A Campaign to Save Power by Fasting on the Winter Solstice 2003

Following last year's summer solstice "Night by Candlelight" on June 22, 2003, a similar event was organized for the winter solstice six months later. The night of candlelight was accompanied by an appeal from a citizens' group, the "Southern Hokkaido Natural Energy Initiative" in Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture, calling on people to economize on electricity and to renew their awareness of the preciousness of food by fasting for a whole day.

Participants turned off their electric lights between eight and ten o'clock on the night of the solstice, December 22, and at midnight started a fast without taking anything but water for 24 hours. They sent the amount they saved on food to the organizers, who are raising funds to build a small citizens' windmill. The targeted wind power generator costs 630,000 yen (about U.S. $5,900). This amount could be raised if 600 people were to send in an average of about 1,000 yen (about U.S. $9.30), roughly equal to food expenses for one day.

About 20 people expressed their intention to take part in the project. The organizers have started to pool the money sent in by participants, and plan to carry on with the fasting campaign, designating the ninth of every month as a fasting day starting from February 9, 2004. They call their campaign "Ramadan Fast Nine."

Peter Howlett, the promoter and representative of the group, says this project is an attempt to change the way people think. "I hope that scarcity, darkness and slowness will cease to be undesirable and society will stop pursuing only abundance, brightness and quickness."



Posted: 2004/04/08 04:21:38 PM
Japanese version