By Emanuel Pastreich
April 20, 2019
I went out in Seoul again today to protest against the silence on climate change. Massive protests are taking place around the world right now in response to the increasingly dire reports about the future of our planet ― including articles by scientists (as opposed to ignorant politicians or corporate PR experts) ― who suggest that the planet will be uninhabitable by the middle of the century.
I spent about four hours outside with my placard and stickers, protesting against climate change indifference in Seoul.
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| Walking back and forth on the subway. |
I was alone. I have sent notes to others asking if they would like to organize an event together soon to protest indifference to climate change, but I have yet to get a response.
Korea is a leading country in science and technology and the level of education of children about science is quite remarkable. When I came here 12 years ago, I was deeply impressed by the level of education of average Koreans.
But I have learned that such education does not guarantee a scientific perspective on the world, especially when that scientific investigation leads to unpleasant truths.
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| On the bus. |
The topic of catastrophic climate change is taboo in the Korean media today, even so-called "progressive" media do not mention it. The environmental groups that are active tend to focus on the impact of pollution on local communities, or the fine dust pollution. Climate change is rarely discussed by NGOs, nor is it a subject for discussion in committees in the National Assembly (with the exception of commitments to international agreements that the Korean government has unwillingly made).
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| One of my stickers. |
As I walked the streets, and walked back and forth in the subway, as I stood in the bus with my Korean placard reading "Silent on climate change? Enough!" I did not get much response. Some people did stare. Naturally it is certainly odd for anyone to do what I did in Korea these days. For a foreigner to do so is even odder.
A few people asked about my protest, but not many. They did not try to start a conversation. I felt as if most people responded by purposely avoiding my gaze. Not one person asked why climate change is an issue or what needs to be done. It looks like there is still a lot of work for us to do.
