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August 12, 2008
Tokyo not Eco-Minded?
It's very known around the world that Japan is one of the most energy efficient countries. Moreover, awareness of global warming and its human causes are also well accepted in this country. Yet, it seems that the residents of Tokyo may not be so willing to make sacrifices in order to lower their greenhouse gas emissions further. In an AFP article that a colleague of mine at cleantechblog noted, more than 90% of Tokyo citizens do not want to trade off on their lifestyle to stave off climate change.
In the article, the author says:
More than four in 10 Tokyo residents -- 41.6 percent -- said they "don't want to sacrifice a convenient lifestyle to prevent global warming," according to the poll results published recently by Japanese advertising agency Hakuhodo.
and furthermore
In a list of 27 daily activities considered to counter global warming, from taking only short showers to participating in tree-planting activities, Tokyo residents only scored above average for five of them.
In particular, Tokyo dwellers came last when it comes to studying about global warming or preserving the environment.
They also ranked lowest when it comes to buying eco-friendly products.
Of course this analysis is relative to other capitals around the world and does not necessarily reflect sentiments outside of Tokyo. Nevertheless, this makes me wonder how much work we have ahead to change the mindset of people to truly take action. In many ways, this is the same problem we have in the US. When it comes time for action, many people will not follow through because of the sacrifices they will need to make.
In one sense, because Japan is already ahead of the curve when it comes to efficiency, it may be harder for them squeeze more out but clearly the question is how can improvements be continued..
投稿者 econetworks : August 12, 2008 05:56 PM
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