Hi-tech Japs fight global warming in 'aam aadmi' way

by V. Mohan Narayan

Tokyo, June 21 (PTI) - Bicycles, car pools and fans are
making a comeback into the lives of Japanese people battling
soaring oil prices and global warming.

Ties and jackets are also gradually being shed during the
summer months by the 'babus' and 'techies' who are going in
for half-sleeve shirts in 'Cool-Biz' initiatives.

In line with a slew of energy conservation measures, the
environment ministry has asked government officials to adopt
'Cool Biz', a business style to be able to work in offices
during the summer months comfortably at 28 degrees celsius.

A ministry report says raising of the preset
airconditioning temperature to 28 degrees has brought about
reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels by approximately 1.14
million tonnes which is equivalent to about three million
households' one month emission amount.

"Global warming is a very serious challenge," says
Tsuruoka Koji, director general of global issues at the
Japanese Foreign Ministry. "It transcends national
boundaries".

Climate change will be a major issue at the three-day G-8
Summit in Hokkaido to be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, U.S. President George W. Bush and other world leaders
beginning from July seven.

In many offices, table fans have been kept as a standby.
Car pools have become popular for long distance travellers and
the demand for bicycles have shot up considerably.

A survey by the Transport ministry says as of March 2008,
car ownership was 79 million, down by 0.2 percent (point two
percent) as compared to the same month last year.

The ministry expects further drop in the sale of new and
used cars in the near future.

Private companies are coming forward in sizeable numbers
to pitch in the efforts to conserve energy under a novel
'Team-minus six percent' national campaign to tackle global
warming.

Sixteen countries participating in the G-8 Summit account
for 80 percent of the total green house gas emissions with the
US and China accounting for a big portion.

Unless, these countries act together to bring down the
emission level, the scenario looks grim, warns Tsuruoka Koji.

He says a follow-up to the Kyoto protocol was being
discussed by several countries.

Breakthrough technologies are another area under Japan's
focus to save energy. The Iceland model is being looked into
by Tokyo. Iceland uses geo-thermal energy. Cars in that
country use hydrogen and hence there is zero percent emission.

The changing social fabric over the years from joint
family to a nucleus family and increasing individual
requirements have also led to stepped up consumption of
energy.

While there was one television, one fridge, one car in a
huge joint family, now the same number of people are living in
three or four different establishments, each requiring all the
amenities.

In many homes, each room has a separate TV, he pointed
out, adding the number of electrical appliances have shot up
in each household.

Increasingly, traditional light bulbs are being replaced
by CFL and LED lights. The energy conservation drive is being
spearheaded by Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

As part of this campaign, lights will be off daily all
over Japan for two hours from July seven to nine, the period
during which the G-8 Summit will be held, to let people think
about the looming energy problem, said a senior official.

Consumers are also being encouraged to carry cloth bags
to do away with disposable plastic bags.

India can do much more to cut GHG emissions, feels
Hiroshi Ohki, president of the Japan Centre for Climate
change, an organisation disseminating information on the vital
issue.

"This is an issue that should not be glossed over and the
global community must work out pragmatic steps to deal with
it," he said.

Inflation rate in Japan has gone up to 0.8 percent in
April this year from a happy zero percent in the same month
last year due to price increases in petrol, gas and other
commodities amid apprehensions that it can further go up
leading to widespread concerns.

"The price of oil has surpassed USD 130 per barrel, in
addition, the surge in energy prices, together with other
causes, has triggered other serious issues including the rise
in food prices and the difficulty of securing sufficient
supplies of foods," said Fukuda.

"Now is indeed the time when we must free ourselves from
our dependence on fossil fuels," he emphasises adding "this
is not an issue for Japan alone.

"Global warming is a global problem which knows no
borders" and has to be addressed with a broad, world-level
perspective, he added. PTI