• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.33-44
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• 2004

The characteristics of social and cultural life in agricultural regions in Korea encompass several positive external effects: quality of food services, awareness of environmental conservation, aesthetic enjoyment of nature and so on. The objectives of this study were (1) to measure the awareness among Korean youth of the benefits of rural life; (2) to delineate the differences between rural and urban youth; and (3) to promote an awareness of the importance of the social benefits of living in the country. To fulfill these purposes, a field survey method was used. The subjects were 211 third grade students from middle schools in rural and urban regions in Korea. The statistical methods used for this data included frequencies, percentages, 1-tests, etc. The study generatedconclusive findings about viewpoints toward the natural environment, urban and rural social culture, and perceptions of economic status. It showed significant differences between rural and urban youth's awareness of ideas such as'green field supply','labor power supply'and 'biodiversity conservation'.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2014

In Korea, there are 1,474 thousand pumping wells nationwide which account for about 12% of total water use in 2012. As much as 39 hundred million tons of groundwater were used while 333 hundred million tons of total water were supplied in 2012. Because the water management authority projects that water demand will exceed supply by 2021, the authority is planning to extensively expand groundwater use in accordance with economic feasibility. Using the basic frameworks of cost-benefit analyses of the World Bank and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the objective of this study is to examine the costs and benefits of the expansion of Korea's groundwater extraction through pumping wells. We conclude that the BC ratio of the groundwater pumping wells is 2.98. This signifies that the benefits are 2.98 times higher than the costs. The benefits include use and non-use values of pumping wells while the costs include the installation and maintenance of new wells, in addition to the restoration and pollution costs of abandoned wells, as well as fees for water quality tests, etc.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.182-190
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• 2010

We examined the association of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < $10\;{\mu}m$ ($PM_{10}$) with asthma-related hospitalization, stratified by socioeconomic status (SES), among children less than 15 years of age in Seoul, Korea, between 2003 and 2005. In addition, we estimated the reduction in the number of asthma-related hospitalizations that would result from implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. SES was defined based on data concerning health insurance premium grades, and grouped into two levels: lower-income group and control group. The lower-income group was classified as having an accumulated income which did not exceed the 50th percentile of the median income. Time-series analysis was performed to evaluate the association between $PM_{10}$ and asthma-related hospitalization. The Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program was used to analyze the impact on children's health. Based upon an increase of $10\;{\mu}g/m^3$ of $PM_{10}$, the asthma-related hospitalization risk for the lower-income group was increased by 1.78% (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.79-2.78%), while the risk for the control group was increased by 0.83% (95% CI = 0.34-1.32%). Attaining the WHO guideline, relative to the concentration in 2007, would result in a reduction in asthma-related hospitalizations of 18 cases per 100,000 of the children population in the lower-income group, and 7 cases in the control group. The health benefits of improved air quality for children in the lower-income group were thus 2.5 times greater than for children in the control group. Our results show that the lower-income group is disproportionately burdened with asthma-related hospitalization arising from air pollution. Therefore, biologically- and socioeconomically-disadvantaged populations should be considered in public health interventions in order to protect the children's health.

• Journal of KIBIM
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.30-36
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• 2015

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has provided abundant resources and guidelines for a new project to become a sustainable anchor in the neighborhood. Paired with a range of checklist, LEED has strong influence on the standards for a sustainable building, and it also has played an iconic role in energy-efficient architecture. However, it is still unclear as to whether or not an LEED certified building enhances environmental benefits to its surroundings. If an LEED certification promises a baseline for an eco-friendly building, then a group of these structures should ensure significant environmental benefits to the society. This is the main question of this study, and the authors answer this hypothesis by examining the relationship of LEED certificates and their influence on outdoor temperature, especially in terms of urban heat island effect. The goal of this paper is to analyze the influence of the LEED certification on urban temperature as an indicator of sustainable architecture's regional interactions. If an LEED certificate is regarded as a strong contributor to a sustainable built environment, then a group of these certificates should result in greater benefits to society. To this extent, the authors question if there is any possible relationship between a large concentration of LEED certified sites and the temperature of their surroundings. To properly assess the research direction, Global Moran's I analysis, Local Moran's I analysis, and Hot Spot analysis are implemented to find the clustered areas of LEED certified buildings. For examining relationships between clustered area and its temperature, correlation efficients are calculated.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.244-250
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships among the psychological, social, and environmental factors influencing the utilization of senior centers among older adults in Korea. Methods: A questionnaire survey was administered to two types of older adults who lived in Seoul, Korea: 262 older adults who used senior centers (3 places) and 156 older adults who did not use senior centers. Results: Our results showed clearly that the utilization of the senior centers in Korea is affected by higher self-efficacy (odds ratio [OR], 6.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.31 to 12.32), higher perceived benefits (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.16 to 4.36), lower perceived barriers (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 3.07 to 11.45), higher family support (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 2.02 to 8.77), and higher support from friends (OR, 4.08; 95% CI, 2.38 to 7.81). The results also showed that participants whose total travel time was 15 to 29 minutes (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.64) or less than 14 minutes (OR, 4.68; 95% CI, 3.41 to 8.41) were more likely to use a senior center than those who had to travel more than 30 minutes. Conclusions: This study showed that the utilization of senior centers in Korea is affected by psychological, social, and environmental factors, specifically by self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, social support, convenience of transportation, and total travel time to the senior centers. The effects of longer-term utilization of the senior centers by non-users on health-related outcomes in a large population warrant attention.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.90-93
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• 1993

Increasing Public Concern : Pesticide residue is probably one of the fastest growing problems in regard to environmental contamination. Pesticide use in agriculture in this century has produced certain benefits, including a decrease in crop waste and an increase in crop yields and food quality. However, pesticide use also creates problems of having effects on the environment and remaining in food chain. The presence of pesticide residue in food, water, and soil has aroused public concern over potential health hazards. Despite information provided by national and private level agencies suggesting that food is safe, consumer groups worldwide are demanding assurance as to the safely of agricultural products.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.25 no.B
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• pp.81-87
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• 2005

This project addresses the product identification and design application of corrugated products for kinetic architectural applications. Initially, an architectural approach to product identification was carried out with the end goal of demonstrating application design principles of numerous novel architectural examples from the forest products industry. A design and prototyping stage followed demonstrating such application design principles and functional analysis on various novel architectural examples. The results of coupling product identification with proven application advantages will be of potential value not only to architecture but also to other designers in the arts and sciences. The general motivation for the research arises out of a growing interest corrugated and paper products to be ideally suited for various architectural applications for their unparallel environmental benefits. Applications in architecture that use fewer resources and that adapt efficiently to complex and changing conditions are particularly relevant for an industry (architecture) that is increasingly aware of its environmental responsibilities. Corrugated and paper products are highly under-utilized by the building industry as design choice material for both interior and exterior applications. An increased awareness of the benefits of corrugated and paper products coupled with a process of designing for the total use and reuse will prove to be a valuable means by which issues of energy efficiency and environmental quality of buildings could be enhanced to be more efficient, affordable, and therefore reach a broader audience of users.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.181-188
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• 2010

The objectives of this study are to analyze the possibility of the landfill gas recycling for the middle and small scale landfills where the recycling facilities are not installed in Korea. It was found that the power generation plants by landfill gas were installed in domestic 15 landfills and the gas engine generation was adopted in 14 places. As the result of economic analysis, the landfill gas recycling is found to be available in 12 places and CERs of 153,693 $tCO_{2e}$ can be secured per year. Through the reduction of the air pollutants and VOCs, the social benefits of 730 million won accrue per year. Also, the power production of 18.8 GWh will substitute the crude oil imports of 4,048 TOE and the revenue of 2.49 billion won is expected to power trading. It is also found that the power generation plants by landfill gas will give the social benefits such as the reduction of the environmental problems and the substitution effect of crude oil imports.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2005

This research topic evaluates the effectiveness and importance of environmental protection in the 21st century in light of the increasing demand on the earth's natural resources and the pressures on economic and industrial development to provide dynamic power. As the world and our fellow citizens become more conscious of environmental protection, companies are under greater pressure whilst pursuing economic growth. Therefore, domestic manufacturers have been devoting efforts to promote environmental management. This research conducts survey using questionnaires on the operational performance of the manufacturers who have ISO 14000 series accreditation and certification. The survey considers five dimensions/functions within a manufacturer, financial management, human resources management, production management, and marketing management. A total of 35 indices are used for analysis of the effects that the location, history, industry, number of employees, amount of capital, and revenue may have on the performance. This research targets the manufacturers approved of ISO 14000 series certification by Environment Administration Association. The statistical methods deployed are descriptive statistics, T-test, and single factor analysis of variance used for analysis. The conclusions reveal that a certain level of performance has been achieved in every dimension. After T-test, all the indices have reached a significant level. The indications are that ISO 14001 benefits all manufacturers the level of benefits however varies from company to company.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.349-352
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• 2007

The Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC predicted that global warming is already happening and it should be caused from the increase of greenhouse gases by the extension of human activities. These global changes will give a serious influence for human society. Global environment can be monitored by the earth observation using satellite. For the observation of global climate change and resolving the global warming process, satellite should be useful equipment and its detecting data contribute to social benefits effectively. JAXA (former NASDA) has made a new plan of the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) for monitoring of global environmental change. SGLI (Second Generation GLI) onboard GCOM-C (Climate) satellite, which is one of this mission, provides an optical sensor from Near-DV to TIR. Characteristic specifications of SGLI are as follows; 1) 250 m resolutions over land and area along the shore, 2) Three directional polarization observation (red and NIR), and 3) 500 m resolutions temperature over land and area along shore. These characteristics are useful in many fields of social benefits. For example, multi-angular observation and 250 m high frequency observation give new knowledge in monitoring of land vegetation. It is expected that land products with land aerosol information by polarization observation are improved remarkably. We are studying these possibilities by ground data and satellite data.