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🇰🇷 South Korea /Environment & Climate

Trading the car for the bus: A climate action with a child

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • An expert proposes "eating, living, housing, and moving" as essential elements of human life, highlighting the importance of mobility.
  • The author shares a personal climate action: commuting and taking their child to school by bus instead of car.
  • This daily choice reduces carbon emissions and provides opportunities for parent-child bonding and experiencing the world.

In an era of climate crisis, mobility is as fundamental to human life as eating, living, and housing, according to Seoul National University Professor Yoon Soon-jin. This expanded concept, "eating, living, housing, and moving," underscores how our daily travel significantly impacts our environment and lives. Climate action, the author argues, begins not with grand gestures but with everyday choices like commuting and consumption.

The author shares a personal commitment to climate action: switching from driving to taking the bus for daily commutes and school runs with their child. This shift has transformed their mornings, allowing the child to develop independence by handling bus cards and pressing the stop bell. A recorded message on the bus, "Carbon emissions have been reduced," serves as a tangible reminder of their positive impact, a feature unique to buses in Sejong City through an agreement with the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Committee.

Carbon emissions have been reduced.

— Bus announcementA recorded message on the bus in Sejong City, highlighting the environmental benefit of using public transport.

Beyond the environmental benefits, the bus journey offers a unique space for connection. The author and child observe the world outside, discuss the weather, and share conversations during the 30-minute ride. This shared experience transforms the bus from a mere mode of transport into a valuable time for parent-child bonding, a stark contrast to the often isolated car-centric routines of modern parenting.

Choosing public transport over private vehicles offers more than just convenience; it fosters greater physical activity, social interaction, and climate awareness. While cars offer efficiency, buses provide a richer, more embodied experience of the world for children. The author notes that reducing private car usage by just 10% can significantly cut carbon dioxide emissions, translating into substantial environmental and economic value. This daily choice, the author concludes, is a powerful climate action, a small step with the potential to lower the Earth's temperature.

The choice of transportation is the choice of climate.

— AuthorThe author reflects on the significance of daily transportation choices in combating climate change.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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