North Korea Doing its Part for the Ozone
by Richardson ~ September 21st, 2006. Filed under: Economics, Human Rights, North Korea.From Asia Pulse: North Korea Claims Success In Preserving Ozone Layer
“It (the North’s government) has achieved a great success in the activities for realizing the program of reducing the substances destroying the ozone layer since it signed in January 1995 the Vienna Convention on decreasing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) production to 50 percent by 2005 and 85 percent by 2007,” the (North) Korean Central News Agency said in an English-language commentary.
All the cash that could have purchased energy instead went to nuclear programs and missiles. It’s amazing what killing off ten percent of the population (CFC users) and collapsing the nation’s entire infrastructure due to lack of energy can do - who needs a fridge when there isn’t enough power for a light bulb?
The rest of the article:
The North stopped producing CFCs in 2004 and took measures to ban old refrigerants that can also be harmful in 2005, the KCNA claimed. CFCs are gases that are used in aerosols and refrigerators and can damage the ozone layer.
“From this year, it changes the refrigerant that had been used in public service facilities, industrial establishments and various transport means with a substitute refrigerant that does not exert a harmful influence on the ozone layer,” the news agency said.
“The government has also taken a step to restrict and ban the import and application of air conditioners and refrigerating facilities discharging substances destructive to the ozone layer,” it added.
North Korea will faithfully perform its national and international duties in the field of environmental preservation, the KCNA quoted Jang Chol-gun, the secretary general of the National Ozone Unit, as saying on the occasion of International Ozone Day.
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September 21st, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Richardson says:
‘ … isn’t enough power for a light bulb …’
Odd (but not really) you should use that analogy.
A very interesting paper (dated 21 July 2005) was generated by the Nautilus Institute (http://www.nautilus.org) titled:
‘South Korea’s Power Play at the Six-Party Talks’.
In section 3. The DPRK Grid
‘ … At present, the DPRK grid apparently operates not as a unified grid, but as a largely disconnected collection of regional and local grids. We estimate that operable generation capacity is on the order of 2 to 3 GW at present, and total electrical output fell from about 46 TWh (terawatt-hours, or billion kilowatt-hours) in 1990 to 13 TWh by 2000, with 2005 output likely not very different than in 2000. …’
‘In doing the math’ … 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, 22 million inhabitants … this corresponds to about 75 Watts per capita (when one considers the portion of electricity that is needed for industry, etc., the implications are even more remarkable).
No wonder the lights are out in DPRK, as depicted in the banner at the top of this website’s page.
September 21st, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Exactly why lightbulbs got mention.
September 21st, 2006 at 11:49 pm
North Koreans can proudly claim that they don’t have problems with pollution, traffic congestion, obesity, or using too much electricity.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:36 am
Mi-hwa, some of the defectors I spoke with would probably have knocked your block off if they’d heard you say that.
September 28th, 2006 at 8:58 am
I hope not. It was pretty clearly sarcasm.
The DPRK’s de-industrialization program is a success! The world’s first eco-paradise. Attention, Al Gore! Your model is being implemented.
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:54 am
I also support the revival of the railroads, one of the most efficient modes of transportation we have for moving freight and people. Unfortunately, the Feds have poured trillions (yes, trillions) of our tax dollars into highway and airport infrastructure, to the detriment of the railroads. And now, Amtrak is begging for a few hundred million dollars to keep running as we allocate billions for wasteful projects such as Boston’s Big Dig and SF’s new Bay Bridge.
October 3rd, 2006 at 2:09 am
“I suggest everyone to go burn some extra gasoline.”
That’s a perverse suggestion, when energy conservation is desperately needed. The world’s demand for oil is outpacing the oil supply, even without people burning extra gasoline.
Having oil scarcity without sufficient alternatives in place will be a nightmare.
October 3rd, 2006 at 2:22 am
I also agree with the need for railroad revival. I road Amtrak a few times and it was infinitely more comfortable (albeit slower) than air transportation. It is already enjoying major growth in the freight sector. They will need to lay much more track to make it more convenient though for personal transportation.