Expecting more than 100,000 people together for the protest on the street tomorrow.

Today, the minister announced US beef import.
A serious protest is not avoidable this evening; I'll be there... hope to be safe...

S. Koreans protest over US beef safety

S. Koreans protest over US beef safety26 May 2008, by beingjin
This is just so much more than about American beef import. If you guys have watched the footage released by Humane Society, you wouldn’t argue on how inappropriately the cattle are raised in the U.S. It is quite obvious that the inspection system in the U.S., if any, obviously falls short of ’adequate’. No wonder so many countries are NOT importing the beef - of cattle older than 30 months - from the U.S.
However, these protests are much more than "we don’t wanna eat (unhealthy) American beef!!!"
As usual, this "unilaterally beneficial" deal was quickly made behind the door, and when we, Korean people, found out what the president, who entered the office only about 3 months ago, has done, we were outraged. Not surprisingly, the core issues regarding the beef import! and, more import!antly, danger of mad cow disease are hardly mentioned by the media. It seems like the Korean government is repeating the same message - that, it’s OK - as the British government did before the mad cow disease began to terrify the whole country, resulting in 163 victims since the mid 80s’.
There have been a number of mass candlelight protests across the country against the deal with the U.S. The government is not only preventing media from paying attention to our voice but also calling on the police to keep an eye on the public movements, even threatening that those who participate in the protests will face ’legal consequences.’ "Commies," the leftist are leading the crowd, according to the government, and they argue there is a political demagogue behind the public dissent. It seems only logical to conclude that we need to take harder action against the government, because there are just way too many problems with them for us to fight against. And naturally, the public backlash is only escalating.
Even more urgent, genetically modified corns were already shipped to this country and are reportedly going on sale from next month, here in Korea. I recently learned the GMO was even rejected by African countries when it was offered as aid.
This incredibly overt neoliberal president Myung-bak Lee (shortly called MB) , former CEO, and his administration are doing everything they can to turn this country into hyper-capitalist state in such a short amount of time.
They are planning to: 1. privatize the health care system - going for "the American style." Unbelievable. 2. privatize the water/electricity/gas supply, postal service, . 3. privatize other state-owned enterprises including the Seoul Metro, public bank(the Korea Development Bank) and other institutions in which public funds are invested. Daewoo Ship-building & Marine Engineering - which produces submarines, destroyers, battle ships, submarine rescue vessels, AUV, and other specialty vessels - is one of them; and it is going to be sold via Goldman Sachs Korea - in which the president’s nephew has been lately hired as the chairman - to a private corporation or, possibly, to "China." Obviously, this is going to be an enormous threat to national security. 4. make a huge canal across the country - which, even before the last presidential election, was highly controversial and severely criticized by intellectuals, environmentalists and the public, etc, for its environmental and even economic risks. 5. erase the "Japanese colony era" from textbooks, claiming we must forgive them and get over the past. As you might know, there still are a number of issues left unsolved about the historical tragedy, such as the ’comfort women’ issue. The president was born in Osaka, Japan. All these news came out within 3 months.
Words fail me.
In the recent visit to the U.S., the president said, in front of the audience consisting of the government officials and businesspeople, that he is "a business-friendly person, and (even though some people criticize him for being too business-friendly) wants to be more business-friendly," and, even more outrageously, that ’he’s the CEO of Korea. Inc." The applause, to me, resonated as the beginning of disaster. The upcoming negotiation on FTA with the U.S. is going to enslave ’Korea. Inc’ and the citizens to the hands of multi-national corporations.
Our hard-earned democracy is in danger.
The whole country is at stake.

Green Film Festival in Seoul

49 Words for Snow
Festival Section : The Other Side of Civilization
Director : Yorgos Avgeropoulos
Release : 2007
Country : Greece
Genre : DOCUMENTARTY
Running Time : 64'

Programme Note:
In Greenland, the vast land of ice which is now melting at a great speed, all that we hear on the news and read about in the newspapers constitutes the everyday life of its few inhabitants. The Inuit watch helpless as their life changes dramatically and their Arctic civilization receives what is probably the worst blow in its long, frozen history. This documentary also present the new "el dorado" of oil companies who are preparing to drill for black gold in the planet’s most vulnerable area.

Ancient Futures - Learning from Ladakh
Festival Section : The Other Side of Civilization
Director : Helena Norberg-Hodge
Release : 1993
Country : UK
Genre : DOCUMENTARTY
Running Time : 60'

Programme Note:
Ladakh, or ‘Little Tibet’, is a wildly beautiful desert land high in the Western Himalayas. It is a place of few resources and an extreme climate. Yet for more than a thousand years, traditions of frugality and cooperation, coupled with an intimate and location-specific knowledge of the environment, enabled the Ladakhis to prosper. Then came ‘development’. Centuries of ecological balance and social harmony are under threat from pressures of globalisation and the consumer monoculture.

The Power of Community
Festival Section : Green Panorama
Director : Faith Morgan
Release : 2006
Country : USA
Genre : DOCUMENTARTY
Running Time : 53'37

Programme Note:
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half and food by 80 percent- people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people. They share how they transitioned from highly mechanized agriculture to using organic farming and urban gardens.

Off the Grid with Les Stroud
Festival Section : Climate Change & Future
Director : Les Stroud
Release : 2006
Country : Canada
Genre : DOCUMENTARTY
Running Time : 67'

Programme Note:
Les Stroud and Sue Jamison, along with their two young children, share their experience leaving a world of electricity bills and water problems and going ‘off the grid’ as they move to Northern Ontario. Filmmaker wanted to show that you need be neither a back-to-the-lander, an electrical engineer or rich to escape the clutches of government controlled electricity and water.

Korean government suppressed peaceful march by power

-37 people taken to the police and some wounded-

On May 24, about 40,000 koreans were marching with candles in their hand on Sejong street of Seoul. They were women with their children, students, farmers, handicapped people, and other citizens objecting beef imports from the US. and asking impeachment.

Beef importation is currently the hottest issue in Korea because the goverment decided to import beef that was 30 mos. old or more with materials without enough inspection system. Older cows have a greater chance of carrying mad cow disease. What aggravates people the most is that they could be used as human lab rats to test for the mad cow disease. Currently deaths caused by mad cow disease has been reported in UK, Netherlands, Spain, and the US.
People have voiced their opinions in hopes that the government will negotiate again to lower the age of beef. However, the government ignored. Additionally, President Lee Myung Bak has pushed forward a secret plan for the Great Canal project which will divide the whole country into pieces and damage ecosystem. Also he has kept reversing his statements and promises about systems of health insurance, public waterworks, education, and highways. He turned his head away from people's voice on all these.
With resentment and hope, people gathered with candles to speak their minds. After singing and sharing opinions, they marched along the street.
More and more people joined and the police started to blocked them to dismiss the gathering but failed. Soon the police pushed and hit people with shields and began to take people away who the police thought to take the lead. Then, water sprinklers arrived and shot water forcefully at them. Many of them cried and shouted about the freedom of speech. When the day broke, only 1,000 people were left and were preparing another gathering that will be held on Sunday.

At this time, the most surprising thing is that most Koreans didn't know about that situation. They can't hear from radio, watch on TV or read an article on newspapers about it because the government blocked all major broadcasting system and most internet portal sites and newspapers to control for its own use. Only few minor internet news have coverage about the scene. People who knew the situation through cell phones are now asking friends or aquaintance abroad to let others know about this shouting 'the freedom of press'.

Now about 80% of Koreans have negative views of the president and reprimand his poor administrating ability and his deceitful and dictatorial attitude toward people. Korea is a democratic republic. Everyone knows that except President Lee and his admininstration.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-26261

Demonstration in Seoul from 2pm on 25 May by now @ 1Am on 26 May got more serious with violence by polices. People are screaming and bleeding.
I can't believe what's happening now; polices from out of Seoul are coming to Seoul to block people facing ministrial announcement of US beef import in the morning.

Damn crazy Korea!!

On Air: Demonstration in Seoul

25 May, 2008 @ Seoul

Can't believe what's happening now here in Seoul.
Medias are blocked so only internet media by netizens are on.
History goes back to the 80's.
Stupid dictator, Lee MB.

Candlelight vigil

Candlelight vigil in the morning

"Impeach Lee MB!"

24 May-25 May, 2008

Finally, people got furious and exploded their anger on the street.
Violence by police came back to the 21st century; Where is democracy?
Lee MB's dictatorship is getting worse like the 80's.

Daegu Green Energy Expo

Daegu Green Energy Expo 21 May~23 May, 2008 @ EXCO, Daegu

Exhibition was ok but not so special. German conferences on energy efficiency and renewable energy were the best of Expo. We met interesting people; a German lady from Berlin who has studied and did projects for independent energy communities for about 10 yrs in Europe and a guy from Freiburg who has studied sustainability in urban environment for about 15yrs.
Clever Germans already made big steps forward.
I might need to look closer EU energy efficiency framwork.

It's selfish desire to expect somebody to fill something what I'm missing.
It's not right to pass the buck to somebody else.
Wiser solutions would be to satisfy myself with what I dream of.

Want to get away from this week!
To the world without presentations!

:-(

Imgagination is often poisonous.
Questions are sometimes not necessary.
It's not easy to accept myself stuck somewhere in the middle of imagination.
Need to follow where the heart goes.
No question but more trust.
It's surprising to realize how simply one can be happy and sad.

Candlelight rally on 17 May @ Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul

More than 40,000 people together

'GMO corns, USA beef, expensive health insurance... We want to be healthy!'

'Political slogans are banned? Study social studies again, Lee MB! It's Politics that people speak up their right!' 'Anti-Crazy cow beef import'

' When you are sick without money, kill your self-MB'

President Lee MB's approval rate has plunged from over 60% to 23% as Youido Institute, which is attached to Grand National Party, stated on 15 May. It's only been 2 and a half months since the inauguration. They even worried MB could already degenerated into a lame duck. 20% as approval rate is called 'the magionat line'
to conduct state affairs of the reign as statisticians said.
There were more than 40,000 people against MB's crazy policies on the street in Seoul on 17 May. Many of MB's supporters already turned their back angrily with his endless lies.
People are angry.

Meat Wars with South Korea
News & Analysis of US-Korea Negotiations @ bilaterals.org

[Financial Times]COMMENT: Seoul is in need of sound policy, not soundbites

greed

pride

ideal

After reading 2 books, I'm reading the 3rd book in the middle of the night.
All the work is postponed again till tomorrow; case studes of carbon neutral events, islands RE, urban environmental policies and climate action plans in local levels.
Well, just 1 more book for tonight.

"You are always right even when you were wrong.
So, bravely push your way toward the world."

[The 30yr-old Ask Psychology] Kim, HyeNam

Sometimes, it's necessary to give up chances if there're things should be done beforehand.

Candlelight rally

There's a candlelight rally at the same spot, Cheonggye plaza this evening and the press presumes about 50,000 ppl will be on the street with 1,500 NGOs, organizations, and political parties.

I'll be there in a couple of hours with Green Korea, personally for penance: I didn't vote for the president election as I was away for work. No excuse.

Hope that people speak up their right agaist the other crazy policies and agendas together. It's not only the problem of BSE beef but more likely a thorough crisis of the reigns.

Wuppertal Institute

Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy

Environmental Policy Integration and Multi-level Governance(ongoing project till Aug 2008)


EPIGOV is a Coordinated Action of 18 European research institutes under the 6th Research Framework Programme of the European Union. Governmental and non-governmental organisations on the local, regional, national, European and global level make efforts to integrate environmental requirement into their operations. These efforts at different levels affect each other, thereby improving or weakening environmental policy integration (EPI) and sustainable development. EPIGOV aims to structure these efforts in order to identify future research lines.

Work packages:

Identification of modes of governance which are typically used to promote EPI at particular levels of governance;
Identification of synergies and negative impacts across the governance levels for improving interaction.

Today's papers

1. Nicholas Lutsey, Daniel Sperling, 2008. America's bottom-up climate change mitigation policy. Energy Policy 36, 673-685.

2. David Demeritt, Diana Langdon, 2004. The UK Climate Change Programme and communication with local authorities. Global Environmental Change 14, 325-336.

3. Emma L. Tompkins, 2005. Planning for climate change in small islands: Insights from national hurricane preparedness in the Cayman Islands. Global environmentla Change 15, 139-149.


Key words: Climate change; state government, federalism, local government, risk communication, trust, small islands, resilience, planning, Caribbean, tropical storms

Confidence
Persistence
Passion
Concentration
Joy
Happiness

Excitement

Sunshine

Belief

Candle light peace demonstration agaist US beef imprort

There were about 10,000-15,000 people on the street in Seoul

with candle lights to speak up their right agaist

import US beef and other ridiculous policies of

new president, Lee MyeongBak on 2 May, 2008.

And about 20,000-25,000 people next day, May 3.

General Lee, Soonshin of Chosun dynasty is watching

what's happening in Seoul;

thousands of people with candle lights and

thousands of police around them.

"Let's scrap the bulldozer, Chaebols, speculation,

BSE and Bush friendly Lee MB"

A Parliment member, Kang Ki-Kab(Labor Party) also joined us.

People from all generation were together.

"Please, save my life. I don't want to eat it."
A little girl also joined with her father.

Angry Koreans were shouting,

"Help yourself with crazy cow beef, Lee MB",

"Impeach Lee MB" and so on.

I'm living in Dynamic Korea...

Ms. Skeptical

Oh, no.