Earthquake Possibilities

On September 12, I experience the first earthquake of my life. I was sitting at my desk at the time when I felt our apartment shaking for about 10 seconds. I did not know what it was at first. Only when I went out to the living room, did I learned through my parents that we just had an earthquake. The epicenter was in a city called Gyeongju located about 250km south of Seoul. The 5.8 magnitude earthquake was felt throughout most of the country and was followed by some 400 aftershocks with some being a magnitude of 3.8. The Gyeongju earthquake is considered to be most powerful earthquake to hit the peninsular since Korea began recording earthquakes in 1978. While the earthquake did not cause any major damage, it did leave us realizing how little we were prepared for such natural disaster.

Earthquake has never been part of our lives as I grew-up in Korea. We saw only through TV news coverage the devastations of earthquakes especially in our neighboring country Japan. And as we watched the news, I think most in Korea felt that it would never happen to us in Korea. The tremor on September 12 changed everyone’s minds. I think all Koreans now realize that Korea is not exempted from possible disaster. 

Now that I have lived through my first earthquake, like so many people, I started to think about what we need to do before the next one hits. Clearly there has to be a better education and training in place to show and teach everyone what they must do to prepare for an earthquake. I also wonder why we had an earthquake in Korea and also why it seems there were so many other earthquakes around the world. In 2016, there have been 8546 earthquakes around the world with magnitude of 4 or above. While it’s commonly known that earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault and this  sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake, what is not commonly known is the possibility of climate change triggering natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. 

Professor Bill McGuire of University College of London published a book in 2012 discussing exact possibility. An article in CarbonBrief Clear on Climate, stated that “McGuire book examines what the planet has done in the past as the climate has changed naturally, and makes a convincing case for a historical relationship between natural change and some geological activity. Give the speedy nature of the current climate change, it seems reasonable to take form this that our current human-driven climate change will have geological consequences. McGuire suggests that if man-made climate change leads to more large ice sheets disappearing – like the one covering Greenland – this could lead to more shakes, rattles and rolls."

While there are skeptics calling McGuire’s theory as a science fiction, what is not science fiction is man made climate change is melting the ice and the world is witnessing greater number of earthquakes than before. 

By Daniel Kim 

Insect Sandwich Maker, a game made with Scratch

Throughout the workshops for young children, questions on 'How to make children get acquainted with insect food' keep coming on.  Insect food is one way to solve water shortage problems worldwide.

We came up with a thought that creating an on-line game using children friendly platform, 'Scratch', is a good way to make children get cozy with 'Insect food' concept.

Each member took a class and studied the 'Scratch' program and came up with own creation.

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/119222170/

This is a game called, 'Insect Sandwich Maker', created by Alberta.

More information on Scratch:
https://scratch.mit.edu

The lazy person's guide to saving the world!!

Things you can do from your couch

• Save electricity by plugging appliances into a power strip and turning them off completely when not in use, including your computer.
• Stop paper bank statements and pay your bills online or via mobile. No paper, no need for forest destruction.
• Share, don’t just like. If you see an interesting social media post about women’s rights or climate change, share it so folks in your network see it too.
• Speak up! Ask your local and national authorities to engage in initiatives that don’t harm people or the planet. You can also voice your support for the Paris Agreement and ask your country to ratify it or sign it if it hasn’t yet.
• Don’t print. See something online you need to remember? Jot it down in a notebook or better yet a digital post-it note and spare the paper.
• Turn off the lights. Your TV or computer screen provides a cosy glow, so turn off other lights if you don’t need them.
• Do a bit of online research and buy only from companies that you know have sustainable practices and don’t harm the environment.
• Report online bullies. If you notice harassment on a message board or in a chat room, flag that person.
• Stay informed. Follow your local news and stay in touch with the Global Goals online or on social media at @GlobalGoalsUN.
• Tell us about your actions to achieve the global goals by using the hashtag #globalgoals on social networks.
• Offset your carbon emissions! You can calculate your carbon footprint and purchase climate credit from Climate Neutral Now.

Things you can do at home

• Air dry. Let your hair and clothes dry naturally instead of running a machine. If you do wash your clothes, make sure the load is full.
• Take short showers. Bathtubs require gallons more water than a 5-10 minute shower.
• Eat less meat, poultry, and fish. More resources are used to provide meat than plants
• Freeze fresh produce and leftovers if you don’t have the chance to eat them before they go bad. You can also do this with take-away or delivered food, if you know you will not feel like eating it the next day. You will save food and money.
• Compost—composting food scraps can reduce climate impact while also recycling nutrients.
• Recycling paper, plastic, glass & aluminium keeps landfills from growing.
• Buy minimally packaged goods.
• Avoid pre-heating the oven. Unless you need a precise baking temperature, start heating your food right when you turn on the oven.
• Plug air leaks in windows and doors to increase energy efficiency
• Adjust your thermostat, lower in winter, higher in summer
• Replace old appliances with energy efficient models and light bulbs
• If you have the option, install solar panels in your house. This will also reduce your electricity bill!
• Get a rug. Carpets and rugs keep your house warm and your thermostat low.
• • Don’t rinse. If you use a dishwasher, stop rinsing your plates before you run the machine.
  • Choose a better diaper option. Swaddle your baby in cloth diapers or a new, environmentally responsible disposable brand.
  • Shovel snow manually. Avoid the noisy, exhaust-churning snow blower and get some exercise.
  • Use cardboard matches. They don’t require any petroleum, unlike plastic gas-filled lighters.
  
  

  Things you can do outside your house

  • Shop local. Supporting neighbourhood businesses keeps people employed and helps prevent trucks from driving far distances.
  • Shop Smart—plan meals, use shopping lists and avoid impulse buys. Don’t succumb to marketing tricks that lead you to buy more food than you need, particularly for perishable items. Though these may be less expensive per ounce, they can be more expensive overall if much of that food is discarded.
  • Buy Funny Fruit—many fruits and vegetables are thrown out because their size, shape, or color are not “right”. Buying these perfectly good funny fruit, at the farmer’s market or elsewhere, utilizes food that might otherwise go to waste.
  • When you go to a restaurant and are ordering seafood always ask: “Do you serve sustainable seafood?” Let your favorite businesses know that ocean-friendly seafood’s on your shopping list.
  • Shop only for sustainable seafood. There are now many apps like this one that will tell you what is safe to consume.
  • Bike, walk or take public transport. Save the car trips for when you’ve got a big group.
  • Use a refillable water bottle and coffee cup. Cut down on waste and maybe even save money at the coffee shop.
  • Bring your own bag when you shop. Pass on the plastic bag and start carrying your own reusable totes.
  • Take fewer napkins. You don’t need a handful of napkins to eat your takeout. Take just what you need.
  • Shop vintage. Brand-new isn’t necessarily best. See what you can repurpose from second-hand shops.
  • Maintain your car. A well-tuned car will emit fewer toxic fumes.
  • Donate what you don’t use. Local charities will give your gently used clothes, books and furniture a new life.
  • Vaccinate yourself and your kids. Protecting your family from disease also aids public health.
  • Take advantage of your right to elect the leaders in your country and local community.