Biodiversity and the Healthy Society
Source: Biodiversity and the Healthy Society-converted
Biodiversity – variety of life present in an ecosystem which provides people with food,
medicine, energy, water, air, and everything that they need.
1. Genetic biodiversity – variations among organisms of the same species which are
passed down from generation to generation through inheritance; variation of genes
within species and populations.
2. Species biodiversity – variety of species within a particular region influenced by the
environmental conditions. Species are the basic units of biological classifications and
are grouped together in families based on shared characteristics; Species Richness -
This refers to the total count of species in a defined area. Species Abundance - This
refers to the relative numbers among species.
a. Functional types: Functional types are those species, which perform different
ecological functions.
b. Functional analogues: Functional analogues represent distinct taxa
performing the same or very similar ecological functions.
3. Ecological biodiversity – network of various species in an ecosystem and its
interaction. Variations of climatic and altitudinal conditions along with varied
ecological habitats contribute to the richness in biodiversity of a particular region on
Earth.
Benefits of Biodiversity
● Biodiversity offers food: harvests, silviculture, livestock and fish
● Biodiversity is fundamentally important in medicine. An example is quinine,
extracted from the cinchona tree (Cinchona calisaya and C. officinalis) that is used to
fight malaria. Furthermore some scholars believe that 70% of anticancer drugs are
derived from tropical forest plants. It seems that out of 250,000 species of known
plants, only 5,000 have been studied for their possible medical applications.
● Biodiversity has a remarkable role also in the textile fibers manufacturing industry,
wood for building and for the production of energy.
● Biodiversity is a source of richness also in the sector of tourism and recreational
activities: wild natural environments and the presence of animals in fact attract
thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.
Health and Medicine
● 2600 BC – humans started using plants to treat illnesses in the practice called herbal
medicine.
● Various plant-based drugs like gargles, pills, infusions, and ointments were used in
Ancient Egypt, China, Greek, India, and even the Philippines.
● In the Dark and Middle Ages, France, Ireland, Germany, and England (FIGE), through
their monasteries, preserved the Western knowledge of treating illnesses using
herbal medicines.
● Today, in the Philippines, proliferation of herbal medicines --- aptly called natural
food supplements--- is evident.
● For example: aspirin, whose main ingredient is salicylic acid, comes from the bark of
willow tree; morphine, a painkiller first used in the 1800s, is from Papaver
somniferum, a plant commonly known as opium poppy; digitoxin, a drug for
congestive heart failure, is from Digitalis purpurea or foxglove which have already
been used since the 1700s; the local plant called tawa-tawa is also potentially
believed to be a cure for dengue fever.
A. Food
Agrobiodiversity – a special kind of ecological biodiversity position to solve scarcity of
food.
B. Shelter and Raw Materials
Humans need shelter to protect themselves from danger and bad weather like hot, cold,
rain and storms.
C. Energy
Energy is necessary in doing activities. During the Stone Age, heat energy that came from
fire was used mainly for survival against harsh-cold environments, for cooking, and, even,
for communication with the tribes.
● In 1820s, natural gas (fossil fuel) was used as a source of light but was challenged by
lack of pipeline infra.
● In 1830s, an electric generator was developed based on Michael Faraday’s discovery
of electromagnetism.
● In 1850s, drilling of commercial oil started which led to the distillation of kerosene
from petroleum.
● In 1860s, Augustine Mouchot developed the solar-powered system and it was first
used in industrial machinery.
● In 1892, geothermal energy was first used.
● In 1942, a nuclear fission reactor was designed and built. In the 19th and 20th
century, coal energy shaped the industrialization of the USA, UK, and other European
countries.
Adverse Effects of Energy Sources to Biodiversity
● risk of potential accidents
● source of environmental toxins that kill species, even humans (nuclear reactor
explosions)
● oil spills; coal ash spills; wildlife mortality; habitat loss; fragmentation; noise and
light pollution; invasive species; carbon footprint; and contamination of water
resources.
D. Water
● On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly
explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged
that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human
rights.
● In November 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted
General Comment No. 15 on the right to water.
● Humans need water to: a) replace water that is lost during breathing, sweating, and
urination; b) remove waste products from the body; c) aide in digestion; d) grow and
stay healthy; e) control body temperature; and f) be used for bathing, washing, and
cleaning.
● Despite drawing power from a natural resource, hydropower certainly has an effect
on the environment:
● Flooding before was an important agent of adding nutrients to rivers, lakes, and soil;
but in recent times, flooding causes long-term damages.
E. Air
Humans need air to breathe. They breathe in and breathe out air through their nose.
Without air, humans could not breathe and would die.
Protocols in Biodiversity for Biosafety and Healthy society
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety entered into force in 2003, ushering in a new era for
the safe transfer, handling, and use of biotechnological biodiversity.
The protocol aims to adequately protect biodiversity from any potential adverse effects of
living modified organisms.
National Biosafety Framework
Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make new
products. It has been around for thousands of years.
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR BIODIVERSITY 2011-2020 AND THE AICHI BIODIVERSITY
TARGETS
The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets provide
an agreed overarching framework for action on biodiversity and a foundation for
sustainable development for all stakeholders, including agencies across the UN system.
Aichi Biodiversity Targets are grouped under five strategic goals:
1. address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity
across government and society;
2. reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use;
3. improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species, and genetic
diversity;
4. enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services; and
5. enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management,
and capacity building.
Source: Biodiversity and Healthy Society PPT
BIGGEST THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
1. Climate Change
2. Habitat loss & Degradation
3. Pollution
4. Invasive Species
5. Overexploitation
6. Other Potential Threats
Biodiversity Loss - reduction in the number of genes, individual organisms, species, and
ecosystems in a given area.
Influencers: increased population, increased consumption, reduced resource efficiency
Biodiversity Conservation
● In Situ- refers to conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats including
maintenance and recovery of viable populations of species in their natural habitats.
● Ex Situ- It refers to conservation of components of biodiversity outside their natural
habitats, e.g. zoos, museums, gene banks, botanical gardens/arboretums,
Ecosystem Services Valuation
● Utilitarian Approach
● Non-Utilitarian Approach
Broadly Utilitarian - argument says that biodiversity plays a major role in many ecosystem
services that nature provides
Ethical - Philosophically or spiritually, we need to realize that every species has an
intrinsic value
Source: Biodiversity Threats and Conservation
Ecosystem diversity — This relates to the variety of habitats, biotic communities and
ecological processes in the biosphere.
BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
Utilitarian benefits
Biodiversity contributes to our material well-being. We obtained various productive
materials from biodiversity e.g. agricultural materials or food, medicine, industrial raw
materials etc.
Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are defined as the processes and conditions of natural systems that
support human activity.
Ethical and moral benefits
Every organism has an inherent right to exist regardless of whether it is valuable to human
beings or not.
Aesthetic value
Human beings derive great enjoyment from the natural environment.
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Principal threats to biodiversity:
● Habitat alteration and destruction
● Over-exploitation of biological resources - results when individuals of a particular
species are taken at a higher rate than can be sustained by the natural reproductive
capacity of the population being harvested.
● Pollution
● Species invasions
● Climatic changes
● Population
● Institutional / policy failure
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
● Conservation - is the sustainable use of resources and encompasses protection as
well as exploitation
● Preservation - is an aspect of conservation meaning to keep something without
altering or changing it.
Ex-situ conservation:
It refers to conservation of components of biodiversity outside their natural habitats, e.g.
zoos, museums, gene banks, botanical gardens/arboretums,
In-situ conservation:
It refers to conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats including maintenance and
recovery of viable populations of species in their natural habitats. A protected area network
of 102 national parks, 18 biosphere reserves and 448 wildlife sanctuaries has been created.
Community Participation in Biodiversity Conservation
International efforts for biodiversity conservation:
BIOSAFETY
Source: Biosafety
The concept of biosafety encompasses a range of measures, policies and procedures for
minimizing potential risks that biotechnology may pose to the environment and human
health.
The Protocol deals primarily with GMOs that are to be intentionally introduced into the
environment (such as seeds, trees or fish) and with genetically modified farm commodi-
ties (such as corn and grain used for food, animal feed or processing).
The Cartagena Protocol promotes biosafety by establishing practical rules and procedures
for the safe transfer, handling and use of GMOs, with a specific focus on regulating
movements of these organisms across borders, from one country to another.
An Advance Informed Agreement procedure. The most rigorous procedures are reserved
for GMOs that are to be introduced intentionally into the environment. These include
seeds, live fish and other organisms that are destined to grow and that have the potential to
pass their modified genes on to succeeding generations.
- ensures that recipient countries have the opportunity to assess any risks that may be
associated with a GMO before agreeing to its import.
A simplified system for agricultural commodities. The largest category of GMOs in
international trade is bulk shipments containing genetically modified corn, soybeans and
other agricultural commodities intended for direct use as food or feed or for processing and
not as seeds for growing new crops.
Risk assessments. The Protocol empowers governments to decide whether or not to accept
imports of GMOs on the basis of risk assessments.
Export documentation. For GMOs intended for direct introduction into the environment,
the accompanying documentation must clearly state that the shipment contains GMOs.
Risk management and emergency procedures. No technology or human activity is
completely risk-free.
Export documentation. For GMOs intended for direct introduction into the environment,
the accompanying documentation must clearly state that the shipment contains GMOs.
The Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH). The Biosafety Clearing-House is one of the
cornerstones of the Protocol’s biosafety regime.
Capacity-building and finance. Countries that trade in GMOs need to have the capacity to
implement the Protocol.
Public awareness and participation. It is clearly important that individual citizens
understand and are involved in national decisions on GMOs.
The Cartagena Protocol and other international agreements
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), which protects plant health by
assessing and managing the risks of plant pests.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, which addresses food safety and consumer health.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), which develops standards and guidelines
designed to prevent the introduction of infectious agents and diseases into the importing
country during international trade in animals, animal genetic material and animal
products.
A number of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, such as the Agreement on the
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the Technical Barriers to Trade
Agreement, contain provisions that are relevant to biosafety.
Source: Youtube Video
Conservation - the study of the loss of Earth’s biological diversity and the ways this loss
can be prevented.
2 Approaches:
● Protect the Species
- Legislation, endangered species protection, CITES, Red List of IUCN, Species
Survival Plans, Reintroduction
● Protect the Habitat
- Marine Protected Areas
Conservation Genetics
STS IN THE INFORMATION AGE
Source: 24 Characteristics of Information Age
INFORMATION AGE
- A common designation for the current period beginning with 1945
Networks - allow large number of people to communicate
Internet of Things - all things begin to demonstrate intelligence
Mobility - free to move
Knowledge & Research
Digitization - transform from physical to digital
Consumerization - improved versions
Immersive experience -
Long tail - ability of amateurs to compete with highly skilled professional
Misinformation & Disinformation
Knowledge economy - creation of value without manual work
Productivity - automation
Leisure - freedom to spend their time
Attention Economy - messaging customer in real time
Dematerialization - tendency to use lesser raw materials
Imagination age
Maker culture
Creative destruction - becomes obsolete
Globalization - integration of systems, economies, societies, and politics across regions
Commoditization of experience -
Culture change
Digital dependency
Information security
Accelerating Change
MOORE’S LAW - prediction in 1970s that processing power of computers would double
every two years
Source: Youtube Video
Digital Citizenship - ability to engage with the internet or technology in a safe and
meaningful way
Mission:
2 Pillars:
● Respect
● Protect
Digital Footprint
- Personal information that someone leaves behind while they are using the internet,
whether intentional or not.
Copyrights
- Legal protection of an owner’s work
Passwords
- Important step toward digital safety is a strong password
Student Agency
- Giving students autonomy over their learning experience
9 Elements
● Literacy - understanding the right way to utilize specific technology
● Commerce - Understanding the use of money thru online methods
● Communication - ability to use diff online tools to communicate
● Access - relates to digital divide, which describes how some students have access to
the internet while others do not.
● Etiquette - exhibiting appropriate behavior for each digital tool
● Law - responsibility to follow legal guidelines, policy, rules
● Rights -
● Health -
● Security - proper steps to protect yourself from dangers
Source: The Information Age PDF
What is ICT?
ICT is short for information and communications technology. It refers to a broad field
encompassing computers, communications equipment and the services associated with
them. It includes the telephone, cellular networks, satellite communication, broadcasting
media and other forms of communication.
What is the relationship between the digital revolution and the ICT revolution?
The digital and ICT revolutions are twin revolutions.
The transmission of hitherto different services (telephony, television, internet) via the
same digital network is also known as convergence.
What are the main characteristics of digital technology?
● Media Integrity.
● Media Integration.
● Flexible Interaction.
● Transactions.
● Tailoring.
● Editing.
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a network of networks. It is a global set of connections of computers that
enables the exchange of data, news and opinion.
Why is the Internet important?
The Internet, according to Lawrence Lessig, is an “innovation commons”, a shared
resource that enables the creation of new and/or innovative goods and services.
What is Moore’s Law? Metcalfe’s Law? Internet time?
Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s Law are insightful observations into the power of the personal
computer and the Internet.
What is the information economy?
An information economy is where the productivity and competitiveness of units or agents
in the economy (be they firms, regions or nations) depend mainly on their capacity to
generate, process, and apply efficiently knowledge-based information efficiently.
What are the main features of the information economy?
The information economy is global.
A second characteristic of the information economy is that it is highly productive.
A third characteristic of the information economy is the change in the manner of
obtaining profits.
What is Coase Law? And how is it related to the ICT revolution and the information
economy?
Nobel Laureate for Economics Ronald Coase noted that a firm tends to expand until “the
costs of organizing an extra transaction within the firm become equal to the costs of
carrying out the same transaction on the open market.”
Lipsey, who studies the relationship between technological change and economic
development, suggests that the introduction of new technologies can have the
following effects on society15 :
12
● Initial productivity slowdown and delayed productivity payoff from the new technologies
● Destruction of human capital (as many old skills are no longer wanted)
● Technological unemployment (temporary but serious)
● Widening disparities in the distribution of income, which tends to be temporary
until the supply of labor catches up to the new mix of skill requirements
● Big changes in regional patterns of industrial location (globalization)
● Big changes in required education
● Big changes in infrastructure (e.g., the information highway)
● Big changes in rules and regulations (intellectual property, antimonopoly, etc.)
● Big changes in the way we live and interact with each other
What are the main features of the information economy?
The information economy is global.
A second characteristic of the information economy is that it is highly productive.
A third characteristic of the information economy is the change in the manner of
obtaining profits.
GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Genetic engineering, usually associated with recombinant DNA or rDNA, is founded on the
work of many scientists over the years. In 1953, the discovery of DNA by James Watson and
Francis Crick opened the gates for the countless possibilities of genetic engineering.
In 1973, Herbrt Boyer and Stanley Cohen were the first scientists to genetically modify an
organism by combining genes from two different E. coli.
The focus of genetic engineering is to use biology to solve problems and make useful
products in a field known as biotechnology, any technological application that uses
biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or
processes for specific use"
The most prominent area of biotechnology is the production of therapeutic proteins and
other drugs, as well as the production of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Types of Biotechnology
● Green biotechnology – creation of more fertile and resistant seeds, plants and
resources by using specialized techniques (GMO); focused on the development of
agriculture
● Yellow biotechnology – use of biotechnology in food production, for example in
making wine, cheese, and beer
● White biotechnology – uses living cells from yeast, molds, bacteria, plants, and
enzymes to synthesize products that are easily degradable
● Blue biotechnology – based on the exploitation of sea resources to create products
and industrial applications (e.g. production of bio-oils with photosynthetic micro-
algae)
● Red biotechnology – related to the medical and pharmaceutical industries and
health preservation; production of vaccines and antibiotics; and development of
hormones, stem cells, antibodies, and diagnostic tests
● Gray biotechnology – dedicated to environmental applications, maintenance of
biodiversity, and remoting of pollutants
● Brown biotechnology – management of arid lands and deserts, creation of enhanced
seeds that resist extreme-environmental conditions
● Gold biotechnology – also called bioinformatics, it is related to nanobiotechnology,
and computer biotechnology
● Violet biotechnology – refers to law, ethical and philosophical issues around
biotechnology
● Dark biotechnology – bioterrorism and biowarfare or biological weapons which uses
microorganisms and toxins to cause diseases and death in humans, livestock and
crops
GMOs
a plant, animal, microorganisms, or other organisms whose genetic makeup has been
modified using recombinant DNA (rDNA) methods (gene splicing), gene modification, or
transgenic technology.
Humulin, first GMO, a type of insulin produced using the genetically engineered E. coli
bacteria.
Specific concerns over genetic engineering include:
● Allergic reactions.
● Gene mutation.
● Antibiotic resistance.
● Loss of taste and nutrition.
● Environmental Damage.
● Gene pollution cannot be cleaned up.
Gene Therapy and Stem-Cell Technology
Gene therapy (GT) is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease.
In the future, this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a
patient’s cells instead of using drugs or surgery.
Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) is the treatment of various disorders, non-serious to life
threatening, by using stem cells.
Degenerative disorders arise from degeneration or wear and tear of bone, cartilage,
muscle, fat or any other tissue, cell or organ.
The common degenerative disorders are diabetes, osteoarthritis, stroke, chronic renal
failure, congestive cardiac failure, myocardial infarction, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease etc.
Stem cell therapy utilizes:
embryonic stem cells - ESCs are stem cells derived from an early stage of embryo
development or from the inner cell mass of the developing embryo, capable of
differentiating into nearly all cell types of all three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and
endoderm).
mesenchymal stem cells - MSCs, the commonest type of adult stem cells, represent an
attractive research field for scientists due to their potential to regenerate damaged or
degenerated tissues and organs, and also because their use does not create ethical or
immunological concerns. MSCs represent an accessible stem cell source since they can be
isolated from adult somatic tissues, such as the bone marrow, skin, adipose tissue,
umbilical cord, and intestines.
hinduced pluripotent stem cells - hiPSCs from somatic cells using either the same
approach as in mouse cells –Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc,
and Klf4 with a retroviral vector.
Limitations of Stem-Cell Technology
The therapeutic use of stem cells is currently limited by several issues such as ethical
considerations, teratoma development, and the long-term possibility of carcinogenesis,
somatic mutations, and epigenetic defects induced by reprogramming. Further preclinical
and clinical studies are needed.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
The term nanotechnology describes a range of technologies performed on a nanometer
scale with widespread applications as an enabling technology in various industries.
Nanotechnology encompasses the production and application of physical, chemical, and
biological systems at scales ranging from individual atoms or molecules to around 100
nanometers, as well as the integration of the resulting nanostructures into larger systems.
The area of the dot of this ”i” alone can encompass 1 million nanoparticles.
A nanometer (nm) is one thousand millionth of a meter. A single human hair is about
80,000 nm wide, a red blood cell is approximately 7,000 nm wide, a DNA molecule 2 to 2.5
nm, and a water molecule almost 0.3 nm. The term ”nanotechnology” was created by
Norio Taniguchi of Tokyo University in 1974 to describe the precision manufacture of
materials with nanometer tolerances1, but its origins date back to Richard Feynman’s 1959
talk ”There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”2 in which he proposed the direct
manipulation of individual atoms as a more powerful form of synthetic chemistry.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Weather is the temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness and wind that we
experience in the atmosphere at a given time in a specific location.
Climate is the average weather over a long time period (30 – 50 years) in a region.
Climate variability refers to natural variation in climate that occurs over months to
decades. El Niño, which changes temperature, rain and wind patterns in many regions over
about 2 – 7 years, is a good example of natural climate variability, also called natural
variability.
Climate change is “a systematic change in the long-term state of the atmosphere over
multiple decades or longer.”
Climate change is causing five critical global environmental changes:
● Warming temperature of the earth’s surface and the oceans:
● Changes in the global water cycle (‘hydrologic’ cycle):
● Declining glaciers and snowpack:
● Sea level rise:
● Ocean acidification:
Mitigation refers to “measures to reduce the amount and speed of future climate change by
reducing emissions of heat-trapping gasses or removing carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.”
Adaptation refers to measures taken to reduce the harmful impacts of climate change or
take advantage of any beneficial opportunities through “adjustments in natural or human
systems.”
Resilience means the “capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from
significant threats with minimum damage to social well-being, the economy, and the
environment.”
