[Inside Chodong] How the Political Sphere Responds in the Era of Climate Disasters

A Summer Longer Than Ever Before
Rising Grocery Prices Due to Extreme Weather
The National Assembly Must Urgently Establish a Climate Special Committee

This summer was longer than any other summer before. I never imagined that I would be suffering from tropical nights until Chuseok, constantly seeking air conditioning. After the holiday, there was an enormous downpour, as if "a hole had opened in the sky." Many parts of the southern regions experienced extreme heavy rain. Experiencing tropical nights and countless reports of concentrated heavy rain everywhere, the phrase "in the history of meteorological observation" became more than just a rhetorical expression signaling the severity of the situation.

It was only when October began that the cold wind finally started to blow, but the sudden drop in temperature made the abrupt arrival of autumn quite surprising. Forecasts suggesting that winter could be colder than usual, given how hot this year was, are also noteworthy. Due to phenomena such as the "La Ni?a effect," this winter may see more frequent heavy snowfall and cold waves than average. The charm of autumn seems to be fleeting like a moment.

Climate change does not only mean changes in daily life such as heat, heavy rain, cold, and snow. It is becoming a threat to our entire economy. For example, changes in the agricultural ecosystem are shaking up grocery prices. Behind the skyrocketing prices of cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, and other vegetables lies abnormal weather. So-called "climateflation" is threatening our dining tables. The news that subtropical crops like mangoes and bananas are being produced in Chungcheong-do and Gangwon-do vividly shows how rapidly changing weather is transforming the ecosystem of this land. We are living in an era of climate change that we have never experienced before.

News from other countries through foreign media also shows the seriousness of the climate crisis. Recently, Switzerland and Italy decided to redraw their border because the glaciers around the Matterhorn in the Alps have melted, changing the terrain. Reports of heatwaves, droughts, and floods occurring worldwide are coming in like warning signals. Countless climate-related news points in one direction: we can no longer live the same way as before.

Given this situation, our response must change. But the reality is different.

Last month, the National Assembly moved the Climate Crisis Clock, which shows the remaining time until the global average temperature rises 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in front of the National Assembly building. This was to remind everyone passing by the Assembly of their responsibility to make every effort to stop the clock, which shows just over four years left. Speaker Woo Won-shik also urged, "We must act with extraordinary determination and urgency." However, such determination is not evident among those who actually hold decision-making power inside the Assembly. In the previous National Assembly, a Special Committee on the Climate Crisis (Climate Special Committee) was operated, but since it lacked the Assembly's inherent powers such as legislative authority and budget review rights, it only received formal reports. For this reason, voices have emerged in the 22nd National Assembly calling for the establishment of a Climate Special Committee with legislative and budgetary powers. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties have gathered several times to express the necessity of setting up such a committee. The Speaker has also expressed support for this issue. However, this matter has not progressed quickly as it has been pushed aside by so-called "urgent issues."

Unlike the United States, where some presidential candidates claim the climate crisis is "fake," there is no disagreement within our political circles that the climate crisis is a serious risk we face. There is shared recognition of the severity of the problem and agreement on solutions, but if "nothing is done," there is only one cause: negligence at work.