We Know What To Do But It's Difficult!

A high school freshman complains that he has a headache when he goes to the study hall. Teachers have told the students to keep windows closed because of the fine dust. Consequently, we have a room filled with fine dust made by the 100 students using the hall— chemicals coming from the desks and equipment in the hall, the sweat and foot odors etc., and carbon dioxide from the breathing. So begins an article in the environment column of the Catholic Peace Weekly by a member of the bishops' committee on the environment.
 
In such a space the students can't help but feel somewhat dizzy. Burn the whole house trying to catch a house bug is what the writer of the article humorously feels is happening. In Europe, the determining factor for children to concentrate is the degree of carbon dioxide in the classroom. We are suffocating the children to prevent fine dust from entering the classroom.

Korea has an indoor cooking culture; air quality is worse than foreign countries. Indeed, many studies have reported that room air is from 100 to 1000 times worse than outdoor air. So it's not healthy to be in an airtight room for fear of fine dust, ventilation is important.

Why does fine dust occur? Briefly, fine dust occurs when you burn something. Internal combustion engines, use of fossil fuels, exhaust gas from power plants, smoke from factories all contribute to our air problems. Among them, thermal power plants and vehicles cause the most problems. Air conditioners continue to increase because of the heat and household appliances such as heating appliances, kimchi refrigerators, and the like fill our houses.

According to a recent report by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry:  Korea's coal-fired power generation in 2017 increased 11.4%  from the previous year, a record high. Vehicles, which are identified as the main cause of fine dust, has increased from 33% (2002) to 42% (2016). Korea desires a decrease in fine dust but is doing the opposite. There is a lot of worry about fine dust, but the behavior does not change.

To solve the fine dust problem fine dust itself has to be reduced. It's not possible to fundamentally solve fine dust by recommending the use of air cleaners or masks that avoids fine dust temporarily and does nothing to eradicate the cause.

Many people blamed China for causing fine dust. However, we know now that the amount of fine dust generated in Korea is greater than the fine dust from China. We are the ones generating most of the fine dust that is bad for health, more harmful to children and the elderly.

However, parents are not conscious of this as they idle the car and wait for their children in front of schools and academies. In the space where children are breathing, parents do not know that they are generating dust particles themselves and are part of the cause of air pollution. Beginning from what I can do is the beginning of change.
 
The decrease of fine dust depends on each one of us. When we use anything that requires energy from burning, we are adding to the amount of fine dust in the atmosphere. The more needs I have, the more energy required and we have a vicious cycle.

When we order goods, factories make them, they send them by vehicles, but all of this requires energy that comes from burning. So the only answer is to live uncomfortably. Minimal life, Eco-life is the answer. How long will we continue to live and do the opposite of what we so desire— breathing clean air?