WITNESS SCIENCE

Story of Creation
Genesis 1- 2:4
 Day 1
o Light
o Darkness
o Light-Day
o Darkness- Night
o Dome in the middle of the waters
o Separate the body of water from the other sky
 Day 2
o Dry land- Earth
o Sea- basin of the water
o Earth- vegetation (plants that bears seed and fruit trees)
 Day 3
o Marked fixed times, the days and the years
o Two great lights: Sun- govern the day; Moon and stars- govern the night
 Day 4
o Living creatures
o Water (sea monsters, swimming creatures)
o Earth (birds, winged birds)
 Day 5
o Cattle
o Creeping things
o Wild animals
 Day 6
o Man – created in God’s image and likeness
- Endowed with responsibilities: dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, the cattle, wild animals, all creatures that crawl
on the ground
o Created male and female
o Be fertile and multiply
o Fill the Earth and subdue it
o Reminded by God: they were given seed bearing plant; every tree has
seed bearing fruit = to be their food
 Day 7
o Heavens and Earth were completed
o God rested; blessed the 7th day
Catechism of the Catholic Church Declares
 Man
o Occupies a unique place in creation
o He is in the image of God; in his own nature he unites the spiritual and
material words.
 God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love
god and to offer all creation back to him (CCC- 358)
 The first man was not only created good, but was also established in friendship
with his creator and in harmony with himself and with the creation around him, in
a state that would be surpassed only by the glory of the new creation in Christ
(CCC- 374)
 The sign of man’s familiarity with God is that God places him in the garden, there
he lives “to till it and keep it.” Work is not yet a burden, but rather the
collaboration of man and woman with God in perfecting the visible creation
(CCC-378)

The Catholic Doctrine of Creation affirms that

1. The world and everything in it come from the loving power of God who is its
ultimate origin, ruler, and goal.
2. All created things and human history have a meaning, purpose, and destiny.
3. The life of every person is not a private possession, but is created sustained and
guided now by creative, saving will and love of Almighty God.
 Creation – is the foundation of God’s saving plan and the beginning of salvation
history.
 Triune God – the only uncreated reality
- One God in creating, redeeming, and sanctifying
- God the father creates through His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit
 Biblical and Scientific Accounts on Creation:
o How – scientific
o Why – intention, motivation, meaning, and purpose
o Scientist and Catholic church leaders’ views on creation
 “Science makes major contributions to minor needs, Religion
however small its success, is at least at work on the things that
matter most” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
 “To be sure, the truth of a personal god as the creator could never
be refunded by science, for this truth is beyond the domains of
scientific knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
 “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could
only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and
powerful being… This being governs all things, not as the soul of
 the world, but as Lord over all: and an account of His dominion, He
is wont be called Lord God… As a blind man has no idea of colors,
so have we np idea of the manner by which the all wise God
perceives and understand all things.” – Isaac Newton, Physicist-
laws of motion and gravity
 “Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can
purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the
other into a wider world in which both can flourish. We need each
other for us to be what we must be, what we are called to be.” – St.
Pope John Paul II
 “Evolution, Big Bang do not push aside God who set it in motion.
God remains the one who set all of creation into motion. God’s
existence does not contradict the discoveries of science. When we
read the account of creation in Genesis, we risk thinking that god
was a magician, complete with a magic wand, able to do
everything. But it is not like that… He created living beings and he
let them develop according to the internal laws that He gave each
one so that they would develop and reach their full potential.” –
Pope Francis

Atmosphere
 What is atmosphere?
o The atmosphere is the blanket of gases which surrounds Earth. It is held
near the surface of the planet by Earth's gravitational attraction.Without
the atmosphere there could be no life on Earth.
o The atmosphere is made up of a mixture of gases, mostly nitrogen,
oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide. It reaches over 500km above the
surface of the planet. There is no exact boundary between the
atmosphere and outer space. Atmospheric gases become thinner the
higher up you go. The atmosphere just keeps getting less and less dense,
until it "blends" into outer space.The atmosphere is divided into four layers
based on temperature: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere and exosphere.
 Layers of the atmosphere:
o Exosphere
 Last layer of the atmosphere
 Close to space
 Satellites orbit Earth in this layer
 Gradually fades into the vacuum of space
 Air is extremely thin, gas atoms barely collide
 Basically the same as outer space
o Thermosphere
 o Mesosphere
o Stratosphere
 Almost no clouds due to low humidity.
o Troposphere
 Things in the Atmosphere
o Air
 The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, commonly known as
air, that surrounds the planet Earth and is retained by Earth's
gravity. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating
pressure allowing for liquid water to exist on the Earth's surface.
o A Place for Aerial Animals
 Aerial animals are animals that can transport themselves in the air
either by gliding or flying. In addition to many species of birds and
insects, many other types of animals are aerial as well.
o Atmosphere Phenomena
 Atmospheric Optical phenomena are caused when light from the
Sun or Moon interacts with elements in the air or atmosphere, and
an observer detects the light after it has interacted with those
elements. Often, the light emitted by the Sun or Moon will be
scattered, reflected or refracted by the elements before it reaches
the observer’s eyes.
 Benefits you can get from the Atmosphere:
o Temperature
 Molecules in the atmosphere absorbs the sun’s energy as it arrives,
spreading that warmth amongst the planet. The molecules also trap
reflected energy from the surface, preventing the night side of the
planet becoming too cold.
o Protects us from harmful radiation
o Provides the Substance for Waves to Travel Through
 The atmosphere is made of gases that take up space and transmit
energy. Sound waves are among the types of energy that travel
through the atmosphere. Without atmosphere we couldn't hear a
single sound.
o Serves as Shield from Space Debris
 When a meteor comes hurtling towards the Earth, the high
pressure air in front of it seeps into its pores and cracks, pushing
the body of the meteor apart and explode.
o Oxygen
o Shade
o Rain
 Benefits of the Atmosphere:
o Protects humans from harmful solar radiation.
 o It is a medium provides solutions to some harmful gases.
o Protects us from meteorites.
o Helps maintain a relatively uniform temperature.
o Contains oxygen which we and other living organisms breathe in.
o Serves as a medium for the movement of water.
o The atmosphere is made up of gases that are essential for photosynthesis
and respiration, among other life activities.
o Media for the occurrence of weather events such as wind, clouds and rain.
o Shields animals from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
o Helps animals and plants receive water through hydrological
(precipitation) cycle.
 Ways to preserve the Benefits we can get from the atmosphere:
o Plant trees
o Stop burning plastics
o Educate
o Wise use of cars and motorcycles
o Minimizing the use of cars
o Cleaning with chemicals nontoxic to the environment
o Saying No to backyard burning
o Turning off car engine when idling
o Conserve electricity
o Combine errand and reduce trips. Walk to errands if possible
o Become knowledgeable on the diversity of new energy systems, and
types of energy sources currently available
o Plant more trees
o Promote the 3 R’s of the environment-reduce, reuse, and recycle
o Never burn plastic.

Lithosphere
 Lithosphere
o It is the solid rock that covers the planet. This includes the crust, as well
as the the very uppermost part of the mantle, which is solid rock.
o Derived from the Greek word "Lithos", meaning stone/rocky and sphere is
from the Greek word “Sphaira” means globe or ball. The term was coined
by Joseph Barrel (1914) who first studied the motion of lithosphere over a
molten layer.
o There are two types of lithosphere: Oceanic lithosphere and Continental
lithosphere.
 Oceanic lithosphere is associated with oceanic crust, and is slightly
denser than continental lithosphere.
  Continental lithosphere, associated with continental crust, can be
much, much thicker than its oceanic cousin, stretching more than
200 kilometers (124 miles) below Earth’s surface.
o The most well-known feature associated with Earth’s lithosphere is
tectonic activity. Tectonic activity describes the interaction of the huge
slabs of lithosphere called tectonic plates.
 The lithosphere is divided into 15 major tectonic plates:
 the North American,
 Caribbean,
 South American,
 Scotia,
 Antarctic,
 Eurasian,
 Arabian,
 African,
 Indian,
 Philippines,
 Australian,
 Pacific,
 Juan de Fuca,
 Cocos, and
 Nazca.
 Most tectonic activity takes place at the boundaries of these plates,
where they may collide, tear apart, or slide against each other. The
movement of tectonic plates is made possible by thermal energy
(heat) from the mantle part of the lithosphere. Thermal energy
makes the rocks of the lithosphere more elastic.
 Tectonic activity is responsible for some of Earth's most dramatic
geologic events: earthquakes, volcanoes, orogeny (mountain-
building), and deep ocean trenches can all be formed by tectonic
activity in the lithosphere.
 Tectonic activity can shape the lithosphere itself: Both oceanic and
continental lithospheres are thinnest at rift valleys and mid-ocean
ridges, where tectonic plates are shifting apart from one another. At
these zones, the lithosphere is only as thick as the crust.
 The importance of lithosphere
o Land use
 We use the lithosphere for different types of purposes from food to
fuel for cars. Our lithosphere contains lots of valuable items which
we can use in everyday life. We use these land use methods to
make the stuff we need: Agriculture, Livestock/Grazing, Forestry,
Mining, Urbanization, and Recreation.
  Agriculture: we use this to grow crops, feed animals, and ourselves.
This is a good method of saving money and growing fresh crops in
your land. Without agriculture, us humans would have to hunt and
look for food. We use soil, water, the sun, and land
 Livestock/Grazing: This is feeding the cattle or poultry with food, so
later we can use them as food. We do this so we can have an
abundance of food and the animals won't die of starve. We use
animals, soil, grass, water, food.
 Forestry: This is the practice of planting, managing, and. caring for
forests. We often use this to make fire wood, and papers, and other
things we need that use wood. We use wood, soil, land, and
industrial vehicles. Also, the forest produces oxygen that help us
breathe. The natural resources that are used are the soil and trees.
 Mining: The process or industry of obtaining coal or other minerals,
ores, from a mine or underground. Mining is important because it
produces resources that we use for our economy. The natural
resources used are: caves and soil and raw mineral
 Urbanization: It is the constant number that multiplies of people that
move from Rural areas to Urban areas; Urbanization is important
because it produces more jobs, more resources, roads, and
provides transportation. The natural resources that are used for
urbanization are: trees, vegetation, timber and rocks.
 Recreation: It is the activities done outdoors; Recreation is
important because it is for enjoyment. The natural resources used
for recreational activities are: Forests, ocean and lakes.
o Energy sources
 Alternative resources are more environmentally friendly than
traditional resources. They are also renewable meaning they are
replenished faster than its used, but they produce less energy than
traditional resources. Traditional resources produce more energy
than alternative resources, but it comes with a disadvantage,
traditional resources cause most of the pollution we have today.
o Alternative Resources
 Biomass: Is any organic matter-wood, crops, seaweed, animal
wastes, that can be used as an energy resource. An advantage of
biomass is that the supplies are not limited and we can always
grow plants, trees, and crops, and waste will always exist. A
disadvantage is that trees and some plants take a few years to
grow.
 Geothermal: Its energy that comes from the heat within Earth. An
advantage is that there is unlimited amount of energy coming from
Earth. A disadvantage would be that this heat only occurs near hot
spots or volcanoes
  Hydro power: Is energy that comes from the force of moving water.
Some advantages would be that there is a lot of water on Earth, a
lot of electricity is produced and energy can be stored to use later in
life and it’s the cheapest way to produce electricity. Some
disadvantages would be that dams are very expensive to build and
may take years for the project to be done.
 Solar: Its radiant energy that is produced by the sun. An advantage
would be that solar energy is unlimited until something happens to
the sun, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. A
disadvantage would be that not all places on Earth have great
amount of solar energy in their area. Wind: Uneven heating of
Earth’s surface by energy from the sun. An advantage is its less
expensive to construct than a conventional coal or nuclear plant. A
disadvantage would be that wind only occurs in certain locations
where the sun puts out its energy.
 Hydrogen: Its the most abundant gas in the universe, its the source
of all the energy we receive from the sun. An advantage would be
that there is an abundant amount of it as its manufactured by men.
A disadvantage is that it is not found on Earth and its very
expensive to make and transport.
o Traditional Resources
 Coal: Coal is a fossil fuel created from the remains of plants that
lived and died about 100-400 million years ago, when parts of the
Earth were covered with huge swampy forests. An advantage
would be that coal produces a lot of electricity and its used for a lot
of things. Some disadvantages would be that produces a lot of
pollution and costs a lot of money to mine it.
 Natural Gas: It’s a non-renewable fossil fuel. An advantage would
have to be that its cleaner than coal or nuclear plants, doesn't
pollute as much. A disadvantage would be that its dangerous and
flammable and its non-renewable and the majority of the US uses
natural for their stoves or heaters
 Petroleum: Is a fossil fuel that is made when large quantities of
dead organism’s goo through intense heat and pressure. An
advantage would be that it is cheap and makes mining for oil
easier. A disadvantage is that burning it causes environmental
pollution and contributes to global warming or global climate
change, and takes millions of years to form.
 Propane: Is a fossil fuel that can be used as gas or liquid. An
advantage of using propane is that it’s a very clean burning fossil
fuel. A disadvantage is that if you have 270 gallons of propane in
gas form it only creates 1 gallon of liquid propane
  Uranium: Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, that
is very hard and heavy and is classified as a metal. A advantage is
that it helps power nuclear power plants which are important source
of electricity. Some disadvantages are that nuclear reactors create
a lot of pollution and the resource is radioactive which can give
people diseases.
 Human Activities that affect the Lithosphere
o Deforestation - is cause by human activity by cutting down trees and doing
illegal logging. And the effect is erosion of soil, flooding and drought.
o Urbanization - is cause by the shift from a rural to an urban society. And
the effect is bringing a large concentration of people into towns and cities.
o Mining - is cause when human dig from minerals within the earth and the
effect is sometimes cause cave collapse and lack of natural resources and
waste.
o Agriculture - is can cause contaminated water, soil erosion and
sedimentation. And the effect aquatic animals, pollution
o Drilling for Oil and Gas - can cause ground clearing, grading, drilling,
waste management, vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and construction and
installation of facilities.
o Overgrazing - occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for
extended periods of time and the effect livestock poorly manage, causing
plants
 How to protect the Lithosphere
o Plant and Grow trees
 Don't just plant it. Make it grow. It's not enough that we just plant it
there, we must as well take care of it for it to thrive.
o Contour plowing or contour planting
 Construct a better future with agriculture
o Organic Farming
 Be natural. Choose natural
o Avoid strip mining
 Nature’s health over wealth
o Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover
 Landfills no more, hopefully
o Avoid overgrazing
 Enough is enough
o Avoid drilling of natural gas and oil
 Abuse can cause your own misery
o Proper waste management
 It will be possible if you start now. Make your move!
o Crop Rotation
 The more the merrier. Diversify
 o Conserve energy
 What is more for you is less for others
 Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the
heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.” God gave mankind dominion over the earth but
not in order to use or misuse it at any cost for any reason. We have destroyed
many areas of the planet to suit our own needs and this earth must groan under
the weight of the ravaging and pillaging of the planet.
 Psalm 24:1 “A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein.” This is not our earth because the title
holder is God and He will hold us responsible for how we care for it. As we read
in Revelation 11:18, those who abuse and destroy the earth will not go
unpunished and knowing that the earth is not really ours, we should treat the
earth with the respect of knowing it is God’s own possession and not ours but He
was still willing to share with us to use for our own good.

Hydrosphere
 What is hydrosphere?
o A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere
includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the
air. A planet's hydrosphere can be liquid, vapor, or ice.
o On Earth, liquid water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes
and rivers. It also exists below ground—as groundwater, in wells
and aquifers. Water vapor is most visible as clouds and fog.
o The frozen part of Earth's hydrosphere is made of ice: glaciers, ice caps
and icebergs. The frozen part of the hydrosphere has its own name,
the cryosphere
o Earth is 71% water, salt water 96.5%, Fresh water 3.5%, 1% rivers and
lakes (70% frozen; 29% ground)
 How does hydrosphere support life?
o Drinking water is essential for human needs including animals
o Water is a daily need in doing household chores and routines
o Water is essential in gardening, farming, and fisheries
o Hydropower also provides electricity for people to use for their necessities
 Why is Hydrosphere important?
o Water is a part of living cells. Without water, cells wouldn't be able to carry
out their normal functions and life wouldn't exist.
o Water also provides a habitat. The majority of the earth is covered in
water, harboring thousands of life forms (both plants and animals) that
depend on water to survive.
 o Water also helps to regulate climate as well as provide for humans as we
need to stay hydrated to survive.
o Overall, water is essential to survival, and because our planet is made up
of more water than land, it plays a big role in the lives of living creatures
and things. 
o Water cycle provides stability in the life process of many plants and
animals.
o

 Water Pollution
 Water conservation
o Tips on how to conserve water
 Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth
 Take shorter showers
 Fix leak in faucets, showerheads, and toilets
 Only wash full loads
o Why its important to conserve water
 To guard against rising cause and potential conflict
 To prepare for future droughts
 To preserve the environment
 To make water available for recreational purposes
 To strengthen communities

Biosphere
 The biosphere
o (from Greek bios = life, sphaira, sphere)
o development of the term is attributed to the English geologist Eduard
Suess (1831-1914) and the Russian physicist Vladimir I. Vernadsky
(1863-1945)
o is the layer of the planet Earth where life exists
 o it is the sum of all the ecosystems
o this layer ranges from heights of up to ten kilometers above sea level, to
depths of the ocean at more than 8 kilometers deep
o in general, the layer of the Earth containing life is thin
o It is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the
abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients.
 Benefits of the biosphere
o the biosphere sustains us:
 in the food that we eat
 in the air that we breathe
 in the water that we drink
 cycling of nutrients through ecosystem
 stability of biological community
 improves human activities through its natural resources
 How to Preserve the Biosphere
o Spread the word and engage the community
o Start with small steps
o Cut down on the use of nonrenewable resources
o Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests
have been cut down
o Support activities that operate in ways that minimize damage to the
environment
o Creation of jobs that protect the rainforest
o Develop Eco-tourism
o Enforce Sustainable logging
o Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife
o Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can
help save
 Relation to other spheres
o All living things mattered with the existence of life, without life the actors or
each organism, animals, plants may cease or not function to its role.
Biosphere is part of the earth which life can exist, all living creatures may
live on land or in water which lithosphere and hydrosphere were
supposedly meant to, and these creatures tend to resist and live with the
certain habitat with comfortability and interrelation to each other.
Meanwhile, atmosphere has the vital role that all of these living things may
survive due to its presence where the whole mass of air surrounds the
earth is needed for their survival.