“It is deeply impressive to see students gather so early in the morning for the environment, persisting through the rain. I am deeply grateful for the dedication of these university students, and I hope to see such exemplary activities continue.”
- Professor Lee Dae-hyung of Gyeongin National University of Education
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From Campuses to Oceans: University Students in Action to Protect Blue Carbon Ecosystems
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ASEZ implemented the “ASEZ Global Blue Carbon Ecosystem Protection Initiative 2026” from April 12 to June 8, 2026. This initiative originated from a critical awareness that plastic waste generated on university campuses and in urban centers can migrate through drainage systems and rivers into the ocean, subsequently impacting marine and blue carbon ecosystems. ASEZ mobilized a global movement to encourage university students to independently identify local environmental challenges and actively participate in sustainable marine conservation through cleanup activities, campaigns, data logging, and awareness raising activities. |
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“Zero Plastic!” ASEZ Holds Forum at San Diego State University for a Plastic-Free Future
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On Thursday, April 23, the Zero Plastic 2040 Forum and Seminar, hosted by ASEZ, was held at San Diego State University in San Diego, California, U.S. The event brought together 300 participants, including university students and local community leaders, to share the seriousness of plastic pollution and discuss sustainable lifestyles and practical measures that can be taken at the community level. Recently, the international community has come to recognize plastic pollution as a global issue connected to the climate crisis, damage to marine ecosystems, and resource circulation. Accordingly, governments, civil society, and educational institutions around the world are emphasizing the need for cooperation to reduce plastic use and transition to a circular economy. Held in line with this global trend, the forum highlighted the plastic issue from the perspective of future generations’ lives and sustainable development, encouraging young adults to take part as key actors who plan, carry out, and spread change within their communities.
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Sharing the Value of Protecting Blue Carbon in Quezon City, Philippines
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On May 4, ASEZ young adult members and barangay officials carried out a community-based environmental activity to protect blue carbon ecosystems at a drainage area near World Citi Colleges (WCC) in Quezon City, Philippines. World Citi Colleges is an urban educational institution where students from various fields of study pursue their academic goals, and it is closely connected with the surrounding campus and community. This activity was organized to show that managing drainage channels in urban areas can contribute to protecting rivers and marine ecosystems and, furthermore, to responding to climate change.
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BLUE AGAIN, Toward a Blue Ocean Once More |
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World Oceans Day reminds us that we have long perceived the ocean as a vast, remote space. In reality, however, the ocean has always been interconnected with our existence—embedded within the air we breathe, the food we consume, and the climate that sustains life. Now is the time to transcend the conventional perspective that views the ocean merely as a repository of resources, and to fundamentally rethink our relationship with it. What, then, is the ideal state of the ocean we desire? It is an azure beach stretching over white sands, beyond which a myriad of marine life coexists in harmony. We hope this pristine beauty of the ocean will be preserved and passed down to future generations intact. However, the ocean cannot be protected by mere wishful thinking. While the degradation of marine environments occurs rapidly, their recovery requires an extensive period. Therefore, actions to protect the ocean must commence now, before it is too late. |
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This mail is sent to our special supporters.
asez@asez.org50, Sunae-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea
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