Today is Blog Action Day, where bloggers from around the world have united to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind – the environment. Every blogger who is participating will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.
I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to discuss Japan’s Cool Biz Initiative, which aims to reduce Japan’s emissions of greenhouse gases! Actually, this turned out to be perfect timing – I was driving to work the other day and listening to National Public Radio. Suddenly, science reporter David Kestenbaum was on the air discussing the Cool Biz Initiative! He discussed his recent trip to Tokyo, where he did a full-feature on the Cool Biz Initiative.
Japan Trades in Suits, Cuts Carbon Emissions
“Two years ago, the Japanese government essentially with the stroke of a pen instituted a new policy that has so far trimmed more than two million tons of greenhouse gases from the country’s growing emissions.”
Yuriko Koike, the previous Japanese Environmental Minister started the Cool Biz Initiative, Yuriko Koike is currently the Minister of Defense (First Abe Cabinet).
Cool Biz Initiative Facts and Figures
- Since 2005, Japan has trimmed more than 2 million tons of greenhouse gasses
- Office air conditions must be set no cooler than 28 degree Celsius = 82.4 degree Fahrenheit
- 95.8% of respondents knew Cool Biz
- 32.7% of 562 respondents answered that their offices set the air conditioner thermostat higher than in previous years.
- set summer office temperatures at no lower than 28°C as well as work to have the Cool Biz concept take permanent root in society.
- 460,000-ton reduction in CO2 emission, the equivalent volume of CO2 emitted by about 1 million households for one month.
Dress code suggestions for the Japanese workplace
- Starch collars so they stand up
- Wear pants that breathe and absorb moisture (like cotton)
- Wear short-sleeved shirts
- Don’t wear jackets or ties to work
Additional Cool Biz Initiative Reading
- The Cool Biz Look Sweeps Japan. Sort Of.
The Japanese government has officially launched the Cool Biz initiative, designed to promote more casual business attire and save energy during the summer months. While you would expect to hear cheers from Salarymen around the country, the reaction to the new program has been decidedly mixed.
- Official Cool Biz Intuitive website (Japanese only)
- ‘Cool Biz’ dress code spreads through halls of promotion
“Cool Biz” has received a bigger response than the “Energy-Saving Look” campaign of 1979 did, when then Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira encouraged people to wear short-sleeved shirts and take ties off in the office to cut down on air-conditioning during the world’s second oil crisis.
- Cool Biz Initiative on Wikipedia
The Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MOE) began advocating the Cool Biz campaign in summer 2005 as a means to help reduce electric consumption by limiting use of air conditioning. This idea was proposed by then MOE minister, Yuriko Koike under the Koizumi cabinet.
While we’re thinking about the environment and how it impacts our Japanese friends (and our own environment), I encourage you to watch (or discuss) these two Hayao Miyazaki films:
Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke is about the struggle between the guardians of the forest and the humans who need it. “Mononoke” is Japanese for “spirit of the natural world”. It’s a really exciting, action-filled story with a really deep heart. Miyazaki’s main theme of the film centers on the effects of humans on the environment.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
The story of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind takes place 1,000 years after most of the Earth’s ecosystem and the entire human civilization was destroyed by ‘Seven Days of Fire’. There were a few groups of humans who survived. The main character Nausicaa, is princess of the Valley of the Wind, a peaceful community. Nausicaa can talk to bugs and is very close to nature. When another group threatens war, Nausicaa must fight for the creatures and her people.
What sorts of tips can you think of to help out our environment?
Well, for starters, the grocery stores in my area give me a piece of paper praising me for bringing in my own plastic bag to bag my groceries, rather than use theirs. It’s a lot easier to recycle paper than plastic, but still…. Plus, they package everything in 2 layers of seran wrap and in styrofoam dishes…switching to paper or even plastic containers and cutting down to 1 layer of seran wrap would be nice.
griever – switching from plastic to paper is a great idea!
Or how about an initiative to give a discount to people who bring their own containers for food? And that piece of paper which says, “way to go” could be exchanged for 100 yen off your purchase. That’s what Whole Foods does for folks who bring a canvas bag in for their groceries.
Since we’re leaving the warm months behind, let me remind you that Japan also has a “warm biz” campaign for the colder months. Heaters should be set no higher than 20Ëš C and people are encouraged to bundle up.
Of course, fashion may take a back seat with both progams:
http://au.news.yahoo.com//070601/19/13muq19/2767596636.html
which shows then Prime Minister Abe in a Kariyushi shirt
http://www.wordpress.tokyotimes.org/?p=678
http://www.tokyotimes.org/archives/leg_warmers.jpg
the return of leg warmers anyone?
That would be nice, Rachael, but they already have point cards, so I don’t know if they’d add even more. Most of these are small chains in my area or mom and pop businesses and for a couple of them, I suspect they’ll close down in the next 5 years.
Leg warmers…I don’t think they ever went away. They just got reinvented or attached to socks. Personally, I love them. I wear them all the time once it gets cold enough, even under pants.
@ griever
I’m no fashion maven, but my experience with leg warmers comes from the fitness crowd. I worked as a crew member for an exercise show for the better part of 15 years…early 1980s to mid 1990s. For the first 5 years or so all the dancers had leg warmers. However, they pretty much disappeared after that. I commented about this to one of them and she said that they were passe. Of course, this experience is for a rather narrow group of people.
Neither am I, Mochi…I was thinking of the loose socks fad that disappeared around 2003 and after that, sock shops stocking a wide variety of leg warmers.
Hi. Good site.