Energy and Climate Policy Institute
 
KOREAN  |  ENGLISH


       Newsletter
 
작성일 : 16-01-04 16:26
Enerzine No 41. Climate Change = Another Type of Violence
 글쓴이 : 에정센…
조회 : 5,783  
   http://enerpol.net/newsletter/Enerzine/Enerzine 41.pdf [2229]

Climate Change = Another Type of Violence

Because of the terror that occurred ahead of the Paris COP21, it seems that not only Paris but many countries in the world have declared a state of war. By objectively analyzing the terror incident of Paris measures must be taken for prevention, but this sense of horror must not be allowed to have a negative effect on COP21. Any measures taken to downplay the climate movement must be opposed. The disputes and tensions caused by climate change are increasing everyday. From the perspective that climate change is another type of violence, the climate justice movement is a peace movement and a human rights movement. The gathering of climate justice must align with all movements that stands for humanity and the earth. All social movements and civil movements must, in the same vein, join with the climate justice movement. The values of equality and ecology must be interlocked in their development.

COP is also a place where invisible violence reigns. New climate policies that are struck up under the control of advanced nations and international money will only lead to hell. But there is a glimmer of hope in thinking that Paris COP21 is the last chance for successful negotiations. But it has been shown that under the INDC of the UN the 1.5~2 temperature increase limitation is not possible to be achieved, and the actual solutions that can achieve climate justice and a righteous transition are all but shunned. Where only fake solutions run wild, there is a need to exceed the agendas of COP21 with new plans and imaginative innovation. Paris needs to exceed the achievements of New York of 2014 and Cochabamba of 2015. For COP21 to not end up being a half-baked solution, the state of terror in Paris must be overcome. The weapons of climate justice are not hatred and terror but love and change.

Deputy Director
Lee, Jung-pil / scumaru3440@hanmail.net


Citizen Vote on a New Nuclear Reactor, 91.4% Oppose

Korea has not discontinued nuclear expansion effort policies even after the Fukushima nuclear crisis. According to the 7th annual Plan on Electricity Demand and Supply Meeting held in June of this year, there are plans to build 13 nuclear plants by the year 2029. But these plans have been criticized for legitimizing the need to build new nuclear power plants by overestimating power requirements. The increase in electrical consumption year on year in 2014 was a mere 0.6%, and it is becoming more and more clear that the electrical consumption for this year will be significantly less than expected. Therefore the construction of new nuclear power plants brings risks associated with plant related accidents and also the processing of nuclear materials, and also generates massive fees to possibly cause economical losses.

Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province sits along the Southwest Sea and is surrounded by high mountains in a secluded area where about 27,000 citizens reside. The Korean government has plans to build 2 new nuclear power plants here and has designated this area as a nuclear power plant building site. These plans were reconfirmed at the 7th annual Plan on Electricity Demand and Supply Meeting. The citizens of Yeongdeok have long opposed these plans. On November 11th of this year, in a vote conducted by the citizens, it was shown that 91.7% opposed these plans. More than 10,000 citizens (upwards of 1/3) came out to vote during their busy lives during the day to show their opinion of opposition. Accordingly the Korean government will have difficulties in their plans to build new nuclear power plants. Ahead of the vote by the citizens of Yeongdeok, a citizen vote held in the Samcheok in October of last year also confirmed that a majority of citizens opposed construction of nuclear power plants. The nuclear power plant expansion plans of Korea are faced with a significant resistance by the local residents.

Deputy Director
Han, Jaekak / hanclk@hanmail.net


The Abnormal Policy of Increasing Nuclear and Coal Power While Lowering Electricity Costs

The Korean government has always predicted rising electricity consumption. But actual electric demands differ from the estimates of the government. Especially in the recent 10 or so years, when examining the increase of electrical demand, excluding 2010, electrical consumption has decreased steadily in the 2000’s. The government has increased nuclear and coal fuel based capacity under the logic of shortage of electrical power. But now to escape the risks of climate change and risks related to nuclear power, the arguments against abandon fossil fuels have been confirmed to be excuses. So instead of building more nuclear power plants and coal-fired thermal power plants, the answer is to shut existing ones down. But the Korean government has made a different decision.

It has decided to increase electrical power demand. This may sound preposterous but the Korean government enacted a policy that decreased electrical power costs from the limited period of July to September in namesake of lessening the burden of electricity costs for the common people. Did the people actually benefit? This is not so. The upper class that uses more electricity reaped more of the actual benefits. This is neither just and conflicts with global causes of saving energy and responding to climate change. The increase of Korea’s GDP is slowing down. There is common acceptance around the world that not only Korea but all nations of the world must deal with a period of low growth. The consumption of energy will also naturally decrease. Instead of gradually increasing energy consumption, there is a need for government policies and strategies that are aligned with the age of decreased energy consumption.

Researcher
Cho, Boyoung / jobo8184@gmail.com


 
   
 




 
     Energy and Climate Policy Institute
    [04207] 2nd FL, 14-15, Mapo-daero 14ga-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea
    Tel. 82-2-6404-8440 _ Fax. 82-2-6402-8439 _ E-mail. mail@ecpi.or.kr _ Website. http://ecpi.or.kr