■ Cast: Kim Yeon-ha, Greenpeace Marine Campaigner
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[앵커]
The world is now struggling with climate change. In Korea, too, Gangnam was flooded by heavy rain, and it really touched my skin.
Today is energy day. On the occasion of Energy Day, let’s talk with an expert for a moment and talk regarding the environment. Greenpeace has invited Yeonha Kim, marine campaigner. welcome.
We can see whales behind us. It became a hot topic for a performance to show how serious climate change is. Let’s start with this story.
[김연하]
Greenpeace is conducting a 30X30 maritime campaign to protect the sea in crisis. Many of you may be unfamiliar with the term 30X30. 30X30 refers to the global marine conservation goal of designating 30% of the high seas as marine protected areas by 2030.
Although the sea and high seas, which do not belong to any country, account for 61% of the world’s sea area, designating a marine protected area in this high sea will limit human commercial activities such as reckless fishing and deep-sea mining, making the sea more healthy. You will be able to recover.
[앵커]
Wait. We will show you the video and listen to the explanation together. That performance, many people were interested in and became a hot topic once more. You said it was flying a drone?
[김연하]
you’re right.
[앵커]
So, in Korean, 30 times 30, 30X30 that campaign. Please explain.
[김연하]
So we planned the 30X30 Marine Protection Drone Show, and since there are very few marine protection zones on the high seas, we decided to plan this drone show to expand the marine protection zones on the high seas.
Since the high seas are not subject to international legal regulations, destructive activities such as overfishing, dumping of marine debris and deep sea mining continue.
As a result, marine creatures such as whales and sea turtles are in danger of extinction, just as we planned for the drone show.
The oceans are losing their ability as climate regulators to cool the Earth and absorb carbon and heat. Before it is too late, the international community must sign a global maritime treaty that realizes 30X30 to quickly restore the sea.
Currently, at the UN headquarters in New York, the intergovernmental meeting of the Convention for the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity is being held until August 26, and at this meeting, agendas for global ocean protection, including the designation of marine protected areas, are being discussed.
[앵커]
If you show the picture on a big screen now, it is a drone embroidered with lights in the night sky, but they said that 300 drones were put in. I think a lot of citizens came because it was so beautiful.
[김연하]
Right. We hosted the event at Seoul Forest Park, and over 2,000 citizens participated.
Greenpeace, together with the citizens, is planning this marine protection drone show during this UN conference to urge world leaders, including Korea, to sign a strong global maritime treaty.
[앵커]
The goal is to designate 30% of the high seas as marine protected areas by 2030. It is said that all climate change is being triggered by too much sea temperature rise. What special meaning does that whale have?
[김연하]
Recently, interest in whales has increased a lot through dramas.
[앵커]
Are you talking regarding lawyer Youngwoo Woo?
[김연하]
you’re right. There are a lot of people who like you. In fact, extreme climate change continues from the recent heatwave to record heavy rains, and I think many citizens are probably feeling it.
In order to cool the earth, which is heating up due to climate change, and keep it healthy, it is essential to protect the ‘sea’, which acts as a climate regulator. That’s because the oceans are thankfully serving as a climate solver by absorbing carbon and heat from the atmosphere and lowering the Earth’s heat.
In particular, as you mentioned, whales that boast a huge body are also absorbing a huge amount of carbon. Whales traverse the world’s oceans, from polar to tropical waters, and sink into the deep sea when they die.
At this time, it is said that the amount of carbon dioxide carried by whales is 33 tons. We actually absorb regarding 22 kg of carbon dioxide per tree per year, so protecting one whale is just as important to protecting the planet as it is to planting thousands of trees.
[앵커]
One of the reasons why we have a Greenpeace official today to talk regarding the environment once more like this is because today is Energy Day, but I think there are many people who don’t remember the Energy Day well, actually. Please explain briefly what it means.
[김연하]
Today, August 22nd, is Energy Day. It was first enacted in 2004 to promote the importance of energy and raise awareness regarding the global warming problem caused by excessive use of fossil fuels.
On August 22, 2003, 19 years ago today, as Korea recorded the highest electricity consumption ever, August 22 was designated as Energy Day. Every year, today from 2pm to 3pm, the air conditioner is turned off together.
In addition, Energy Day aims to inform that it is urgent to expand and disseminate renewable energy that can effectively respond to the climate crisis as well as energy conservation.
[앵커]
It is said that light-out events are also held in various places today.
[김연하]
you’re right. Energy Day was actually first established by a civic group. Now, as the climate crisis caused by global warming has become very serious, its importance is growing.
[앵커]
Now, many people are concerned regarding climate change, climate crisis, and our daily life… Drink a glass of water. We are feeling it, too. He is a person who is active in the field a lot, and he is especially keen on his sense of touch, so now the situation is really different from what it was before. And people are feeling this, do you feel that a lot?
[김연하]
In fact, I think that many citizens are already feeling the climate crisis.
It is often said that the marginal line for climate response is 1.5 degrees and a rise in temperature following industrialization, but the world is already groaning due to the climate crisis with the current rise of 1.1 degrees. In fact, heat waves in Europe have already killed 2,000 people in Spain and Portugal.
In recent years, heavy rains in England and France have paralyzed major city facilities. Earlier this year, the worst wildfires ever occurred in Korea. And this summer, due to torrential rain, more than 20 people have already died, and the damage to vehicles due to flooding alone is estimated at 160 billion won.
[앵커]
Right now, humans are also suffering a lot from climate change, but animals are facing a crisis in which their habitats are disappearing altogether. Polar bear, penguin. Any examples?
[김연하]
As global warming worsens due to the climate crisis, the dangers of wild animals and plants are also increasing. At Greenpeace, we regularly conduct polar expeditions such as Antarctica and Arctic to investigate signs of climate change.
From January to March of this year, an enforcement decree was put in place to explore Antarctica. In fact, more than 70 gentoo penguin nests have been found on Andersson Island in Antarctica, which in the past was not known to be too cold to live in.
It was discovered that as the Antarctic is warming due to climate change, penguins are also losing their original habitat and moving more and more south. In fact, the migration of Antarctic penguin colonies further south of Antarctica is a clear indication of the impact of the climate crisis.
[앵커]
That’s why we’ve shown you this with subtitles right now, and it’s on display at the Plaza of Busan Station. Shall we take a look? Let me show you what a hot bear looks like. The ball is red.
[김연하]
The Yeolbagom exhibition held today at Busan Station was planned by Greenpeace to urge the expansion of renewable energy on the occasion of Energy Day. The hot bear is a 5m wide and 6m high polar bear character created to inform more citizens of the seriousness of this climate crisis.
You may be a little unfamiliar with the term “hot bear”. It’s an abbreviation for the bears that got too hot due to the overheating of the earth. It’s so hot that you can see that your face is red and you are sweating. And you can see that he cools the heat with a wind generator in his hand.
Through this image, we plan to inform citizens of the importance of expanding renewable energy, a solution to the climate crisis.
[앵커]
Right now, the character is called a hot bear, but it is expressed very cutely, but now the polar bear is in a very serious climate crisis.
Also, there are people who use eco-bags, and small practices to practice the environment are increasing, but it is still not enough. What do you think you need more of?
[김연하]
In fact, there are some ways to slow the climate crisis in our daily life, but there are ways to use public transportation a lot first and use electric vehicles instead of internal combustion engines.
Also, I think it can be said that by actively participating in the campaigns of civic groups such as Greenpeace that demand the expansion of renewable energy from the government and businesses, citizens are participating in activities that can slow climate change.
However, as mentioned earlier, as energy transition is the most important key to resolving the climate crisis, national policies must change and companies must also significantly increase the use of renewable energy to make noticeable and practical changes.
Therefore, I think it can be said that it is an important practice that citizens and consumers can do to find out what kind of energy the products we use in our daily life are made with and to purchase products made with eco-friendly energy.
[앵커]
thank you As someone who commutes by subway, I feel relieved, but don’t be content and don’t be content. I once once more thought that this is the way to protect our climate and make it a daily routine.
Today I heard regarding Kim Yeon-ha, Greenpeace Marine Campaigner. thank you
[김연하]
thank you
