Toward a reevaluation of mass-consumption, mass-waste lifestyles
(1) Approach to reevaluation
In recent years, as global environmental issues have moved to the fore, contemporary civilization's mass-consumption, mass-waste paradigm and the lifestyles resulting from it are increasingly being questioned. It is time that the public be made more keenly aware of the need for new lifestyles for the 21st century, ways of living that are far less reliant on energy and resources. It will be absolutely vital that people look around them to develop concrete actions toward the creation of a society that only places a small load on the environment, bearing constantly in mind the fact that global warming is everyone's problem.
In order to improve the effectiveness of citizens' efforts, information needs to be provided as to what alleviates and what aggravates global warming, with the creation of opportunities for citizens to make voluntary efforts and the encouragement of these efforts.
At the same time, there are some aspects of citizens' choices and actions in the pursuit of an environment-friendly society that are not necessarily feasible within current social systems. Reforming social systems entails a variety of aspects and is not something that can be carried out overnight, but steady progress does need to be made in this area. The government needs to take further steps with a view to developing conditions conducive to the creation of an environment-friendly society, while companies need to look not to quantitative expansion but rather to actions that take the environment into consideration. From this perspective, increasing free time, eliminating congestion in urban areas, and preventing excessive competition have been put forward as tasks to be addressed. These reevaluations of lifestyles do not mean abandoning the current pursuit of an affluent life; they rather entail constructive progress toward an affluence that is in harmony with the environment.
(2) Creation of mechanisms for reevaluation of lifestyles
(i) Disclosure and provision of information to consumers on the global-warming burden
In order for people to take an active part in the battle against global warming, it is important that they be able to access relevant information about the burden they personally and individually place on the environment in terms of global warming. To this end, the information held by the national government, local governments, businesses, and other organizations needs to be subject to disclosure to the greatest extent possible.
Specifically, the national and local governments need to introduce to the public experiments contributing to energy conservation and CO2 emission reductions, provide appliance-related information, and promote the efforts of private enterprise toward information provision. Companies should provide and prominently display detailed information on how their products help reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions and how products can be utilized so as to lessen their global-warming impact. These kinds of efforts need to be included in the voluntary action plans of businesses. In terms of the disclosure and provision of information, it would also be useful to utilize such telecommunications networks as the Internet.
(ii) Encouragement of environment-friendly consumer behavior
Emphasis should be placed on encouraging environment-friendly consumer behavior such as efforts toward energy conservation and recycling, as well as the popularization of "green consumerism" (consumer actions focused on environmental conservation). To this end, people need to be informed of how they themselves, in their daily life, can help to combat global warming and lead an "ecolife" (an environment-friendly way of life), as by keeping "environment and energy-saving household accounts."
At the same time, industry should not wait for consumers to choose products that place little load on the environment and do not contribute to global warming; they should take the initiative in developing and marketing such products.
(iii) Appeals to children and young adults as the bearers of our future
It would be no exaggeration to say that a comprehensive resolution of the global-warming problem depends on the choices and actions of today's children and young adults. Appeals to the younger generation, who have grown up amid affluence and convenience, will be an important key to the formation of new lifestyles and the construction of an environment-friendly society. Accordingly, it will be important to improve education on energy and the environment in order to deepen understanding of the relations among environmental issues, energy issues, socioeconomic systems, and lifestyles, as well as to instill in young people a habit of engaging in environment-friendly behavior.
(iv) Comprehensive public relations
Public relations activities are needed to allow each individual to perceive the global warming issue as part of daily life and to give people a clear picture of why energy conservation and the reduction of CO2 emissions are necessary. The relevant ministries and agencies should work together on the effective implementation of public relations. In particular, ideas will be needed so that citizens do not perceive energy conservation and the reduction of CO2 emissions in a negative fashion--that is, as having to do without or economize--but instead have a positive image of new lifestyles for the 21st century.
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