Global warming is the rise in Earth's average temperature due to increased greenhouse gases, leading to changes in the climate system and posing a threat to human survival.
Various efforts are crucial, including utilizing renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in industrial and transportation sectors, and protecting forests. Additionally, individual actions like energy conservation and using eco-friendly transportation are important.
Sustainable efforts through government and corporate policies, international cooperation, and the development of eco-friendly technologies are necessary. Furthermore, joint responses through international collaborations like the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement are crucial.
I'd like to talk about global warming and climate change, which have been major issues lately. Let's think about possible solutions together.
Basic Understanding of Global Warming and Climate Change
Global warming refers to the phenomenon of rising average temperatures on the Earth's surface. This is caused by an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases exist in the Earth's atmosphere and absorb energy emitted from the sun, re-emitting it back towards the Earth's interior. This causes the Earth's internal temperature to rise, which is the cause of global warming.
Climate change refers to the alteration of the Earth's climate system due to global warming. In other words, it refers to the long-term changes in climate elements such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity caused by global warming.
Since global warming and climate change are issues directly related to human survival, the international community is working to develop countermeasures.
Analysis of the Main Causes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The main causes of greenhouse gas emissions can be categorized as follows:
Industrial Sector: The industrial sector accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Industries such as steel, cement, and petrochemicals emit large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Energy Sector: The energy sector is the second largest contributor. Greenhouse gases are emitted from power plants, automobiles, etc., that use fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Agricultural Sector:Greenhouse gases are also emitted from the agricultural sector. Methane generated from livestock manure and fertilizers is one of the major greenhouse gases.
Waste Sector:Greenhouse gases are also emitted from waste generated in human life. Methane can be generated by the decomposition of organic matter in food waste and construction waste.
Others:In addition, greenhouse gases are emitted from the transportation sector, deforestation, etc.
Utilization and Conversion of Renewable Energy
The utilization and conversion of renewable energy is gaining attention as one of the countermeasures against global warming and climate change.
Renewable energy sources such as solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, wind, hydro, and geothermal are inexhaustible resources that can be used continuously and do not cause environmental problems such as air pollution or climate change.
Due to these advantages, the spread and expansion of renewable energy are underway worldwide. Shifting the existing energy system centered on fossil fuels to one centered on renewable energy is one of the important tasks for preventing and coping with global warming and climate change.
To achieve this, technological development and infrastructure construction are necessary, and active participation from the government, businesses, and citizens is required. Through these efforts, we can create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Measures in the Industrial and Transportation Sectors
The industrial and transportation sectors, which account for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the following measures.
Industrial Sector can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by applying energy efficiency improvements, expanding the use of renewable energy, and implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.
Transportation Sector can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by expanding the adoption of eco-friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, promoting public transportation, and improving the transportation system.
In addition, various technical and policy measures such as industrial process improvements, the development of eco-friendly materials, and the construction of smart transportation systems exist.
Promoting Carbon Absorption through Forest Conservation and Expansion
Forests are natural carbon sinks that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen. Deforestation and forest loss reduce carbon absorption capacity and are one of the causes of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Therefore, forest conservation and expansion are considered important as one of the countermeasures against global warming and climate change. It is necessary to protect existing forests and manage them sustainably, and to create and restore new forests. Through these efforts, we can enhance the carbon absorption capacity of forests and reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Furthermore, various policies and systems need to be established to protect forest ecosystems, including preventing and extinguishing wildfires and preventing illegal logging.
Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Daily Life
To actively respond to climate change, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are needed not only by governments and businesses but also in individuals' daily lives. Here are a few examples.
Energy Saving:Saving energy such as electricity, gas, and water at home and in offices greatly helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is good to reduce unnecessary electricity usage and use energy-efficient appliances.
Using Eco-Friendly Transportation:Using public transportation, bicycles, or walking instead of cars is effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing Disposable Product Usage:Disposable products take a long time to decompose and generate a lot of greenhouse gases during the production process. It is good to use reusable products and reduce the use of disposable products.
Green Consumption: Purchasing eco-friendly products and avoiding environmentally harmful products can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
These small efforts can combine to create a big change.
Roles and Responsibilities of Governments and Businesses
Governments and businesses play important roles in responding to global warming and climate change.
Role of the Government
Policy Development:The government needs to develop policies related to global warming and climate change and implement them. This includes regulating greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the development of eco-friendly technologies, and expanding renewable energy.
International Cooperation:International cooperation is needed for global warming and climate change, which are global issues. The government must participate in international negotiations and strengthen cooperation with other countries.
Education and Promotion:Providing citizens with information about global warming and climate change and raising awareness is also one of the roles of the government.
Role of Businesses
Development of Eco-Friendly Technologies:Businesses need to develop eco-friendly technologies and commercialize them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainable Management:Businesses should pursue sustainable management and consider environmental protection and social responsibility.
Reducing Product Carbon Footprint:Minimizing carbon emissions during the product manufacturing process is also the role of businesses, and transparent disclosure of this information to consumers will have a positive impact on consumer choices.
International Cooperation and Efforts to Address Global Warming
Since global warming and climate change are global issues that transcend national borders, international cooperation and efforts are essential. To this end, international agreements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement have been concluded.concluded.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):An international treaty to prevent global warming, signatory countries must take policies and measures to prevent global warming and submit greenhouse gas emission statistics to the UN.
Paris Agreement:Adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris, France in December 2015, it is the final agreement for establishing a new climate change regime after 2020. The Paris Agreement aims to keep the global average temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.
Based on these agreements, the international community is promoting various activities. Representative examples include the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).
Green Climate Fund (GCF)is a fund to support developing countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. The secretariat is located in Songdo, Incheon. A total of $10.2 billion (approximately 12 trillion won) has been raised by 2021, and based on this, it supports climate change response projects in developing countries.
Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)is an international organization that promotes the transfer of climate change response technologies to developing countries. It is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. CTCN focuses on developing climate change response technologies and transferring them to developing countries through cooperation among member countries.
Concluding Remarks
Let's start with small actions, such as reducing disposable products and using public transportation, from now on.