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Responsibility is diluting. We are dying. As such, the environmental pollution is clearer in regions of the tourism economy. One example is Jeju Island—UNESCO world heritage and an island of beautiful nature—one of Korea's biggest tourist destinations. Annually, a number of approximately 14 million people visit the island, making up to $2.69 billion annually of the island’s economic venues. However, with an increasing number of tourists visiting the island, it is undeniable that pollution is also on the rise. Even though Jeju Island has a small population, the number of tourists and the extensive utilization of disposable goods across the hotels by tourists are huge. According to the ministry of environment, Jeju’s daily municipal waste is 1.64 kg per person, the highest figure across the Korean Peninsula with twice the average (0.89kg), and it is estimated that 40% comes from the tourism industry per Jeju Tourism Organization. Many people in Jeju feel the same, with 53.5% of people feeling the need to change the system of municipal waste management and 11.1% wanting a change in marine pollution policies. [Image 1] Survey result for which areas need to be improved the most Namely, Haenyeos—Jeju traditional female divers who harvest sea food and other marine products—suffer greatly from marine pollution. To hear the contemplation of Haenyeos, I interviewed Ms. Kim, a professional Haenyeo in Anduk, Jeju. [Image 2] Quote and picture taken during the interview of Haenyeo Ms Kim “From what the environment and creatures were 50 years ago, species are clearly smaller.” “Any wastes would have some impact on the marine species, maybe through mutation or toxication." Ms. Kim highlighted. “I can also see a lot of pollution and waste across the coasts.” From what Ms. Kim had witnessed from his decades-long Haenyeo and diving experience, there are clear environmental changes under the ocean, especially marine species and coral reefs and the coasts. Importantly, many people including myself feel great retrospection about increasing plastic waste and pollution. It was more hurtful by the fact that these problems may directly or indirectly impact not only the ocean environment but also to other people as well. [Image 3] Photo taken near the Jeju coasts, full of trash It is not a matter of who wins. Our goal should be to make a world where all of us, including the environment, culture, and people emerge as winners. It is all of us’s responsibility to conserve the environment. Thus, I suggest policies that we could potentially implement under the initiative of Clean and Safe Jeju and the world. First and foremost, I suggest environmental taxes such as environmental conversation tax and the carbon tax to be implemented. Environmental conservation taxes will be imposed on simple merchandised goods, and it will be a duty to pay extra tax for the environment for every product bought. Also, there will be carbon taxes for any manufacturing businesses which will pose limits on the amount of pollution that they produce. These two environmental taxes will alone help reduce pollution, especially from the manufacturing processes. Some people might not favor paying extra tax, but the amount of extra tax would be small so people would not be unsatisfied. Many water drops can make a shower! Importantly, funds should be used to fully promote environmental initiatives in businesses. Jeju has myriads of intriguing inherencies and cultures, such as Haenyeo (Jeju diving culture), Dolhareubang (Jeju’s traditional rock sculpture), and tangerines, and its environmental displays across the whole island. Using this cultural inheritance, people can provide interesting but also environmentally driven business plans and initiatives with aid from the government. For example, there is ‘Umu'—pudding and soap production company making with Haenyeo collected agar (우뭇가사리). The company excels not only in generating substantial revenue and profits but also in advocating for environmental conservation throughout Jeju Island and supporting the welfare of Haenyeo, thereby flourishing in cultural, environmental, and commercial aspects. Therefore, with the aid of environmental taxes, there should be a prosperity of such companies and initiatives, making Jeju’s environment and culture prosper with a circular economy. Moreover, these environmental taxes have the potential to be implemented on the mainland and in the broad world as well, where Jeju Island can act as a test run. If Jeju proves to be efficient with environmental taxes, this will make the whole entity of the world cleaner and environmentally friendly. Secondly, there should be a Jeju-themed garbage incinerator. Jeju is a fairly isolated area, as it is an island. Thus, to reduce costs managing wastes, there should be an incinerator; a special one. Considering Jeju is a tourist island, it would be better if the incinerator was aesthetic, like the Spittelau incinerator in Vienna, Austria. The Spittelau incinerator is special because it was collaborated with Hundertwasser, a distinguished artist. Now, it is the most visited place in Austria. This can be the same with Jeju. Jeju, with many intriguing aspects as mentioned beforehand, attracted many artists like An Woong Chul, a photographer, and Won Pyo Hong, a Pictorium artist, both of whom previously collaborated with Jeju. Where many artists show interest in Jeju’s beauty, with collaborations and social media promotions, Jeju incinerator will be a very intriguing aspect of Jeju, solving waste management problems and increasing tourism at the same time. In addition, the incinerator can also provide warm water and energy to nearby residents, as the heat generated. In conclusion, the Jeju-themed garbage incinerator with artist collaboration will have a similar impact as the Spittelau incinerator: managing waste, providing energy, and attracting tourists. [Image 4] Photo of Spittelau incinerator Overall, it is vitally important that the government take initiatives and actively seek any given opportunities to promote environmental reforms like the policies that I suggested. As more and more people acknowledge the environmental harms and start to act, the world will be a better place for humans and also for the environment. It is time to change. And we need to take action.