In total, the report showed that China, Japan, and South Korea will invest about $509 billion in clean tech over the next 5 years, whereas the US (with our greenest President in decades, maybe ever) is only expected to invest $172 billion (about 3 times less) — this is assuming the climate and energy legislation in Congress passes.

If the US were to invest the same percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as South Korea, it would invest almost $140 billion per year ($700 billion over this five year period)! Compared to China, the anticipated per-GDP investment ratio is 1:4 (US to China).

In 2008, Japan almost matched US R&D spending on energy and achieved almost the same number of international clean energy patents despite having dramatically lower GDP.

The financial investment is not the only thing giving these countries a major advantage in this field, though.

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Call it the Obama effect or a last minute face saving tactic but the Obama Administration made it clear that it is willing to include national mitigation measures announced by the advanced developing countries in the international climate treaty to be discussed at Copenhagen next month.

In a joint statement the US and Chinese officials announced that the new climate treaty should be based on ‘common but differentiated responsibility’. This is the first time that the United States has agreed for different climate goals for developed and developing countries.

[B]oth sides believe that, while striving for final legal agreement, an agreed outcome at Copenhagen should, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, include emission reduction targets of developed countries and nationally appropriate mitigation actions of developing countries.

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But this is just the beginning. SOLARIG has a more global vision.

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Despite President Obama’s call for the United States to lead the clean energy technology industry, a weak climate bill (H.R. 2454) awaiting the Senate to return from recess promises limited funding for research and development of renewable clean energy technologies.

Asia, however, has recognized the advantages of embracing clean energy development and the race for clean energy dominance is heating up faster than the planet. Here’s a look at the development of clean energy technology in the some of the world’s developing Asian economies.

1. Kunming - China’s “Solar City”

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We know a bit about the current situation on climate change. We know which countries are emitting the most global warming emissions. We know that the EU is actively implementing policies to get their emissions down and are serious about keeping climate change at the top of the priority list, even in one of the biggest economic struggles in history. We know that little nations like Tuvalu are working to address climate change. We know that ambitious and engaged countries are running into unseen problems and are unsure where to go in the future. We know that the US is looking to pass a climate bill for the first time and could change history in the process, and the USDA supports it but climate change groups, consumer advocate groups, and social equity groups are quite concerned about some of the changes made by the House of Representatives at the last minute. We know that China, India, and Brazil’s growth in greenhouse gas emissions have skyrocketed (several times faster than developed countries’ still growing emissions) in the past two decades.

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Coming 12 years after the introduction of the Prius in Japan, Hyundai may be extremely late to the hybrid party, but they’re hoping to play catch up quickly.

Hyundai’s new Elantra LPI will be sold only in South Korea. It runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and uses lithium-ion batteries. Although Hyundai has no immediate plans to export the Elantra LPI overseas, the company plans to release a gasoline electric hybrid version of the Sonata in late 2010. Presumably the hybrid Sonata would be marketed in the US to compete directly with offerings from Toyota and Honda.

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South Korea yesterday announced plans to invest a staggering Won107,000bn ($85 billion) on ‘green growth’ industries over the next five years.

The government predicts the unprecedented cash-injection, around 2 per cent of the country’s entire gross domestic product, will create up to 1.8 MILLION new jobs in renewable energy and environmentally-friendly projects.

In a presidential statement, the country’s leader, Lee Myung-bak, said that the so-called Green New Deal will significantly boost growth and jobs in an effort to ride out the economic slump.

“The aim is for South Korea to become the world’s seventh most competitive country by 2020 in terms of energy efficiency and ability to adapt to climate change,” he said.

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Japan has been whaling illegally for several years, despite the International Whaling Commission’s global ban on whaling since 1986. While South Korea has more or less adhered to the whaling ban, they now would like to do it again.

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Now, it must be said by way of comparison that Korean cities are by and large much cleaner than American ones. Or at least it’s fair to say that the dodgiest parts of Korea’s large cities are still much nicer than their American counterparts. Almost unimaginable in Korea are the dingy, urine stained shop fronts of San Francisco’s Market Street or the sprawling cardboard-house ghettos of LA’s Skid Row. However, almost everywhere you go in Korea you’re unfortunately bound to run into litter.

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The Cheonggyecheon stream was an ambitious green restoration project. It turned six kilometers of downtown Seoul from a polluting expressway into a relaxing, tree-lined stream. In restoring the stream, 95% of the expressway’s cement and 100% of the steel was carefully salvaged and recycled.

The stream was opened to the public in 2005. Since then, it’s been a popular destination for Seoulites looking for green areas in Korea’s largest metropolis.

Surprisingly, the Cheonggyecheon is little known to foreign tourists. If you travel to Seoul and you’re looking for a breath of fresh air as well as a glimpse at the archeological sites revealed during the stream’s excavation, be sure not to miss a visit to this successful urban greening project.

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Japan and South Korea have announced that their governments will be investing billions of dollars to develop new green projects which would help creating new jobs and hopefully bring their battered economies back on track.

Continuing the global trend, the Asian industrial powers announced ambitious plans to tackle the rising carbon emissions, depleting energy resources and sliding economic growth. South Korea plans to invest $38 billion in the next four years to create almost a million new jobs. The new investments will be made in projects aimed at recycling waste, increasing energy efficiency, forest conservation and developing renewable energy resources.

Japan, too, has unveiled plans to expand its $745 billion green business sector to $1 trillion by 2020 thus creating about 800,000 new jobs. Japan, although, a huge producer of green technologies has been facing economic downturn primarily because of falling exports, now the government wants to create a market for these green technologies at home.

These investment plans are part of a series of measures announced by various global leaders to stimulate economic growth and build basis for low-carbon economies. Although crude prices are low at the moment, world leaders have understood that energy security is a major issue which requires urgent actions. As the world prepares for the next climate change treaty it becomes important to address the problem of rising carbon emissions.

Natural gas was a viable alternative to oil as it was cheaper and relatively less polluting but now it easy availability is in question since Russia announced that it would forming an OPEC-like cartel to control production and prices. In addition, Russia’s use of gas supplies as an instrument of wielding power raises serious questions about the future supplies of fuel to Europe and possibly other nations. Therefore energy security is an issue of prime importance and the world leaders now have an opportunity to present a solution by investing in clean energy projects to ensure almost complete energy independence.

In the United States, where the housing industry has been suffering from falling prices, some experts have suggested that the values of the homes be increased by providing buyers with subsidized solar panels; this project has already been initiated in some parts of California. Japan, too, is looking to relaunch the subsidized solar project for home owners. Australia already has a feed in tariff system in place similar to that practiced in Germany.

Helping people live ‘off the grid’ is important economically as well and may be the simplest solution available at the moment. Firstly, investors for big clean energy projects are hard to find in this time of economic crisis and secondly, even if big projects are established there is a fear that distribution infrastructure would need a massive upgrade to integrate these projects with the existing grids, which would require huge investment.

Establishing clean energy projects is very important at this time but even more important is the way in which they are planned and executed. The world leaders now have a responsibility to solve a whole lot of problems by a single solution. The projects they approve, a) Must reduce the carbon emissions; b) Must help create jobs and stimulate economic growth and c) Must be targeted at achieving energy independence.

Image source: swanksalot at Flickr under Creative Commons License.

Although China and India have both refused to submit to carbon emissions limits and are contributing to international stress regarding the outcome of this winter’s climate talks in Copenhagen, both countries are amping up their investment in solar power. China’s has increased its solar power target from 1.8 gigawatts to 20 gigawatts by 2020.

2. Fossil-Fuel Rich Xinjiang Uses Solar

A veritable hot bed of energy resources, Xinjiang province is rich in oil and coal but also an ideal location to host alternative energy sources like this roof-top solar panel.

Source: Washington Post; Bert van Dijk image description
Image Credit: Bert van Dijk on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

Recently, India announced the approval of its National Solar Mission, the pride and joy of its National Climate Change Strategy. This project should increase India’s solar capacity from 3 megawatts (MW) to 20 gigawatts by 2020 – and if all goes according to plan, 200 GW by 2050. The project will cost approximately US$20 billion.

3. Solar Panels Soak up the Indian Sunshine

Dramatically situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Indian State of Uttaranchal derives energy from the sun with these residential solar panels.

Source: WorldWatch; National Portal of India
Image Credit: Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

India estimates that its National Solar Mission could bring the cost of solar down to between 4 and 5 rupees per kilowatt hour (US $.08-.10 per kWh) by 2017-2020 - an achievement that makes solar cost competitive with fossil fuels.

4. Rural Villages Benefit from Solar Technology

Even in one of the most remote Indian villages, a solar panel system is helping the community take advantage of one of its most abundant resources - sunlight.
Source: Green Inc., New York Times
Image Credit: Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

Recently, South Korea boldly asserted its competitiveness in the clean energy race by announcing its five-year plant to invest 2% of its GDP in renewable energy and environment-related industries. This investment will add up to $84.5 billion dollars allocated to growing South Korea’s market share of “green technology” products, which includes clean tech R&D, hybrid cars, and solar batteries.

5. A Wind Farm High up in the Hills

A snap shot of a wind farm taken from a train traveling from Danyang to Jeongdongjin, South Korea. South Korea aims to increase its renewable energy use from 2% to 9%, to mediate sky-high oil prices and compete in the clean tech industry.
Source: Washington Post, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
Image Credit: Yewenyi on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

According to the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, India has an installed wind power capacity of 992 MW. Commercial installation accounts for approximately 940 of those MW. Wind has contributed about 3.5 billion units of electricity to India’s grid since the country began harnessing wind power.

6. Turbine Vanes Ready for Action

A field full of wind turbine vanes awaiting construction in Belur, India.
Source: Indian Wine Turbine Manufacturers Association
Image Credit: Niveditak on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

Although the Philippines makes a minuscule 1% contribution (in comparison to its Asian counterparts) to global greenhouse gas emissions, Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes emphasized the role that renewables will play in Philippines development. Both the Biofuels Act and the Renewable Energy Act, recently passed by Philippine Congress, represent landmark achievements for this developing nation.

7. Technology as Picturesque: Turbines Basking in the Sunset

A sideways view of a wind farm located on Pebble Beach in the Ilocos Norte province of the Philippines. Even in this developing economy, the Philippine government recognizes the economic, international, and environmental advantages of clean energy.
Source: Philstar.com
Image Credit: Storm Crypt on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

As the time for talks at Copenhagen draws nearer and pressure increases on U.S. President Obama to pass a climate bill, China, India, and South Korea’s clean energy actions stand to have major impacts on climate change and the outcome of the clean energy race. It remains to be seen which nation will successfully reap the economic and international benefits of dominating the global clean technology industry.

8. Solar Power in the Making

Solar panels at Yingli Solar, a leading photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer locating in Baoding, China. Baoding is a veritable renewables smorgasbord with almost 200 other renewable energy companies taking root within the city limits. According to an article published in the Christian Science Monitor, Baoding is the first carbon positive city in the world.
Source: Christian Science Monitor
Image Credit: \!/_PeacePlusOne on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

The spread of these kinds of initiatives is great news for aspiring ecopreneurs, as the market for green building, alternative energy, and other forms of green products and services becomes the ‘rising tide that lifts all ships’.  Well, at least the ships in the sustainable sector. 

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Korea’s national creation myth also tells of a tiger and a bear who asked the son of the ruler of Heaven if he would make them human. He agreed, but only if they could endure 100 days in a cave eating nothing but garlic and mugwort. The steadfast bear endured and became a beautiful woman, who gave birth to Tangun, the legendary father of Korea in 2333 BCE. But the tiger grew hungry and impatient. He left the cave early, unable cope with the hunger and waiting, and has been slinking through the Korean mountains ever since.

That is, until the last century when hunting and habitat loss pushed the Korean tiger over the brink of extinction in the wild in South Korea. With it went an important symbol of Korea’s identity.

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The initial plan is to plant maize and palm oil for export to South Korea. The benefit to Madagascar of losing a little over half of their arable land would be the anticipated employment opportunities for farmers and other locals.

According to a Daewoo spokesperson:

We want to plant corn there to ensure our food security. Food can be a weapon in this world,” said Hong Jong-wan, a manager at Daewoo. “We can either export the harvests to other countries or ship them back to Korea in case of a food crisis.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/22/koreas-daewoo-leases-an-area-half-of-the-size-of-belgium-in-madagascar-for-free/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/14/silkworms-an-environmentally-friendly-delicacy/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/14/silkworms-an-environmentally-friendly-delicacy/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:33:03 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/14/silkworms-an-environmentally-friendly-delicacy/ According to legend, 5,000 years ago Chinese Empress Xi Ling-Shi discovered silk when a silkworm cocoon fell into her hot cup of tea. She unraveled the strange cocoon and, wrapping the thread around her finger, soon realized what an exquisite cloth it would make. Thus the history of one of the world’s most coveted fabrics began.

If this is true, the silkworm that haplessly fell into the empress’ cup on that fateful day met a fate very similar to that of modern day silkworms. When they exit the cocoon after metamorphosis, silkmoths must bore a hole through the cocoon wall, which ruins the precious thread. Therefore, silk factories drop the cocoons in hot water before the moth can leave. This unravels the thread well, but it boils down to bad news for the silkworms.

Still, it’s the fate of almost every silkworm in the world today. Due to thousands of years of selective breeding, the silkworms we know today are no longer suited to survive in the wild. The entire species’ population exists only in silk factories and in the cardboard boxes of school children. So, except for the fortunate few 3rd-grade bookworms, virtually every silkworm will meet the cooking pot. That raises the question: what do you do with so many boiled silkworms?

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/14/silkworms-an-environmentally-friendly-delicacy/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/03/koreans-head-to-the-mountains-for-fall-colors-and-fried-grasshoppers/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/03/koreans-head-to-the-mountains-for-fall-colors-and-fried-grasshoppers/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:55:51 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/03/koreans-head-to-the-mountains-for-fall-colors-and-fried-grasshoppers/

Hikers in Seoraksan National Park, South Korea, form a line up the mountain trail.

Autumn is an especially busy season for Seoraksan National Park in Gangwon province, South Korea. In a year, the park sees 3 million visitors, as many as Yellowstone Park in the States. But each October, the steady stream of outdoor admirers swells to a torrent when fall colors light up the park’s jagged peaks.

Outside the front gate, the atmosphere is excited, almost carnivalesque. It would make an American think of Disneyland, except for the elderly women sitting along the queue selling steamed, starchy corn. Crowds bustle past a free wheelchair distributor at the entrance and spill into the park. There are Korean nationals and foreigners of all ages and descriptions: Korean aunts and grandmothers in distinguishing pink jumpers and visors yell to each other with their families in toe, “Bali wa! Hurry up!”; tour groups in all the latest outdoor trappings hotfoot it to the trails; a rastafarian foreign couple meander conspicuously through the stalls of wooden souvenirs and plastic toys lining the park side of the ticket gate.

Soon after the entrance, the park opens up into a courtyard populated with food carts and the occasional overpriced restaurant. On one side of the courtyard, a monolithic stone Buddha surveys the crowd. Naturally, I head straight to the carts to see what snacks they have. The first vendor sells roasted chestnuts, and I buy a bag. At another, I find wild mountain raspberry wine and fried grasshoppers. I’m curious. The woman behind the cart takes a moment away from hawking the wine to complement my broken Korean and pours me a sample of purple liquid from a large glass jar into a small plastic cup. Sipping on the wine, I decide to try the grasshoppers. They’re crunchy and slightly salty. To my surprise, they make a satisfying compliment to the wine, the chestnuts, and the brisk, healthy fall air. It’s a windy day and autumn colors are all around. Thanking the lady, I drift back into the stream of hikers making their way to the summit.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/03/koreans-head-to-the-mountains-for-fall-colors-and-fried-grasshoppers/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/09/27/korean-women-say-birth-control-not-my-job/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/09/27/korean-women-say-birth-control-not-my-job/#comments Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:00:47 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/09/27/korean-women-say-birth-control-not-my-job/

Birth control has become an important issue for woman’s rights as well as the environment. However, a survey of South Korean women age 19-34 found 45% believe contraception should be a man’s responsibility.

The survey, by the Study Group for Contraception, shows that most women are doing little or nothing to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Of the 1000 women who participated in the survey, one in five said she relied on coitus interruptus or timing pregnancy cycles as a form of birth control. Both methods have high failure rates of around 25%.

What’s more, abortion is illegal in South Korea, except under extenuating circumstances. The result is an almost entirely first-world country where each year hundreds of thousands of women practice illegal abortions at “don’t ask don’t tell” clinics.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/09/27/korean-women-say-birth-control-not-my-job/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/south-korean-islanders-ask-who-owns-the-wind/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/south-korean-islanders-ask-who-owns-the-wind/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:15:17 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/south-korean-islanders-ask-who-owns-the-wind/ Jeju island in South Korea is said to have three things in abundance: wind, women, and rocks. But neither the rocks nor even the women are creating as much stir these days as the wind.

The goal of Jeju is 500 MW of wind power by 2020. That would cover 20% of the island’s energy needs. And that’s not including the island’s existing solar energy. However, the rapid growth of the wind energy industry has some people asking “who owns the wind?”

As in other regions where wind farms are springing up around the globe, some locals on Jeju island find themselves divided into supporters and opponents of wind farm development.

Before visiting Jeju’s two existing 10 MW and 15 MW wind farms, I spoke with Kim Dong-joo, an activist at the center of the wind energy conflict, in his office at the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement of Jeju.

“It’s a really good thing to spread renewable energy. Jeju island has a very strong wind to use for power generation, so many companies have made plans to invest to make a wind farm to earn money,” says Mr. Kim. “But,” he says, “these companies have only one goal; that is to earn money. So they do not think of anything like citizen participation and democratic decision-making. They did not think of anything, just earning money. So I think the cause of this social conflict is that the companies don’t think about the people involved on Jeju.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/south-korean-islanders-ask-who-owns-the-wind/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/06/25/28-million-criminals-pardoned-in-south-korea/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/06/25/28-million-criminals-pardoned-in-south-korea/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:07:49 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/06/25/28-million-criminals-pardoned-in-south-korea/ South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s public approval ratings took a dramatic nose dive last month when he okayed a deal with President Bush to import low-grade US beef — banned since the 2003 outbreak of mad cow disease – into South Korea. Demonstrations, first against US beef and then against the president himself, swelled throughout the country, climaxing at weekly protests 80,000 strong in the capitol. Oops.

So how do you make an angry populace happy again? President Lee decided that the best way to appease voters (and mark his 100th day as president) was to pardon 2.8 million petty thieves and scammers, and also to give drunk drivers a clean driving slate. Does anyone follow the logic here?

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