• Hwankyungkyoyuk
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.94-105
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study is to understand what kind of effects a local residents’ participation on a local environmental problem has on the Environmental consciousness of the resident, and on the local community. I (researcher) employed qualitative research methods on the residents' environmental movement, which claimed to preserve the Sung Mi Mountain from the Seoul City Hall's plan of the water reservoir construction. I tried to understand the participation motivation and participating actions, and also the changes and effects the participation brought at both a personal, and community level. The data were gathered by means of in-depth interview with the local residents and unstructured questionnaire. At first, through the residents' environmental movement, the participants acquired a growth in environmental consciousness. For example, they obtained better understanding of the environment, change of attitude to environment, and participation function. Secondly, it is meaningful that a local tie intervened by the environment, enforced self-governing, and shows how community sentiment plays an important role for local community organization. Moreover, the environmental movement contributed to developing a ‘culture for participation’. In conclusion, participating in a local environmental problem can be an integration of learning and practice and also leads to reflective thinking about the relationship not only between human beings and nature, but also among human beings. In addition, it can buildup a systemic cooperation for local problem-solving and the ability to make an alternative culture in the community. These are the significances of the local environmental problem-participation on the environmental education.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.19-34
• /
• 2010

This study aims to describe actual condition of residents' involvement of Sk$\"{a}$rk$\"{a}$ll ecovillage in Sweden by in-depth interviews with five residents. This study, hopefully, could contribute to offer useful information for forming ecovillage, as well as awakening about ecovillage movement to the public in Korea. The interviews were fulfilled during spring of 2010 in G$\"{o}$teborg and Sk$\"{a}$rk$\"{a}$ll ecovillage in Sweden. The results are as follows: 1) In terms of overall residents' involvement by self-evaluation everybody agrees with that residents' involvement was quite excellent during forming stage of the village, while it has been notably decreased now in running stage. It reveals there is a gap between ideology and reality. 2) Concerning decision making method, they use majority decision instead of consensus, since only 9 households of 20 are residing there all year around, it is hardly possible to assemble all the residents in the meeting. In Accordance with problematic conflicts in the village recently, development of socialization with others and education of communication skill for residents probably could be helpful to resolve conflicts among residents in long term. 3) In terms of evaluation of ecovillage movement in Sk$\"{a}$rk$\"{a}$ll ecovillage, it is the fact that many residents live less self-sufficiently, more energy consumed than the ideology pursuits. Also, they live with close connections with conventional society. Nevertheless, the efforts they are willing to practice 3R principles (Recycle, Reuse, Reduction) have to be highly respected, if we consider its educational influence to environmental movement for the conventional society.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.18-32
• /
• 2001

Korean society has frequently seen the conflicts between environmentally oriented ideology and development ideology which generally take shape as regional problems. An interesting example is the case of Paldang water resource protection area in Yangpyung-kun, Kyunggi Province. At the area, the rural residents are trying to take regional development by utilizing as much as natural resource in the region, and the central government is trying to make clean water sustained for the public interest of the whole people living within the supplying area of the water resource. Accordingly, the conflict is inevitable. It is the role of environmental movement group that makes us pay attention to this region. Under the present situation regarding environmental protection as a core keyword, the environmental protection groups tend to stand on the side of the central government. That is, those groups let the government consolidate its dominance discourse, which help the resistance discourse of the residents weakened. This basic structure of relationship sometimes touches off the situations of antagonistic confrontation. It is the group for organic fanning movement on the region that is playing a significant mediating role between the two. It has eased severe confrontation, and has persuaded the residents, expecially the farmers, to accept so-called win-win strategies which are related with various kind of organic fanning. The agriculture can be regarded as a win-win action because it is a way of fanning adapted to the protected natural environment. It is taking firm hold in this region as an alternative which can satisfy the ideology of 'sustainable development' or 'sustainability'. It could give us a kind of paradoxical confusion that the strategies of regional development of pro-environment are being carried out in the region where the residents are fighting against the government's strict control of natural environment. The example of this region, however, could show a significant direction for solving the continuous problem of conflict between environmental protection and regional development.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.26
• /
• pp.7.1-7.9
• /
• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. Methods: A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. Results: Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2004

The objectives of this study were: a) to measure the satisfaction of who volunteered in the activity, and b) to identify factors related to their satisfaction from the activities, and c) to provide policy implications to improve their satisfaction. This study was based on a literature review and empirical analyses. The empirical analyses have been completed through individual interviews with community residents who volunteer the NGO activities in the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement. The major findings from empirical analysis were as follows: As a result of correlation analysis, nine variables affecting the degree of their satisfaction were "activity time", "sex", "support of family and friends", "understanding of environmental NGO activities and fields of environmental NGO activities", "contact points for the activities", "income and vocation". As a result of multiple regression analysis, the five variables affecting the degree of their satisfaction were "understanding of the NGO activities", "income", "support of family", "marital status", "activity period" and these five variables explained 49.1% of the degree of their satisfaction. Based on the empirical findings, the following suggestions could be offered for the environmental NGO activities. 1) Environmental NGOs should offer resident-friendly programs which may help the residents participate in the NGO activities, so the volunteers can participate in the activities with their family, friends, and neighbors. 2) Environmental NGOs should provide appropriate information and educational supports to community residents, which might facilitate them to have a sound understanding of the NGO activities. And the environmental NGOs should provide diverse activity programs to facilitate participation and to formulate eligible management system for the activities. 3) To enhance the satisfaction of participation, environmental action programs should be organized and conducted through a careful consideration of the status of the community, the characteristics of residents, and so on. To provide better contact points, environmental NGOs should cooperate with religious organizations in communities, social groups, media and so on.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.113-123
• /
• 2001

The purpose of this study is to help out the settlement of the Green Map in Korea, and to suggest how to map, and help community people and environmental planner systematically take care of their own towns. This study is also to introduce the green mapping and its usefulness, based on the Green Map Movement, which originated from Net York City and has been expanding through the World. Environmental elements shown on the Green map vary between countries and for the Seocho-Gu Green Map, we have decided to indicate the places that we are proud of, and dishonored of. Especially, this paper is focused on finding the hidden environmental resources in our daily lives. Seocho-Gu, one of 25 self-governmental resources. Since the citizens and government officials are open-minded in their environments, it is a suitable area to start the first Green Map in Korea. As a method of locating the environmental resources, the "Foot Sensing Method" by which residents directly research, is the main difference from typical maps by the "Remote Sensing" which focused on the variety participation of the residents such as questionnaires, investigation with youth volunteers, users interviews which may be more meaningful than the Green Map itself. The purpose of application plan is to preserve the environmental resources through the smooth feedback with the residents. Thus, it must be acted as a opening window linking them with the local circumstances. In line with this, this study proposed the trial-version Web Green Map and Green tour plan. Recently, a need for an environmental map has been reflected in the environmental policies of Seoul Metropolitan City, and it is in place now. If environmental experts of different disciplines use the Green Map for landscape architecture, design, and city planning, it will help them make a better understanding of the needs of the community and to practice the user-centered design. Eventually, the Seocho-Gu Green Map will help its residents, tourists, government, and environmental planners continue establishing the healthy city environments. It is expected that the green map will be employed as a useful method for establishing healthy city and town through right way of use and contents.of use and contents.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.82-88
• /
• 2009

Objectives : Our objective was to examine and evaluate the psychological health of the residents of Taean during the cleanup of the Hebei Spirit(HS) oil spill and to review some factors associated with the results. Methods : A community survey of 71 men and women was conducted 8 weeks after the HS oil spill. Questionnaires used were the PWI(Psychological Well-being Index) scale for psychosocial distress, the CES-D(Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression) scale for depressive symptoms, and a questionnaire created to assess suicidal impulses. Results : The overall prevalence of high-risk psychosocial distress among the study group was 64.2%. The percentages of respondents with scores on the CES-D Scale above 16 and above 21 were 77.6% and 62.7%, respectively. The percentage of respondents categorized as having suicidal impulses was 18.3%. When compared with unexposed groups in the general population taken from various sources, the residents of Taean were 6.5 times as likely to have high stress and 9.4-9.7 times as likely to be depressed. No significant difference in the rate of suicidal impulse was found between the residents of Taean and the general population. Factors associated with high stress, depression, and suicidal impulses were age, a change in income, educational level, number of days working on the cleanup, and positive responses to questions about "affected daily activity" and "hospital visit due to work on cleanup". Conclusions : The results suggest that the HS oil spill had a significant impact on the psychological health of residents of Taean, but the comparability of the unexposed groups is a limitation of the study.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.218-219
• /
• 2002

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.33 no.2 s.95
• /
• pp.83-91
• /
• 2007

This study investigated the health effects of offensive odor in residents living near the petrochemical industry complex area(PICA) and the thermoelectric power plant(TPP) by using questionnaire. Residents who felt the offensive odor were 58.3% at PICA, 50.9% at TPP and 24.4% at classical fishing and agrarian villages (CFAV)(p=0.000). People who answered that the offensive odor was sever at CFAV were 95.2% only on summer, but at PICA and TPP, were 44.1% and 57.3% on Spring, 62.4% and 68.8% on Summer, 22.0% and 31.7% on Autumn, and 21.7% and 25.7% on Winter, respectively. Average days that the odor occurred were 4.4 days/month at CFAV, but 12.0 and 9.5 days/month at PICA and TPP, respectively. People who experienced the sleep disturbance were 28.0% and 27.1% at PICA and TPP, respectively. The most frequently subjective symptoms were headache(0.953), frequently sneezing(0.825), itchy eyes(0.766), and stimulating eyes(0.709) at PICA, and headache(1.082), itchy eyes(0.931), itchy skin(0.826), and frequent sneezing(0.674) at TPP, respectively. At PICA and TPP, the occurrence rates of diseases in respondents' families were 15.4% and 15.6% for asthma, 12.4% and 9.2% for respiratory diseases, 27.8% and 31.2% for skin diseases, and 9.1% and 6.9% for nervous diseases, respectively. In conclusion, many residents who living near the PICA and TPP experienced the offensive odor during four seasons, especially high on summer, the most frequently subjective symptoms such as headache, itchy and stimulating eyes, frequently sneezing, and some diseases among their families such as asthma, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and nervous diseases.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.47-74
• /
• 2002

본 연구에서는 낙동강 하구의 대포천에서의 주민운동을 분석하여 지역사회가 주도하는 환경운동이 특정 조건이 충족된다면 성공적인 환경관리를 할 수 있는 대안이 될 수 있음을 보여준다. 지역사회기반 환경보호(Community-Based Environmental Protection)는 다양한 명칭으로 표현되고 있으나 지역주민의 주도 하에서 환경보호 및 개선을 이룩하는 것으로 지속가능한 사회를 달성할 수 있는 유용한 환경관리 방안으로 이론적인 지지를 받고 있다. 이 방법은 정부의 강압적인 규제보다 효과적일 수 있으며 지역사회의 다양한 욕구와 환경문제를 동시에 고려하게 되는 장점도 있다. 그러나 이러한 지역기반환경운동이 실재 전개되어 성공하는 경우는 흔하지 않다. 그런데 낙동강 하류의 대포천 사례는 지역주민의 환경규제반대운동이 결국에는 주민의 자발적인 수질개선운동으로 발전하여 실질적인 수질개선효과를 창출하였다. 뿐만 아니라 낙동강특별법의 제정 시에 제도화되어 수질환경정책의 발전에도 기여한 특별한 사례이다. 본 연구는 대포천 사례를 우리나라 수질관리정책의 종합적인 체계와 연계시켜서 살펴보면서 대포천 인근지역주민의 수질개선운동의 단계적 전개과정을 살펴보고 이 운동이 성공할 수 있었던 요인을 분석하고 있다.