• Title/Summary/Keyword: Environmental NGOs

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Strategies and Directions for Developing Sustainable Agriculture in Korea (지속가능한 농업발전을 위한 전략과 추진과제)

  • Kim, Chang-Gil
    • Journal of Environmental Policy
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    • v.2 no.2
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    • pp.17-40
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    • 2003
  • The objective of this paper is to formulate strategies and action programs for developing sustainable agriculture in Korea. There is increasing evidence that agriculture has been preoccupied with increasing productivity much to the detriment of environmental degradation. The issue of increasing agricultural productivity so as not to undermine the environment is a difficult task. In reality, there are many definitions of sustainable agriculture and sustainable agricultural development. In this paper, sustainable agriculture is defined by its ability to ensure future supplies of agricultural products at acceptable economic and environmental costs to the society. Sustainable agriculture development refers to the optimal level of interaction among the three dimensions - the environmental, the economic and the social - through dynamic and adaptive processes of trade-off. In order to formulate the strategies for developing sustainable agriculture, three stage approaches such as strategic analysis, strategic choice, and strategic implementation are employed. The basic framework for strategies of sustainable agriculture development consists of five steps such as vision, targets, principles, action plan and policy instruments. The major action plans for activating formulated strategies are suggested as integrating agricultural and environmental policy measures, establishing the system of optimal agri-environmental resources management practices, establishing safe and high quality product system and its effective marketing system, increasing the R&D investment for developing sustainable agro-technology, developing indicators for measuring sustainable agricultural development, and taking a share in related roles for all parties including farmers, consumers, policy makers, researchers and NGOs.

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Life Cycle Assessment and Its Application (전과정 평가 기법과 활용)

  • Kim, Yong-Ki;Lee, Cheul-Kyu;Lee, Jae-Young
    • Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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    • 2009.05a
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    • pp.365-370
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    • 2009
  • LCA is a tool to support for making decisions by offering information of environmental aspects of products or services. It can be used to make decisions to consumers and NGOs as well as government and enterprises. LCA evaluates the environmental aspects throughout the entire life cycle of a product. Therefore it can quantify and assess environmental impacts from raw material acquisition, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal to end of life and recycling. The demands of the recycling rate increase and the use of suitable materials for RoHS, REACH, WEEE, ELV which are linked trade with environmental regulation have increased the worldwide. Global warming is the critical challenge of the world facing. And under post-Kyoto protocol each country has to prepare for target reduction, so it became essential to save energy and resources. In addition that, the carbon mark has been run as the way of showing example of CO2 reduction in domestic and it will be extended gradually. And also through the introduction of Eco-label, environmentally-friendly product will be promoted. When those systems are operated, global warming gases (i.e. CO2) can be calculated throughout the entire life of the products by LCA. And the environmental impacts such as harmful material emission in the process of manufacturing, energy consumption, distribution and so on, can also be assessed. Therefore, The basic concepts of LCA technique and various cases and the practical application in the future will be review in this study.

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A Case Study of Quarry Rehabilitation and Restoration in Europe -With Four Quarry Rehabilitation Cases in France and Austria- (유럽지역의 광산복구·복원 사례 연구 -프랑스, 오스트리아의 4개 광산 복구사례를 중심으로-)

  • Kim, Kyunghoon;Kim, Nam-Choon;Nam, Sang-Jun;Yoon, Kisu
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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    • v.5 no.5
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    • pp.76-84
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    • 2002
  • This report is the summary of case studies about four quarry rehabilitation and restoration works in France and Austria. In Europe, the rehabilitation program should be prepared before quarrying, and this program should be meet with the expectations of stakeholders (owners, neighbors and NGOs), and the requirements of ecological restoration and environmental protection of the government. This program integrates the concept of sustainable development as well as the often exceptional potential for enhancing ecological diversity offered by quarries. Subsequently, the long-term rehabilitation effort is coordinated as closely as possible with quarrying operations, and finally the site is shut down, all measures are taken to ensure the long-term future of the rehabilitated site. The coordinated restoration project applicable to sections where quarrying operations are still in progress confines the working area to keep the visual impact of the quarry to a minimum. The re-established sites offer such great ecological diversity that they were classified as special plant and wildlife ecological zones. Wide range of rehabilitation alternatives offer opportunities to combine environmental preservation goals with social benefits. The actions include agriculture/forestry, recreational/educational developments and other uses.

A Study for Activation Measure of Climate Change Mitigation Movement - A Case Study of Green Start Movement - (기후변화 완화 활동 활성화 방안에 관한 연구 - 그린스타트 운동을 중심으로 -)

  • Cho, Sung Heum;Lee, Sang Hoon;Moon, Tae Hoon;Choi, Bong Seok;Park, Na Hyun;Jeon, Eui Chan
    • Journal of Climate Change Research
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.95-107
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    • 2014
  • The 'Green Start Movement' is a practical movement of green living to efficiently reduce the greenhouse gases originating from non-industrial fields such as household, commerce, transportation, etc. for the 'materialization of a low carbon society through green growth (Low Carbon, Green Korea)'. When the new government took office, following the Lee Myeongbak Administration that had presented 'Low Carbon, Green Growth' as a national vision, it was required to set up the direction of the practical movement of green life to respond to climate change persistently and stably as well as to evaluate the performance of the green start movement over the past 5 years. A questionnaire survey was administered to a total of 265 persons including public servants, members of environmental and non-environmental NGOs, participants of the green start movement and professionals. In the results of the questionnaire survey, many opinions have indicated that the awareness of the green start movement is increasing and the green start movement has had a positive impact on individual behavior and group behavior in terms of green living. The result shows, however, that the environmental NGOs don't cooperate sufficiently to create a 'green living' effect on a national scale. Action needs to be taken on the community level in order to generate a culture of environmental responsibility. The national administration office of the Green Start Movement Network should play the leading role between the government and environmental NGOs. The Green Start National Network should have greater autonomy and governance of the network needs to be restructured in order to work effectively. Also the Green Start Movement should identify specific local characteristics to support activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Best practices can be shared to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a substantial amount.

Biodiversity Conservation and the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project (생물다양성 보전과 황해 광역 해양생태계 관리계획)

  • Walton, Mark
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.335-340
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    • 2010
  • The paper describes the objectives of Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) project, focusing on procedural and practical aspects. YSLME is a highly productive sea yet possibly one of the most impacted large marine ecosystems, in terms of anthropogenic stressors, due the enormous coastal population. The aim of the YSLME project is the reduction of ecosystem stress through identification of the environmental problems in the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) that are then addressed in the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). One of the major problems found to be affecting biological diversity is habitat modification through wetland reclamation, conversion and degradation. Since the early 1900's more than 40% of intertidal wetlands have been reclaimed in Korea, and 60% of Chinese coastal wetlands have been converted or reclaimed. Damaging fishing practices, pollution and coastal eutrophication have further degraded the coastal environment reducing the biological diversity. To combat this loss, the YSLME project has mounted a public awareness campaign to raise environmental consciousness targeted at all different levels of society, from politicians at parliamentary workshops, local government officer training events, scientific conferences and involvement of scientists in the project research and reporting, to university and high school students in our visiting internship programmes and environmental camps. We have also built networks through the Yellow Sea Partnership and by liaising and working with other environmental organizations and NGOs. NGO's are recognised as important partners in the environmental conservation as they already have extensive local networks that can be lacking in international organisations. Effective links have been built with many of these NGOs through the small grants programme. Working with WWF's YSESP project and other academic and research institutions we have conducted our own biodiversity assessments that have contributed to the science-based development of the SAP for the YSLME. Our regional targets for biodiversity outlined in the SAP include: Improvements in the densities, distributions and genetic diversity of current populations of all living organisms including endangered and endemic species; Maintenance of habitats according to standards and regulations of 2007; and a reduction in the risk of introduced species. Endorsement of the SAP and its successful implementation, during the proposed second phase of the YSLEM project, will ensure that biological diversity is here to benefit future generations.

International Environmental Security and limitations of North-East Asian Countries (국제 환경안보와 동북아 국가들의 한계)

  • Choi Byung-Doo
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.39 no.6 s.105
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    • pp.933-954
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    • 2004
  • This paper considers critically the conceptual development of international environmental security, and to explore some limitations which seem to have made difficult the construction of regional environmental governance among North-East Asian countries. The recently emerging concept of environmental security has turned the traditional or realistic meaning of security to the neo-liberal and the political-economic one. On the basis of a reconsideration of these newly developed meanings of security, this paper has reviewed critically some work which have focused on the concepts of environmental regime and of environmental governance. To formulate a true environmental governance, it is suggested that we need a theoretical analysis on the economic and political contexts and a practical development of civil society. From this point of view, the economic structure of labour division, the political tension and military opposition in the region, and the immaturity and exclusiveness of civil consciousness can be pointed out as some limitations of environmental security to be constructed in the North-East Asian region. A true environmental security in this region requires formation of reciprocal economic relationship, development of regional institutions for political trust among countries, and improvement of interaction between non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

A Study on the Development School Agenda 21 to Activate Environmental Education (학교 환경교육을 활성화시키기 위한 학교의제 21 개발 연구)

  • Park, Ha-Na;Nam, Young-Sook
    • Hwankyungkyoyuk
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    • v.18 no.2 s.27
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    • pp.23-30
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    • 2005
  • The purpose of this study is to develop School Agenda 21 to activate environmental education at schools. In detail, this study is intended to develop operating procedures, major issue areas or domains, and instructions on the preparation for School Agenda 21. School Agenda 21 means the action plan which students, teachers, parents, and other concerned parties (including office of education, local municipal bodies, and NGOs) write under agreement with respect to their respective roles in order to activate environmental educations oriented toward sustainable development. The results of this study are as follow. First, the operating procedures for School Agenda 21 consist of seven steps; organization, diagnosis of problems, setup of targets or objectives, development of codes of behavior, system establishment, practices and reviews, and evaluation and feedbacks. Second, major issue areas for School Agenda 21 are classified into six; school management, class operation, independent subject activity, separate subject activity, non-subject activity, and external relations of school. Third, instructions of the preparation of School Agenda 21 address these 10 concepts; balance, unification, continuity, daily routine, linkage, environmental justice, participation, peculiarity of schools and classes, regional peculiarity, and concreteness, which consider 7 principles for environmental education, levels of learners, regional features, and concreteness. School Agenda 21 developed from this study converts existing environmental education toward sustainable development environmental education, and developed for the purpose to activate school environmental education, but ultimate purpose of this study are realizing sustainable society, sustainable future to realize education for sustainable development. So School Agenda 21 is expected to important performance way making possible Local Agenda 21, National Agenda 21, Agenda 21 as if education, public recognition and discipline contents of the 36 chapter of Agenda 21.

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A New Understanding on Environmental Problems in China - Dilemma between Economic Development and Environmental Protection - (중국 환경문제에 대한 재인식 -경제발전과 환경보호의 딜레마-)

  • Won, Dong-Wook
    • Journal of Environmental Policy
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.45-70
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    • 2006
  • China has achieved great economic growth above 9% annual since it changed to more of a market economy system by its reform and open-door policy. At the same time, China has experienced severe ecological deterioration, such as air and water pollutions caused by its rapid urbanization and industrialization. China is now confronted with environmental pollution and ecological deterioration at a critical point, at which economic development in China is limited. Moreover, environmental problems in China have become a lit fuse for social fluctuation beyond pollution problems. The root and background of environmental problems in China, firstly, are its government's lack of understanding of these problems and incorrect economic policies affected by political and ideological prejudice. Secondly, the plundering of resources, 'the principle of development first' which didn't consider environmental sustainability is another source of environmental deterioration in China. In addition, a huge population and poverty in China have increased the difficulty in solving its environmental problems, and in fact have accelerated them. The Chinese government has established many environmental laws and institutions, increased environmental investments, and is enlarging the participation of NGOs and the general public in some limited scale to solve its environmental problems. However, it has not obtained effective results because of the lack of environmental investments owing to the government's limit of the development phase, a structural limit of law enforcement and local protectionism, and the limit of political independency in NGOs and the lack of public participation in China. It seems that China remains in the stage of 'economic development first, environmental protection second', contrary to its catch-phrase of 'the harmony between economic development and environmental protection'. China is now confronted with dual pressure both domestically and abroad because of deepening environmental problems. There are growing public's protests and demonstrations in China in response to the spread of damage owing to environmental pollution and ecological deterioration. On the other hand, international society, in particular neighboring countries, regard China as a principal cause of ecological disaster. In the face of this dual pressure, China is presently contemplating a 'recycling economy' that helps sustainable development through the structural reform of industries using too much energy and through more severe law enforcement than now. Therefore, it is desirable to promote regional cooperation more progressively and practically in the direction of building China's ability to solve environmental problems.

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Community Approach to the True Food (참먹거리에 대한 지역사회접근)

  • Kim Jong Duk
    • The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.165-175
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    • 2004
  • Food is very important for human being. It is not easy for us to enjoy good life because the situation of food is not good in Korea. The self-sufficient food rate is very low and most of food which we take was produced by industrial agriculture. Food of this kind has some problems with respect to the health of consumer, agriculture, environment and community. In order to secure the true food which is safe and environmentally sound, producers, consumers and community have to work together. Producers must engage in environmental agriculture. They must produce the true food and need to know regional consumers. Consumers must pay attention to the regional agriculture and must participate the production of true food. Local government must open farmers' markets for direct marketing between farmers and consumers. NGOs should educate and organize the producers and consumers.

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An Applicability of Bioregional Planning Theory (생물지역계획 이론의 적용가능성)

  • 장병관
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.54-65
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    • 2000
  • The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept, general framework, planning process of bioregion, and bioregional impacts on landscape planning of future and to discuss the application possibility of landscape planning. Bioregionalism is defined in the course of following: knowing the land, learning the lore, developing the potential, liberating the self. Bioregional paradigm was composed of policy system insisted on diversity and decentralization based on region and community, sustainable economy structure focused on conservation and stability, and society structure through cooperation with common consciousness in the community. A general bioregional framework was organized to be able to achieve a sustainable future with interaction for humans being, other living things, and important earth life system. Bioregional mapping should be able to explain three important aspects about how localised and sustainable cultures would exist: to define the external boundaries, to describe forces of energy, and give a hint for th productive capability. In conclusion, according to the result of reviewing the total environmental planning, bioregional paradigm, examples of projects, technique of bioregional mapping, and actions of Nongovernmental Organizations(NGOs). this study is helpful to show an applicability of bioregional planning theory in Korea

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