| Unite with Citizen's
to Promote Anti-Global Warming Countermeasures Lifestyle Reexamination Forum (2 December 2002) |
||
The Lifestyle Reexamination Forum 2002
took place in Tokyo from November 23-25. The forum was hosted by the Forum’s
Planning Committee and the Ministry of the Environment and co-hosted by
the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. A total of 1080 people attended over
the three-day forum representing a variety of civic, Environment NGO,
labor union, business, and administration groups. Participants exchanged
heated opinions on the theme “Act Now! Halt Global Warming.”
RENGO is participating on the Planning Committee.
At the general conference on the 25th, Ryoichi Yamamoto Director of the Center for Collaborative Research at the University of Tokyo gave the keynote address entitled, “How You Can Reduce Global Warming Gas” explaining the current state of global warming. He pointed out that due to a variety of reasons including a rapid increase in global warming, a decline in atmospheric oxygen, an explosive jump in population, and a limited food-supply, “an environmental catastrophe has already begun.” He then spoke about what needed to be done by saying, “our task is how to widely diffuse ecologically efficient products. Citizens need to fully support businesses shifting to environmental management and service.” Afterward, a talkfest was conducted on “How You Can Reduce Greenhouse Gases.” The Japan Association of Environment and Society for the 21st Century President Saburo Kato coordinated an active exchange of opinions at a panel with members representing the fields of environment, business, public administration, university, and mass media. One of the issues raised during the discussion was that it was necessary for every individual to act on their own initiative to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Another idea presented dealt with how to appeal to average citizens, suggesting that we need a phrase that breaks old stereotypes targeting the general public and not only to people with a strong awareness of environmental problems. Many other opinions and proposals were raised from a variety of viewpoints including those from environmental non-political organizations, businesses (department stores), and so forth. Coordinator Kato summarized the discussion by observing that “the time for merely reviewing lifestyles is over. Now it is crucial that we change our social system,” and he appealed for the necessity of an environmental education system that effectively disseminates information. At the end of the three-day forum, RENGO Vice President Ishikawa offered the closing speech. He said, “We cannot allow environmental problems to stay as they are currently, because they will solidify and embed themselves into the structure. The earth must be passed on to the next generation. We must revise the economic systems of mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal and revise lifestyles with respect to the agreement.” He ended the forum by calling on participants to “bring together our various results and meet again next year.” |
