To promote the Second Birthday Project, we made a video clip of what it’s all about. Watch the video and find out!
By. Alex Sangwook Ahn
Saturday, November 5, 2022
NGOs and NPOs
NGOs and NPOs
During the summer while working as an intern at Open Hands, I wrote a report regarding the difference between NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and NPOs (Non-Profit Organizations). They are similar in that they exist for the main purpose of making the world a better place. The term NGO and the business type were created in 1945, with the inception of the United Nations. As you can infer by its name, the organization is not a part of the government, but they still help to provide humanitarian aid and advocate for social change. They may also operate in the same areas as government agencies. NGOs can exist at the local, national, or international level. The Salvation Army and American Red Cross are NGOs that are headquartered in the United States but they provide services across the world and the United Nations and Amnesty International are international NGOs. NGOs help benefit society in many sectors and practices such as
Managing emerging health crises (ie. coronavirus, HIV/AIDS, etc)
Promoting health education (ie. waste disposal and good hygiene)
Developing social institutions (ie. schools and roads)
Securing women’s equality (ie. boosting literacy and offering counseling)
Dealing with community issues (ie. crime, prostitution, etc)
A Non-Profit Organization refers to a business that does not distribute its profits to owners or shareholders. The profits get reinvested into the business to manage expenses, meet its social goals, and pay staff. NPOs have the mission to help a specific cause or community and they may operate on a small scale like within a community, or a broader scale. NPOs exist to serve a variety of causes and issues. For example, they may:
Support scientific research
Provide literacy and educational programs
Prevent animal cruelty
Aid in stopping child abuse
Promote sports programs
NGOs receive funding much like NPOs such as private donations, loans, grants, membership dues, and the sales of services to stay in business. NPOs can also receive funding in those ways in addition to corporate contributions, investments, government contracts or grants, and tax revenues. NGOs and NPOs have a lot in common, aiming to serve the public and promoting positive social change, the main difference being that NGOs operate internationally. Through the support of volunteers and donations, they exist and work to reach their goal of helping to change the world for the better.
By. Alex Sangwook Ahn
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Certificate of Appreciation
Certificate of Appreciation
In September, we were thrilled to hear the good news that the consistent work that we have been doing together with Open Hands to help underprivileged villages in the Philippines earned an official recognition, and finally today we received our Certificate of Appreciation. They thanked us for the donation of personal computers and support of the wi-fi internet connection which enables the children of the village to broaden their horizon in their learning experience and help the teachers to provide a better quality of education. In addition, they thanked our efforts in promoting the “Second Birthday Project” (Late Birth Registration) and providing funds to help the unregistered children to become legally registered and to receive the proper education that they are entitled to.
Our club will continue to support the Second Birthday Project so that more children can earn their rights and pursue their dreams.
By Alex Sangwook Ahn
Friday, October 28, 2022
SuperBin and the Nephron
By Seojin David Lee
Currently, there are a lot of
difficulties in recycling materials so that they can actually be reused. First,
although many fashion brands show an interest in using recyclable materials,
many “recyclable” materials today end up not recycled because of impurities
such as food and styrofoam present with the recyclable material. Additionally,
even if the impurities are weeded out before the recyclable material is thrown
away, other impurities may contaminate the material again during the disposal
process.
To combat these issues, a company in South
Korea called SuperBin has taken action. In around 200 locations in Korea,
SuperBin has placed automated machines called the “Nephron” that collect
recyclable cans and PET bottles. What makes these machines interesting is that
it is run by an AI called “Neuro Genie,” which is programmed with a data base
that informs the machine with which waste is recyclable and which is not. Using
this machine, people can make sure not only that their waste is recyclable, but
also that their waste is in safe hands and would avoid future
contamination.
Although the assurance of recycling may be
enough of a reason for people to use the Nephron, SuperBin also provides people
with another incentive: money. When someone successfully inserts a recyclable
can or PET bottle into the Nephron, the machine rewards the person with points
that can be redeemed into cash. This way, SuperBin pushes an even wider range
of people to recycle what they can! A user of the Nephron interviewed by SBS (a
Korean television company) explained how they feel proud “[saving] the
environment” “when this money comes into a bank account” (1).
After SuperBin collects a recyclable can or
bottle, it converts it into recyclable material and sells it to those that can
use the recyclable material, such as the fashion companies mentioned earlier.
Through this method, SuperBin hopes to create a circular economy where products
are reused as much as possible.
Over the past couple of years, the number of
Nephrons has been increasing and are only expected to increase. As more people
start using the machine, more recyclable materials are collected and reused,
and more types of recyclable waste are collected by the Nephron, it may become
more apparent that this is one of the best methods of Eco-friendly waste
management not only here in South Korea, but hopefully in other countries as
well in the near future.
Sources:
(1): https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id-N1006476161
(2):
https://sedaily.com/NewsView/22SLZ2FM15
(1):
https://www.superbin.co.kr/en/contents/philosophy.php
(2):
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190327008700320
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Water Pollution in Vietnam
By Seojin David Lee
Water pollution is a serious environmental issue that is common in various areas of the world. It can be thought of as the contamination of water preventing it from being able to be safely used for activities such as drinking, cooking, and cleaning. There are several causes of water pollution; in fact, every form of pollution, including air pollution and land pollution, can eventually cause water pollution. One notable region in Asia that is being threatened by significant amounts of water pollution is the country of Vietnam
Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country often known for its rivers and has a coastline that is 3,260 kilometers long. However, several portions of the vast bodies of water are polluted, and the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation has found that “water samples from Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and District 12 contain unsafe levels of ammonia and manganese” (1).
Although both the government and the industryare responsible for the pollution, the poor management of industrial waste is the main factor. In fact, “fifty industrial zones discharge 105 million liters of largely untreated wastewater into the Saigon every day” and the “Hydro powerplants [that] have been built on all 13 big river networks” “[make] people living downstream from these areas particularly vulnerable to pollution from farming pesticides, fertilizer, factory runoff, fish farms and wastewater” (1).
Another important thing to note is that the poor law enforcement regarding water pollution in Vietnam could also be a major factor, as professor Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh states that “[Vietnam] [needs] to have strong punishments” (1). Additionally, “low fines, vague criteria for identifying polluters, low monitoring capacity, little willingness to enforce regulations and inadequate funding” are all problems observed in the country that allow water pollution to thrive (1).
There are countless impacts of water pollution in Vietnam. One is its harmful effect on national health. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, “up to 80 percent of diseases in Vietnam is directly caused by water pollution” (2). The farming industry suffers as well; because the water supply is unstable largely due to the pollution, agriculture faces instability and ineffectiveness. The effect on Vietnamese children is also a major issue, specifically because children, unlike most adults, have an immune system not developed to resist the practice of “more than 9.5 million Vietnamese” releasing biological waste into the environment (2). As a result, “Vietnam has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in Southeast Asia, and as many as 44 percent of Vietnamese children fall ill with whipworms, hookworms or roundworms” (1).
However, people around the world and in the country are realizing the issue and have started to address it. An example is the Vietnam Local Works for Environmental Health project of the United States Agency for International Development which aims to develop new infrastructure in the Ha Lam commune to bring clean water to the schools of younger children.
Another example on the part of the Vietnamese government is the project it launched to prevent people from continuing to release excreta into the surrounding environment. The goal of the Vietnamese government is to achieve water standards clean enough to recover public health and the economy by 2025!
Sources:
Monday, October 17, 2022
The Connecticut River
The Connecticut River
By. Sangwook Alex Ahn
My school Loomis Chaffee is located at the confluence of Farmington and the Connecticut River, the longest river in New England that runs through four states; New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
After becoming an Environmental Proctor I learned that the Connecticut River Watershed contains 3000 dams, 14 of which are used for Flood Risk Management. The watershed infrastructure is necessary for that purpose in addition to being the drinking water supply and source of sustainable hydropower. However, it alters natural river flow, interferes with fish migratory patterns, and negatively changes the environment of endangered species. Many species such as the puritan tiger beetle and the short-nose sturgeon are at risk of being endangered. The dams alter the flow and tides, killing or harming the many endangered species that inhabit the river shores. They can also change the sediment and sand composition and placement in the river by periodically measuring the river flow above natural speed.
Another problem concerning the CT River is that the water is polluted by harmful toxins resulting from sewage and waste runoff. The main contributors of the pollutions are factory spills and waste, untreated sewage, and farming flood runoffs. In order to solve this problem, sewage treatment systems and technology should be updated, and laws should be established to prohibit discarding waste in the river.
As an Environmental Proctor at Loomis Chaffee, I endeavor to raise awareness of protected habitats, encourage other Loomis Chaffee students to learn about supporting endangered species in the CT River, and petition for environmental and river protection bills. These efforts are essential in maintaining our Loomis Chaffee campus to be such a beautiful campus with its wildlife to be preserved and unpolluted.
The Connecticut River
Sources: https://www.instagram.com/lc_eproctors/?hl=en
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Edible Insects and Climate Change
Edible Insects and Climate Change
By. Sangwook Alex Ahn
Most people would say “yuck” to the idea of eating insects. However, insects can be an excellent source of sustainable and nutritious proteins. Here are five reasons why insects are remarkable alternative sources of protein, which can significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
First, edible insects can produce equivalent amounts of quality protein when compared to animals. A recent study showed that insects offer between 9.96 and 35.2 grams of protein per 100 grams, compared to between 16.8 and 20.6 grams for meat. Crickets, certain ant species, and mealworms are known to be protein and calorie-dense stars. The easiest way to eat insects would be to replace your typical protein supplement powder with cricket protein powder.
Second, insects require fewer resources (less land, less feed, less water, less transport fuel, and less human labor) than animal livestock while processing a much smaller carbon footprint. Plants do not produce greenhouse gases, but they require machinery use, water use, manufacturing, processing, and transportation, etc. – all of which carbon is emitted.
Third, we are running out of protein. By 2050, the Earth's population is presumed to be 10 billion and the demand for protein will exceed our ability to procure it. For our survival, it is necessary to increase our food output and decrease our carbon emissions at the same time.
Fourth, insects can be part of a virtuous eco-cycle. For example, feeding insects such as spent grains from brewery operations; thus, preventing additional waste from going into landfills. This provides added value to the brewery and feed for the insects. This is called circular agriculture, diverting materials from landfills that produce 20% of the global anthropogenic methane emission and are the second highest producer of greenhouse gas.
Last, if you are not convinced to eat insects, you can purchase animal proteins that have been fed on insects. The feed that is used in raising these animals has a substantial environmental impact. Another great way is switching to pet food that contains insect protein. I suggest you not be afraid to try. You may actually like it if you take that step. Think about how you can help to reduce your carbon footprint in food consumption.
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Why do Companies Greenwash and How can we Spot them?
Why do Companies Greenwash and How can we Spot them?
Grace Hyunjoo Lee
The term “Greenwashing” describes when companies claim environmental records that are unsubstantiated. Why do companies greenwash? Companies greenwash because they want to mislead customers who choose to buy environmentally friendly products into their own brand. In other words, to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers since the demand for those products is rising.
These false claims from companies are hard to detect, which makes it harder to find companies who are giving doubtful claims and confront them. A simple way to spot greenwashing as customers are if there are no facts or details supporting their claims. Companies that are truly green describe how their products differ from their competitors. They are happy to write down each consciously chosen material and ingredient in their products.
These are some strategies used in greenwashing that customers and consumers should look out for:
Unclear or vague wording
Suggestive imagery: images that lead customers to adopt a specific view or perspective of the brand
Unrelated claims: focus on an insignificant attribute
Kenton, Will. “What Is Greenwashing? How It Works, Examples, and Statistics.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 13 Sept. 2022, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greenwashing.asp.
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Green Walls
By Seojin David Lee
The continued burning of fossil fuels
and the increased prevalence of deforestation is increasing the amount of
greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and decreasing the amount of trees that can
absorb the carbon dioxide. This leads to the well-known phenomena of climate
change, which is caused by the increase in temperatures all over the earth due
to the greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere. One way to help with
the increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is by planting
more plants so that the photosynthetic organisms can absorb the carbon dioxide.
However, with increasing amounts of deforestation and the construction of
buildings, it may raise the question of how this may be possible. Fortunately,
with the help of green walls, it may be possible to increase the amount of plants
despite the construction of buildings.
According
to Naturvention Oy, a company creating green wall products, green walls are
“vertical structures that have different types of plants or other greenery
attached to them,” and they often look something like this:
Green walls exist all over the world.
For example, the biggest green wall in Europe exists on the Citicape House in
London. Amazingly, this work of architecture is said to have absorbed 8 tonnes
of pollution every year.
Another example is the Seoul City Hall,
where a seven-story-high green wall exists. According to Inhabitat,
“Approximately 65,000 plants from 14 different species grow in the garden,
which spans an area greater than 17,000 square feet.”
( Seoul City hall)
Lastly, a final example I wanted to
share is the green wall at Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education’s
College Central. According to ODS, the walls span about 5,300 square meters and
“is the world largest vertical greenery installation at a single development.”
Additionally, the walls “mitigate the heat island effect and reduce the energy
required for air-conditioning, hence decreasing the carbon footprint of the
College.”
(Institute of Technical Education's College Central)
There are many benefits to green walls.
Because more and more buildings are being built, there is a decrease in the
area plants may be planted. However, with the help of green walls, plants can
be planted even in areas without space for vegetation. Furthermore, green walls
are able to absorb massive amounts of pollution. This is especially important
in urban areas, where little vegetation exists. Green walls are also able to
cool the temperature down by diminishing the heat island effect. This will help
reduce the carbon footprint of the area, like it did in Singapore’s Institute
of Technical Education’s College Central. Finally, green walls are
aesthetically pleasing to look at. According to Naturvention Oy, “Bringing in
natural elements to places where they can’t generally be seen lifts our mood,
making us more alert and upbeat.” Because of all of these benefits, I believe
that more countries and architects should adopt green walls in their buildings.
The construction of green walls will not only help with the threat of climate
change, but will also brighten up everyone’s day who may be lucky enough to
pass by one!
Sources:
https://www.outdoordesign.com.au/news-info/exemplary-projects/worlds-largest-green-wall-project/451.htm#:~:text=Elmich's%20VGM%20Green%20Walls%20were,installation%20at%20a%20single%20development.
https://inhabitat.com/7-story-indoor-green-wall-is-as-an-enormous-air-filter-for-solar-powered-seoul-city-hall/seoul-new-city-hall-green-wall-16-2/
https://www.sheppardrobson.com/architecture/view/citicape-house
Extreme Weather in South Korea
Around the world, many places have extreme weather. These may be storms, floods, or even natural disasters. Weather in South Korea is typically hot and humid during the summer and cold during the winter. However, recent events show some crazy, extreme weather.
August 8, 2022. This was the day that South Korea had one of its craziest floods in over a century. At least 11 people died and many went homeless due to the extreme flooding. The rain lasted days and recorded at least 525 millimeters of rain. That is equivalent to 52.5 centimeters. Main roads and streets turned into rivers and cars began to fill with water. Several subway stations were flooded and many schools even shut down for a few days.
My experience with this flooding has been like a one in a lifetime situation. My school was shut down for a few days and when it finally opened back up, I remember walking down the streets with water still being close to my ankles. The first day back to school after the flooding was a rough day because many, including me, were wet and muddy. Ofcourse, it didn’t only affect me. My father had to walk to his car with water up to his waist, and he was stranded on the highway with rainwater in his car. It took many hours to get home from work when it is usually around a 40 minute ride.
Overall, South Korea hit its deadliest weather in a century and it had devastating effects.
This is a viral photo of what happened on the day of the flood.
Written by Caleb Paik
Climate Change and Korea
Climate Change refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. We all know that this is a major, global issue that we are facing today. Although climate is not directly related to weather, they both have their similarities. This similarity is global warming. It might not feel like it, but global warming is on the rise and will most likely have a devastating impact.
A very strong cause of this rise in temperature happened since the Industrial Revolution. This was when people burned an extreme amount of fossil fuels which increased the concentration of CO2 massively. There are other causes to global warming, such as deforestation, but the main influence is emissions.
Parts around the world may be heavily affected by global warming. One example is South Korea. Global warming affects Korea in many ways.
- Ocean
- With rising temperatures, surface sea temperatures can increase by 2.2 degrees celsius by 2050. This might not seem a lot but it can increase ocean acidification and reduce fish catching by 2.7%, which is a lot considering how big the oceans are.
- Coast
- The coast can be heavily affected by flooding when sea levels rise due to global warming. Melting glaciers and ice will cause this rise of sea level and can affect many people in South Korea.
- Water
- As water is the most important resource, losing it will be a huge problem. Rise in temperatures can cause longer droughts, increase in sea-levels and extreme weather that affects the water resource.
These are only a few of the areas where global warming affects South Korea. This article (https://www.g20climaterisks.org/republic-of-korea/) shows many more areas where South Korea can be in danger due to global warming.
- https://climate.peopleinneed.net/climate-change?gclid=CjwKCAjw-L-ZBhB4EiwA76YzOdhNCYNLKL9ib3U84qW-XaK4HmoSpY4KK9IGkS7kQ0m0hDMLuQFoTBoCuQQQAvD_BwE#degrees-of-global-warming
- https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate/causes-of-global-warming
- https://www.g20climaterisks.org/republic-of-korea/
Written by Caleb Paik
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Are Items We Put in the Recycling Bin Actually Recyclable?
Are Items We Put in the Recycling Bin Actually Recyclable?
Grace Hyunjoo Lee
We see the "chasing arrows" symbol on numerous items in grocery stores and shops, but what does that really mean? Does that mean it is recyclable?
Actually, no. This symbol is only for showing what type of plastic it is made from, not if it's recyclable or not. We have to understand that not every item that has the “chasing arrows” symbol is recyclable; the numbers in the middle of the symbol are what’s important. The following is the different numbers and what they represent.
Usually, most curbside recycling programs accept plastics #1 and #2; around 30 percent end up getting recycled. #3 and #7 is extremely difficult to recycle and therefore almost always omitted, and the rest are questionable.
One of the biggest problems is that it puts the burden on individuals and customers to decode the symbols and make the right choices. Furthermore, what makes this recycling process even more confusing is that every region has different regulations on what can be recycled. Even if people do make the right choices, many recycling programs do not have enough buyers, so plastic piles up with nowhere to go. What's even worse, countries like Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia are finding themselves flooded with plastic waste from rich, first-world countries that dump all their problems into neighboring developing countries. The problem is clear. People are bad at recycling, and the ecosystem isn't absorbing it well, but the root cause is simply the amount of plastic produced. Recycling programs definitely can’t keep up with the substantial amount of new plastic that comes in, and more than half are designed for single-use. Once they are discarded, they hang around for centuries, breaking into gradually smaller particles, carrying toxic substances into drinking water, rainfall, and human blood. This all started with the desire for higher sales and the responsibility being switched on the people recycling. What can be done is the adoption of the extended producer responsibility law, which is the use of financial incentives to encourage manufacturers to think of Eco-friendly products by making the producers responsible for the entire life-cycle of products that are introduced to the market. Implementing tougher rules and wiser consumer choices will eventually lead to the world and environment we all wish to reside in.
Amina Lake Abdelrahman Amina is a product review writer and editor who worked as an editorial assistant in the Good Housekeeping Institute from 2018 to 2020. “You're Probably Recycling Your Plastics Wrong.” Good Housekeeping, 18 Apr. 2022, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/g804/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321/.
Tabuchi, Hiroko, and Winston Choi-schagrin. “Trash or Recycling? Why Plastic Keeps Us Guessing.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/21/climate/plastics-recycling-trash-environment.html.
Saturday, August 27, 2022
OWL and Open Hands
OWL and Open Hands
During the summer, I was able to work as an intern at Open Hands Korea. I have been doing many projects with Open Hands since the eighth grade and I stand together with their mission to “Save Lives and Make An Impact”. During my time working as an intern, I wondered about the difference between NGO (Open Hands) and NPO (OWL) and conducted some research. They are similar in that both organizations aim to serve the public and promote positive social change. The main differentiator is that non-governmental organizations operate internationally.
When we learn about social or environmental issues, we ponder and think about the way to solve the problem or make a change. One way we can do this is by shifting our lifestyle and consumer choices and another is by getting politically active with our voices and votes. However, I feel that one of the most effective ways to help realize a more sustainable future is to also support environmental nonprofits. Since the inception of OWL, we have supported the projects and collaborated with Open Hands which has been very successful.
Open Hands was equipped with the much-needed background research, social networks, know-how, and action plans to fully serve their mission and they were more capable of tackling issues that OWL cannot manage alone. As NGO’s operation runs on donations, OWL will continue to get involved in whichever ways we are able to and contribute financially through consistent and assiduous fundraisers.
By. Alex Sangwook Ahn
Monday, August 22, 2022
BIODIVERSITY
By Seojin David Lee
It is evident that there is a biodiversity crisis everywhere these days. However, there is one particular region where the issue is particularly severe: the Asia-Pacific region. While biodiversity decline is prevalent, researchers have found that the ecosystems and species within the Asia-Pacific region are particularly being threatened. For instance, about 60% of its grasslands have been harmed due to overgrazing, invasive species, etc. Such events have led to detrimental consequences: out of the ten most polluted rivers in the world, eight of them are in Asia, and consequently, nearly 25% of the species in the ecosystem are threatened (1).
Why should these facts alarm us? A crucial reason is that researchers have found that the quality of biodiversity is closely related to people's well-being. In other words, biodiversity decline leads to a worse quality of life for people. Hence, the biodiversity crisis is particularly alarming in Asia-Pacific because almost 200 million people are said to depend on the resources within the area: that is a direct negative impact on the quality of life for more than 200 million people (2).
Another reason is that the lack of biodiversity means an increase in the extinction of different species. Currently, Asia-Pacific has the richest biodiversity on Earth. Yet, researchers state that if its rapid biodiversity decline continues, up to 42% of all species within Southeast Asia could go extinct at the end of the century (2).
Fortunately, there are ways to impede the decline rate and ultimately protect biodiversity. One approach is the implementation of certain policies so that people within the region are more cautious of the biodiversity concern (1). For instance, spreading the need for biodiversity concern among local communities could encourage people to take part in more environmental-friendly practices. Another approach is to invest in certain programs and ecofriendly companies with a vision to conserve biodiversity (2).
The importance of biodiversity is often overlooked; yet, the two articles mentioned have clearly delineated why the concern is alarming and must be addressed. It is not too late to join the fight in raising awareness about biodiversity decline in the world, specifically in Asia-Pacific.
Sources:
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