There will be numerous issues addressed in the election. In particular, the Corona pandemic, which has lasted for two years, has changed not only Korean society but also the whole world, and the post-COVID world is inevitably different from the previous one, so responding to Corona is important. In addition, this corona crisis is actually caused by indiscriminate destruction of nature and climate change, the task of responding to climate change and achieving a sustainable and Eco-friendly transformation should be reflected in this election. In particular, the issue of climate crisis must be dealt with seriously as the survival of mankind is at stake.
Even in 2021 alone, there was a cold wave that reached Texas in the United States, and a power outage was caused by it. Extremely high temperatures in California, Greece, and Australia have caused large-scale fires, and low-lying areas have been flooded with rising sea levels. The problem is that things will continue to get worse in the future. According to the analysis of climate scientists, the current extreme weather is nothing more than a warming effect due to the carbon emitted by mankind in the 1990s. It is said that the aftermath of the enormous greenhouse gas we are emitting now will come in the next 10 years or so.
Therefore, the issue of stopping greenhouse gas emissions is not a task that can be postponed. Of course, it is not a problem that can be solved only by Korea, but the participation of Korea, one of the major industrial countries, is now essential. We need to start a fierce and specific discussion about how to reach carbon neutrality right now. Korea is criticized for making only incomplete transition plans, in its 'National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal'.
Unfortunately, even before the presidential election, there has been little discussion about responding to the climate crisis or making a transition after Corona. Expansion-oriented economic policies represented by economic growth rates and stock indices are still the main topic of discussion, and energy transition policies are on the back burner of the major advanced countries. Even if we prepare now, it will take decades to reverse climate change and a new infectious disease response system.
Of course, the limitations of our society's intellectuals and environmental activists who have been major advocates for this issue also played a part in this. This is the case in that solving the climate problem was limited to individual practice and eco-friendly consumption, or it was only a huge discourse at the level of scientific information transmission and propaganda. Therefore, the value of carbon neutrality and a transitional direction must be included in all policies.
Another example is the expansion of Eco-friendly transportation means such as public transportation and bicycles and electric vehicles. In addition to citizen health and convenience, this also needs to be expanded and introduced to all regions.
Education measures can be a means for carbon neutrality through balanced regional development and preventing concentration in metropolitan areas. Carbon neutrality touches all areas of our lives only when we reveal how many policy tasks are linked to measures to prevent the climate crisis and design to reduce greenhouse gases. At least once in the presidential debate, the focus should be on the climate crisis.
It is now the responsibility of intellectuals and politicians to evaluate all policies in this year's elections both mid-to-long-term tasks to respond to the climate crisis and provide alternatives. And in that evaluation, you have to speak now: Let's vote for carbon neutrality.
