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The Slient Killer, Fine Dust |
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by Jeewon Shin | 21-05-2018 14:47
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 Korea is suffering every day from fine dust problems. Checking the severity of fine dusts has become a daily routine and schools are having a hard time with PE tests being cancelled day after day. Korea seems to be more affected by these mysterious dusts than any other countries. Why is that?
(photo = United States Environmental Protection Agency) Fine dusts, or particulates, are microscopic matters made mainly of and because of air pollution. Its size is 5~7 times smaller than human hair. Ultra-fine dusts are fine dusts which are even smaller than fine dusts. They are 20~28 times smaller than human hair. Fine dusts can be made naturally by mountain fire or dusts from sand storms, but they are produced even more because of our never ending developing works.
Fine dusts are more deadly because they cannot be seen nor felt. In 1952, about 4,000 people died in England because of smog. Fine dusts are so small that they can be absorbed though skin. They travel around our body and affect our health. They cause increase in death rate for the elderly, higher birth rate of child with disability, asthma, constant headache, atopy, dementia, stroke and all other types of illness. Researchers say that one out of 16 people die because of fine dust in the entire world. In 2013, International Agency for Research in Cancer of World Health Organization claimed fine dust as number one cancer causing matter.
(photo = brunch.co,kr) A lot of people in Korea say that all of these fine dusts came from China and blame China. Even though this argument is true, still most of them are produced in Korea. In 2016, Korea?s time at the Environmental Crisis Clock was at 9:47, meaning ?danger.? The Environmental Crisis Clock is a survey taken by global environmental specialists and presenting its result in a form of a clock. It was started from the Rio Summit. The later that time is, the more serious the climate is in that country and the reason for the time being later is global warming.
(photo = YTN NEWS) South Korea is the ninth biggest carbon emitter. According to an OECD report in 2016, South Korea ranked 37th, second from the back, in ?environment? section, 26th in ?quality of water? and the last place in ?air pollution?. Also, an Environmental Performance Index 2016 says that the air quality in Korea ranked 173rd out of 180 countries. Statistics even claim that if South Korea cannot take care of this situation well, it would reach the last place in OECD by 2060. South Korea has reached the 9th place in Gross Domestic Product and is the world?s 6th export country. We have already achieved high in economic value, as much as first world nations but have a long way to go in protecting and reviving our environment. We have developed enough. Now I think we need to pause and amend the road that we have built to come this far and start taking care of the environment. |
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9 Comments
Hi Jeewon!
Beautifully structured report on the current status of Korea's air. I do believe that is Korea does not step up in changing a few of its ways then it will face a load of consequences in the future!
Thank you for the great article!
Posted 30-05-2018 22:25
A very wonderful report, actually I never know this is happening, thank you for sharing
Posted 28-05-2018 03:41
wow today i learn something new. thanks for the report.
Posted 27-05-2018 02:12
Hello Jeewon, I see quite many comments complimenting your precise and keen report about particle matter. As you have mentioned, fine dust problem in South Korea is a very complex environmental problem that needs unilateral approach and solution checkup with China, but also within national fine dust emission.
People in South Korea often doubt the level of fine dust that is shown in weather report in real-time, and there are actually quite a lot of blog posts or other SNS posts regarding this doubt, too. This means we need to build up credibility among people to see the actual and right level of fine dust in real-time, so they can at least take their anti-dust masks or turn their air purifiers right away.
To solve this problem, participation and reliability of people to face fine dust directly along with international bondage between China and South Korea are unavoidable.
Posted 25-05-2018 23:58
Hello Jeewon!
Fine dust is indeed one of the most concerning environmental problem in South Korea. Now when we go out we always have to check the concentration of fine dust in the atmosphere and make sure to prepare our masks. As the report says both domestic and international factors are combines in this particular situation. Hope there could be some diplomatic solution for this issue.
Thanks for the report !
Posted 23-05-2018 18:16
Fine dust is a grave concern indeed. South Korea is suffering a lot. I hope concrete measures are taken to combat this menace. Thanks for the report.
Posted 23-05-2018 13:49
Very well presented report, Jeewon. Fine dust is indeed a huge threat to humans and the environment. It is scary how deadly fine dust is, yet what is scarier is how unaware people are about this topic even while living with it constantly. I agree with you that it is time to go back a few steps in the road to modernization to incorporate sustainability together with it.
Posted 22-05-2018 19:52
I've never come across this topic, until now. Thank you for sharing. It is great that there are people starting taking note and trying to do something about this. I am really worried about people in the developing country that have as many factories and pollution, but the people are not aware. :(
Posted 21-05-2018 16:14
Great report. Thanks for sharing. :) :)
Posted 21-05-2018 15:34