We Should Set the Plan To Solve the Environmental Pollution

Watching the news, you can see the news report about the abnormal weather. Last summer, in Russia, many people died and, in China, a CNG bus engine went off, because of the scorching heat. This winter, a stadium in the US was and Gangwon Province in Korea was damaged by heavy snow. Because of the abnormal weather, damages have been occurring one after another all over the world recently.

▲ Russia was damaged by Scorching heat.



These phenomena are related with the development of technology. The more we use fossil fuel and the more we enjoy material abundance, the more serious the environmental pollution becomes. We have already known the paradox structure that the earth is damaged while we are seeking for a comfortable life.

Of course, we are concerned about our environment. We made the Climatic Change Convention and planned to reduce the emission of green-house gases.

The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."
The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of July 2010, 191 states have signed and ratified the protocol.

- Kyoto Protocol, Wikipedia

However, the problem is that the protocol has no coercion. So the US withdrew U.S. support for the Kyoto Protocol and refused to submit it to Congress for ratification. Japan and Australia have not passed the law about the emission of green-house gases. Canada also said that they have no plan to carry out the protocol if America and China didn't show their responsible behavior.

▲ Carbon emissions from various global regions during the period 1800–2000.

(Source : Wikipedia)

These lukewarm attitudes of advanced nations will affect other countries. The Korean Government showed their effort by setting "Presidential Committee On Green Growth" and "Climate Change Center".However, Korean Businesses required that the government relax restrictions according to international stream.

It will be effective for a short time if advanced nations protect their industries. However, in the long-term view, I believe that they will destroy themselves, and moreover, all of us. The situation like the movie " The Day After Tomorrow" is now only a matter of times. International Society should consider this issue more cautiously for our future.

Written by Yoon Jeongwon

If You Have an Idea For Pro-Ecology, You Can Choose a Diesel Car

It has been known that the diesel car was noxious to the environment. Actually, the government selected cars which were produced between 2005 and 2009, and investigated which one was applicable to the low pollution-causing car. In the government report, the diesel cars, using light oil, have many NOx(Nitrogen Oxide) and PM(Particulate Matter) emissions which other cars didn't have. So, the government levied the Environmental Improvement Fund on the diesel cars.
However I insist that we don't need to pay the Environmental Improvement Fund because of the 'Clean Diesel Engine' and the fuel-efficiency. The 'Clean Diesel Engine' can reduce the NOx and PM emissions, which are the primary faults of the diesel engines, by adopting oxidation catalysts and DPF(Diesel Particulate filter).
And when you compare a Tuscon gasoline model with a Tuscon diesel model, you can be startled at the result as follows: The fuel-consumption of diesel cars are 10.1ℓ/㎞ and gasoline cars are 12.4ℓ/㎞ each. And also if you drive a gasoline car, you can emit more CO₂ gas(about 21g/km). 

▲ The fuel-consumption between the Tuscon gasoline model and the diesel model
(by Hyundai Car, if you click this picture, you can see the original.)

In the DTF(Diesel Technology Forum), a new generation of clean diesel is fueling an even greater environmental progress. So, the total emissions of the six principal air pollutants have declined by 53% since 1970. The diesel engine emission levels will also be near zero by 2010 - a total reduction of 98% from 1988.

▲ Diesel Technology Forum, 'Meet the Clean Diesel'

Now, the diesel car is not just fuel-efficient. It can be a match for the hybrid car which represents the pro-ecology car. Europe, Japan, and America have already set the rule to give tax breaks to vitalize the clean diesel market. Korea has tabled a revised bill to tax breaks for clean diesel and an electric car. Let's hope for the revolutionary change in the clean automobile market.