Fresh Challenge Could Be New Growth Engine
It was timely _ no, inevitable _ that the G8 countries discussed global warming on the occasion of World Environmental Day Tuesday. How to prevent looming environmental disasters has in fact become so urgent an issue that even U.S. President George W. Bush can no longer avert the ``inconvenient truth.’’ Koreans have been relatively free of concerns from this global issue except for complaining about unseasonably hot weather. Various circumstances indicate, however, the free ride will end soon.
Bush has proposed a summit among the world’s 15 biggest greenhouse gas emitters for late this year. Korea, the 10th largest producer of hothouse gases, including carbon dioxide, while marking its fastest increase along with China, is certain to be invited. One cannot be sure whether the U.S. leader’s suggestion will bear fruit in view of skeptical responses from Europe. With or without Bush’s proposal, however, Seoul will come under heavier pressure from the existing U.N. convention slated to go in effect by 2013.
A Korean Environment Institute’ report shows the nation should regard the issue not as external enforcement but as a voluntary duty. The study said the country would incur losses of $58 billion annually from 2100 if it fails to cut the emission of global warming gases which could push up the temperature by two degrees from now. The financial loss would decline to $20 billion if all countries, including Korea, manage to keep emissions at the level of 2012. The choice couldn’t be simpler.
The reality can hardly be further from this truth, though. Koreans who traveled to Europe might have been surprised that most cars in countries with per capita income twice that of Korea’s are subcompact models. In this country, no bigger than the U.S. state of Iowa, there are so many big gas-guzzlers that global automakers have set Korea as a target market for their luxury models. Businesses regard environmental rules as just costs. The government has said much but done little to reduce CO2 emission.
``We have only eight years to save planet Earth from catastrophe,’’ said a recent report by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change. Belatedly, major global powers, including developing ones such as China and India, are competing to take the initiative in this global drive, politically if not substantively. Korea cannot afford to lag in this race, for both diplomatic and economic reasons. More realistically, environment-unfriendly Korean exporters will face obstacles in Europe before long.
The best way to get out of this inconvenient truth is to turn it into a ``convenient’’ one through technological leadership and renovation under the concerted efforts of the government, businesses and people. A futurologist said, ``The future is not for prediction or preparation, but for creation.’’ This should apply to our environmental future.