Seoul Archdiocese in South Korea has installed a Christmas tree with charred branches and logs of trees from a recent forest fire to raise awareness of environmental issues and the climate crisis.
Professor Cho Seong-hyeon of Hansung University stated that every year environment-related themes are chosen to highlight the importance of climate action.
“We made a special Christmas tree at the end of the year using waste plastic as material in years when excessive plastic use became an issue.
“We want to share awareness about this,” said Cho.
Through the “Black Tree,” Professor Cho wanted those who saw it to “experience the seriousness of the climate change crisis” and care for their neighbours in need.
Forest fires are common in South Korea during the spring season, causing widespread damage to vegetation and property.
Between 3-4 March this year, NASA Earth Observatory reported the beginning of wildfires at Uljin and Samcheok.
Around 18,000 firefighters and dozens of helicopters were mobilised to fight the fires.
The wildfires damaged an estimated 512 facilities, including 343 homes, and an estimated 16,755 hectares of woodland in Uljin. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The burnt tree in Seoul rekindled memories of a similar tree erected in downtown Sydney, Australia, in 2019.
The Australian tree (pictured) was constructed with charred timbers and decorated with burnt household remains from the fires. The Christmas tree provided a symbolic reminder of what Australians are up against as the climate crisis escalates.
In one of its peer-reviewed open-access journals, the Switzerland-based Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) pointed at climate trends as the main reason for forest fires in various parts of the world.
The data stated that “the frequency and intensity of forest fires continue to increase as ongoing climate change tends to increase extreme weather conditions.”
The study indicated that between 2010-2019, 58 percent of wildfires occurred in South Korea during spring and 23 percent occurred during winter.
The study also pointed out that occurrences of forest fires were fewer in summer due to the highly concentrated precipitation and high humidity in the region.
South Korea’s environment minister sought to counter criticism that her country was tardy in switching to green energy. Han Wha-jin said the country was taking a gradual approach to using more renewables while powering up its nuclear sector.
“We will increase the share of renewables step by step,” Wha-jin said in a recent interview with Nikkei Asia.
The ministry is planning “a series of measures” to speed up deployment by relaxing rules on geographical locations, enhancing permit processes, and providing financial support for companies’ investments in renewable energy facilities.
Sources
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