South Korea - The Korea Times

Leading the way to green energy era (30)

Greater efficiencies and mandated global warming gas reductions are not enough to address the unprecedented crisis of global warming and peak oil and gas production. By Jeremy Rifkin We are approaching the sunset of the oil era in the first half of the 21st century. The price of oil on global markets continues to climb and peak global oil is within sight in the coming decades. At the same time, the dramatic rise in carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels is raising the earth’s temperature and threatening an unprecedented change in the chemistry of the planet and global climate, with ominous consequences for the future of human civilization and the ecosystems of the Earth. While oil, coal and natural gas will continue to provide a substantial portion of the world’s and the European Union’s energy well into the 21st century, there is a growing consensus that we are entering a twilight period where the full costs of our fossil fuel addiction is beginning to act as a drag on the world economy. During this twilight era, the 27 EU member states are maki

May 21, 2012

Pricing, partnerships key to green growth (29)

The following is a presentation made during the Global Green Growth Summit held in Seoul May 10-11. By Christian Friis Bach When I was a teenager, and that is of course a few years back (apparently a joke), my father erected in Denmark one of the new windmills with a capacity of 55 kilowatts. When you compare to the 40 windmills that the company is running each of which is more than a hundred times that. And I say that to point out that we have had a technological revolution in terms of renewable energy in the 20 or 30 years. And how did t come about in Denmark? What happened? How did you get these windmills developed? We did so through a lot of research, a lot of support through partnerships between civil society, companies, universities and government institutions. But, and foremost, it was about prices, a unique price structure. I remember my father doing the calculations to determine if it makes sense to do the windmills and all of it had to do with prices. Taxes and subsidies It was a unique combination of taxes on fossil fuels and energies and subsidies to

May 17, 2012

In pursuit of low-carbon growth (28)

The aim is to change the entire base of the energy economy. This in essence is a new paradigm for economic development. The following is a presentation made during the Global Green Growth Summit held in Seoul May 10-11. By Young Soo-gil My father was a lawyer so I did not learn much about green growth from him. But I have been learning a lot since the President Lee Myung-bak declared low-carbon growth as Korea’s vision for development for the next 60 years. Environmental consciousness found its way into Korean policies in the early 1990s. But we have also been pursuing energy policies under basic energy planning along the line of low-carbon strategy which happened about four years ago. That was the beginning of Korea’s “green growth” big bang. And this vision is a long-term one. This represents a whole economic approach to the concept of green growth. Of course, the core components are environmental protection, energy efficiency and the introduction of renewable energies. But every economic activity is based on some kind of energy, ranging from agriculture to for

May 14, 2012

Yeosu Declaration to bring life to ocean (27)

An innovative driver of the Yeosu Declaration is to send the message of the importance of the ocean, coasts and islands as a new engine of green economy. By Jang Do-soo As the opening date for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea approaches, Yeosu, a beautiful southern coastal city vibrant with life, is making final preparations. Many features of the international fair such as Beluga whales, the Big-O – an innovative circular venue – and the 73 meter tall Sky Tower have already created a media buzz. But the real objective of the Expo is to promote a vision of “green growth from the sea”; a spirit of harmony between the ocean and people encapsulated in the Yeosu Declaration. Essence of Yeosu Declaration The Yeosu Declaration aims to promote greater stewardship of the marine environment, sharing knowledge and understanding of how oceans and coastal resources can be enjoyed in a sustainable manner for present and future generations. One of its key messages to the global community is the importance of marine resources to a new green economy. Resources on land are becoming s

May 10, 2012

Disaster management and federalism (26)

A new cooperative federalism, guided by a more robust federal government role and presence, from planning to funding, should be implemented to involve state and local cooperation. By Bernard Rowan The United States is one of the world’s most powerful countries if one considers GDP or military might, but in other respects it is not so powerful. If we look at national debt, balance of trade, or economic diversity with respect to industrialization, the standing of the U.S. would be considerably less remarkable. The same would be true regarding America’s infant mortality, literacy, and divorce rates, money spent on police, fire, and other safety agencies vis-a-vis education, and the list could go on. Being powerful does not preclude being less powerful at the same time, or underdeveloped, depending upon the subject at hand. The same must be said for the United States’ preparation and ability to deal with natural disasters as a federal system. Due to its political genesis, America is one of relatively few countries that prosecute politics through a system that defines and dis

May 7, 2012

Mt. Baekdu eruption's impact on North East Asia (25)

Citing the rise of the surface temperature of Mt. Baekdu, geologists predict its eruption in a couple of years. / Korea Times fileMt. Baekdu has been carefully observed since 1999 when a volcanic observatory was built in China, and since 2002, there have been some symptoms of an eruption. By Park Chang-seok Yes, one! There’s only one thing about which they think in a same way – a concern about possible eruption of Mt. Baekdu. The two Koreas remain at odds in everything. But they are one in voicing how to counter the possible volcanic explosion of the highest mountain in the Korean Peninsula Inter-Korean anxiety is mounting, with growing apocalyptic predictions on the dormant volcano. A South Korean geological expert has warned that the volcano could erupt sometime around 2014 and 2015. Former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly said people in some regions of Yanggang and North Hamgyeong Provinces were feeling anxiety over a volcanic eruption of Mt. Baekdu. Kim called for quick countermeasures by the North Korean authorities. If a volcano, located on the borde

May 3, 2012

Yet another warning of Mt. Baekdu's full-scale eruption

The failure of disaster diplomacy (24)

Addressing disasters entails dealing with the environment, such as understanding different types of earthquake faults and floodplains. By Ilan Kelman and JC Gaillard Earlier this year, hope emerged for North Korea. The United States, China, North Korea and others reached an agreement that Pyongyang would receive food aid in exchange for progress on nuclear and missile talks. This is a classic case of disaster diplomacy, where a disaster – here, leading to humanitarian aid – is used to move forward with diplomacy. It also represents a classic case of disaster diplomacy by following the same pattern as every single other disaster diplomacy case study that has been examined in detail: it failed. Exactly one month after the landmark deal was hailed in February, the U.S. government stopped aid to North Korea due to a missile test. Even China was irate at the North’s actions. This pattern is not new. Since 1995, North Korea has been suffering from a series of floods, droughts, and famines. Some estimates suggest that over a million people have died. The disast

Apr 30, 2012

Essentials of consumerism (23)

By Randell Krantz Global consumption of resources continues to grow rapidly. Over the past four years, an estimated 450 million people have been lifted out of poverty; and the number of households in the emerging and developed world living on an income of more than $3,000 per annum has increased by 28 percent. Looking ahead, more than 150 million new consumers will join the middle class each year until 2030. Despite what many see as a double-dip recession, 36 countries grew at over 7 percent last year. As incomes rise in emerging markets, new members of the middle class demand more meat and dairy, which require more resources to produce. This generation of mostly young, urban consumers from emerging markets presents huge opportunities for social progress and markets. These same consumers will also create new demand for products and services, and place additional strain on the planet’s finite resources. Current approaches to manage our resources are already struggling to address this additional demand. Let’s look at the price volatility of some token agricultural crops,

Apr 26, 2012

Making perpetrators pay the price (22)

The following is an article that was compiled by Korea Times reporter Kim Bo-eun based on an interview with Park Chin-keun, chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences (NRCS). – ED. Identifying and assessing the costs incurred to save the environment carries enormous importance from an economic standpoint. Environmental problems such as climate change, depletion of natural resources and pollution of the environment are not only dangers that we face today, but are factors that deteriorate the quality of our lives. In trying to overcome these problems we have no choice but to pay for them but the cost incurred is another factor that complicates the issue at hand. It is important that we assess whether the nation can cope with the costs. Being able to determine whether the costs are at the optimal level is not an easy task, but fortunately, research is currently being done on this matter. First, an indicator (either a composite or brand new) that shows how “green” a nation is, needs to be developed. Then, based on the indicat

Apr 23, 2012

Little things that count (21)

Going green opens up new opportunities to work with other eco-minded associates and clients who would otherwise not have crossed paths. By Jean Keijdener At the Somerset Palace Seoul, a serviced residence in the heart of Seoul, we decided, among various adaptations towards “going green,” to do away with the takeout disposable cups in the Residents’ Lounge. While there were some minor comments initially, residents quickly agreed that it was for the best since the disposable cups were creating so much garbage. After about a month, no one even notices. Everyone is happy with the reusable mugs and the porcelain coffee cups that we provide. Coffee and tea taste so much better in those. This is just a small contribution and one of the ways that we at The Ascott Limited try to make our environment cleaner and safer and help save it. The Earth, our only home, has been sustaining life in a unique cycle of self-renewal for so long that we often take it for granted. But the Earth is under severe threat. Its resources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished, an

Apr 19, 2012

Environment & Animals