Today we have gathered to discuss coexistence with the Earth. Both of you are striving to resolve environmental issues, while each of you may have a unique perspective on environmental problems depending on your area of work.

Director Hong My job is to respond to the environmental challenges our world is confronting under the theme of “waste.” We can see all the environmental issues across the world through the lens of waste problems. Finding the solution to the waste problems is a response to the climate crisis, as well as a response to biodiversity issues, and further a response to various environmental contamination problems, such as microplastic and water pollution.

Professor Lee Teaching public design, I lead social design and social innovation projects along with my students. Through these projects, I am demonstrating my interest in the possibilities of design that can minimize the damaging effects of products on the environment, ranging from production to disposal. I have been exploring how we can mitigate the impact of the products manufactured by companies on the environment, and accumulating data by incorporating all these processes into a “circular design guide.” Although resource circulation leads inevitably to conflict due to the complexity of interests involved, it is the role of a circulation designer as a creative mediator to convert these complex interests into easy language and visualize them in a vivid manner.

Director Hong, dubbed “Dr. Waste,” has been preaching the importance of the circular economy.
Why is constructing a circular economy important?

Director Hong The waste problem cannot be rectified by an ex post response regarding “how the waste should be handled.” That is why the circular economy is at the center of public attention, because it revamps the “paradigm of a production and consumption system,” rather than being an efficient means to dispose of waste. However, if consumption and production are reduced to resolve the waste issues, this will inevitably lead to other problems, such as a sluggish economy and rising unemployment. Of course, if people used things for a prolonged time, the amount of waste would be subsiding, and environmental conditions would improve. In contrast, from a corporate viewpoint, if people were to use products longer, there would be fewer sales, and profits would decline. For this reason, contradictory voices are equally strident.

Professor Lee is applying design perspectives to solve various environment-related issues across local communities.
You have recently joined the reconstruction upcycling project for SNU Building #28. Tell us about it.

Professor Lee SNU Building #28, the oldest large lecture building in the College of Natural Sciences, imparts a symbolic meaning. Because of this, the school decided to launch an “upcycle art project,” in which various materials inside and outside this old building were recycled during the slated demolition of the building. Abandoned radiators as well as brick fragments and door knobs were reprocessed to create new artwork. Meanwhile, I realized the need for an innovation that is completely different from traditional innovation that wipes out existing forms to create something new; I call it “sophisticated innovation.” This project was able to forge a symbolic message through artwork that added more unique creativity to conventional values.

The spread of a culture that protects the environment is crucial to resolving environmental problems.
What does each of you think?

Professor Lee This era requires diverse approaches to environmental issues. Somewhat “impertinent” approaches may be necessary. No matter how instructional an approach may be, if it is not entertaining, people tend to overlook it. I created a computer game called “The Old Man and Sea Plastics” as a “pleasant awakening” about the environment. While playing this game, which requires players to separate and dispose of transparent plastic bottles, players usually become covered in garbage within 10 seconds because of the game’s speedy progress. At the end, a message pops up saying, “Companies have manufactured 250,000 new PET bottles during the 10 seconds in which you separated and disposed of five.” I strived to convey the message that “Wouldn`t companies assume a higher level of responsibility if individuals made more of an effort to protect the environment?”

Director Hong This issue is paramount. Environmental issues will likely be a long-term fight that will last a lifetime rather than a short-term combat that can be swiftly won in one to two years. An overly serious attitude may result in exhaustion. In fact, young people, who are interested in environmental issues, including the climate crisis, even suffer from feelings of helplessness in addition to “climate depression.” This is because very little change is perceptible from efforts at the individual level. Unless this fight lasts for a short period, we would better engage in this fight in an amusing and entertaining manner.

Global warming and the climate crisis have facilitated a consensus on environmental protection in South Korea.
What’s your opinion on this?

Professor Lee The overall level of awareness toward environmental issues may be significantly increasing. The level of understanding of environmental issues is on the rise. However, what concerns me is that people’s attitudes are extremely divided. Many are active in addressing environmental problems, whereas others are avoiding or completely ignoring them because of a sense of guilt. Various solutions could arise from these dichotomic perspectives.

Director Hong Despite greatly raised awareness of environmental issues in our society, this awareness remains largely abstract. Many people realize the desperate seriousness of the climate crisis, while few consider it “my problem.” Although there is a need to shut down thermal power plants to respond appropriately to the climate crisis, the level of environmental awareness is still insufficient on a practical level, which corresponds to the willingness to shoulder the burden. Moreover, the 50℃ or higher temperature difference between summer and winter in South Korea prevents people from experiencing climate disturbances compared to other countries.

What should humans do to coexist in a healthy manner with the planet?

Director Hong Ultimately, we need to reduce consumption. Although people continue to jabber about eco-friendly consumption, there is no such thing as environmentally friendly consumption. All our consumption leads inevitably to environmental problems. Even regarding the waste issue, “recycling universalism” may be the most dangerous concept. Under the circular economy, is it adequate to recycle well? The “circulation” of the circular economy presupposes a reduction in consumption. It is time to ponder why we continue to consume plastic bottles before discussing how well we peel off the labels of PET bottles. Although practices such as recycling are important in addressing environmental issues, reflection is more urgent than ever. To sustain our efforts in resolving environmental problems, we must become more resilient, which demands a heightened ethic of responsibility to internalize these issues as “my problems.”

Professor Lee This question motivated me to mull over the word “we.” If we extend the category of “we” to include not just humanity but the entire Earth, we would be able to address the environmental problems mankind is facing from a new viewpoint. The awareness about environmental issues could naturally change a human-centered way of thinking by stretching the scope of our community to the entire Earth.