Climate change education is becoming increasingly prevalent in public education.
Environmental and ecological themes are emerging as a staple in essay-based assessments.

Developed countries such as Italy, which became the first country in the world to mandate climate change education in public schools in 2020, as well as France and Japan, are implementing environmental education for youth.
In Korea, environmental education was introduced as an elective subject in 1992 when the 6th national curriculum began, but it was neglected due to the focus on entrance exam education. However, 20 years later, with the announcement of the 2022 revised curriculum, environmental and ecological education began to receive attention.
In addition, as essay-based assessments are expanded in middle and high school curricula, 'environment, ecology, and climate change' have become good topics for discussion and essay classes.

Three authors who have been working hard to promote reading education, focusing on schools and educational libraries, are providing young people with various food for thought through books.
While the previous work, "Teenagers, Facing the World through Literature," instilled the right values ​​in teenagers through books that covered themes such as school life, family relationships, social issues, future society, and science and technology, this book, "Wise Environmental Class," conveys a deep understanding and diverse perspectives on environmental issues through indirect experiences in 14 literary works.

The causes of desertification include natural causes such as rising temperatures and drought, and anthropogenic causes such as excessive grazing and farming, irrigation, and deforestation. As desertification progresses, it leads to the extinction of species and food shortages.
Deforestation is the biggest cause of desertification in Asia, Europe, and Central and South America.

The International Union for Conservation of Botanic Gardens announced in its 'State of the World's Trees' report that 17,510 tree species, or 29.9 percent of the world's tree species, are threatened with extinction.
About one-third of the world's tree species are threatened with extinction.
This is twice the number of endangered mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles combined.
Reasons for tree loss include deforestation for agriculture and grazing, overexploitation and logging for timber, and climate change.
Trees are becoming extinct due to rising sea levels, severe weather, warming of polar regions, and frequent fires caused by climate change.
Botanists have warned that if the rate of tree extinction accelerates, entire ecosystems could collapse.
(…) Korea is known as the only country in the world that has restored devastated forests, and according to the results announced by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Forestry Committee, Korea’s forest resource growth rate was the highest in the world over the past 25 years (1990-2015).
With this pride, let's reflect on the meaning of Arbor Day and take action to plant trees and grow plants on a regular basis.

--- pp.18-20

Plastics have been widely used because they are lightweight, durable, and can be produced in a variety of colors and shapes.
However, plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and is mass-produced and easily thrown away due to its low price.
Plastics that are carelessly discarded like this flow into the ocean, creating 'plastic islands'.

In 1997, a huge garbage patch was discovered in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii.
Known for its discovery by oceanographer Charles Moore, the island is a pile of plastic that has now grown to an area seven times the size of the Korean Peninsula.
Plastic discarded in the ocean turns into a sticky jelly-like substance over time and breaks down into small pieces that become food for marine life.
(…) In the documentary “Blue Planet II” aired by the British BBC in 2017, a scene was shown where a mother albatross fed small pieces of plastic to her chick, mistaking them for food, which surprised viewers around the world.
Photographer Chris Jordan's work, Beyond Beauty, also shows a dead albatross with its stomach full of plastic.
The problem is that many animals today are actually eating plastic, just like Marvin.
It is said that animals think of plastic as food because the plastic that has been absorbed by seaweed or plankton gives off a delicious food smell.
--- pp.49-52

The protagonist, while searching for Yuraksan Mountain again, put a glass bottle instead of a plastic container in his backpack.
I guess it's because I felt uneasy about plastic bottles when I thought about health and waste issues.
But on the way back from buying the glass bottle, I felt depressed and ashamed.
Perhaps it is due to awareness and guilt about environmental issues.
Personally, I use glass bottles and try to be environmentally friendly, but when faced with the larger problem of environmental pollution, I feel like that would probably be pointless.
He must have felt depressed and ashamed, feeling that his small actions were insignificant and insignificant in the face of serious environmental problems.

Watching this scene, I was reminded of how we use eco-bags and tumblers to protect the environment.
Although it is for the environment, improper use can actually damage the environment.
Tumblers cause environmental pollution during the production and washing process, and eco-bags also have to be used more than 130 times to be effective in protecting the environment, considering the amount of carbon generated during the production process.
It is a huge mistake to think that collecting eco-bags or tumblers just because they are trendy or that owning such items will protect the environment.
The most important thing is to act consistently.
Small actions like the protagonist's may not change the world, but if they are consistently carried out, they are certainly valuable actions in themselves.
--- pp.68-69

There are many 'verbs' in the world.
These are people who practice respect and love for animals through activities such as putting stickers on transparent glass windows to prevent birds from flying into them, creating an ocean where whales can breathe through a plastic upcycling exhibition, campaigns to protect wild animals, and picking up trash.
Animals bring out the warmth and creativity within us.
People find joy in looking at animals, find comfort in animals, and get ideas for submarines and airplanes from looking at fish and birds.
Animals give generously to humans.
Now is the time for us to think about living together and sharing.

--- p.113

Now, if you want to see butterflies, you may have to go to the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, which has been a successful festival since it started in 1999.
However, the butterflies in Hampyeong are not native to the region, but were artificially hatched for a few days of festival.
Since the festival is held in early May, a time when there are many family events, the butterflies are said to shiver from the cold and are all discarded as soon as the festival ends.
Can we truly call a festival that harnesses the life of living creatures to revitalize the local economy "successful"? What must we do to ensure the butterfly's continued fluttering?

As the habitat and population of monarch butterflies are rapidly declining overseas due to climate change and drought, movements are emerging to protect butterflies and their ecosystems.
Environmental activist and ecologist Sarah Dykeman followed the monarch butterfly migration for 264 days by bicycle across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, seeing firsthand how the environment is changing and meeting people who are working to study and conserve the butterflies.
- pp.130-131

Before I knew about the world-famous Greta Thunberg, there was an environmental speech that shocked and moved me.
This is a video of a Canadian girl named 'Severn Suzuki'.
She became known as "The Girl Who Silenced the World for Six Minutes" for her speech at the Rio Summit in 1992, "Why do we do what adults tell us not to do?"

It may be a coincidence, but the books and news I read often featured images of teenage girls.
Luisa Neubauer from Germany, Vanessa Nakate from Uganda, the schoolgirls who filed a climate lawsuit on behalf of Youth Climate Action in Korea, and even Hong Da-kyung, an environmental influencer who created a map and music video to highlight the mountains of garbage across the country.

Social scientist Rebecca Huntley says teenage girls have become influential climate activists because they are good at emotional connection and persuasive communication.
According to his book, a research team led by Daniel Lawson of North Carolina State University conducted an educational intervention to see how children and adolescents can influence climate change issues, and it resulted in a significant change in those who had been resistant to climate change messages.

--- pp.146-147

It is important to try to make consistent changes, even if it takes time.
Let me just practice as much as I can now.
It would be nice if you could avoid eating meat, but if you must, you can choose to eat from farms raised with government-approved animal welfare practices or reduce the amount or frequency of your meat consumption.
It's okay to start with one 'meat-free day' a week or one day a month.
You can eat meat for a while while practicing.
Don't give up and say "I'm screwed" because you ate meat. Just start over.
It would be better if you could do it consistently, but above all, I hope you enjoy participating.
If you and your friends explore meat substitutes, you'll likely see vegan dumplings, tortillas, and burgers all around you.

When I was young, my snacks were sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and rice cakes made by my mom.
The fruits were also seasonal.
In May, there were strawberries, in summer, watermelons and cantaloupes, in fall, pears, and persimmons, and in winter, tangerines.
The side dishes on the table were limited to vegetables, seaweed, and kimchi.
Then, if there was grilled fish that evening, I had to eat it while watching my grandfather and father's expressions.
It is said that the consumption of meat, fish, eggs, and milk was at 5-10 percent of the current level.
(…) Now that I think about it, that food back then was vegan and is the healthy food we should be eating now.
Today's food indiscriminately exploits non-human animals for the happiness of humans.
By thinking about and working towards ways for non-human animals to survive more happily, human animals will also be able to find a way to exist happily on Earth.
--- pp.165-166

The consumerist approach of buying quality goods cheaply offers no solution to the problem of textile waste piling up on riverbanks, showing no sign of decaying.
If clothes are harming the environment and ecosystem and causing suffering to some people, we need to find solutions other than leaving and incinerating the clothes that accumulate like this.
It's better to wear old clothes than to buy new ones.


The 'Re-Wear Lab' holds the '21 Percent Party' every year to promote a sustainable clothing consumption culture by exchanging, repairing, and reforming used clothes.
(…) The fashion industry, which causes the second largest environmental damage, must recognize the need for zero waste and focus on creating a sustainable clothing lifestyle culture.
We must consider a clothing culture that protects our health and the planet by expanding alternative consumption experiences through clothing reuse and exchange.
(…) We should be interested in clothes with marks such as ethical down certification and in clothing companies that have a positive impact on the environment.
Clothing company Patagonia reduces unnecessary damage and recycles materials to create products that can be used for generations.
Prada announced that it would replace its regular nylon products with 'Re-Nylon', a recycled nylon product, and Hugo Boss released sneakers made from pineapple leather.
Additionally, Adidas and Nike are also releasing products made from recycled and eco-friendly vegan materials.

--- pp.180-182