Vol. 09, Issue 11 November 2009 
Earth: Dying Friend
Current Affairs
As a developing country – not a developed country –Korea dumps enormous amounts of sewage, compost, heavy metals and so on into the water, arguing that it lessens the burden imposed on landfills as well as preserve the shorelines.
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On August 28th, 2009, a group of students from various universities, got together to pick up marine waste along the coastline of Yeosu. Students went to Yeosu to take part in a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) marine waste-cleaning initiative. They cleaned up a beach which most people do not care about.
Not only did the university students pick up marine trash: they also attended a lecture presented by the South Sea Fisheries Research Institute about “Where trash comes from and where it goes.”
Surprisingly, most marine waste – almost 80% – is from the mainland. Most of the trash we throw on the ground winds up in the rivers when it starts to rain. The trash then travels through the rivers to the ocean. Its final destination, near Hawaii, is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), and it is seven times as big as the Korean peninsula.
As a developing country – not a developed country – Korea dumps trash into three designated areas: one in the West Sea and two in the East Sea. This is unacceptable. The London Convention (Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter) points out that amongst countries concerned, Korea, Japan and the Philippines are the only three countries which dump waste directly into the ocean. Korea in particular dumps enormous amounts of sewage, compost, heavy metals and so on into the water, arguing that it lessens the burden imposed on landfills as well as preserve the shorelines. The negative effects of this process far surpass its merits, however, as the dumping of waste causes red tide, results in toxic substances being condensed in water, threatens various species’ lives, and contributes to the destruction of oceans worldwide. We should not only be concerned about the effects this has upon Korea – we should be concerned about the effects this has on the rest of the world also.
Mr. Kang, a graduate of a language college in India, came to Yeosu as a coordinator of UNEP Angel, the university students’ environmental group. He feels very strongly about environmental issues.
Ko : Could you introduce yourself to us, the GIC readers?
Kang : I am in charge of the university students’ environmental group called UNEP Angel. Before I served in the military I was able to work with them as an intern for a while and I’ve kept in contact with them ever since. As soon as I was discharged from the military they asked me to work for them.
Ko : What is UNEP and what does it do?
Kang : UNEP stands for United Nations Environment Program. UNEP is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional levels. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. Gwangju International Center and UNEP Korea worked together last year for the Asian Youth Culture Camp.
Ko : Today we were informed about marine waste. What are some other issues that we should be concerned about?
Kang : The world’s situation concerning greenhouse gases is getting worse. Have you ever seen Al Gore’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’? If you have, you will strongly agree that this is a serious problem we must deal with. Most significantly, Korea has long exempted itself from efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Kyoto Protocol we have to set a target, but Korea is one of the countries which hasn’t done so. Amongst countries which don’t have targets, Korea is one of the countries with the fastest rising rate of gas emissions.
Ko : I know that greenhouse gas emissions are a significant problem. Without restrictions, however, it will be harder to diminish emissions.
Kang : That’s true. That’s why the upcoming COP15 is important. The HYPERLINK “http://en.cop15.dk/” \t “_blank”United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 2009 is its full name. During this conference Korea is expected to choose a 2020 target, and will choose from the following three options: an eight-percent increase from 2005 levels, levels unchanged since 2005, or a four-percent decrease from 2005 levels.
Ko : What are some of the things we can do to help to save the Earth?
Kang : There are hundreds of ways you can save the Earth. Try to use rechargeable batteries; avoid keeping your refrigerator or freezer too cold; buy a fuel-efficient car; buy recycled paper; start a recycling program where you work; don’t litter and pick up anything you see; share rides to work or use public transportation; be sure to return your recyclable cans and bottles to claim your deposit; and most importantly, learn about global climate change.
Ko : Can you illustrate one practical thing that we are doing now?
Kang : In Korea the majority of people live in urban areas. In urban areas most people live in apartment complexes which are managed by security guards. Many times these security guards sort trash into groups, such as paper, soju or beer bottles, plastic bottles, old clothing, and so on. It is one good opportunity to save the earth.
Ko : Which place do you think can make an impact?
Kang : I think university is one of the most dissipating place. There is a saying: ‘HYPERLINK “http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2052″ \t “_blank”Everybody’s business is nobody’s business.’ Each member of a university should be aware of wasting energy. With student participants at the head of the list, universities have to take actions on how to save energy. I am personally waiting for the verdict on Copenhagen this year on Korea’s target.
