• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.4
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• pp.667-675
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• 2022

Agroforestry is an ecological and economic land-use system that enables sustainable agriculture by combining forestry, agriculture, and livestock industries. North Korea chose agroforestry as a strategy for the restoration of sloping land and deforested land. Agroforestry was proposed for the inter-Korean forest cooperation subcommittee meeting and is currently highlighting carbon removal and promoting the '2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy' and 'Korea Peninsula Green Détente.' The study area, Suan-gun, Hwanghaebuk-do, is a constant deforestation monitoring area and a pilot site for management by the International Center for Research in Agroforestry. The requirements for agroforestry were analyzed through literature analysis. The agroforestry site-suitability map was visualized by applying GIS overlap analysis. Approximately 8,839 ha of sloping area was selected as suitable for agroforestry management, which is about 15% of Suan. We compared the map with Google Earth images and visually detected the land use status, such as agroforestry in Suan, to verify the results. As a future study, we will consider both natural-environment and socioeconomic factors and evaluate the relative importance of the factors to produce a high-accuracy agroforestry sitesuitability map at the national scale with the goal of producing basic data for the inter-Korea forest cooperation policy for long-term goals.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.12-39
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• 2023

Diseases caused by air pollution and abnormal climate are occurring worldwide due to global warming. Accordingly, the international community has established a strategy to respond to climate change, and major countries have shifted their economic policies to eco-friendly industries. In this study, we investigate the current status of the renewable energy industry and that of responses to carbon neutrality and PM2.5 (air pollution) in the three major Northeast Asian countries of Japan, Korea, and China, covering changes in the corporate perceptions of Environment, Social, Governance and RE100. In more detail, the three major Northeast Asian countries, referred to as the climate villains in the international community, explain the importance of successful entry into the electric vehicles (EV) industry for a rapid transition to an eco-friendly industry. Moreover, we study the application of lightweight materials for vehicles to improve mileage in the EV industry and technical problems to be solved in the future.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.10-22
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• 2022

Forest biomass energy is based on scientific evidence in response to carbon neutrality and the climate crisis, international consensus, and environmental-geographic characteristics of each nation. In this study, the authors aimed to analyze macroscopic forest biomass energy policies for ten major countries. They categorized them into six detailed categories (Sustainable utilization, Cascading Uutilization, Replacement of fossil fuel/Carbon intensive products, Utilization of forest by-products/residues as the source of energy, Contribution to carbon-neutral/climate change, and Biomass combined with CCS/CCUS ). In addition, the surveyed nations have developed a policy consensus on the active use of forest biomass with sustainable forest management except for the cascading utilization category. Furthermore, the authors evaluated the mid to long-term plans of the Korean government for improvements in the policy and legal aspects. As a result, the authors derived four major directions that South Korea should approach strategically in the future (1) secure financial resources for sustainable forest management and stimulating investment in the timber industry, (2) promote unified policies to establish a bio-economy, (3) enhancement of the forest biomass energy system, and (4) reorganization and promotion of strategy centered on the opinions of field experts in internal and external instability.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1325-1334
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• 2022

Global warming has accelerated in recent decades due to the continuous consumption of petroleum-based fuels. Cyanobacteria-derived biofuels are a promising carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels that may help achieve a cleaner environment. Here, we propose an effective strategy based on the large-scale cultivation of a newly isolated cyanobacterial strain to produce phycobiliprotein and biodiesel, thus demonstrating the potential commercial applicability of the isolated microalgal strain. A native cyanobacterium was isolated from Goryeong, Korea, and identified as Pseudanabaena mucicola GO0704 through 16s RNA analysis. The potential exploitation of P. mucicola GO0704 was explored by analyzing several parameters for mixotrophic culture, and optimal growth was achieved through the addition of sodium acetate (1 g/l) to the BG-11 medium. Next, the cultures were scaled up to a stirred-tank bioreactor in mixotrophic conditions to maximize the productivity of biomass and metabolites. The biomass, phycobiliprotein, and fatty acids concentrations in sodium acetate-treated cells were enhanced, and the highest biodiesel productivity (8.1 mg/l/d) was achieved at 96 h. Finally, the properties of the fuel derived from P. mucicola GO0704 were estimated with converted biodiesels according to the composition of fatty acids. Most of the characteristics of the final product, except for the cloud point, were compliant with international biodiesel standards [ASTM 6761 (US) and EN 14214 (Europe)].

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.19-34
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• 2022

This study was conducted to provide basic data that can be used when establishing Net Zero policies and implementation plans for non-urban settlements by quantitatively analyzing the Net Zero contribution to green infrastructure in rural areas corresponding to non-urban settlements. The main purpose is to first, systematize green infrastructure in rural areas, secondly derive basic units for each element of green infrastructure, and thirdly quantify and present the impact on Net Zero in Korea using these. In this study, CVR(Content Validity Ration) analysis was performed to verify the adequacy of green infrastructure elements in rural areas derived through research and analysis of previous studies, is as follows. First, Hubs of Green infrastructure in rural area include village forests, wetlands, farm land, and smart farms with a CVR value of .500 or higher. And Links of Green infrastructure in rural area include streams, village green areas, and LID (rainwater recycling). Second, the basic unit for each green infrastructure element was presented by classifying it into minimum, maximum, and median values using the results of previous studies so that it could be used for spatial planning and design for Net Zero. Third, when Green infrastructure in rural areas is applied to non-urban settlements in Korea, it is analyzed that it has the effect of indirectly reducing CO₂ by at least 70.76 million tons and up to 141.16 million tons. This is 3.4 to 6.7 times the amount of CO₂ emission from the agricultural sector in 2019, and it can be seen that the contribution to Net Zero is very high. It is expected to greatly contribute to the transformation of the ecosystem. This study quantitatively presented the carbon-neutral contribution to settlements located in non-urban areas, and by deriving the carbon reduction unit for each element of green infrastructure in rural areas, it can be used in spatial planning and design for carbon-neutral at the village level. It has significance as a basic research. In particular, the basic unit of carbon reduction for each green infrastructure factors will be usable for Net Zero policy at the village level, presenting a quantitative target when establishing a plan, and checking whether or not it has been achieved. In addition, based on this, it will be possible to expand and apply Net Zero at regional and city units such as cities, counties, and districts.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.258-266
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• 2023

This study analyzed methodologies for estimating carbon stocks of perennial woody crops and the research cases in overseas countries. As a result, we found that Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, and Japan are using the stock-difference method, while Austria, Denmark, and Germany are estimating the change in the carbon stock based on the gain-loss method. In some overseas countries, the researches were conducted on estimating the carbon stock change using image data as tier 3 phase beyond the research developing country-specific factors as tier 2 phase. In South Korea, convergence studies as the third stage were conducted in forestry field, but advanced research in the agricultural field is at the beginning stage. Based on these results, we suggest directions for the following four future researches: 1) securing national-specific factors related to emissions and removals in the agricultural field through the development of allometric equation and carbon conversion factors for perennial woody crops to improve the completeness of emission and removals statistics, 2) implementing policy studies on the cultivation area calculation refinement with fruit tree-biomass-based maturity, 3) developing a more advanced estimation technique for perennial woody crops in the agricultural sector using allometric equation and remote sensing techniques based on the agricultural and forestry satellite scheduled to be launched in 2025, and to establish a matrix and monitoring system for perennial woody crop cultivation areas in the agricultural sector, Lastly, 4) estimating soil carbon stocks change, which is currently estimated by treating all agricultural areas as one, by sub-land classification to implement a dynamic carbon cycle model. This study suggests a detailed guideline and advanced methods of carbon stock change calculation for perennial woody crops, which supports 2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs and activate related research in agricultural sector.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.447-454
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• 2017

A new amperometric biosensor has been developed for the detection of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$). The sensor was fabricated through the one-step deposition of a biocomposite layer onto a glassy carbon electrode at neutral pH. The biocomposite, as a $H_2O_2$ sensing element, was prepared by the electrochemical deposition of a homogeneous mixture of graphene oxide, aniline, and horseradish peroxidase. The experimental results clearly demonstrated of that the sensor possessed high electrocatalytic activity and responded to $H_2O_2$ with a stable and rapid manners. Scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and amperometry were performed to optimize the characteristics of the sensor and to evaluate its sensing chemistry. The sensor exhibited a linear response to $H_2O_2$ in the range of 10 to $500{\mu}M$ concentrations, and its detection limit was calculated to be $1.3{\mu}M$. The proposed sensing-chemistry strategy and the sensor format were simple, cost-effective, and feasible for analysis of "food-grade $H_2O_2$" in food samples.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.4
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• pp.554-568
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• 2021

Forests are the largest carbon (C) sinks in terrestrial ecosystems. Recently, as enhancing forest C sequestration capacity has been proposed as a basic direction of the Republic of Korea's "2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy," accurate estimation of forest C sequestration has been emphasized. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines, sequestration quantity is calculated from changes in C stocks in forest C pools, such as biomass, deadwood, litter and soil layer, and harvested wood products. However, in Korea, only the overstory biomass increase is now considered the amount of sequestration quantity, so there can be a significant difference from the actual forest C sequestration. In this study, we quantified forest C exchange through C flux measurement using an eddy covariance system and an automated soil chamber system in a 57-year-old Korean pine plantation located in Mt. Taehwa, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. Then, the net amount of C sequestration was compared with the amount of the overstory biomass increase. We estimated the annual C stock change in the remaining C pools by comparing the net sequestration amount from the C flux measurement with the overstory biomass increase and C stock change in the litter layer. Therefore, the net C sequestration of the Korean pine plantation estimated from the flux measurement was 5.96 MgC ha^-1, which was about 2.2 times greater than 2.77 MgC ha^-1 of the overstory biomass increase. The annual C stock increase in the litter layer was estimated to be 0.75 MgC ha^-1, resulting in a total annual C stock increase of 2.45 MgC ha^-1 in the remaining C pools. Our results indicate that the domestic forest is a larger C sink than the current methods, implying that more accurate calculations of the C sequestration capacity are necessary to quantify C stock changes in C pools along with the C flux measurement.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.62-72
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• 2024

Although the Paris Agreement in 2015 aimed to limit global temperature increases to below 2℃ and eventually to 1.5℃ to address the climate crisis, global temperature continues to rise. Developed countries have proposed a circular economy as a major strategy to tackle this issue. Detailed implementation methods include reusing, remanufacturing, recycling, and energy recovery. Remanufacturing has a greater potential to achieve high added value and carbon neutrality than other resource circulation methods. However, currently, no standardized method for quantitatively evaluating the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effects of remanufacturing exists. This study compares and analyzes recent research trends since 2020 on the calculation of GHG emission reduction effects from remanufacturing. It also examines international standards for environmental impact assessment, including GHGs and environmental performance labeling systems. This study derives the key factors for standardizing the calculation of the GHG emission reduction effects of remanufactured products.