GREEN CAMPUS ACTIVITY

그린세미나 IN CAMPUS

First, ECUBE presented about "Wetlands, an ecological repository"

It started by showing a video of the beauty of Suncheonbay, coastal wetland registered on Ramsar in 2006. 

ㅣValue of Wetlands

- Ecological Value

  provide wild animals natural habitat, flow control and remove organic matters

- Hydrologic Value

  excellent role as a dam in the wet seasons and in droughts

  prevent soil erosion

- Economic Value

  contribute to secure water resources : reduces costs for the development of water resources

  water purification : reduces costs for the disposal of environmental pollution

  enormous source of income due to the cradle of fishing industry

  give opportunity to agriculture, lumber, production, energy resources, ecotourism

- Landscape and Cultural Value

  unique scenery, place with vitality

  heritage that the local community and the country gets

ㅣFunctions of Wetlands

- function of supplying nutrient and food

- climate regulation : save up to 40% of the world's carbon, block carbon flowing into the atmosphere

- water purification : capability to remove toxic material

- preserve biodiversity : more that 40% of the worlds species live, in some wetlands important species that are endangered live (Libellula angelina,otter)

- flood control

- prevent storm

- productive

- leisure and tourism

Watch the FULL Seminar of Ewha Womans University, ECUBE

http://kgcaus.greatnature.org/pglist/gallery.asp?sgubun=enviro_class

Next, presentation was SengSengSuDa's "Paris Convention, Road Map of Korea's Carbon Emission Reduction"

Countries in UNFCCC opened a Conference of Parties(COP)

ㅣKyoto Protocol

1997.12.11 COP3 adopted---2005.02.16 announced---valid until the year 2020

Imposed an obligation of reducing greenhouse gas emission

United States resigned

After, 1st commitment period, Canada resigned

2nd commitment period, Japan, Russia, New Zealand resigned

Didn't impose obligation of reducing greenhouse gas emission to China, India

lack of effectiveness, close to failure

ㅣParis Agreement

2015.12.15 COP21 adopted----2016.11.4 enacted as an international law----no end date

Step-by-step reducing greenhouse gas emission, so the Earth's average temperature doesn't rise more than 2degrees, compared to the ages before industrialization.

-After INDC 2020, voluntary participation plan of countries.

Submit until 2015, materializate written guidelines and

according to INDC, agreement with Paris Agreement

-INDC writting guidelines (Lima Decision)

Submit information : include time, target range, methodology of making process

principle of contribution : reinforce present reduce activity

reducing plan: explain how it is greatly motivated and fair in national circumstances

submission procedure : countries that are ready should submit until 2015.3, other countries until 2015.9

Major countries greenhouse gas emission reduction plan for 2030.

EU : compared to 1990, 40% reduction

Norway : compared to 1990, 40% reduction

Korea : compare dto BAU, 37% reduction

(BAU-estimated emission when there was no greenhouse gas emission reduction plan)

- agreement about reduction with the international society

- expand the global emission trading market

- prepare financing plans

[Problems]

Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Korea's evaluation (2015.8)

'Daejayon Report' from Daejayon

After 'Daejayon Report' we discussed about the following subjects,

1. Should there be a penalty to the countries that didn't fully perform the Paris Agreement? If so what could be a good penalty?

2. What kind of efforts does the government, companies and people need to make balance in settling down Korea's new regeneration energy?

Think about it!

Even in their busy semesters, environmental club students took effort to search for datas for the seminar!

Hope that they grow as global environmental leaders and overcome global warming!

See you at the next seminar!