Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering Professor Kim Jin-soo was featured in the United Kingdom's Daily Newspaper "The Independent" on February 27.

Professor Kim published a research paper regarding electricity and transport externalities in the international academic journal, "Energy Research & Social Science" (February volume) in collaboration with a researcher from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom (Paper titled: "The hidden costs of energy and mobility: A global meta-analysis and research synthesis of electricity and transport externalities").

The Independent's article reported, using Professor Kim’s research, that the cost of ‘externalities’, which are the ‘hidden costs’ coming from fossil fuel-based energy and transport systems, amounts to around 25 trillion dollars, which is a quarter of the world economic production cost.

Burning fossil fuels to generate electricity causes a massive impact on climate change, produces air pollution, and air pollution (from gasoline vehicles or automobile accidents) puts burdens on the health care system. This refers to the price not included in fossil fuel costs.

Professor Kim said, “This research clearly explains that the use of fossil fuel provokes a lot more externalities than alternative energy sources”. He added that, “If the actual cost of fossil fuel is considered, the multinational companies that are dominating this field will suffer from untold losses. In return, the burden is left for the government and the society.”

*Externality: an economic term which means the effects of a certain economic subject such as an individual or company’s behavior resulting in unexpected benefits or harms to other economic subjects.