Korean cyclists on parade
South Korean media have been devoting an increasing amount of attention to environmental issues, with daily or weekly sections dedicated to current trends, advice, and activities related to the environment. Examples include the increasing popularity of walking clubs and the coinage of a new phrase, “walk-a-holic.” Another hot-topic is the reduction in use of vampire lights, those little lights on all your appliances that drain energy. Below are a few examples on how South Korea and it’s residents are working to improve the local environment and alert people to environmental causes.
On July 14th, over a thousand cycling enthusiasts went on parade in the city of Taejeon, about an hour away from Seoul. The event was a part of an international cycling symposium promoting environmental and physical health through bicycles.
“Korea needs to establish more bicycle lanes to encourage people to get out of the cars and ride more,” said one participant. “This will help both people’s and the environment’s well-being.”
A Dutch participant criticized existing bike lanes in Korea, which share the road with pedestrians. “Lanes like this are in fact somewhat dangerous, and can cause serious accidents.”
“Cyclists need more legal protection,” said one Korean official, “as well as improving enforcement of existing traffic laws.”
A story in today’s JoonAng reports that rising oil prices have reduced the number of cars on Korean’s highly congested highways, with an accompanying increase in the number of riders on public transportation.
Referring to the increased ridership, a stationmaster in one of Seoul’s many subway stations noted, ““There are over 370 people riding in a carriage that is supposed to hold 150 at full capacity.” Citing high oil prices, he continued ““Usually, the number of passengers decreases in the summer, but this year they have been increasing since May.”
A local river here in Seoul recently got an injection of local fish, to the tune of nearly 5000. On July 14th middle school children turned out at the Yangjae stream to release the fish, with the aim of helping to diversify the area’s ecosystem and help keep the water clean.
There’s a long pathway that follows the stream. In recent months the local district office sponsored a program involving the planting of rice paddies, to help educate young Seoul residents on agriculture and other outdoor activities.
For more information in English and Korean on how to save energy:
Filed under: Daily life, Environment, Korean Society, Seoul | Tagged: cycling, Environment, oil, river, Seoul
good to hear about all these things. I do think it is highly important that school age children are made aware of these issues so that they will be more progressive as adults. The older generations are much harder to change…