Shattering a long-held belief that Earth's moon is a dead and dry world, a trio of spacecraft uncovered clear evidence of water and hydrogen-oxygen molecules throughout the lunar surface.
"There's no question that there is OH [hydroxyl, which is made up of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom] and H2O on the moon," University of Maryland senior research scientist Jessica Sunshine told Discovery News.
"It's still pretty damn dry, drier than anything we have here. But we've found this dynamic, ongoing process and the moon was supposedly dead," she said. "This is a real paradigm shift."
Aside from scientific interest, finding water on the moon could impact plans for eventual human settlements beyond Earth, said geologist Paul Spudis, with the Houston-based Lunar and Planetary Institute.
"It's a potential resource," Spudis told Discovery News. "If you think there's a long-term future in space, at some point you have to learn to use what you find in space to make new capabilities."
Scientists have suspected water could exist inside deep craters at the moon's poles that are never exposed to sunlight. The new research is surprising because it found chemical bonds between hydrogen and oxygen throughout the lunar surface. The concentrations appear denser near the polar regions.
How much water and hydroxyl is on the moon and where it came from remains a mystery.
Sunshine suspects hydrogen from the solar wind may be interacting with oxygen in lunar rocks to create trace amounts of water. She estimates that if you filled a soda bottle with lunar soil, there would be about an eyedropper's worth of water.
Whatever mechanism is driving the phenomena occurs only in daylight.
"When you think of evaporation and condensation, you have a day and night cycle. On the moon, it's happening all in the day. There are no changes at night," she said.
Though not understood, the phenomenon is widespread, encompassing an extremely shallow layer of lunar soil on a global scale.
"Every place on the moon, at some point during the lunar day, though not necessarily at all times, has water and OH," Sunshine said.
Also unknown is why the rocks and soil samples retrieved during the six Apollo expeditions to the moon between 1969-72 showed no obvious signs of interactions with water.
University of Hawaii geophysicist Paul Lucey suggests that some rare water-bearing minerals previously observed in lunar samples but dismissed as terrestrial contamination might, in fact, be indigenous.
"Perhaps the most valuable result of these new observations is that they prompt a critical reexamination of the notion that the moon is dry. It is not," Lucey said.
Evidence for a second and potentially richer source of water may come next month.
On Oct. 9, NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite will try to directly detect water by crashing a 2.5-ton dead weight into one of the moon's permanently shadowed craters so soil at the of the pit will be hurled into sunlight for analysis by several spacecraft and dozens of ground-based observatories.
The new research, based on observations from India's Chandrayyan-1 lunar orbiter and flybys of NASA's Deep Impact probe and Cassini spacecraft, appears this week in the online journal Science Express.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thinning Of Greenland And Antarctic Ice
The most comprehensive picture of the rapidly thinning glaciers along the coastline of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets has been created using satellite lasers. The findings are an important step forward in the quest to make more accurate predictions for future sea level rise.
Reporting this week in the journal Nature, researchers from British Antarctic Survey and the University of Bristol describe how analysis of millions of NASA satellite measurements* from both of these vast ice sheets shows that the most profound ice loss is a result of glaciers speeding up where they flow into the sea.
The authors conclude that this 'dynamic thinning' of glaciers now reaches all latitudes in Greenland, has intensified on key Antarctic coastlines, is penetrating far into the ice sheets' interior and is spreading as ice shelves thin by ocean-driven melt. Ice shelf collapse has triggered particularly strong thinning that has endured for decades.
Image is a new comprehensive map of Greenland and Antarctica that shows extent of glacier thinning.
Reporting this week in the journal Nature, researchers from British Antarctic Survey and the University of Bristol describe how analysis of millions of NASA satellite measurements* from both of these vast ice sheets shows that the most profound ice loss is a result of glaciers speeding up where they flow into the sea.
The authors conclude that this 'dynamic thinning' of glaciers now reaches all latitudes in Greenland, has intensified on key Antarctic coastlines, is penetrating far into the ice sheets' interior and is spreading as ice shelves thin by ocean-driven melt. Ice shelf collapse has triggered particularly strong thinning that has endured for decades.
Image is a new comprehensive map of Greenland and Antarctica that shows extent of glacier thinning.
Water Contamination Concerns Linger For Shale Gas
Advances in technology have helped boost the growth of shale drilling in the United States over the past few years. But as the practice of harvesting natural gas embedded in shale rock deep below the Earth's surface has expanded, it has raised concerns about the impact this type of drilling has on the environment — especially on groundwater.
At issue is the practice of "hydraulic fracturing," which in combination with horizontal drilling is an essential part of the shale gas production process. The shale rock in which the gas is trapped is so tight that it has to be broken in order for the gas to escape. A combination of sand and water laced with chemicals — including benzene — is pumped into the well bore at high pressure, shattering the rock and opening millions of tiny fissures, enabling the shale gas to seep into the pipeline.
This fracturing technique has been in use since 1948, and industry sources say the procedure has been used in a million gas wells in the years since. But the practice has expanded in the past few years as energy companies began exploring shale formations.
The results have been so successful that energy analysts now see the development of shale gas reservoirs as a key step toward U.S. energy independence and a cleaner environment. When burned, natural gas produces about 25 percent less carbon dioxide than coal.
At issue is the practice of "hydraulic fracturing," which in combination with horizontal drilling is an essential part of the shale gas production process. The shale rock in which the gas is trapped is so tight that it has to be broken in order for the gas to escape. A combination of sand and water laced with chemicals — including benzene — is pumped into the well bore at high pressure, shattering the rock and opening millions of tiny fissures, enabling the shale gas to seep into the pipeline.
This fracturing technique has been in use since 1948, and industry sources say the procedure has been used in a million gas wells in the years since. But the practice has expanded in the past few years as energy companies began exploring shale formations.
The results have been so successful that energy analysts now see the development of shale gas reservoirs as a key step toward U.S. energy independence and a cleaner environment. When burned, natural gas produces about 25 percent less carbon dioxide than coal.
Costa Rica's Endanged Jaguars
One of the largest of Central American, and Costa Rica's largest, carnivores, an endangered species, it was once fairly common in coastal mangroves, lowland savannas, and wet and dry shrub lands and forest up to about 1000m elevation. But because its conspicuous tracks, the high value of its pelt, its reputation as a stock killer, and its vulnerability to hound pursuit and still hunting, this cat is now rare except in parts of large unhunted reserves. It occurs in Costa Rica on the Tortuguero, Santa Rosa, Corcovado and Rio Macho National Parks, and lower levels of Cordillera Talamanca.
Jaguars are rarely seen in daylight, but occasionally one suns on a cliff or log. They scratch tree trunks, but its not sure that they urine-mark objects or make territorial scratches on the ground. They are fairly aquatic and easily swim rivers, small lakes, and straits between mangrove islets. They favor damp sites such as streambeds in gallery forests, where footprints often reveal jaguar's presence, approximate size , and travels. At any season jaguars of any sex may roar at night.
Although jaguars seem to prefer peccaries as prey, they also take monkeys, agoutis, deer, birds, fish, lizard, turtles, and other animals. Mud tracks reveal feeding on dead fish, alligators, iguanas and any other carrion left by receding waters.
Jaguars seem not to avoid the scent of a man, and one may follow a man walking in a trail. Although unprovoked attacks on men are rare, in Panama a jaguar recently charged a man who was carrying a bag of trapped birds.
The season of births probably varies regionally. Gestation is about 3 months, and the usual litter is two. Apparently males take no part on the rising of the young, which may accompany the mother for a year. Females reach sexual maturity at about 3 years of age and do not breed in successive years if their young survive. The main threat to the remaining jaguars in Central America is the clearing of forest for crops and grazing. When roads penetrate a primitive zone, the jaguar and white-lipped peccary ( Tayassu pecari ) are the first mammals to disappear. Jaguars seem to be poor colonizers of cutover lands or new areas regardless of the abundance of prey there. Jaguars range from northern Mexico to northern Argentina. The puma has much greater ecological and geographic range and occurs along with jaguars throughout Costa Rica.
From: Eco Interacitve
Jaguars are rarely seen in daylight, but occasionally one suns on a cliff or log. They scratch tree trunks, but its not sure that they urine-mark objects or make territorial scratches on the ground. They are fairly aquatic and easily swim rivers, small lakes, and straits between mangrove islets. They favor damp sites such as streambeds in gallery forests, where footprints often reveal jaguar's presence, approximate size , and travels. At any season jaguars of any sex may roar at night.
Although jaguars seem to prefer peccaries as prey, they also take monkeys, agoutis, deer, birds, fish, lizard, turtles, and other animals. Mud tracks reveal feeding on dead fish, alligators, iguanas and any other carrion left by receding waters.
Jaguars seem not to avoid the scent of a man, and one may follow a man walking in a trail. Although unprovoked attacks on men are rare, in Panama a jaguar recently charged a man who was carrying a bag of trapped birds.
The season of births probably varies regionally. Gestation is about 3 months, and the usual litter is two. Apparently males take no part on the rising of the young, which may accompany the mother for a year. Females reach sexual maturity at about 3 years of age and do not breed in successive years if their young survive. The main threat to the remaining jaguars in Central America is the clearing of forest for crops and grazing. When roads penetrate a primitive zone, the jaguar and white-lipped peccary ( Tayassu pecari ) are the first mammals to disappear. Jaguars seem to be poor colonizers of cutover lands or new areas regardless of the abundance of prey there. Jaguars range from northern Mexico to northern Argentina. The puma has much greater ecological and geographic range and occurs along with jaguars throughout Costa Rica.
From: Eco Interacitve
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Why Cutting Carbon Emissions is not Enough
The Protocol explicitly aimed at phasing-out substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – found in products such as refrigerators, foams, and hairsprays – in order to repair the thin gassy-shield that filters out the sun’s harmful, ultra-violet rays. By 2010, close to 100 ozone-depleting substances, including CFCs, will have been phased-out globally.
Without the decisions taken 20 years ago, atmospheric levels of ozone-depleting substances would have increased ten-fold by 2050. This could have led to up to 20 million additional cases of skin cancer and 130 million more cases of eye cataracts, not to speak of damage to human immune systems, wildlife, and agriculture.
But this is only part of the story that we celebrate on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (September 16). Over the past two years, it has been established that the Montreal Protocol has also spared humanity a significant level of climate change, because the gases that it prohibits also contribute to global warming.
Indeed, a study in 2007 calculated the climate mitigation benefits of the ozone treaty as totalling the equivalent of 135 billion tons of CO 2 since 1990, or a delay in global warming of 7-12 years.
So the lessons learned from the Montreal Protocol may have wider significance. Scientists now estimate that somewhere close to 50% of climate change is being caused by gases and pollutants other than CO 2, including nitrogen compounds, low-level ozone formed by pollution, and black carbon. Of course, a degree of scientific uncertainty about some of these pollutants’ precise contribution to warming remains. But they certainly play a significant role.
Meanwhile, many of these gases need to be curbed because of their wider environmental impact on public health, agriculture, and the planet’s multi-trillion dollar ecosystems, including forests.
Consider black carbon, a component of the soot emissions from diesel engines and the inefficient burning of biomass cooking stoves that is linked to 1.6 million to 1.8 million premature deaths annually as a result of indoor exposure and 800,000 as a result of outdoor exposure. Black carbon, which absorbs heat from the sun, also accounts for anywhere from 10% to more than 45% of the contribution to global warming, and is also linked to accelerated losses of glaciers in Asia, because the soot deposits darken, ice making it more vulnerable to melting.
One study estimates that 26% of black carbon emissions are from stoves for heating and cooking, with more than 40% of this amount from wood burning, roughly 20% from coal, 19% from crop residues, and 10% from dung.
Some companies have developed stoves that use passive air flows, better insulation, and 60% less wood to reduce black carbon emissions by around 70%. Mass introduction of such stoves could deliver multiple green-economy benefits.
While CO 2 can remain in the atmosphere for centuries, other pollutants, including black carbon and ozone, remain for relatively periods – days, weeks, months, or years – so that reducing or ending emissions promises almost immediate climate benefits.
The international community’s over-arching concern must be to seal a serious and significant deal at the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen in December to curtail C0 2 emissions and assist vulnerable countries to adapt. If the world also is to deploy all available means to combat climate change, emissions of all substances that contribute to it must be scientifically evaluated and urgently addressed.
Without the decisions taken 20 years ago, atmospheric levels of ozone-depleting substances would have increased ten-fold by 2050. This could have led to up to 20 million additional cases of skin cancer and 130 million more cases of eye cataracts, not to speak of damage to human immune systems, wildlife, and agriculture.
But this is only part of the story that we celebrate on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (September 16). Over the past two years, it has been established that the Montreal Protocol has also spared humanity a significant level of climate change, because the gases that it prohibits also contribute to global warming.
Indeed, a study in 2007 calculated the climate mitigation benefits of the ozone treaty as totalling the equivalent of 135 billion tons of CO 2 since 1990, or a delay in global warming of 7-12 years.
So the lessons learned from the Montreal Protocol may have wider significance. Scientists now estimate that somewhere close to 50% of climate change is being caused by gases and pollutants other than CO 2, including nitrogen compounds, low-level ozone formed by pollution, and black carbon. Of course, a degree of scientific uncertainty about some of these pollutants’ precise contribution to warming remains. But they certainly play a significant role.
Meanwhile, many of these gases need to be curbed because of their wider environmental impact on public health, agriculture, and the planet’s multi-trillion dollar ecosystems, including forests.
Consider black carbon, a component of the soot emissions from diesel engines and the inefficient burning of biomass cooking stoves that is linked to 1.6 million to 1.8 million premature deaths annually as a result of indoor exposure and 800,000 as a result of outdoor exposure. Black carbon, which absorbs heat from the sun, also accounts for anywhere from 10% to more than 45% of the contribution to global warming, and is also linked to accelerated losses of glaciers in Asia, because the soot deposits darken, ice making it more vulnerable to melting.
One study estimates that 26% of black carbon emissions are from stoves for heating and cooking, with more than 40% of this amount from wood burning, roughly 20% from coal, 19% from crop residues, and 10% from dung.
Some companies have developed stoves that use passive air flows, better insulation, and 60% less wood to reduce black carbon emissions by around 70%. Mass introduction of such stoves could deliver multiple green-economy benefits.
While CO 2 can remain in the atmosphere for centuries, other pollutants, including black carbon and ozone, remain for relatively periods – days, weeks, months, or years – so that reducing or ending emissions promises almost immediate climate benefits.
The international community’s over-arching concern must be to seal a serious and significant deal at the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen in December to curtail C0 2 emissions and assist vulnerable countries to adapt. If the world also is to deploy all available means to combat climate change, emissions of all substances that contribute to it must be scientifically evaluated and urgently addressed.
Need for holistic approach to climate change negotiations
First, we all want to see a reduction in overall global greenhouse gas emissions. Second, we must do all we can to deliver a sustainable energy future that enables both developed and developing countries to reap the benefits of economic development and social progress. And third, we must ensure mitigation response measures and emission reduction commitments are fair and just, taking into account historical responsibility of Annex I countries, the huge developmental needs of developing countries as well as the adverse impacts of climate change and of response measures, including the adverse impacts on fossil fuel exporting countries.
The goal is to effectively and efficiently marry these issues to facilitate the full and sustained implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and to enable the post-2012 Annex I commitment period to be a success.
From the perspective of reducing emissions, it is crucial to be “comprehensive” and take into account all green-house gases. It should be remembered that 43 per cent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions stem from gases other than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).
When looking at the world’s energy future, it is clear — according to most experts and projections — that fossil fuels will continue to satisfy the majority of the world’s total energy needs for the forthcoming decades, with oil remaining the leading source.
That is not to say that other energies will not play a role. They will. But because they are starting from a low base, this role will be modest. And of course, energy efficiency has its role to play.
It is critical that the world addresses the net emissions of all greenhouse gases, draws on cost-effective abatement options including reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, utilizes carbon sinks, and takes advantage of the full range of technologies available.
From a technology perspective, it is evident that any serious effort to achieve low net emission paths must include the use of cleaner fossil fuel technologies. Perhaps the single best available technology to reduce net CO 2 emissions in this respect is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The IPCC has stressed that CCS has the potential to meet up to 55 per cent of the global cumulative mitigation effort by 2100.
These types of technologies require the coordinated support of governments, and given that Annex I countries have the financial and technological capabilities, there is a need for them to assume leadership. This could be via the development, deployment, diffusion and transfer of these technologies and the promotion of large-scale demonstration projects.
This is nothing new. Indeed, the Kyoto Protocol states that “developed countries should take the lead in international action to combat climate change by fully implementing their obligations of reducing emissions and of providing additional financing and the transfer of cleaner, low-emission and cost-effective technologies to developing countries.” The Bali Action Plan of December 2007 also calls for enhanced action on technology transfer.
The crucial issue of “obligations” also brings to mind the importance of looking at cumulative CO 2 emissions from a historical perspective. In 2006 Annex I countries accounted for almost 80 per cent of cumulative CO 2 emissions since 1900, and by 2030 they will still have contributed two-thirds.
Bringing this together, it is essential that these core issues are taken into account and that the future focuses on the overall goal of sustainable development, recognizing that priorities might vary for different people.
For developing countries, poverty alleviation, economic development and social progress are the overriding priorities and it is clear that people in such nations will need more energy, not less, to meet these needs. Climate change is providing these countries with yet more challenges and additional vulnerabilities, although they have contributed little to the current situation.
It is a key to success, therefore, to take on board the valid interests of all stakeholders and remember the principle of “common, but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”.
As we approach the Copenhagen meeting, we must remember the spirit that brought together the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. We reached agreement after years of negotiation because everyone had a stake, but perhaps more importantly, everyone perceived that their issues were recognized and taken on board.
This must be brought to the fore in Copenhagen. Agreements reached should be comprehensive and balanced, taking into account the past, present and the future; the fulfilling of current commitments; and the needs of those least able to help themselves.
The goal is to effectively and efficiently marry these issues to facilitate the full and sustained implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and to enable the post-2012 Annex I commitment period to be a success.
From the perspective of reducing emissions, it is crucial to be “comprehensive” and take into account all green-house gases. It should be remembered that 43 per cent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions stem from gases other than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).
When looking at the world’s energy future, it is clear — according to most experts and projections — that fossil fuels will continue to satisfy the majority of the world’s total energy needs for the forthcoming decades, with oil remaining the leading source.
That is not to say that other energies will not play a role. They will. But because they are starting from a low base, this role will be modest. And of course, energy efficiency has its role to play.
It is critical that the world addresses the net emissions of all greenhouse gases, draws on cost-effective abatement options including reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, utilizes carbon sinks, and takes advantage of the full range of technologies available.
From a technology perspective, it is evident that any serious effort to achieve low net emission paths must include the use of cleaner fossil fuel technologies. Perhaps the single best available technology to reduce net CO 2 emissions in this respect is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The IPCC has stressed that CCS has the potential to meet up to 55 per cent of the global cumulative mitigation effort by 2100.
These types of technologies require the coordinated support of governments, and given that Annex I countries have the financial and technological capabilities, there is a need for them to assume leadership. This could be via the development, deployment, diffusion and transfer of these technologies and the promotion of large-scale demonstration projects.
This is nothing new. Indeed, the Kyoto Protocol states that “developed countries should take the lead in international action to combat climate change by fully implementing their obligations of reducing emissions and of providing additional financing and the transfer of cleaner, low-emission and cost-effective technologies to developing countries.” The Bali Action Plan of December 2007 also calls for enhanced action on technology transfer.
The crucial issue of “obligations” also brings to mind the importance of looking at cumulative CO 2 emissions from a historical perspective. In 2006 Annex I countries accounted for almost 80 per cent of cumulative CO 2 emissions since 1900, and by 2030 they will still have contributed two-thirds.
Bringing this together, it is essential that these core issues are taken into account and that the future focuses on the overall goal of sustainable development, recognizing that priorities might vary for different people.
For developing countries, poverty alleviation, economic development and social progress are the overriding priorities and it is clear that people in such nations will need more energy, not less, to meet these needs. Climate change is providing these countries with yet more challenges and additional vulnerabilities, although they have contributed little to the current situation.
It is a key to success, therefore, to take on board the valid interests of all stakeholders and remember the principle of “common, but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”.
As we approach the Copenhagen meeting, we must remember the spirit that brought together the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. We reached agreement after years of negotiation because everyone had a stake, but perhaps more importantly, everyone perceived that their issues were recognized and taken on board.
This must be brought to the fore in Copenhagen. Agreements reached should be comprehensive and balanced, taking into account the past, present and the future; the fulfilling of current commitments; and the needs of those least able to help themselves.
Moment in History for “Green Revolution
The evolution of human civilization, with the three revolutions, has given the humankind a power that far exceeded its expectation. What we are seeing now is the humankind putting itself under a fatal threat by the act of its own. The threat is the kind that the humankind has never experienced before, in scale and in magnitude.
Of course, the threat is the anthropogenic climate change. What IPCC scientists have advised us on this matter is clear: they are almost sure climate change is manmade; the pace is faster than they previously expected; and the consequences are direr than they previously estimated. We have to listen to their voices.
The world is now witnessing the adverse impacts of climate change on global environment, and the Korean Peninsula is not the exception. The Korea Meteorological Administration announced that the Korean Peninsula has undergone a temperature rise of 1.7 degree Celsius for the past 100 years. The areas for cultivation of major crops are moving up north, and the catch of fish is no longer that of the past. The walleye pollock, which had been the most popular fish in the East Sea of the Korean Peninsula is no longer observed, and the void is now filled with tones of jellyfish and other exotic tropical fish species rarely seen in Korea in the past. Obviously the environment is changing, and it is changing rapidly. We must act now.
Arnold Toynbee depicted humankind’s history as the history of responses to the challenges. Global climate change is a huge challenge to the human civilization, and it has to be met with a commensurately huge response. And we need heroes – heroes to meet with this challenge and bring about the new revolution.
Copenhagen in coming December is a unique moment and place in history where the heroes and heroines of the world gather together to meet with this historical challenge of the world. The humankind has to come up with a challenging commitment to save itself as one unity of global citizens.
We need political heroes. They have to convince their people that bold actions are needed and some level of sacrifice is unavoidable so that we can get to a better place with new level of prosperity.
We need science and technology heroes. They have to come up with new innovative ways of producing energy and consuming it efficiently, and their efforts will be met with due respect and compensation.
We need business heroes. They will bring about business innovations to move forward to a green economy. If the international targets and rules have been set, they are the leaders of this global history.
Indeed, we need heroes everywhere. Every person at every corner of the planet has to be part of this global “Green Crusade.”
Korean government last year has initiated the nationwide campaign called “GreenStart Campaign.” It invites all members of our country to be part of this global effort. It helped greatly to enhance people’s awareness of the problem and willingness to participate in solving the problem.
“GreenStart Campaign” is just one aspect of Korea’s efforts for green revolution. The Korean government has adopted “Low-Carbon Green Growth” as the leading national agenda for the coming decades. A large portion of government spending will be put into green technologies and industries to move into green economy, and now business is responding to this national agenda with announcement of huge scale investment plans on green businesses.
Korea holds a rather unique position in the global scene. It was completely ruined by the Korean War (1950-1953). However, it rose again through the diligence of its people and with help of international society, and now Korea is an OECD member country and its economy is relatively strong and still growing.
With this historical background, Korea is now poised to be part of this global endeavor, and will try to play the bridging role between developed and developing countries. With its strong technological driving force, Korea will also try to be a solution provider and innovation creator.
There is a saying in traditional Korean medicine that an illness is an opportunity to reflect on ourselves and make amendments to our way of life. Climate change is a serious illness to the planet and to the human civilization. Fortunately, it is relatively in the early stage and we still have chances to correct it. Maybe climate change is an opportunity given to humankind to reflect on its civilization and redirect the course of evolution.
Once again, Copenhagen is a unique place and moment in history for the humankind to initiate the fourth revolution, “the Green Revolution.” I invite you to be part of it.
Of course, the threat is the anthropogenic climate change. What IPCC scientists have advised us on this matter is clear: they are almost sure climate change is manmade; the pace is faster than they previously expected; and the consequences are direr than they previously estimated. We have to listen to their voices.
The world is now witnessing the adverse impacts of climate change on global environment, and the Korean Peninsula is not the exception. The Korea Meteorological Administration announced that the Korean Peninsula has undergone a temperature rise of 1.7 degree Celsius for the past 100 years. The areas for cultivation of major crops are moving up north, and the catch of fish is no longer that of the past. The walleye pollock, which had been the most popular fish in the East Sea of the Korean Peninsula is no longer observed, and the void is now filled with tones of jellyfish and other exotic tropical fish species rarely seen in Korea in the past. Obviously the environment is changing, and it is changing rapidly. We must act now.
Arnold Toynbee depicted humankind’s history as the history of responses to the challenges. Global climate change is a huge challenge to the human civilization, and it has to be met with a commensurately huge response. And we need heroes – heroes to meet with this challenge and bring about the new revolution.
Copenhagen in coming December is a unique moment and place in history where the heroes and heroines of the world gather together to meet with this historical challenge of the world. The humankind has to come up with a challenging commitment to save itself as one unity of global citizens.
We need political heroes. They have to convince their people that bold actions are needed and some level of sacrifice is unavoidable so that we can get to a better place with new level of prosperity.
We need science and technology heroes. They have to come up with new innovative ways of producing energy and consuming it efficiently, and their efforts will be met with due respect and compensation.
We need business heroes. They will bring about business innovations to move forward to a green economy. If the international targets and rules have been set, they are the leaders of this global history.
Indeed, we need heroes everywhere. Every person at every corner of the planet has to be part of this global “Green Crusade.”
Korean government last year has initiated the nationwide campaign called “GreenStart Campaign.” It invites all members of our country to be part of this global effort. It helped greatly to enhance people’s awareness of the problem and willingness to participate in solving the problem.
“GreenStart Campaign” is just one aspect of Korea’s efforts for green revolution. The Korean government has adopted “Low-Carbon Green Growth” as the leading national agenda for the coming decades. A large portion of government spending will be put into green technologies and industries to move into green economy, and now business is responding to this national agenda with announcement of huge scale investment plans on green businesses.
Korea holds a rather unique position in the global scene. It was completely ruined by the Korean War (1950-1953). However, it rose again through the diligence of its people and with help of international society, and now Korea is an OECD member country and its economy is relatively strong and still growing.
With this historical background, Korea is now poised to be part of this global endeavor, and will try to play the bridging role between developed and developing countries. With its strong technological driving force, Korea will also try to be a solution provider and innovation creator.
There is a saying in traditional Korean medicine that an illness is an opportunity to reflect on ourselves and make amendments to our way of life. Climate change is a serious illness to the planet and to the human civilization. Fortunately, it is relatively in the early stage and we still have chances to correct it. Maybe climate change is an opportunity given to humankind to reflect on its civilization and redirect the course of evolution.
Once again, Copenhagen is a unique place and moment in history for the humankind to initiate the fourth revolution, “the Green Revolution.” I invite you to be part of it.
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