[New Wave] Urging Social Members to Participate in Climate Change Week Events

Professor Jeong Won-jun, Department of Media Communication, University of Suwon

Today, we face new types of risks, including emerging infectious diseases such as MERS, Zika virus, and COVID-19, as well as digital threats like cybercrime. Among the various risks emerging alongside modern industrialization, environmental risks have become a prominent global threat. As the mass production and consumption system of modern economic society accelerates, members of society have enjoyed materially affluent lives, but this has also caused environmental problems such as waste generation due to overconsumption and resource abuse.

Environmental risks such as climate change caused by global warming, air quality issues like fine dust, and water pollution problems such as algal blooms are becoming increasingly severe. Human-induced ecological changes and environmental risks are causing enormous losses worldwide and act as threats to the sustainable life of humanity.

Accordingly, environmental issues have recently emerged as a major agenda in our society, to the extent that they are addressed from the perspectives of climate and environmental security. Environmental risks are today global risks and also risks that conflict with socio-economic interests. Although they could manifest as serious catastrophes that might lead to humanity’s destruction in the future, they have not received much attention because their consequences accumulate over a long period. However, recently, as awareness of energy saving and eco-friendliness has increased and people’s perception of the side effects of various environmental risks has grown in daily life, the awareness of environmental crisis concerns among members of society is also changing. Environmental risks are inevitable and everyday matters that require continuous management, along with efforts for communication.

In April, coinciding with Earth Day (April 22), there is a Climate Change Week lasting one week. During Climate Change Week, various events are held to raise awareness of climate change issues, promote reducing greenhouse gas emissions by one ton per person, and encourage low-carbon lifestyles for carbon neutrality. Additionally, plans to discover greenhouse gas reduction actions involving diverse social members, including future generations, and to induce public empathy and participation through tailored promotions are very welcome. Especially considering the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing measures, offline events are minimized, while online climate change events and virtual communication are intensively promoted to maximize effectiveness, which is a remarkable plan.

Moreover, it is meaningful that not only the government but also companies and private organizations, together with the Korea Climate and Environment Network, are building governance to improve awareness of environmental risks and urge behavioral changes for the spread and adoption of renewable energy. Environmental risks cannot be resolved solely by providing objective information constructed through scientific verification and delivered via the media; active communication among members of society must accompany these efforts.

Such strategic activities to reduce the environmental crisis expanding their influence into other areas of society are also explained by the theory of social amplification of risk. According to this theory, risks begin as physical and tangible hazards, but the public interprets and communicates risk events through their values and beliefs, socially amplifying or attenuating the risk. In this social amplification process of risk, risk communication activities like Climate Change Week play a positive role by informing and making members of society aware of environmental risks, thereby reducing risk factors within society in advance or enabling effective responses to prevent harm from risks. Active participation of all members of society is necessary for activities to resolve environmental risks.

Jeong Wonjun, Professor, Department of Media Communication, University of Suwon