Found in major cities all over the world including Berlin, New York, and Seoul, the Climate Clock shows the estimated time left before the average temperature of the Earth approaches an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Recently, the clock that increased to more than "seven years" after the COVID-19 pandemic returned to "six years" as the world resumed its activities. To make this climate crisis clock stop ticking, policies about carbon neutrality are being planned and executed in many countries. If the temperature of the planet rises more than 2 degrees Celsius, natural disasters such as heat waves will occur in many places. The climate crisis is already on our hands, so seeking for and implementing resolutions to it is a must, not an option. The Chonnam Tribune brings various opinions from international and Korean students on carbon neutrality, and how each country is working on carbon neutrality and other environmental problems.

Are there any climate crisis cases in your country?

Bell Dominique Rasean (USA): One of the major climate issues that has been taking over America is that of climate and seasonal temperature changes. Most places in the U.S. have consistent temperatures that coincide with their environment and certain parts of the country experience at least two to four seasonal changes. For the past few decades, winters have been significantly warmer with a decrease in typical seasonal indicators such as snow and ice. However, on the other hand in areas of the USA such as the south, which hardly experience serious winter temperatures, there has been an increase in colder weather. Many places and people in the U.S. are unequipped to handle these sudden changes and it has caused a lot of issues within the last decade.

Seo Gyom (South Korea): Recently there were huge floods in Seoul. Many people who live there especially in half-underground houses have suffered from flood damages. In case of this disaster, when huge floods suddenly entered the living space, it was hard to block them. So sadly, according to the news, three people who lived in half-underground houses passed away because of the floods. There is no solution apart from only preparation to prevent these natural disasters. For example, local governments should take action to warn us about heavy rain before it occurs, so that those who live in half-underground houses are not isolated in their low-lying houses.

How much are citizens in your country generally interested in carbon neutrality or any other environmental problems?

Que Thi Hien (Vietnam): Vietnamese attention to environmental issues is getting higher as there are many issues that affect our daily lives. All Vietnamese people have paid attention to environmental problems on a different level in which more than half of them have paid attention seriously. Furthermore, air pollution is becoming the most concerning environmental issue in our country. And next are water, food, plastic bags, deforestation and so on.

Dominique: There is a divide between people in America concerning how much people care about carbon neutrality and other environmental issues. However, I would say that an overwhelming majority of scientists, students, and other minority demographics within the country are worried about these sorts of issues. Contrary to the media’s beliefs, people are more aware and concerned about these issues than given credit for. Though, they are typically overshadowed by our politicians and conservatives who do not see a problem with anything.

What is your country doing for carbon neutrality? Or is there anything you are doing for the environment, carbon neutrality?

Hien: Vietnam has set a target for zero net and carbon neutrality emissions by 2050. This is a turning point, a reorientation that has a far-reaching impact on society in line with the spirit of the times. Vietnam has signed the Carbon Neutral Counties Declaration — a commitment to stop coal power generation without CO2 filtering technology in the 2040s, and to stop issuing new licenses for coal-fired power projects that do not have CO2 filtering technology without completing financial approval. And ending new policies that directly support the government for the international coal-fired power industry without CO2 filtering technology.

Dominique: I have not seen much concerning America’s efforts in aiding carbon neutrality. However, there have been many efforts by citizens and some companies to help issues such as waste composition and maintenance. People in coastal cities often create projects that aim to recruit volunteers to help pick up trash, especially from animal habitats, and safely relocate them to a different place. Moreover, lots of small businesses and even some big corporations have been trying to find more eco-friendly ways to package and ship their items to reduce their carbon footprint.

What do you think is the most necessary environmental policy in your country?

Gyom: Currently, in South Korea, many enterprises and companies are manufacturing more hydrogenous or electric vehicles compared to the past. That means they are trying to emit no harmful substances. Yet it is too expensive for many average-income people to buy these vehicles. I think the government should take action to generalize electric vehicles by lowering the price.

Hien: Vietnam is one of the typical countries in the world where motorbikes account for 95 percent of all vehicles. It can be concluded that motorcycle exhaust smoke is the leading cause of air pollution here. In order to reduce emissions, our country's government proposed the conversion from combustion engine motorcycles to electric motors. This is considered an optimal solution, and many countries have adopted it and received very positive results. It is no coincidence that electric motorbikes are considered the best solution for improving air quality at this moment.

    What are the solutions to the climate crisis? It is necessary that individuals, industries and governments stay focused on how to emit zero carbon, so that we can at least keep this pace, not let things get worse. Also, governments’ policies cannot be enacted without the effort of the public. All sectors must work together to build a net zero ecosystem. We need to use our own reusable bags when shopping and avoid fast fashions, and we need to drive electric cars. Passing down the live-able Earth to our descendants is all of our quests since it is not only our planet, but also for those who will be living in the future. By making zero-emissions, we can make a new and improved future for the Earth.

By Hong Ji-u, Student Editor

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- Bell Dominique Rasean (Exchange Student, Department of Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA)
- Seo Gyom (Senior, Department of German Language and Literature, South Korea)
- Que Thi Hien (Junior, Department of English Language and Literature, Vietnam)