By: Tony Park
Fresh air, clean sky, and nature. Can you imagine? It had been a long time since we breathed fresh and clean air in Korea. Nowadays, carbon emission is affecting our planet in many ways. The main reason for climate change and air pollution is carbon emissions. International society needs to notice that reducing carbon emissions is essential, so in this passage, I am going to talk about what carbon emission is, why it is a problem and ways that can help reduce carbon emissions. What is carbon emission? Carbon emissions are compounds often released into the atmosphere through human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, including coal and gas. According to the Korean Ministry of Environment, in 2020, Korea produced 656.2 million tons of carbon, 4% of the total carbon from the world.
Then why is carbon emission a big problem?
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 a result, sea levels are rising.
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. And consuming less meat can also be a good solution. Many cows and pigs produce carbon, so by consuming less meat, they can reduce carbon emissions.
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.
김대욱. “환경부 * 보도·설명.” 2021년 국가 온실가스 배출량, 6억 7,960만톤 예상, 28 June 2022, http://www.me.go.kr/home/web/board/read.do?boardMasterId=1&boardId=1533570&menuId=10525.
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