Taewoo (Tony) Park
Carbon emissions are a significant problem because they contribute to climate change and its associated impacts on the environment, society, and the economy. Here are some main issues of carbon emission. The Greenhouse Gas Effect is one of the biggest problems. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gasses (such as methane and nitrous oxide) trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, creating a natural greenhouse effect. However, human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, have significantly increased the concentration of these gasses in the atmosphere. This enhanced greenhouse effect is causing the planet to warm up rapidly, leading to global warming.
Carbon emission is also causing climate change. The increase in global temperatures is causing a wide range of climate-related problems, including more frequent and severe heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and heavy rainfall events. These extreme weather events can result in loss of life, infrastructure damage, and ecosystems and agriculture disruptions. As the Earth's temperature rises, glaciers and polar ice caps melt, leading to rising sea levels. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities, increasing the risk of flooding and submerging low-lying areas. Therefore, carbon emission has become a global concern. Carbon emissions are a global issue because the effects of climate change do not respect national borders. It requires collective action from all countries to address this challenge effectively.
Now we have learned what carbon emission is and why it is a problem, we can recognize the seriousness of the danger caused by carbon emissions. Let's talk about some possible solutions that can help reduce carbon emissions.
According to the Korean Ministry of Environment, energy took 86.9% of the reason for carbon emissions in 2021 Korea. To be specific, the production of electricity was first place at 32.7%, and transportation was second place at 14.4%. The easiest solution that can help reduce carbon emissions quickly is walking. If you take a car, 120g of carbon is produced per kilometer, which is a lot. Just by walking a short way, we can stop making unnecessary carbon.
The other solutions are recycling, buying eco-friendly products, and consuming less meat. Recycling is a further important part. Trashes are taking 2.5% of the reason for carbon emissions, and recycling could be the easiest and most powerful way to produce less carbon. Buying eco-friendly products is how even the government suggests and many companies recommend purchasing eco-friendly products to make a better natural environment. Consuming less meat is also a good solution. Many cows and pigs produce carbon, so by consuming less meat, they can reduce carbon emissions.
Last but not least there are creating new policies. The first policy I want to suggest in South Korea is the ‘carbon tax’. There have been a few cases where many politicians tried to adopt a carbon tax in Korea, but what I am suggesting is slightly different from the previous carbon tax system. The previously suggested carbon tax system was attempted to be forced on all of the citizens in Korea, but this new carbon tax system would only apply to companies. According to the Korea Research Institute for Land and Environment, seventy-three domestic companies account for 75% of Korea's greenhouse gas emissions. Among them, greenhouse gas emissions from Korea's top ten conglomerates account for about 36% of the country's total emissions. This evidence clearly shows that companies are producing the most carbon in South Korea and that they need to be responsible for the pollutants they carelessly produce.
Since 2015, Korea has been striving to reduce carbon emissions created by companies by implementing a carbon emission system, but the effect has been negligible. Therefore, stronger carbon emission regulations, such as a carbon tax, are needed. The carbon tax that I am trying to propose suggests that companies that produce carbon over 2% of Korea’s average annual carbon emissions pay tax: the total tax would be a multiple of every percentage over 2% of Korea’s total annual carbon emissions and 0.5% of the company’s total income from the previous year. For example, if the company produced 5% of Kora’s annual carbon emissions, then it would be required to pay 1.5% of its total income from the previous year. This would be a very effective solution to reduce the amount of carbon being produced by companies and create a possible budget that the government can use to support other companies that produce eco-friendly products.
The second policy that could be further developed by using carbon tax is financial aid toward eco-friendly companies including electronic car companies. If you look at the 'Enforcement Decree of the Act on Promotion of the Development and Distribution of Environmentally Friendly Cars' (환경 친화적 자동차의 개발 및 보급 촉진에 관한 법률 시행령) and the 'Basic Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth to Respond to the Climate Crisis' (기후위기 대응을 위한 탄소중립ㆍ녹색성장 기본법), there are no mention of financial support. 'Enforcement Decree of the Act on Promotion of the Development and Distribution of Environmentally Friendly Cars' law made by Ministry of Environment emphasizes the importance of developing e-cars and ways to support those counties. Second law I mentioned is about supporting ecofriendly companies. But these crucial laws and policies that improve this society to develop as eco-friendly country does not have any clauses related to the financial aid.
Today we have learned what carbon emission is, why it is a problem, and how to solve it. As I mentioned before, many nature, including plants, animals, and humans, are dying and getting hurt because of the pollution made by humans. We must remember that WHAT WE HAVE DONE WILL COME BACK TO US.
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