The more we misunderstand, the more it is not the Earth that is destroyed, but us!
The minimum environmental education that is beneficial to me

Advances in science have allowed us to discover new facts about our daily lives and use energy more efficiently.
Thanks to science, the harmful effects of lead and other toxic substances have been revealed, the use of freon gas, which destroys the ozone layer, has been stopped, and eco-friendly technologies that reduce carbon dioxide emissions are being developed.
But this is not all that science does.


Climate change is not only altering the Earth's environment, but is also creating new changes and causing problems across all areas of politics, economy, and society, including carbon colonialism, pollution exports, and carbon finance markets.
At this time, science seeks to address the massive inequalities created by the climate crisis by providing appropriate technologies accessible to those who do not have access to the benefits of civilization, or by making carbon emissions credits, a new currency within the carbon capitalist system, available for anyone to trade.
Science is the minimum option for practically solving the problems of today and the new problems that will arise in the future that cannot be solved simply through ethical consumption.

"My First Environmental Lesson" examines the problems arising from environmental pollution from various perspectives through the lens of science.
As you read this book, you will likely find yourself confused because the problems caused by environmental pollution are so complex and different from what you knew before.
But life in the future cannot be thought of separately from the environment.
Science and environmental knowledge are essential liberal arts for the future.
I hope that you will learn about the environment in a new way with “My First Environmental Lesson” and become a smarter citizen of the Earth.

This is called greenwashing, which promotes something as if it is eco-friendly even though it is not.
Paying a little more for a product that claims to be made with the environment in mind, only to find out you were fooled into opening your wallet by a false marketing tactic, is even worse than using a product that's blatantly environmentally unfriendly.
So how can we determine whether a product is eco-friendly or not? A scientific perspective can help us distinguish between "relatively" eco-friendly choices and those that aren't.

--- From "Entering"

The data that most significantly contributes to the conclusion that current climate change is entirely caused by human activity are global temperature observations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the longest-running research organization on the Earth and oceans. Since 1971, NOAA has been collecting and sharing atmospheric data from around the world.
According to this data, the global average temperature from 2011 to 2020 increased by a whopping 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to data from 1850 to 1900.
Estimates of Earth's temperature going back millions of years show that even at its hottest, a 1.1°C rise in 100 years has never been observed, allowing the IPCC to point to humans as the cause of recent rapid climate change.
It has been scientifically confirmed that human activities are the cause of climate change.
--- 「Chapter 1.
Is carbon dioxide really the culprit behind the climate crisis?

Can we go back to the past? Perhaps we could, but only if rapid environmental destruction renders our current way of life unsustainable. Having tasted abundance, we can't afford to make our own clothes, hand-wash our own clothes, and eat only the ingredients we grow ourselves, all for the sake of the environment.
Additionally, if nitrogen fertilizers were not fully used, most of the world's 8 billion people could go hungry.
And because we can no longer support the massive numbers of livestock we feed on surplus grain, meat prices will skyrocket and fewer people will be able to afford meat.
While radical change may be difficult, I believe we should at least be somewhat conscious of the benefits we enjoy without paying a true price to the planet, and make an effort not to abuse them.
Making choices that harm the environment a little less is what we do.
That would be one of the things you could do.

--- 「Chapter 1.
Is carbon dioxide really the culprit behind the climate crisis?

How efficiently are we using energy today? The amount of fuel we put into our cars is actually much smaller than we think, used to propel them.
When driving a car, only 15 to 28 percent of the energy in gasoline is used to actually move the car, while the remaining 72 to 85 percent is emitted as heat energy or is lost through incomplete combustion.
Even so, the final energy efficiency of a car does not exceed 20 percent, as one-third of the energy is used for things like the water pump that circulates the coolant, the generator that supplies electricity to the car's air conditioner and lighting, and the idling power.
In other words, out of 10 liters of gasoline put in a car, only 2 liters are used to move the car.
--- Chapter 2.
From "Smart Earthlings Think Efficiency First"

Because rayon factories are built to be easily disassembled and reassembled, production is moving from developed countries to developing countries, and then to even poorer countries.
Wonjin Rayon's machines were originally used in the United States, but when health problems arose among workers, they were exported to Japan, then to Korea, and then to China.
Many factories are now located in Southeast Asian countries.
This is partly because labor costs are low, but also to avoid regulations.
As a result, the price of Jjajangmyeon may have risen tenfold over 20 years, but the price of socks may have remained the same.
This phenomenon of manufacturing moving across borders to maintain low prices rather than improve production environments is called "pollution export."

--- 「Chapter 3.
Am I a rational clothes buyer?

First, in the case of foods processed from organic products, the raw ingredients may be organic, but the finished product may not be environmentally friendly or healthy.
For example, organic milk loses much of its good nutrients during the pasteurization process and is packaged in thick, aluminum-coated paper cartons.
Cows and chickens are truly organic livestock products that are actually left to graze in nature and find their own food.
However, if they are left to graze in the wild, there is a high probability that they will eat grass sprayed with pesticides, so they are raised in barns and fed organic feed.
Therefore, the same problems that occur in livestock raised on grain rather than natural feed can occur.

--- Chapter 4.
From “A diet that is good for me and the environment”

How important is seaweed farming in achieving carbon neutrality? As mentioned earlier, the world consumes approximately 4.5 billion tons of oil annually.
The current production of bioethanol and biomass, which can partially replace this, is about 1 billion tons per year.
This is not enough to replace all petrochemicals anytime soon.
However, if we use kelp, a macroalgae, as biomass, we can grow and use biodegradable biomass that absorbs 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year per square kilometer of ocean area.

--- Chapter 5.
From “A New Future That Requires Science”

I think it would be very worthwhile to carry a tumbler instead of a disposable plastic cup.
However, if you do not use the tumbler properly, it can actually be detrimental to environmental conservation.
Tumblers are mostly made of metal, so they are made at much higher temperatures and use more energy and raw materials.
Additionally, various raw materials are mixed and used to enhance the heat retention effect.
This means that once they are thrown away, they are difficult to recycle.
To get the most out of your tumbler, you need to use it for as long as possible.
According to the Life Cycle Energy Analysis Institute in the United States, stainless steel tumblers should be used at least 1,000 times.
If you're someone who gets bored quickly and frequently buys and throws away things, using paper cups may actually be more environmentally friendly.

--- Chapter 6.
From "Surprised Eco-Friendly Habits Revealed by Scientists"