Individual adaptation is an important method of avoiding the consequences of environmental impact unless it can be completely avoided. In response to sporadic and acute air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), individuals adopt prompt and convenient adaptation option that often involves intensive use of energy. This miss-led adaptation; so-called maladaptation, may amplify the environmental impact, requiring even greater adaptation. So far, this energy-intensive adaptation has received little consideration by policy makers although it has to be considered as important as the society’s mitigative capacity.
This paper exploits hourly household electricity consumption data collected by smart electricity meters to examine Korean households’ adaptation behavior to the impact of PM pollution. Furthermore, by taking advantage of the hourly variation in energy usage, adaptation is analyzed for different types of households’ characteristics. My results support strong positive association between the average PM concentrations from time-hour t to t-5 and the electricity usage. More specifically, a 35$\mu g/m^3$ increase in PM10 concentration is equivalent to 1 degree-Celsius increase in summer. In addition, the adaptation to PM is more pronounced in mild seasons when cooling and heating is not needed. Finally, adaptive inequalities are observed across households of heterogeneous characteristics.
My results point out to the limits of current adaptation policy. The existence of adaptation inequality across household segment suggest a policy to protect the most vulnerable such as light electricity-use households who are unable to adopt active adaptation options with illustration on the importance of integrating the broader impacts of household adaptation into policy decisions on the proper balance between mitigation and adaptation.
개인의 적응 행동은 오염 완화와 더불어 환경 영향을 줄이기 위한 중요한 방법이다. 본 연구는 급변하는 대기 오염, 특히 미세먼지로 인한 피해를 최소화하기 위하여 개인이 취하는 적응 행동이 가정 내 전력 사용의 증가로 이어지는지 여부를 분석하였다. 더불어, 전력 사용 패턴으로 나타나는 가정의 특성을 추론하여 가정 특성에 따른 적응행동의 차이가 발생하는지 연구하였다. 분석 결과, 미세먼지 농도와 가정 전력 사용 간에는 양의 상관관계가 있으며, 여름에 미세먼지 농도가 35$\mu g/m^3$ 증가하는 것은 기온이 섭시 1도 상승하는 것과 전력 상승에 동일한 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 수입, 생활 패턴 등 가정의 특성에 따라 적응 행동에 유의한 차이를 발견하였다. 본 연구는 가구의 특성으로 인하여 발생하는 적응 불균등을 해결하기 위해서는 저소득 가구와 같은 가장 취약한 계층을 보호하기 위한 정책이 필요하다는 것을 시사점으로 도출하였다.
