Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kiwiduncan]

God-fearing, corporate cosy, ethically questionable, weasel-faced Lee Myung Park is really going to bugger this country environmentally.

Now, on top of his plans to build the "Grand Canal", develop an industrial zone in the Han river estuary, reduce controls and regulations on corporate activity and focus on 7% economic growth before anything else, he now plans to reduce fuel taxes.

Most countries are trying to reduce car dependency, cut foreign oil imports and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But here in Sparkleland the George Bush of the East is moving in the opposite direction.

The lower fuel charges are intended to "relieve the financial burden on low income citizens". Don't most Koreans on low incomes tend to take the bus or subway? I doubt that reduced fuel charges will result in lower bus fares. The people who will benefit the most from this are the middle and higher income Koreans who love driving their ugly, gas-guzzling SUVs.

At a time when the Korean government should happily allow higher fuel prices to encourage more public transport usage, bike commuting and the development of more fuel efficient cars, they are now considering interfering in a way that will primarily benefit the well-off and will certainly not help the poor or the environment.

Still, Koreans voted for him I guess. Idiots.

[Newbie]

He'll make them number 7. That's all that matters to these deparate for attention, insecure, people. (the "general" Korean. Not all of em)

[mistermasan]

well...when you have "lee myong" you just have to make lee myong aid.
thank you. i'll be here the rest of the year.

[jdog2050]

[Scotticus]

[Octavius Hite]

This is absolutely retarded, but hardly new. Just in the last few years Nova Scotia made gas prices controlled by the province, and that has worked, but didn't really result in lower prices, just less accusations of corporate skullduggery.


It will be good for the Korean economy but bad for the environment and bad for the government, they collect billions in taxes so there goes all sorts of projects.

So lets hope the increase in gas consumption will cause the price to raise thereby negating any tax cut, cause we all know that when gas companies are handed tax cuts the first thing they do is raise prices.

[Milwaukiedave]

I don't know how people can afford to drive here anyway. Gas works out to be $4.70 a gallon when you convert from ltr to gallons and won to dollar.

I tend to agree, cutting the gas tax is the wrong thing to do. How about putting more money into renewable energy.

The canal is going to be a huge waste of land (which is scarce), money and cause a ton of pollution. I'd bet no fewer then 5 people end up dead due to accidents as well.

[skeeterses]

[soju pizza]

[idonojacs]

I heard from a well-paid businessman friend that these days Korea sends people to study how the U.S. operates because they want to learn what America is doing wrong and not do it.

Apparently they have not learned anything from our bad political example. Lee Myung Park sounds a lot like George Bush East.

[kiwiduncan]

[idonojacs]

Speaking of global warming, you forgot something: insects.

As the climate here warms up there will be more and more insects normally found in hotter areas to the south entering Korea. They will likely bring disease, especially through mosquitoes, and bugs that damage crops and trees. Dead trees will be more prone to forest fires.

That's what has happened in other areas. Just read the newspapers.

So it's not just a matter of rising sea levels.

[kiwiduncan]

Yes, they have the same concerns in the UK about southern European insects wrecking havoc in British ecosystems, and Southern Europeans in turn are worried about the return of malaria.

I don't know how much sea levels are predicted to change in Korea under the various global warming forecasts, but I believe the main concerns are not necassarily sea level changes but rather higher water temperatures, increasing severity of storms and changes in marine biodiversity. Many scientists predict that with global warming red tides will become more common in Korea, and global warming is also suspected in contributing to an increase in jellyfish numbers in Japanese and Korean waters.

So far Kia motors, a producer of many of Korea's SUVs, has sent 5000 workers to help in the oil clean up on the west coast. They would probably make a better long term contribution to protecting the coastline by staying at the factory and designing some small electric cars.

Oh, and in order to show that we are not straying off the original topic, I'd just like to take this opportunity to reiterate my argument that Lee Myung Park is a wanker.

[Octavius Hite]

Canada ----- West Nile

Soon we will all have to worry about Dengae Fever and Malaria, but at least we can all trip out together on the anti-malaria meds!

[Intrepid]

Actually, it's more like $6.75/gallon...
Or maybe I'm just buying my 1590W/l gas in the wrong place...