주채민 <Silent Spring> by Rachel Carson

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This book posed evidence that DDT, a pesticide, was a key chemical in polluting the environment—that the pesticide used to improve people’s lives was the very boomerang coming back to hurt us. 

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I’m sure many have heard of Silent Spring. While opponents of Rachel Carson treated the work as “simple female hysteria,” Silent Spring has since become a pivotal piece that led the world to reevaluate how we thought of the environment. Silent Spring has been ranked fifth in the Modern Library List of Best 20th Century Nonfiction. 

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김소담 <Reset (From I’ll Give You My Voice)> by Serang Chung

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It is possible to change the past in novels, but reality isn’t so easy. We cannot ‘reset’ this world, so we must change how we treat the Earth.

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I chose this novel because it was the first book that led me to think critically about the environment. While it is a work of fiction with sci-fi elements, the fictionality is used in a way that shocks the audience, giving us a chance to look back at our own reality. In addition, it’s a short read, which makes it much more accessible.

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정서진 <For You, Starting Your Harmless Day> - Ji Hye Shin

The ‘reducetarian movement’ that began in Britain and ‘veganism’ – if we reduced just ten percent of the things we eat and use, we can facilitate positive changes in animal disease, cruelty, and climate change. You might wonder—it’s difficult to take care of even myself in this fast-paced world. Will I be able to live a lifestyle optimized to the environment? The answer is no—it’s impossible to live everyday perfectly. But I’m choosing to do the things I can do without overburdening myself, without guilt-tripping myself. Using one less tissue, eating one less piece of meat, not buying that one piece of clothing. 

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The plastic in the bathroom is full of harmful chemicals. The plastic goes out to the sea and is reabsorbed into our bodies. The microscopically small pieces of plastic are eaten by marine life, and larger fish eat them. These fish end up on our families’ dinner tables. 

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The same goes for clothes. Fashion is among the top five polluter industries in the entire world. Polyester, which accounts for one third of all fibers used, is generated from fossil fuels—the number one polluter. In the process of generating polyester, much carbon dioxide is produced, and even harsher chemicals are used to process the fiber. The same goes for animal fur and animal experiments. I’ve started using a reusable tumbler instead of one-time plastic cups, and as a result have realized that ten people who lean vegan can make a larger impact than one perfect vegan.

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My eco-friendly life still goes through trial and error, as I request to the cashier even today that there’s no need to package what I’ve bought. 

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Ji Hye Shin operates the “Natura Project,” a community project where people can communicate with nature and foster a healthier lifestyle. This book narrates what harmless things people can and should do for the environment while living in the city. It also shares methods to reduce chemical waste, reduce plastic waste, improve eating habits, etc., so that readers can continue taking part in this environmentally friendly community after putting down the book. In short, it gifts you a “harmless day,” as you can hold the environment dear and take action to participate in the positive changes that come from simple changes in your lifestyle.

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양다영 <Increase in trash from long days of social distancing at home… best practices for recycling> - Yonhap News

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The increase in socially distanced consumerism due to COVID-19 has led to a corresponding increase in single use items. If done properly, recycling can reduce the amount of trash produced—we should sort our trash properly.

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While many know the importance of proper recycling, many also don’t know that there is a proper way to recycle. I thought that this was a good opportunity to share not only the importance of recycling, but also recycling ‘well.’ I also wanted to share the message that if we stay alert to environmental issues and start with the smallest actions, we can work towards a better country to live in.  

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신은진: <모노노케 히메 (Princess Mononoke)>

A Tatarigami, full of hate and resentment towards humans, descends upon Ashitaka’s village—while Ashitaka fights off the spirit before it reaches the village, he is corrupted by a deadly curse. Told that he cannot return to the village, Ashitaka leaves. On his journey, he encounters San, who lives with the animals in the forest denying her humanity. Princess Mononoke is centered around the conflict between San, who tries to preserve nature, the people, who seek to destroy it, and Ashitaka, who tries to prevent war. 

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The humans in the movie are shown wanting to destroy nature in order to colonize the wilderness, while San and the animals try to protect nature. While the war between human and nature is fantastical, the movie is an amazing artistic expression of coexistence. I also chose this movie to represent the theme of ‘environment’ as there are morals to be found regarding the death spiral of resentment and revenge as well.

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조해민 <산호초를 따라서 (Chasing Coral)>

As the Earth warms due to climate change, risk finds coral. This documentary captures the reality of disappearing coral and the efforts of people who are trying to spread the news.

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This documentary easily explains the coral bleaching phenomenon even for those who have never heard about it before. The work of the documentary staff and scientists working hard to make the phenomenon known resonates with the viewers. Watching the beautiful coral lose its colors and die shows the severity of the situation. Chasing Coral discusses the crisis of ecosystem breakdown for the environment as a whole, not just coral.

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서진주 <투모로우 (The Day After Tomorrow)>

The Day After Tomorrow tells the story of Jack, a climatologist, who must go save his son as a climate shift begins to happen makes the Northern Hemisphere uninhabitable.  The struggle between bureaucrats and the main cast as people begin to migrate south engages the viewer as we try to figure out whether humanity can survive this catastrophic natural disaster.

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I’m recommending The Day After Tomorrow as it focuses more on the human psyche as disasters occur, rather than focusing on graphic natural disaster CGI. The movie piqued my interest about the environment and the Earth we live in, and it was entertaining to boot. It also illustrated how one disaster can trigger a series of other disasters.

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이예람 <더 험블 The Humble Co.>

The Swedish company The Humble Co., leads a small revolution in the sanitary product market. It uses biodegradable materials to create the “Humble Brush,” a toothbrush that helps protect the environment and maintain oral health. The Humble Brush is an effective alternative to plastic toothbrushes. Humble products help with changing our producing and consuming habits and assist those in dire need of oral care products. The company donates products and a portion of profits to the Humble Smile Foundation, a foundation of dental specialists that assist volunteer networks, research and development, public health campaigns and emergent dental care, amongst other activities.

Excessive use of plastic is one of the reasons for environment pollution. Buying eco-friendly products is relatively easy to do in our everyday, and it’s great that we can minimize our effect on the environment that way. I hope that in addition to participating in environment-related campaigns and donations, we as consumers can also change our spending habits for the better.

김동현 <김익중 교수 Professor Ik-Joong Kim>

Professor Kim began advocating for anti-nuclear energy with the Gyeongju Environment Movement Alliance during his term as medical professor at Dongguk University. He is a leader and advocate for a post-nuclear world, serving as board member of groups such as Professors For Post-Nuclear and Doctors Against Nuclear.

While I learned in school that nuclear energy is the most cost efficient and is irreplaceable, I learned through his work that there are dangers that should be acknowledged with nuclear energy and that other forms of energy can replace nuclear power. As we saw with the protests against the Miryang transmission towers (towers that were built to connect electricity from the nuclear reactors at Shin-Kori to Seoul) and Woljung Shin Kori nuclear power plants, these are issues that affect local residents directly. To use nuclear-derived power, the reactors have to be built somewhere—perhaps we are receiving energy at the cost of the local residents’ lives.

김민재 <환경정의 단체 (Organization for Climate Justice)>

This organization began working in 1992 to examine the climate issues happening worldwide from a sociological point of view, evaluating the issues with climate we have today as a product of a growth-and-competition based society structured through the oppressors and the oppressed. The organization is a collective of individuals who believe that we must first recognize the inequalities present between people and nature in order to overcome the struggles present in our own society.

While many countries are working towards solution towards the climate crisis, through climate accords or carbon emission reductions, often climate issues are left in the backseat as our country prioritizes military and economic development over others. I chose this organization as I believe that it is necessary to look at the climate crisis in a more social way, to combat this way of thinking that places climate issues as less important.

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