2nd EcoSave Workshop - Edible Insects and Water

In continuation of the first successful workshop, we decided to hold another one to encourage younger students to continue to be engaged in environmental issues. Held on July 2nd, the workshop was based on edible insects and the importance of water.

Once again, we opened up with presentations from each member of the club in order to help the children get a sense of what the day's topic was about. However, we provided something different from the previous workshop by including a hands-on experience for the students. To introduce the importance of water, we presented the children with a filter, made by a NGO called "Open Hands." This NGO makes filters for communities in the Philippines to enhance their water quality and prevent certain diseases. The students learned what the filter was made of, how it was put together with the water container, why people used it, and were able to actually taste tap water through the filter.

Next up on the agenda were the presentations by the children. Guided by one of the club members, each group chose one edible insect, researched for 30 minutes, created a powerpoint, and presented to other groups.  Along the process, we gave out cookies with edible insects in them. Although some kids were disgusted and ran away with one glance at the cookie, others found the cookies delicious and crunchy. Some of them even picked the insects out of the cookie to see how they tasted like!

We wrapped up by giving out goody bags, and the children were already curious and eager about when the next workshop would be. Although the day's lesson mainly regarded insects, a topic not a lot of people are fond of, we were glad that they went home, knowing that edible insects are actually good for the environment. Overall, we were glad the second workshop was another success and that we were able to use our knowledge to help educate younger children about the environment and how to improve it.

By Soo Lee

Acid Rain - one of the effects of Air pollution

Environmental pollution and climate change are becoming a greater threat to mankind.
Acid rain is one of the effects of Air pollution. Therefore, Air pollution becomes worse, Acid rain problem comes up bigger issue in our society.

Acid rain is any form of precipitation that contains high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can occur in forms other than rain such as snow, fog, etc. Acid rain is a dilemma all around the globe but there are certain regions where this precipitation is more critical. The source or cause of this issue is simply air pollution. As factories and automobiles emit nitrogen and sulfur into the air, it causes a chemical reaction high up into the atmosphere. Those chemicals mix with water and oxygen which generates acid rain. Thus, the cause of acid rain is due to manmade sources. 

This problem is a global issue that affects all the regions on Earth. This is because no matter where the pollution is, the water cycle moves the pollution around and spread the acid rain to different locations. Although the problem is not severe yet, it is a growing concern that we should definitely be aware of. As air pollution increases, acid rain increases as well which obviously means the amount of acid rain is escalating. This is definitely problematic because acid rain does a lot of harm to many different things and places. First of all, it damages the aquatic environment. Acid rain always reaches the water source either directly, by flowing down a forest, etc. When this happens, the pH level or the level of acid significantly decreases. This is dangerous because fish need a particular level of pH in order to survive. The impact of pH level is that it makes it impossible for fish eggs to hatch and it also kills adult fish. Therefore, acid rain has a colossal influence on aquatic life. Secondly, it abuses forests and trees in particular. Acid rain breaks down the tree’s defense which causes it to be more vulnerable to diseases, extreme weather, and insects that can destroy the trees. Next, it also has a big impact on architecture, especially buildings. When acid rain makes contact with buildings, especially those made out of limestone, it makes the buildings weaker and easier to decay. This is the same for others such as airplanes, cars, bridges, etc. Lastly, it affects people in the way that it deteriorates people’s vision and it can cause problems in their lungs and hearts in the long term. Despite these destructive effects of acid rain, fortunately there are many places around the world trying to diminish this issue. Governments are cleaning industry smokestacks and trying to find alternate fuel sources to decrease the pollution resulting in acid rain. In addition, the EPA’s Acid Rain Program has been putting a limit to the emission of sulfur dioxide by putting a cap on the use of power plants. Overall, the issue is not good but there are many people that are trying help decrease the problem.

In order to reverse the problem, the only thing we can do is curbing the release of the pollution that is causing acid rain. The best thing we can do is to burn less fossil fuel. Therefore, we need to find alternative energy sources to utilize instead of fossil fuel. In addition, to limit acid rain, it is important to clean up exhaust pipes and smoke stacks. However, not only certain people have the ability to do this but everyone can contribute to stopping acid rain. The most important thing is to conserve energy and everyone can do this. For example, using less electronics, lights, air conditioning, etc. can all help decrease air pollution. Another way to help is by driving less and using public transportation. Cars and trucks all release lots of nitrogen oxide which is a factor that causes acid rain. Although these are really little things, it can add up to make a huge difference in society. Currently, there are many things that are being done in order to raise awareness of this detrimental situation. For example, commercials, ads, newspapers, and many other things are being released into the internet. All of these are all contributing to raise awareness. Something that can be done even more to help the situation is sharing this problem in social media.

By Justin Chung

Italian Composer Ludovico Einaudi Plays on the Arctic Ocean

Two weeks ago, Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi performed on a floating glacier in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. This performance was not for his own good, but for the good of the world, as his ultimate goal was to help save the Arctic.

Scientists have warned that the Arctic has been melting much faster than expected. The main causes of this phenomenon are destructive fishing and oil spilling. However, why do people worldwide care so much about the Arctic? The Arctic is home to several unique animals, including polar bears, regulates the climate, and is said to be a global treasure. Recently, Greenpeace, a non-governmental environmental organization, stated that "the Arctic Ocean is the least protected sea in the world, its high seas currently have no legal safeguards."

In order to raise awareness of the danger the Arctic is in, a Greenpeace ship with over 8 million voices set off from the Netherlands to the Arctic. Along the way, the ship stopped by Norway and picked up Ludovico Einaudi, who brought along a grand piano. What Einaudi did was unimaginable. He played his own composition, "Elegy for the Arctic," which was sponsored by Greenpeace. His performance was undoubtedly majestic and within weeks, many people started becoming alert to the current situation of the Arctic.

However, Einaudi's performance was not simply purposeless. It coincided with a special occasion that took place this last week. From the 20th to the 24th of June, OSPAR (an international environmental committee of 15 countries) held a meeting in Spain to come to a unified conclusion. Their proposal was to safeguard 10% of the Arctic Ocean. Although this may seem like an easy decision, three countries, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland are against the proposal. Unfortunately, the power and influence these countries hold are great, and somehow, they need to be persuaded to changed their opinions.

Although we live extremely far away from the Arctic, the impact of this region is enormous. What Einaudi did was only part of many people's voices. However, it touched many people's hearts around the world, and hopefully, the three countries will change their opinions. 10% may not seem much at first, but it is a great start to protecting the polar-white Arctic.

Save the Arctic!

By Soo Lee

1st EcoSave Workshop "Endangered Species and the environment".

Our club was planning workshop series to educate pressing environment issues to local elementary children and discuss plausible solutions from children's perspective. The motivation was planting an awareness from the early age so that the younger ones could get acquainted with environmental issues and be conscious about them. We put advertisements in local residential housings and 15 children age from 8 to 11. First, we started the workshop with a children friendly issue, 'Endangered animal species.' PPT presentation on the topic and small group teaching and children's feed back presentation were coordinated. Fun games and goody bags for the hard working(?) children were the final events of the workshop. We received great feed backs from our young students, boosting our confidence to plan coming workshops during summer break. Engaging age appropriate topic and explanation could catch young ones attention to get involved with serious environmental issues, that was our humble learning.

EcoSave Workshop "Endangered Species and the environment".

Our club was planning workshop series to educate pressing environment issues to local elementary children and discuss plausible solutions from children's perspective. The motivation was planting an awareness from the early age so that the younger ones could get acquainted with environmental issues and be conscious about them. We put advertisements in local residential housings and 15 children age from 8 to 11. First, we started the workshop with a children friendly issue, 'Endangered animal species.' PPT presentation on the topic and small group teaching and children's feed back presentation were coordinated. Fun games and goody bags for the hard working(?) children were the final events of the workshop. We received great feed backs from our young students, boosting our confidence to plan coming workshops during summer break. Engaging age appropriate topic and explanation could catch young ones attention to get involved with serious environmental issues, that was our humble learning.

Korea Air Pollution – Whos’ to Blame?

Summer vacation season in Korea is a busy time. We’re visited by endless stream of visitors from neighboring countries such as Japan and China. Korea has benefitted enormously from theses visitors economically. Unfortunately, tourists are not the only visitors from China during the summer seasons, the summer season also is a time when yellow dust from China arrives in Korea. Chinese factories along with gobi dessert are seen as the culprits of these unwanted guests – but are they really to be blamed for Korea’s smog? 

Recently team of scientist sponsored by NASA arrived in Korea and together with Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research started six weeks project to determine what causes the grey smog we often see in Korea’s air. Flying around in a vintage DC8, they collect data the whole peninsula. While they say it is too early to determine all the findings, they have said that they detected specific signature of factories in Ulsan, home of Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Motors. They have also found pollution originating from southeast where Korea’s huge steel plant, Posco is located. Along with these industrial factories, Korea also has enormous amount of motor vehicles on the street. In April alone, 130,591 cars were registered in Korea according to Trading Economics. Along with cars, Korea also has many motorcycles which is seen as a major source of air pollution. Recently MBC reported  motorcycle represents only 10% of all registered vehicles, however, they cause 25-35% of air pollution in Korea. 

Korean government has said for many years that China is the cause of air pollution in Korea. However, scientists on board of the DC8 stated that fine dust particles are originating from within Korea. Speaking to CNN, one of the scientist Jack Dib said, “We think a lot of it is going to be mixture of pollution from the power plants and the cities with an awful lot of stuff coming from the forest, natural biogenics so we’re looking to see if that’s what’s really happening.” 

We may not be able to determine definitively the origin of air pollution in Korea, but we do know that it’s bad and it’s having detrimental effect on all of us. In a recent study by Yale University, South Korea ranked 173 out of 180 countries for air pollution. 

Instead of blaming China, Korean government must take drastic measure to improve Korea’s quality of air. Our lives depend on it. 

Posted by Daniel Kim 

Companies in Asia

Asian companies doing poorly compared to their western counterparts

Increasingly Asian brands/companies are becoming more and more popular. However, as they stand in the global stage enjoying the global attention, they need to remember to also act responsible as a global company, especially when it comes to sustainability. 

World Wide Fund (WWF), recently conducted to research to determine how Asian consumer goods companies measure-up against their western counterparts when it comes to sustainability. The report titled, “Asian Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) - A Sustainability Guide for Financiers and Companies”, stated that Asian companies and their investors are not doing enough to protect the environment. 

Twenty-six firms across APAC markets including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam with market worth of at least US$1 billion were picked for the report. The report reviewed how they managed the environmental impact of the three most important elements of their operations, water use, packaging and soft commodities such as oil, sugar, and meat. The study revealed that Asian companies were less aware of environmental, social and related business risks when compared to their western counterparts. For example, outer/external appearance is important in Asia and thus, many FMCG companies in Asia use extensive amounts of packaging, which generates waste which is not always biodegradable. 

An effective way to hold these companies accountable is to increase the voices of consumers who purchases products from these companies. Consumer must increasingly be responsible in choosing and purchasing products that are environmentally friendly. They must also demand companies to be accountable for doing their best to act responsibly when it comes to sustainability. I encourage everyone to look at the report to understand how your favorite brands/companies are doing. 

For the full report click here. 

Daniel Kim