PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
GE 10 – PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
MODULE 3: ENERGY RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT OF BIOLOGICL
RENEWABLES
Welcome to People and Earth’s Ecosystem, an interdisciplinary subject of how
the earth works, how humans interact with it, and how we can address the
world's environmental issues. The concepts, facts, and issues presented in this
module and the course you are taking will be beneficial to you now and in the
future since environmental issues touch every aspect of your life.
This module is designed to enhance students understanding of basic
ecology concepts in three major areas: (1) Ecosystem, (2) Population, and (3)The
Anthropogenic Impact to Environment.
MODULE OVERVIEW
On Module 2, the students learned more about ecosystem from more structured
level of organizations to food web, food chain and ecological pyramid. Furthermore, the
students also learned the different symbiotic relationships among organisms and the
impacts of these relationships to each other in order to survive in various ecosystems.
On this Module, the students will learn more about energy resources and the
management of renewables as some of these energy resources are harmful in our life
and to our environment. With this, students will be able to realize the importance of
managing energy resources to have more sustainable and greener environment in the
future.
MODULE OUTCOMES:
At the end of this lesson, the students must have:



Explained the differences between renewable and non-renewable natural
resources,
Outline the ways that appropriate management practices can increase the
harvest of biological resources,
Realized the outcomes of inappropriate and too much usage of natural
resources.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
1
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
All living things need energy. We learned in our previous years that energy is one
of the requirements for life. However, it is not only living things which need energy to
move and carry out various processes. The machines and appliances in our world
around us also need energy to do work. Many substances and organisms store energy
which can then be used. We call them energy sources. Energy sources have energy
that is stored within them and can be used to make something happen, for example,
energy stored in petrol can be used to make a car go.
There are the two main sources of energy: renewable and non-renewable
sources. Renewable sources are ones which can be recycled or reused. Non-renewable
sources cannot be reused and so there is a limited amount available and when that
runs out there will be none left.
Figure 1: Types of Energy Sources
imgurl:https://intl.siyavula.com/read/science/grade-7/sources-of-energy/images/gr7ec01-gd-0018.jpg - Bing
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
2
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Renewable Resources refer to those which can be recycled or reused.
Renewable sources are considered to be renewable, sustainable, abundant and
environmentally friendly. Renewable energy is considered as clean energy since it does
not cause grave environmental pollution, and it has low or zero carbon and greenhouse
emission. Wind, hydropower, solar power and biofuels are examples of renewable
energy sources.
Wind Energy
Wind is moving air and it can be used as a
source of energy. The energy from moving air
particles is used to turn large turbines. The turbines
are connected to a generator which produces
electrical energy.
Wind turbines use wind to generate
electricity. You need a steady, strong wind blowing
in order to produce a large, consistent amount of
electricity. This means that wind farms cannot be put up in areas where there is not a
lot of wind. Wind farms are noisy and many people do not like the look of them.
Hydroelectric Power
Water can also be used as an energy source. This is
called hydropower. The energy from falling water is
used to drive turbines in a power station. Unlike coal
power stations, the water does not need to be heated
and the water can be reused. These power stations
must be at waterfalls or dams because there needs
to be a strong flow of water to harness the energy.
Hydropower - A large hydroelectric power station.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
3
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Solar Energy
There is a lot of energy in sunlight. Solar
panels are used to absorb the radiant energy from the
Sun and to transform the energy from the Sun into
stored potential energy. The Sun is a star and the
lifetime of a star is measured in billions of years. This
means that our Sun can provide energy to the Earth
for millions of years to come. Sunlight is considered a
renewable energy source because it will not run out in
the foreseeable future.
Biofuels
A biofuel is any fuel which is produced from plant or animal waste. Methane can
be produced by decomposing plants and animal waste. This is useful for farms as they
can produce enough methane gas to help run their farms. The most common biofuels
are made from maize, sugarcane and sorghum. The biofuels that are made can be used
in vehicles or heating and cooling systems.
Non-renewable sources cannot be reused, hence there is a limited amount
available and when that runs out there will be none left. The most common nonrenewable energy sources used in the world today is fossil fuel. Example of Fossil fuels
are oil, coal and natural gas. Why do you think they are called fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels
Where do we most often see fossil fuels in our everyday lives? Look at the following
images for a clue.
Putting petrol into a car at a petrol
station. Petrol is made from crude oil.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
4
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Petrol and diesel are used mainly as fuel for cars, trucks and motorbikes. They
are produced from crude oil, which is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of dead
prehistoric animals. Crude oil contains a lot of energy which can be used. Crude oil is a
non-renewable energy source because it takes millions of years to produce crude oil
and so we cannot produce more when the existing reserves are finished.
Coal is most commonly used as a source of
energy by power stations to generate electricity.
Coal can also be burned in fires to keep warm or in
coal stoves to cook our food.
Coal is used in most of our power stations in
South Africa.
Natural gas is the common name used to describe a mixture of gases. Natural
gas is found in deep underground rock formations and usually with other fossil fuels,
such as oil and coal. The biggest part of the gas mixture is a gas called methane.
Methane is a gas which burns easily and releases a lot of energy when it is burnt.
Natural gas is used for cooking, heating and producing electricity.
Natural gas has to be reached in underground reservoirs by drilling down wells such as
these.
When talking about the methane component of natural gas, we are talking about nonrenewable resources. Gas formed over thousands
of years as organic matter decayed and the gas
became trapped in wells which we now mine.
However, as we we will see later, methane can
also be considered a renewable resource. This is
when methane is produced from degrading organic
matter, such as animal waste, with the help of
microorganisms.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
5
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Non-renewable energy sources play a huge role in our lives and the way our
world works today. However, there are some major concerns about our reliance on
non-renewable energy sources. Firstly, there is only a limited supply, so these energy
sources will run out one day. We will then need to find alternative energy sources.
Currently alternative energy sources are being explored, and used in a small scale in
some places.
Another major disadvantage of burning of fossil fuels is that it releases greenhouse
gases into our atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases are present in our atmosphere and help to control the
Earth's temperature. The Sun's radiation enters Earth's atmosphere. Some of the
radiation is reflected by the atmosphere and Earth's surface. Most of the solar radiation
is absorbed by the Earth's surface and converted to heat to warm the Earth. The Earth's
surface emits heat. Some heat escapes out into space, but most is absorbed and reemitted by the greenhouse gases to further warm the atmosphere and Earth's surface.
This natural process is called the greenhouse effect.
Do you know what an actual greenhouse is?
It is normally a house made of glass, used to
grow plants in. The glass also traps the Sun's
energy and keeps the internal environment
warm enough for the plants to grow. This is
the same effect of the gases in the
atmosphere.
A glass greenhouse traps the Sun's energy and provides a warm environment for
the plants, just as the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere do. But, our use of fossil
fuels has released even more greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
6
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
There is now an excess of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This
reduces the amount of heat which escapes
into Space and traps more heat within the
Earth's atmosphere than before. This is
causing the temperature of the atmosphere
to rise, known as global warming.
Nuclear fuels
Energy can be produced by nuclear reactions. Do you remember about the atom
in Matter and Materials? Within the atom, the nucleus is held together by very strong
forces. When the nucleus is broken apart, a huge amount of energy is released. This
energy can be used in nuclear power plants to generate electricity. Two different nuclei
can also collide at very high speeds to form a new atomic nucleus. The energy released
is also used in nuclear power plants, however on a smaller scale than when nuclei are
broken apart. Some materials are better to use than others as nuclear fuels. One such
substance is uranium. Uranium is an element.
To summarize….
Renewable Energy Sources





can be replenished with a short period of time
continuously available and do not deteriorate environmental health and human
health
involve high investment though it is available cheaply
can be used again and again
Pollution-free Examples: Solar, Wind, Tidal energy.
Non-renewable Energy sources


cannot be replenished with a short period of time.
contributes to generating greenhouse gases that cause Global warming, a
negative effect on the environment
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
7
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT



cannot be used again and again; one day it will be exhausted.
cheap compared to renewable
not pollution-free Examples: Fossil fuel, coal.
Table 1: Advantages and disadvantages of Renewable and Non-renewable Energy
Sources.
Energy
source
Wind
Type of Energy
Source
Advantage
Renewable
No greenhouse gases
produced
Disadvantage
Wind farms are noisy and
take up a lot of space.
Need strong winds
Non-renewable
• Coal stores a lot of
energy which is
relatively easy to access
Burning releases greenhouse
gases into the environment
Non-renewable
Uranium has a vast
amount of energy stored
within
Production of nuclear waste
which needs to be stored
Renewable
Sustainable
No harmful emissions
Can be utilized anywhere
there is enough water
Dams must be built and this
damages/ changes the
landscape and affects
ecosystems.
Expensive to set up and
maintain
Solar power
Renewable
Non-polluting (no
greenhouse gases) and
renewable
Need a sunny climate all year
round; expensive to set up
Biofuels
Renewable
Uses renewable biomass
for energy
Coal
Uranium
Water
(Hydroelectric)
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
May affect food production
and supply
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
8
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Management of Biological Resources
Populations of animals and plants, and their assemblages known as communities
and ecosystems (such as a tract of forest), can be harvested in a sustainable manner –
that is, without depleting the size of the resource or its capability to renewal.
Essentially, this is due to the fact that, within limits, bio-resources are able to
regenerate after some of their biomass is harvested. As long as the rate of harvesting
does not exceed that of regeneration, a bio-resource can be used in a sustainable way.
Ultimately, the upper limits of the productivity of an individual organism are
limited by genetically determined factors that influence its fecundity, longevity, and
growth rate. To reach that potential limit of productivity, an organism must experience
optimal environmental conditions. In a collective sense, genetic factors also set a ceiling
on the potential productivity of populations or organisms, as well as communities and
larger ecosystems. However, in the real world it is typical that environmental conditions
are not optimal, and so the actual (or realized) recruitment, growth, and maturation of
individuals and biomass are less than their potential amounts. As a result, it is possible
to increase the size of a harvest by the use of management practices that enhance the
productivity of bio-resources.
When these practices are used in a coordinated way, they are called a
management system. The most important practices that are used to increase the
productivity of bio-resources are described below.
1. Selective Breeding - In all species, there is some degree of genetically based
influence on biological attributes of individuals such as fecundity, longevity, and
productivity. Plant and animal breeders deliberately select individuals that display traits
that are considered desirable and use them in breeding programs intended to develop
“improved” varieties of crops. This is the basis by which all domesticated species used
in agriculture were developed, and cultural selection is still an important way in which
crop varieties are produced.
2. Enhancement of Recruitment - The rate of recruitment of new individuals into an
exploited population can be increased in various ways. Some commonly used methods
are described below.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
9
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
a. Planting: In intensively managed agricultural, aquacultural, and forestry
systems, managers may try to achieve an optimally spaced monoculture of the crop.
This is done so that the productivity will not be limited by competition with non-crop
species or by individuals of the crop growing too closely together. The recruitment of
plant crops is often managed by sowing seeds under conditions that favour their
germination and establishment, while optimizing density to minimize competition.
Sometimes young plants are grown elsewhere and then out-planted, a practice that is
used to cultivate paddy rice, develop fruit-tree orchards, and establish plantations in
forestry.
b. Regeneration of Perennial Crops - Some management systems
encourage perennial crops to regenerate by re-sprouting from surviving rhizomes or
stumps after the above-ground biomass is harvested. This regeneration system is used
with sugar cane and with stands of ash, aspen, maple, and poplar in forestry. In some
cases, the regenerating population may have to be thinned to optimize its density.
c. Stock Enhancement - Recruitment of many fishes, particularly salmon and
trout, is often enhanced by stripping wild animals or hatchery stock of their eggs and
milt (sperm). The eggs are then fertilized under controlled conditions and incubated
until they hatch. The larval fish (called fry) are cultivated until they reach a fingerling
size, when they are released to suitable habitat to supplement the natural recruitment
of wild fish.
d. Site Preparation - Certain practices favour the recruitment of economically
preferred tree species in forestry. For instance, some pines recruit well onto clear-cuts
that have been siteprepared by burning, as long as a supply of seeds is available.
Seedlings of other tree species establish readily onto exposed mineral soil and are
favoured by mechanical scarification that exposes that substrate by disrupting the
organic surface mat.
e. Managing the Sex Ratio - Recruitment of some hunted animals can be
maintained by allowing only adult males to be harvested. For example, most species of
deer are polygynous (males breed with more than one female).
f. Harvest Season - Recruitment of some animals can be managed by limiting
the hunting season to a particular time of the year. For example, restricting the hunt of
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
10
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
waterfowl to the autumn allows ducks and geese to breed during the spring and
summer so that recruitment can occur. Hunting in the springtime interferes with that
reproduction.
3. Enhancement of Growth Rate - As noted previously, the productivity of all
plants and animals is constrained by environmental influences, which include inorganic
factors such as nutrient availability and temperature and biological ones such as
competition and disease. Some examples follow.
a. Agricultural Systems - In intensive agricultural systems, high-yield varieties
of crops are grown and managed to optimize their productivity. The management
practices typically combine some or all of the following: fertilizer addition to enhance
nutrient availability, irrigation to reduce the effects of drought, tillage (ploughing) or
herbicide use to decrease competition from weeds, fungicide use and other practices to
control diseases, and insecticide use and other practices to lessen damage caused by
insects and other pests.
b. Forestry - The intensity of management used in forestry varies greatly, but
crop-tree productivity can be increased through thinning young stands to reduce
competition among crop trees, using herbicide to control weeds, and using insecticide
to cope with infestations of insects.
c. Aquaculture - High-yield varieties of fish, crustaceans, or mollusks may be
grown at high density in ponds or pens, where they are well fed and protected from
diseases and parasites through the use of antibiotics and other chemicals.
4. Management of Mortality Rate - Mortality of juveniles and adults can
seriously affect the sizes of plant and animal stocks. However, by thinning out the
stock, mortality also influences the intensity of competition and that can increase the
growth rate of survivors. Natural mortality associated with predators, parasites,
diseases, and accidents can be decreased in various ways:
a. Diseases, Parasites, and Herbivores - Mortality of crop plants caused by
herbivorous insects may be managed by using insecticide or by changing the growth
conditions to develop a habitat that is less favourable to the pest. Livestock are
commonly affected by parasites, a problem that may also be reduced by using a
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
11
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
pesticide. For example, sheep infested with ticks are dipped in chemical baths that kill
the pests. Similarly, mortality caused by disease may be reduced by using medicines
that treat the symptoms, by administering antibiotics to deal with bacterial infections, or
by changing cultivation methods to decrease vulnerability. All such practices allow
diseases, parasites, and herbivores to be controlled over the short term, but none are
long-term solutions to these causes of productivity loss and mortality.
b. Selection of Species and Sizes - The great variation in selectivity of
harvesting methods, with regards to both species and size, can be an important
consideration in resource management. In a fishery, for example, a change in the netmesh diameter influences the sizes of animals that are caught. Usually, it is
advantageous to not harvest smaller individuals, which may not yet have bred and
often have a smaller value-per-unit-weight than bigger animals. In forestry, sizeor
species-selective cutting might be used in preference to clear-cutting, perhaps to
encourage regeneration of the most desirable tree species. Those methods also reduce
environmental damage, by keeping the physical structure of the forest relatively intact.
c. Number of Harvesting Units - An obvious way to manage mortality
associated with harvesting is to limit the number of units that are participating in a
harvest. In a fishery, for example, the government could limit the number of fishers by
issuing only a certain number of licenses. Usually, the kind of technology that the
harvesters can use is also specified, such as the number of boats using a particular
fishing gear.
d. Time Spent Harvesting - The harvesting effort is also influenced by the
amount of time that each unit works. Often there is strong pressure on regulators to
allow harvesting to occur for as long as possible, because of the great economic value
of investments made in machinery and personnel. Even so, in some cases, the
harvesting time is closely regulated. For example, certain herring fisheries in coastal
waters of western North America are only allowed to operate for as little as several
hours per year. Regulatory tools are legal and administrative procedures that managers
use to achieve a measure of control over the harvesting effort, and therefore over the
mortality associated with exploitation.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
12
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Activity 1:
Direction: Classify the following words or phrases below using the Venn diagram.
Renewable
Non-Renewable
Can be replaced in short amount of time
Are not able to be replaced during a lifetime
Pollute the environment
Examples: Coal, Oil and Natural GAS
Give us power
Examples: Biomass, geothermal, solar, wind
Provide energy
Energy Resources
Activity 2: Create a Slogan about Energy Resources.
Mechanics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Criteria
Slogan must be written in a Long Size White Bond paper.
The slogan must be in handwritten format
It could be in English, Filipino or Hiligaynon
The slogan must be originally made; Copying in the internet will be automatic zero.
Be creative as you can.
Relevance to the Theme – 5 Points
Creativity – 5 Points
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Originality – 5 Points
Impact and Presentation – 5 Points
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
13
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Activity 3: Make a poem about the importance of natural resources in your life. Poem must be
in a range of 4-5 paragraphs.
Criteria
Excellent
(10)
Proficient
(7)
The poem somewhat
goes together but needs
more cohesiveness. The
poem’s lines and stanzas
sometimes sway from the
topic.
Cohesiveness
The poem goes perfectly
together. There is unity
between lines and stanzas,
which connect with the
topic.
Creativity
The poem uses 3 or more
unique metaphors and
similes to describe
situations, objects and
people.
The poem uses 1 unique
metaphors and similes to
describe situations,
objects and people.
Grammar
and spelling
Writer makes no errors in
grammar or spelling that
distracts the reader from
the content.
Writer makes 3-5 errors
in the grammar or
spelling that distract the
reader from the content.
Organization
The sequencing of words
and phrases is random. The
reader can find no evidence
of thoughtful ordering of
ideas.
The sequencing of words
and phrases is somewhat
logical and the reader is
able to follow the
ordering of ideas with
minimal effort.
Lacking
(5)
The poem does not go
together. The poem
lines and stanzas away
from the topic.
The poem does not use
unique metaphors and
similes.
Writer makes 5-10
errors in the grammar
or spelling that distract
the reader from the
content
The sequencing of
words and phrases is
random. The reader can
find no evidence of
thoughtful ordering of
ideas.
Guide Questions:
1. What is the importance of Energy Resources?
2. How can a productivity of biological resources be increased through management?
3. What are the possible effects if there is a scarcity in Non-renewable energy
resources?
4. Why do you think Renewable resources are not prominent energy resources for all?
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Renewable and Non-renewable
resources?
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
14
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
POST TEST: Identify the materials or the list below, write RNR if the items/materials is
renewable natural resources and write NNR if it is non-renewable resources.
1. COAL
2. WATER
3. OIL
4. TREES
5. WIND
6. PLASTICS
7. ALUMINUM
8. NATURAL GAS
9. ICE CUBES
10. SUNLIGHT
11. PAPER
12. GOLD
13. URANIUM
14. FRUITS
15. VEGETABLES
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
15
PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
References
Ehrlich, P. and A.H. Ehrlich. 1991. The Population Explosion. Ballantine, New York, NY.
Evernden, L.L.N. 1985. The Natural Alien: Humankind and Environment. University of
Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.
John James William Rogers and P. Geoffrey Feiss (1998).People and the Earth: Basic
Issues in the Sustainability of Resources and Environment. Cambridge University Press.
Kumar, Amrit. Learn Mechanical.Renewable and Nonrenewable EnergyTypes, Sources,
Example, PDF. Accessed February 5, 2021https://learnmechanical.com/renewable-andnonrenewable-energy/
Renewable and non-renewable energy | Sources of energy | Siyavula. Accessed
February 5, 2021.https://intl.siyavula.com/read/science/grade-7/sources-of-energy/11sources-of-energy
Rinkesh. Conserve Energy Future. Be Green Stay GreenAccessed February 5,
2021https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantagesofrenewable-energy.php
Suggested Reading: https://ecampusontario.press.pub/environmentalscience
Disclaimer: I do not own some part of this module. The Pictures and some content found on this module
belong to the rightful owner. This module was made for educational purposes only.
GE 10 - PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Prepared By: Rey P. Cadion
- Instructor
16