How to do your #OHBM2024 sustainably
OHBM 2024 in beautiful Seoul, South Korea is just around the corner! For many OHBM members, there will be considerable travel involved in reaching the conference this year. With that in mind, it’s a great idea to try to find other ways to slip some sustainability into your conference-going practices. Here are some tips from the Sustainability & Environmental Action-SIG to keep your experience as green as possible.
1. Travel to Seoul
This year, if you are attending OHBM from outside of South Korea, you will have to fly to get to the conference. While flying always emits carbon, there are ways to minimize your impact. If you haven’t already booked your flights yet, consider taking a look at Google Flights and choosing a direct route that emits less carbon. And check for OHBM-related flight discounts!
2. Traveling from the airport into the city
The main international airport serving Seoul, the Incheon International Airport, is quite far from the city and the COEX Conference Centre. You have a few options to get from the airport into downtown:
A. Airport Railroad (AREX)
The AREX is a reliable way to get from the Incheon or Gimpo International Airports into the heart of Seoul. It takes just a 40-60 minute ride from Incheon to Seoul Station, and connects to all the subway lines in the city on the way so you can easily get to your hotel or the conference center. The “regular train” route is 60 minutes long and only costs ~4150-4750 won for a one-way ticket (equivalent of $3-3.50 USD), and stops at all of the above stations on the way. If you are in a rush, you can take the “direct train” which has non-stop service between Incheon and Seoul Station, only takes 40 minutes, and costs 9500 won (approx. $7 USD).
B. Airport bus
There are a few different bus companies that have routes going from Incheon International Airport into Seoul. These generally can cost 5000-15000 won (~ $3.75-$11 USD) and the time can vary from approximately 60 minutes to 80 minutes. The CALT airport bus has a direct route from the Incheon Airport to the COEX Conference Centre where OHBM is being held! Other companies include the Airport Limousine, Seoul Airport Limousine, and the KAL Limousine. Tickets for the airport buses can be bought with cash, credit card, or TMoney (we’ll get to that later) at the designated ticket window outside the passenger terminal.
C. Taxi
While we recommend taking the train or a bus into Seoul to minimize your environmental impact, if you must take a taxi, we recommend splitting it between some people going to the same location! Fares will vary by company, type of taxi, and time of day.
3. Hotels in Seoul
In Seoul, Airbnbs or other short term rental apartments are not very common, and they are usually not big enough to house many people because of the urban density. Your best bet will often be to get a hotel that has implemented some green practices. A really useful tool to select a hotel in Seoul is Google Travel. You can even filter your search results by hotels that are eco-certified!
Try and get a hotel that is close enough to the conference center that you can walk (like one of these), or close enough to a transit line that is connected to the COEX Conference Center so you don’t have to take a taxi. The subway lines 2, 7, and 9 all have stations at the COEX Conference Centre, and there are also many bus routes that have stops at COEX.
Regardless of the green certification of your hotel, you can also employ some sustainable practices to help reduce your impact. Making sure to reuse linens and towels by either putting up the “do not disturb” sign or telling the front desk that you don’t need them changed can save on the resources used during laundry. Turn off lights, appliances, and air conditioning in your room while you’re not there (if you have an option). And finally, make sure to sort and minimize your food waste (but we’ll get into more detail about that later)!
4. Getting around Seoul
Navigating the city
While Google Maps is usually the go-to navigation system for many people around the world, it is not very popular (and may not be reliable) in Seoul. We recommend you use either the Naver app or the Kakao app instead. Here is a useful Youtube video on how to translate your Naver app into English.
Paying for transit
Lucky for us, Seoul has a very extensive, reliable, and affordable transit network! Most of the transit in Seoul uses the TMoney system for payment.
The TMoney card can be used on any public bus, subway, and taxis. Funds are deducted from the card as it is used, and TMoney cards offer a KRW 100 won fare discount for buses and subways. They also offer a transfer discount if you scan your card when getting on and off the bus, which is valid for 30 minutes between transfers. You can purchase the TMoney card at most convenience stores, subway stations, and tourist information centers for KRW 3,000 (approx. $2.20 USD; in addition to what you add to it yourself). TMoney cards have no expiration date and any unused balance will remain on your card until used. You can also use the TMoney card to purchase food/items at traditional markets in Seoul. Another option that will be especially useful to OHBM attendees is the TMoney Mpass, which was designed with transit-traveling international visitors specifically in mind. It can be purchased at the Seoul Station Tmoney Town. You can use the TMoney Mpass to access subway and bus transit systems up to 20 times a day, and it is good for an entire month! Similar to the TMoney card, you can add funds to your TMoney Mpass at convenience stores or transit stations.
Transit options
Now that we know how to pay for transit – what transit options are available in Seoul? Well, I’m glad you asked!
A. Subway System
The Seoul subway system is well-regarded as convenient, clean, and quick. The subway trains run from 5:30 am until midnight daily. It is free to transfer between subway lines, and you can use your Tmoney card or Mpass to transfer to a bus line for free. Otherwise, if you are buying a single-journey pass on the subway, you will need to pay the exact fare to your destination and a deposit of 500-won (refundable). Some useful apps for navigating the subway system are Seoul Subway, Metroid Korea Subway Info, and Subway Navigation by Kakao.
B. Bus
The bus system in Seoul is similarly convenient. However, unlike the subway system, the signs at bus stops can be harder to navigate for those who do not read Korean, though major stops are usually announced in both Korean and English. Seoul Bus is an app that will be convenient for navigating the bus system in Seoul.
C. Bike shares
In addition to the more traditional forms of transport, e-bikes and bike shares are very popular in Seoul! The Seoul Metropolitan Government has even made a handy page with information about bike shares in the city. You can buy 1- or 2-hour passes per ride, or you can get a “Season pass” for 7 or 30 days. There are a number of payment options for the bike shares, including smartphone and credit card. They even have created a detailed page describing the steps for how to rent a bike in Seoul! This is a super affordable and sustainable way to get around town!
4. Eating in Seoul
Plant-based food options
Eating plant-based options is a very effective way to minimize your individual environmental impact. Thankfully, there are a number of restaurants with plant-based offerings at the COEX Conference venue where OHBM is being held! These include Plantude, You Are What You Eat, Hummus Kitchen, and The Place. You can also look up vegetarian restaurants around the city on TripAdvisor (just use Google Translate to set to English).
5. Food waste and recycling in Seoul
There is an extensive food waste and recycling system in Seoul. Try and embrace it while you’re in Korea, and maybe take a few tips home with you after! This article is very useful for figuring out how to sort your waste while you are there. This will be especially useful if you are staying in a short term rental, like an Airbnb.
6. Poster printing
If you’re saving your poster printing until you are in Seoul, OHBM recommends Kinko’s Samseong Center located near the conference venue.
Some general tips to keep your posters as sustainable as possible:
Print on paper, rather than ‘fabric’: the ‘fabric’ used for posters is actually plastic, and cannot be recycled, which a paper poster can (although some ingenious presenters have ‘upcycled’ their polyester ‘fabric’ posters into bags and even clothing for a second life)
Ask your print facility if they use recycled paper—and if not, why not
Design your poster to avoid using large blocks of color, which will require significantly more ink. A white background is best rather than coloured backgrounds
7. SEA-SIG meeting schedule
To find out more about ways in which human brain mappers can tackle the climate emergency:
Come to our symposium!
‘Rethinking (brain imaging) research in a time of socio-ecological crisis’
Tuesday 25th June, 9:00-10:15 AM, Grand Ballroom 104-105
Come join us for a plant-based lunch at Plantude!
Wednesday 26th June, 1:00-2:00 PM
Gather location: Meet at SEA-SIG poster booth (#202)
Meet us at our poster booth!
Come to meet the OHBM Sustainability & Environmental Action Special Interest Group at poster station #202
Throughout meeting during exhibit hours
Also, be sure to make it out to the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, 25th June from 10:30-11:00 AM, where the first OHBM Sustainability Award will be given out!
8. Connect
We look forward to meeting you in Seoul, or connecting with you online! Follow us on Twitter @OhbmEnvironment, and take a look at the SEA-SIG website for info on how you can get involved with our activities.