Small Steps

Gwangju Climate Action Day

Written By Katrin Marquez

Photos by Ben Robins

This year’s transition into the cooler months has brought along reminders of the unfortunate role that pollution plays in our lives. According to an October report in the International Business Times, cooler weather is usually accompanied by heightened smog levels in Korea as increased fossil-fuel burning, for heating purposes throughout the East Asia region, but especially in China, releases particles into the air. This year the smog started earlier than usual and has been somewhat more consistent, causing public health concerns. These types of consequences — to the environment and to human health — were emphasized during the 2015 Gwangju Climate Action Day through numerous engaging activities for the public.

The 2015 Gwangju Climate Action Day environmental march was held in downtown Gwangju on Nov. 28. An event designed to both inform and entertain, the march included participants from multiple Gwangju and South Jeolla Province-based organizations concerned about climate change: the Gwangju Energy Network, which is composed of Gwangju Eco Bike, Gwangju Jeonnam Green United, Gwangju Jeonnam Buda Eco United, KFEM Gwangju, and Vegan Climate Action Network, as well as the International Climate & Environment Center and the Gwangju NGO Citizen Foundation.

The event had a fun, festival-like feel that had two distinct and somewhat divergent effects. Because the event was held in the section of Geumnam Street leading up to the Asian Culture Complex, it was impossible for anyone to miss while coming to or traveling downtown that day. The march helped to draw people to the cause. Once there, children had fun having their faces painted, doing crafts and watching performances of various kinds. But, while these fun activities helped draw people, they may not have been too effective in terms of building awareness.

“[The march] wasn’t any different, essentially, from the normal Chungjang Street Festival,” said Tiffany Monreal, an American foreigner who has lived in Korea for almost two years. Monreal commented that though the event “was a good time” and “people seemed to be enjoying themselves,” it was unclear to her whether attendants “really knew that the festival [was] geared toward an environmental agenda.”

Though there were markers of an environmental agenda throughout the festival, they were easily missed by those that just stumbled upon the event. This is especially true for those that arrived at the march later in the afternoon, after the awareness picket parade and flash mob had ended. Even though there was a large sign reading “Stop Climate Change!” at the event, as well as nature-themed decorations, the plethora of performances, activities and products for sale threatened to overshadow the environmental message of the march.

Monreal described the event as “a little overwhelming and hectic” but added that she, nonetheless, enjoyed it. “My favorite part of the festival was definitely the giant musical ensemble,” she said. Overall, it seems everyone that attended really enjoyed the march, even if not all were aware or able to fully engage with the environmental message. Even if only a few people were inspired to learn more about, or take personal action against, climate change, the march was a success, as it helped to show that many in the Gwangju community care about an issue that is having a visible impact on Korea’s quality of life.