Global Warming Should Not Be Ignored

"World leaders attending the APEC forum in Australia adopted the Sydney Declaration, which aims to slow global warming by boosting energy efficiency by 25 percent by 2030 and increasing the area of forests by 20 million hectares by 2020. Of the 21 member nations, the United States ranks first in terms of the volume of greenhouse gas emissions, followed by China. Japan ranks fourth, while Korea ranks 10th in that category. The APEC member nations together account for more than 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

At an EU summit in March, officials agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent of the 1990 level by 2020. And at the G8 summit in June, officials agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emission to less than half the present level by 2050.

Greenhouse gas emissions by Korea totaled 239 million tons in 1990. That rose to 482 million tons in 2004, the fastest rate of increase in the world. Over the same period, greenhouse gas emissions by the EU rose just 1.6 percent, by Japan 14.8 percent and the U.S. 19.8 percent. In terms of per-capita carbon dioxide emissions, Korea outranks Japan, whose GDP is twice ours. Korea has been wasting energy like there is no tomorrow.

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol required only 38 advanced nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average 5.2 percent by 2012. At that time, Korea was classified as a developing country and was not required to make immediate reductions. But the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. This year, discussion is expected to begin on a post-Kyoto global agreement, to go into effect in 2013, that would regulate greenhouse gas emission levels. There is little chance that the 10th-ranked culprit will be let off the hook this time.

The EU has implemented a carbon trading scheme for businesses, while the U.K. is even considering putting emission limits on individuals. In Japan, the government leads a campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Korea can no longer remain an island as the world fights to reduce pollution. If it sits by idly, Korea’s economy may take a serious hit when it is required to drastically lower emission levels."