical Center and Genentech Biotechnology
Company)

Benefits of GMOs

1. Higher efficiency in farming

2. Increase in harvest
3. Control in fertility
4. Increase in food processing
5. Improvement of characteristics
6. Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement
7. Reduction in the use of fertilizers and pesticides

Potential Risks of GMOs

1. There are inadequate studies on the effects of GMOs to humans and the environment
2. Genetic engineering promotes mutation with unknown long-term effects.
3. GMOs consumed by humans might cause or create allergic reactions, gene mutations,
antibiotic resistance, and change in the balance of microorganisms in the digestive system.
4. GMOs might also have change in nutritive value of the food or might produce toxins
5. There is a risk that the modified gene might be transferred from the GMO to its wild relative
or other organisms.
6. There is a risk of new pest or weed resistance. Alteration of agricultural practices for GMOs
might also cause this.
 7. There is a risk that the modified gene may be transferred to viral and bacterial genes, which
may cause new diseases. Genetically-modified bacteria and viruses might also be more
resistant to treatment.
8. Introduction of GMOs to the environment might cause competition or interference.
9. There is a potential that GMOs might become pests or post threats to the environment.
10. There is a risk in interfering with natural biochemical processes.
11. There is a risk that the modified genes might persist after its harvest and might cause
negative effects.
12. There are ethical issues regarding GMOs, such as man “playing God” and violation of
nature.
13. Because GMOs are novel life forms, biotechnology companies patent their processes and
products which restrict their use, enabling them to sue farmers whose field has been
contaminated with these organisms, even by natural processes.
14. There is worry of creating biases and giving much power to those who hold genetic
information (e.g., issues on the Human Genome Project)

Golden Rice is one of the more controversial GMOs that have been developed.

Initiatives on Safety from GMOs

1. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). Created by the Food and Agricultural

Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), this is an intergovernmental
body that develops the International Food Code. For GMOs, Codex developed the Codex
Principles for the human risk analysis of GM food products, such as pre-market
assessments and effect evaluation.

2. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This is an international environmental treaty that

regulates the transboundary movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). It requires
exporters to seek consent from importers before its first shipment of LMOs.

3. International Trade Agreement on labeling of GM food and food products. Exporters

are required for GM food products to be labeled and importers may accept or reject these
products.

The Philippines and GMOs

GMO concern in the Philippines started in the 1990s, with the creation of National
Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines through Executive Order No. 430 of 1990. The NBCP
developed guidelines on the planned release of GMOs and potentially harmful exotic species in
1998.

In 2002, the Department of Agriculture (DA) released Administrative Order No. 8, the guideline for
the transportation and release to the environment of GM plants and plant products. This was also
the same year when GMO started and the same year when the Philippines became the first Asian
country to approve cultivation of GMOs (genetically-modified corn). From then until today, there are
70 GMO applications approved by DA, 62 for food feed and processing and 8 for propagation.

In 2004, the Philippines was classified by International Service for acquisition of agro-biotech
applications as one of the 14 biotech-mega countries which grow 50,000 hectares or more GMO
crops annually. In the same year, Senator Juan Flavier authored a bill on labeling of GM food and
food products but it did not pass. In 2012, Representative Teddy Casiño and other congressmen
aimed for the same bill.

In 2005, the Negros Organic Island was established through a memorandum of agreement (MOA)
between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. This MOA bans the entry of GMOs to their
provinces.
 In 2010, the Organic Agriculture Act was issued, encouraging organic-agriculture rather than GMO-
related agriculture. Similar to the Negros provinces, Davao City passed the Organic Agriculture
Ordinance in 2010, which prevented the field testing of Bt eggplant in UP Mindanao. Eventually, the
Bt eggplant field testing was put to an end through the Supreme Court in December 2015, nullifying
Administrative Order No. 8 of DA.

In March 17, 2016, the DA, DENR, DOST, DOH, and DILG passed Joint Department Circular No.
1, on rules and regulations for the research and development, handling and use, transboundary
movement, release in the environment, and management of GM plants and plant products using
modern biotechnology. These joint circular paves way to issuances for planting and importing GM
crops in the country.

GENE THERAPY

Gene therapy is a therapeutic technique that aims to transfer normal genes into a patient’s
cells. In theory, the normal genes will be transcribed and translated into functional gene products,
which, in turn, will bring about a normal phenotype.

Human gene therapy began in 1990 with the treatment of a young girl named Ashanti DeSilva, who
has a heritable disorder called severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Individuals with
SCID have no functional immune system and usually die from what would normally be minor
infections. Ashanti has an autosomal form of SCID caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the
enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). Her gene therapy began when clinicians isolated some of
her white blood cells, called T cells. These cells, which are key components of the immune system,
were mixed with a retroviral vector carrying an inserted copy of the normal ADA gene. The virus
infected many of the T cells, and a normal copy of the ADA gene was inserted into the genome of
some T cells. After being mixed with the vector, the T cells were grown in the laboratory and
analyzed to make sure that the transferred ADA gene was expressed. Then a billion or so
genetically altered T cells were injected into Ashanti’s bloodstream. Some of these T cells migrated
to her bone marrow and began dividing and producing daughter cells that also produce ADA. She
now has ADA protein expression in 25 to 30 percent of her T cells, which is enough to allow her to
lead a normal life.

Although gene therapy was originally developed as a treatment for single-gene inherited
diseases, the technique was quickly adapted for the treatment of acquired diseases such as cancer,
neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases, such as HIV. Over a
10-year period, from 1990 to 1999, more than 4000 people underwent gene therapy for a variety of
genetic disorders. These trials often failed and thus led to a loss of confidence in gene therapy.

Hopes for gene therapy plummeted even further in September 1999 when teenager Jesse
Gelsinger died while undergoing gene therapy to treat a liver disease condition. His death was
triggered by a massive inflammatory response to the vector, a modified adenovirus, one of the
viruses that cause colds and respiratory infections. Within hours of his first treatment, a massive
immune reaction surged through Jesse’s body. He developed a high fever, his lungs filled with fluid,
multiple organs shut down, and he died four days later of acute respiratory failure.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, several government and scientific inquiries were conducted.
Investigators learned that clinical trial scientists had not reported other adverse reactions to gene
therapy and that some of the scientists were affiliated with private companies that could benefit
financially from the trials.
They found that serious side effects seen in animal studies were not explained to patients during
informed-consent discussions, and that some clinical trials were proceeding too quickly in the face
of data suggesting a need for caution. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutinized
gene therapy trials across the country, halted a number of them, and shut down several gene
therapy programs. Other research groups voluntarily suspended their gene therapy studies. Tighter
restrictions on clinical trial protocols were imposed to correct some of the procedural problems that
emerged from the Gelsinger case. Jesse’s death had dealt a severe blow to the struggling field of
gene therapy—a blow from which it was still reeling when a second tragedy hit.

The outlook for gene therapy brightened in 2000, when a group of French researchers reported the
first large-scale success in gene therapy. Nine children with a fatal X-linked form of SCID developed
functional immune systems after being treated with a retroviral vector carrying a normal gene.
Published reports of the study were greeted with enthusiasm by the gene therapy community. But
elation turned to despair in 2003, when it became clear that 2 of the 10 children who had been
cured of X-SCID had developed leukemia as a direct result of their therapy, and one died as a result
of the treatment. In two of the children, their cancer cells contained the retroviral vector, inserted
near or into a gene called LMO2. This insertion activated the LMO2 gene, causing uncontrolled
white blood cell proliferation and development of leukemia. FDA immediately halted 27 similar gene
therapy clinical trials, and once again gene therapy underwent a profound reassessment. In 2005, a
third child in the French X-SCID study developed leukemia, likely as a result of gene therapy.

To date, no human gene therapy product has been approved for sale. Critics of gene therapy
continue to berate research groups for undue haste, conflicts of interest, and sloppy clinical trial
management, and for promising much but delivering little. Most problems associated with gene
therapy have been traced to the vectors used to transfer therapeutic genes into cells.

Types of Gene Therapy

I. According to the way that healing genes are delivered and to which cells they are sent
1. Germline gene therapy alters the DNA of a gamete or fertilized ovum. As a result, all cells
of the individual have the change. Germline gene therapy is heritable—it passes to offspring.
2. Somatic gene therapy corrects only the cells that an illness affects. It is non-heritable; a
recipient does not pass the genetic correction to offspring.

II. According to invasiveness

1. Ex vivo gene therapy is when cells are altered outside the body and then infused.
2. In situ gene therapy is when the functional gene plus the DNA that delivers it (the vector)
are injected into a very localized and accessible body part.
3. In vivo gene therapy is when the gene and vector are introduced directly into the body.

Stem Cell Gene Therapy

Bodies grow and heal thanks to cells that retain the ability to divide, generating both new cells like
themselves
and cells that go on to specialize. Stem cells renew tissues so that as the body grows, or loses
cells to apoptosis, injury, and disease; other cells are produced that take their places.

A stem cell divides by mitosis to yield either two daughter cells that are stem cells like itself, or one
that is a stem cell and one that is a partially specialized progenitor cell. The characteristic of self-
renewal is what makes a stem cell a stem cell—its ability to continue the lineage of cells that can
divide to give rise to another cell like itself. Our more than 260 differentiated cell types develop from
lineages of stem and progenitor cells.
A fertilized ovum is the ultimate stem cell. It is totipotent, which means that it can give rise to
every cell type, including the cells of the membranes that support the embryo. Other stem cells and
progenitor cells are pluripotent: Their daughter cells have fewer possible fates. Some are
multipotent: Their daughter cells have only a few developmental “choices.”

As stem cell descendants specialize, they express some genes and ignore others. All cells,
however, synthesize proteins for basic “housekeeping” functions, such as energy acquisition and
protein synthesis.

Many, if not all, of the organs in an adult human body have stem or progenitor cells. These cells
can divide when injury or illness occurs and generate new cells to replace damaged ones. Stem
cells in the adult may have been set aside in the embryo or fetus in particular organs as repositories
of future healing. Evidence suggests that some stem cells, such as those from bone marrow, can
travel to and replace damaged or dead cells elsewhere in the body, in response to signals that are
released in injury or disease. Because every cell contains all of an individual’s genetic material, any
cell type, given appropriate signals, can in theory become any other. This concept is the basis of
much of stem cell technology.

Stem Cell Sources

1. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are not actually cells from an embryo, but are created in a
laboratory dish using certain cells from a region of a very early embryo called an inner cell
mass (ICM). Some ICM cells, under certain conditions, become pluripotent and can self-
renew—they are stem cells. The ICM cells used to derive ES cells can come from two
sources: “leftover” embryos from fertility clinics that would otherwise be destroyed, and from
nuclear transfer, in which a nucleus from a person’s somatic cell is transferred to an egg cell
that has had its own nucleus removed.

2. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are somatic cells that are “reprogrammed” to
differentiate into any of several cell types. This change may require a journey back through
developmental time to an ES cell-like state, then to specialize anew as a different, desired
cell type. Or, cells can be reprogrammed directly into another cell type. Deriving iPS cells
does not require the use of any cells from an embryo.

3. Adult or tissue-specific or somatic stem cells are found in the tissues of fetuses,
embryos and children, and not just in adult bodies. Adult stem cells self-renew, but most are
multipotent, giving rise to a few types of specialized daughter cells. Many potentially
valuable adult stem cells are routinely discarded as medical waste.

Stem Cell Applications

1. Drug discovery and development. Stem cell cultures supply the human cells that are
affected in a particular disease, which may be difficult or impossible to culture. Drugs are
tested on these cells. Using stem cells in drug development can minimize the need to
experiment on animals and can weed out drugs with adverse effects before they are tested
on people.

2. Observation for the earliest signs of a disease. Diseases may begin long before
symptoms appear in a person. Researchers are now observing the beginnings of hundreds
of diseases—and discovering new ways to treat them.

3. Implants and transplants for treatments. This approach is not new—the oldest such
treatment, a bone marrow transplant, has been around for more than half a century. Many
other uses of adult stem cells, delivered as implants, transplants, or simply infusions into the
bloodstream, are being tested.

4. Reprogramming proteins directly into the body to stimulate stem cells in their natural
niches. Once we understand the signals, we might not need the cells. The applications of
stem cells seem limited only by our imaginations.

Gene Therapy Concerns

Scientific Concerns

1. Which cells should be treated, and how?

2. What proportion of the targeted cell population must be corrected to alleviate or halt
progression of symptoms?
3. Is overexpression of the therapeutic gene dangerous?
4. Is it dangerous if the altered gene enters cells other than the intended ones?
5. How long will the affected cells function?
 6. Will the immune system attack the introduced cells?
7. Is the targeted DNA sequence in more than one gene?
8. How can the activity of the transferred gene be controlled so that cells make appropriate
amounts of the gene product at the right time and in the right place?
9. How can we be sure that the insertion of the therapeutic gene does not harm some other
necessary cell function?
10. What is the proper route for gene delivery in different kinds of disorders? For example, what
is the best way to treat brain or muscle tissues?
11. What percentage of cells in an organ or tissue need to express a therapeutic gene to
alleviate the effects of a genetic disorder?
12. What amount of a therapeutic gene product must be produced to provide lasting
improvement of the condition, and how can sufficient production be ensured?
13. Will it be possible to use gene therapy to treat diseases that involve multiple genes?
14. Can expression of therapeutic genes be controlled in a patient?

Ethical Concerns

1. Does the participant in a gene therapy trial truly understand the risks?
2. If a gene therapy is effective, how will recipients be selected, assuming it is expensive at
first?
3. Should rare or more common disorders be the focus of gene therapy research and clinical
trials?
4. What effect should deaths among volunteers have on research efforts?
5. Should clinical trials be halted if the delivered gene enters the germline?
6. Is there a difference between the transplantation of genes into somatic cells and the
transplantation of organs?
7. Under what circumstances, if any, should we alter the genomes of human germ lines?
8. Would germline therapy inevitably lead to the practice of eugenics, a deliberate effort to
control the genetic makeup of human populations?
9. How can the “good” and the “bad” uses of gene therapy be distinguished?
10. Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute a disability and disorder?
11. Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only to the wealthy?
12. Could the widespread use of gene therapy make society less accepting of people who are
different?
13. Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance basic human traits?
14. We have the technologies to test for genetic diseases for which there are no effective
treatments. Should we test people for these disorders?
15. With present genetic testing technologies, a negative result does not necessarily rule out
future development of a disease; nor does a positive result always mean that an individual
will get the disease. How can we effectively communicate the results of testing and the
actual risks to those being tested?
16. What information should people have before deciding to have a genome scan or a genetic
test for a single disorder?
17. How can we protect the information revealed by such tests?
18. Since sharing of patient data through electronic medical records is a significant concern,
what issues of consent need to be considered?
19. How can we define and prevent genetic discrimination?

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Choose an issue that you feel is important in the area of genetically modified organisms and
gene therapy. Write a position paper regarding this issue, discussing your stance on your chosen
issue. Your paper should be 500 – 7000 words long. You will be graded according to the following
criteria:

4 3 2 1
Depth of Content Demonstrates Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Lacks
a comprehensive basic understanding of
comprehensive understanding of understanding of the subject for
understanding of the subject for the subject for reflection.
the subject for reflection. reflection.
reflection and
work can be used
as an example for
others.
Originality and Work is insightful Work is insightful Work shows some Work is not
Insight and shows a and shows insight and original.
high degree of imagination. some degree
imagination. of
imagination.
Style and Clarity Ideas are clearly Ideas are clearly Ideas show some Ideas are not
articulated and articulated and degree of clarity communicated
well developed. well developed. but are not well clearly nor are
developed. they well
developed.
Organization Writing is Writing is Writing som Writing is
and well-organized well-organized has e of unorganized and
Grammar with no spelling with few spelling degree with contains many
and grammatical and grammatical organizationand spelling and
errors. errors. some spelling grammatical
grammatical errors.
errors.
Timeliness Completed work Completed work Completed work Completed work
was passed was passed on was passed the was passed
earlier than the the day after the more than a day
deadline given. deadline given. deadline given. after the
deadline given.

SUMMARY

● Biotechnology uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or

modify products or processes for specific use.
● Genetic engineering or the direct manipulation of genes for practical use has brought
revolution in biotechnology.
● Genetically modified organism (GMO) is acquired by artificial means (through recombinant
DNA methods, gene modification, or transgenic technology) one or more genes from another
species or even from another variety of the same species.
● Benefits of GMOs are mostly for agriculture and medicine.
● Potential risks of GMOs are of human health, biodiversity, animal welfare and also ethical
issues such as violating the rule of nature.
● Gene therapy is a therapeutic technique that aims to transfer normal genes into a patient’s
cells.
● Stem cells renew tissues so that as the body grows, or loses cells to apoptosis, injury, and
disease.

REFERENCES

● MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp.
96-104. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
● Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 122-132. Quezon City: Rex
Bookstore.
● Dubock, A. (2014). The politics of golden rice. GM Crops & Food, 5(3), 210-222.
● Duguet, A. et al. (2013). Ethics in Research with Vulnerable Populations and Emerging
Countries: The Golden Rice Case. Journal of International Law and Commercial
Regulations, 38(4), 979-1013 ● Silici, Laura. (2014). Agroecology What it is and what it has
to offer. IIED Issue Paper.
● MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp.
109-114. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
● Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 165-169. Quezon City: Rex
Bookstore.
 College of Teacher Education
Second Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
Module 13
NANOTECHNOLOGY

Course Title: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Course Code: GE 7
Name: ________________________________________
Course and Year: ________________________________________
Contact Number: ________________________________________
Instructor: BERNADETH S. GALAMGAM

Introduction

This module focuses on nanotechnology, its benefits, and its potential impact on

the environment. I. Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

● discussed the major impacts (both potential and realized) of nanotechnology on

society;
● analyzed the issues on nanotechnology through the conceptual STS lenses;
and ● critiqued the issue on its costs and benefits to society

II. Lecture

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology utilizes the unique properties of nanomaterials which has at least one-
dimensional size of a material between 1 nm to 100 nm to produce nanoscale devices, components,
and systems. Applications utilizing nanotechnology includes manufacturing various products,
measuring, imaging and manipulating matter on the nanoscale. Nanotechnology is of considerable
interest by scientists in the fields of nanocomposites, bio composites, optical, biomedical, and
electronic manufacturing. Nanoparticles are currently being developed fervently, and one novel
application includes polymer based composite materials used in the aircraft and wind industries.
Nanoscale materials can be different in properties compared to bulk materials for two reasons:

1. Nano-scaled particles have relatively larger surface area per unit mass which is the
critical factor to increase mechanical modulus and other physical and chemical
properties.

2. Basic material properties are changed at nanoscale due to the dominance of quantum
effects and lesser imperfections
 EXAMPLES OF NANOMATERIALS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

1. Semiconductors on the nanoscale. Semiconductor particles with diameters from 1

to 10 nm are called quantum dots. Making quantum dots is most easily accomplished using
chemical reactions in solution. For example, to make CdS, you can mix Cd (NO3)2 and Na2S in
water with a negatively charged polymer to the water (such as polyphosphate, –(OPO2) n–).
Quantum dots are being explored for applications ranging from electronics to lasers to medical
imaging because they are very bright, very stable, and small enough to be taken up by living cells
even after being coated with a biocompatible surface layer.

2. Metals on the nanoscale. People have known for hundreds of years that metals
are different when they are very finely divided. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the makers of
stained-glass windows knew that gold dispersed in molten glass made the glass a beautiful deep
red. Much later, in 1857, Michael Faraday reported that dispersions of small gold particles could be
made stable and were deeply colored. At nanoscale dimensions, silver has properties analogous to
those of gold in its beautiful colors, although it is more reactive than gold. Currently, there is great
interest in research laboratories around the world in taking advantage of the unusual optical
properties of metal nanoparticles for applications in biomedical imaging and chemical detection.

3. Carbon on the nanoscale. Over the past three decades, scientists have discovered
that carbon can form discrete molecules, one-dimensional nanoscale tubes, and two-dimensional
nanoscale sheets. Each of these forms of carbon shows very interesting properties. In 1985,
however, a group of researchers led by Richard Smalley and Robert Curl of Rice University and
Harry Kroto of the University of Sussex, England discovered buckminsterfullerene, nearly spherical
C60 molecules. Since the discovery of C60, other related molecules made of pure carbon have
been discovered. These molecules are now known as fullerenes. The smallest possible fullerene,
C20, was first detected in 2000. Because fullerenes are molecules, they dissolve in various organic
solvents, whereas diamond and graphite do not. This solubility permits fullerenes to be separated
from the other components of soot and even from one another. It also allows the study of their
reactions in solution.

Soon after the discovery of C60, chemists discovered carbon nanotubes. They can be made
in either multiwall or single-walled forms. Multiwall carbon nanotubes consist of tubes within tubes,
nested together, whereas single-walled carbon nanotubes consist of single tubes. Depending on the
diameter of the graphite sheet and how it is rolled up, carbon nanotubes can behave as either
semiconductors or metals.

The fact that carbon nanotubes can be made either semiconducting or metallic without any
doping is unique among solid-state materials, and laboratories worldwide are making and testing
carbon-based electronic devices. Carbon nanotubes are also being explored for their mechanical
properties. The carbon–carbon bonded framework of the nanotubes means that the imperfections
that might appear in a metal nanowire of similar dimensions are nearly absent. Experiments on
individual carbon nanotubes suggest that they are stronger than steel, if steel were the dimensions
of a carbon nanotube. Carbon nanotubes have been spun into fibers with polymers, adding great
strength and toughness to the composite material.

The two-dimensional form of carbon, graphene, is the most recent low-dimensional form of
carbon to be experimentally isolated and studied. It is very strong and has a record thermal
conductivity, topping carbon nanotubes in both categories. Graphene is a semimetal, which means
its electronic structure is like that of a semiconductor in which the energy gap is exactly zero. The
combination of graphene’s two-dimensional character and the fact that it is a semimetal allows the
electrons to travel very long distances, up to 0.3 μm, without scattering from another electron, atom,
or impurity. Graphene can sustain electrical current densities six orders of magnitude higher than
those sustainable in copper. Even though it is only one atom thick, graphene can absorb 2.3% of
sunlight that strikes it. Scientists are currently exploring ways to incorporate graphene in various
technologies including electronics, sensors, batteries, and solar cells.

BENEFITS FROM NANOTECHNOLOGY

1. Lower energy consumption: The use of graphene into a coating material resulting in the
need for only one layer, which does not require a multifunctional film coating. Two
applications for a graphene based coating are to apply it to a blade used in wind turbines or
on the body of an airplane. It saves the weight increasing efficiency.

2. Cost saving on materials: An alternative energy method such as hybrid automobiles will
decrease the price by novel developments in nanotechnology.

3. Less waste on raw materials: Large sample testing will be done on a smaller scale and
simultaneously use of raw materials will become more efficiency. Nanoscale chemical
reagents (or catalysts) increase the reaction rate and other efficiency of chemical reactions.

4. Environmental monitoring and protection: Utilizing advanced nanotechnology, a detector

was made to detect a nuclear leak faster and more accurate at the Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Plant. Which is one of the best radiation detectors in Washington and can
sense the faintest amount of radiation9 .

5. Biological applications: Developing ultra-small probes on planetary surfaces for agricultural

applications and control of soil, air, and water contamination.

6. Biomedical applications: This includes the medical diagnostic and treatments.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

1. Cleaner, more efficient industrial processes

2. Improved ability to detect and eliminate pollution by improving air, water, and soil quality
3. High precision manufacturing by reducing amount of waste
4. Clean abundant power via more efficient solar cells
5. Removal of greenhouse gases and other pollutants from the atmosphere
6. Decreased need for large industrial plants
7. Remediating environmental damages

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

1. High energy requirements for synthesizing nanoparticles causing high energy demand
2. Dissemination of toxic, persistent nano-substances originating environmental harm
3. Lower recovery and recycling rates
4. Environmental implications of other life cycle stages also not clear
5. Lack of trained engineers and workers causing further
 6.

LEARNING ACTIVITY Group Presentation and STS Lens Analysis

Critically analyze the social, technological, and scientific issues surrounding nanotechnology
through the lens of Science, Technology, and Society (STS), and to evaluate its costs and benefits
for society.

REFERENCES

1. MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp.
105-108. Quezon
City: C&E Publishing.
2. Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 152-163. Quezon City: Rex
Bookstore.
3. Lin, P. and Allhodd, F. (2007). Nanoethics: The ethical and social implications of
nanotechnology. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
4. Zhang, B. et al. (2011). Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology and Its Products.
Midwest Section Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education.
 College of Teacher Education
Second Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
Module 14
Climate Change and Environmental Awareness
Course Title: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
Course Code: GE 7
Name: ________________________________________
Course and Year: ________________________________________
Contact Number: ________________________________________
Instructor: BERNADETH S. GALAMGAM

Introduction
This module views key concepts on climate change and its diverse impacts on society, and
identify various plans
to address it by local, regional and global efforts. It primarily aims to inculcate environmental

awareness among students. I. Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

● identified the causes of climate change

● assessed the various impacts of climate change including economic, geopolitical, biological,
meteorological, etc. ● applied STS concepts to the issue of climate change

II. Lecture

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a global phenomenon caused by burning fossil fuels in which the Earth’s
atmosphere is trapped with heat gases. According Riebeek (2010), climate has changed when the
planet received more or less sunlight due to subtle shifts in its orbits as the atmosphere or surface
changed or when the Sun’s energy varied. The global average surface temperature rose from 0.6 to
0.9 degrees Celsius between 1906 and 2005, and the rate of temperature increase has nearly
doubled in the last 50 years.
Global warming refers to Earth’s gradual increase of temperature. It is the warming effect
caused by greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. It keeps the planet warm and prevents warm air
from leaving.
Some greenhouse gasses that cause global warming are carbon dioxide, methane. There
are also man-made gases such as chlorofluorocarbons, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons,
and sulphur hexafluoride.
Deforestation is one activity that causes global warming. Destroying forest land releases
carbon dioxide into the
air, results to increase the level of long wave radiation and trapped heat.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Melting of ice caps in the Polar Regions is one of the effects of climate change. It causes
infusion of salt in the ocean and destroys natural ocean currents. These ocean currents bring warm
current to cooler areas of the ocean and vice versa thus controlling and balancing the temperature.
Albedo is also affected by the melting of ice caps. It is the ratio of the light reflected by any part of
the Earth’s atmosphere. Snow for example has the highest albedo level, so when the snow melts
the temperature of the Earth will rise and polar bears also started to decrease due to lack of habitat.
Another effect of climate change is the change in wildlife adaptations. For example, spruce
bark beetles in
Alaska which commonly appears during warm months started to appear all year around eating
spruce trees thus damaging forest all year around.
According to Bradford and Pappas (2017), the effect of climate change is also expected in
the society. Agricultural systems will be affected specifically in land where drought is expected due
to severe weather, greater number and diversity of pests, lower groundwater tables and a loss of
arable land could cause severe crop failures and livestock shortage worldwide. Although carbon
dioxide may help increase plant’s growth, it may become less nutritious. This loss of food security
may affect the food markets and could start famines. Less nutritious food could also affect human
health.

OZONE DEPLETION

Ozone is a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms. It serves as a protection from the
ultraviolet rays which are very harmful to humans and plants. Atmospheric ozone is located in the
layer of stratosphere about 15 to 30 kilometer above the surface of the Earth. At a certain period of
time, ozone molecules are formed constantly and destroyed in the stratosphere when chlorine and
bromine atoms come into contact with ozone in the stratosphere which leads to ozone depletion.
Ozone depletion occurring in the stratosphere is a normal photolytic process as well as ozone
formation.
An ozone-depleting substance like chlorofluorocarbons used as aerosol propellants was ban
in the United States since 1970s. However rapid growth of new chemicals in refrigeration, fire
suppression, foam insulation and other application emit chlorofluorocarbon in the air which
contributes to ozone depletion.
Ozone “hole” over Antarctica is one of the examples of ozone depletion occurred since early
1980s. It is not
literally a hole instead it is a large area in the stratosphere with extremely low ozone. Even North
America, Europe, Asia and much of Africa, Australia, and South America were ozone depletion
occurred.

ACID DEPOSITION

Acid deposition is a term that includes any kind of precipitation with acidic components like
sulphuric acid or nitric
acid that fall on the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. Examples of this are acidic
rain, acidic snow, acidic fog, acidic hail or even acidic dust.
Acid deposition occurs when sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide are emitted into the
atmosphere and react with
wet or dry matters. This causes surface water acidification and effects soil chemistry.
Acid deposition affects the fertilization of fish eggs and kills adult fishes when the acid level
lowers than 5. Soil
organisms cannot survive when the acid level of the soil is below 6. The ability of leaves to retain
water under stress is also affected when deposition of sulphur and nitrogen oxide happens.

THERMAL INVERSION

Peroxylacetylnitrate is a transporter of nitrogen oxide to different rural areas that causes ozone
formation in the troposphere. This may lead to lower visibility in elevated areas. The normal cycle of
thermal inversion means an unstable air mass and air constantly move between warm and cool
areas which allow fumigation of the mixed air on a higher elevation. However, due to high
concentrations of pollutants the temperature increases and disrupts the flow of the mixed air to a
higher level.
 Thermal inversion occurs in some coastal areas due to the upwelling of cold water that lowers
surface sir temperature. Topography or man-made barriers like buildings can create temperature
inversion because the cold air may be blocked by these buildings and pushed under the warmer air
rising from the source.
El Nino is usually described as the unusual warming of surface waters also known as “warm
phase”. It brings droughts that commonly affect the agriculture and shortage of portable water to
drink. La Nina is the opposite of El Nino also known as “cool phase” and it is the unusual cooling of
the water surface. It brings extreme rainfall that causes flooding and erosion and destroys
properties or even kill humans and animals.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Environmental efforts must be done individually and collectively in order to minimize the effect
of climate change. It is an individual and global responsibility to care for the environment as it
changes contiguously.
There are many ways to minimize the effect of climate change, one way is to minimize the
emission of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels through the use of renewable energy like solar, wind, or
hydropower as sources of energy is highly recommended. Refrigerators, washing machines and
other appliances with energy efficient tagged should be considered before buying. The use of fuel-
efficient vehicles with higher fuel economy performance is another way to lessen fossil fuel
consumption.
Philippines is one of the signatories in the Kyoto Protocol which is an international
agreement that extends the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In 1997 it was adopted but the first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012.
Developed countries committed to minimize their carbon dioxide emissions up to 2% until 2050 to
help address the problem of climate change.
Another global agreement that Philippines along with 197 countries signed is Montreal
Protocol. It was set to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and
consumption of ozone depleting substances. It aims to help the ozone layer recuperate from the
hole it has attained due to increasing presence of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

STS Analysis and Group Presentations: Understanding Climate Change Through STS
Lenses: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions

Identify the causes of climate change, assess its various impacts (economic,
geopolitical, biological, meteorological), and apply Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
concepts to propose solutions or mitigation strategies for the issue of climate change.

REFERENCES

1. Quinto, EJ., Nieva, A. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 194-202. Quezon City:
C&E Publishing.
2. Riebeek, H., Simmon, R. (2010). Global warming. Retrieved from
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/GlobalWarming/page2.php
3. Bradford, A., Pappas, S. (2017) Effect of Global Warming. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html
4. Environmental Protection Agency (2017) Basic Ozone Layer Science. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/basic-ozone-layer-science
5. Pacala, S. (2009). Sharing global CO2 emission reductions among one billion high emitters.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS),
106(29) 11884-11888. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.090523406.
6. US EPA. (2007). International Action-the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the
layer. Retrieved from https:/www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/international-actions-montreal-
protocol-substances-deplete-ozone-layer