Learn about Energy Conservation while Playing a Board Game!

In April 2003, the Edogawa Citizens' Network for Climate Change (ECCC), a non-profit organization in Tokyo, developed a board game called "Energy Conservation Family Fun." This board game can be used as an educational tool to teach energy conservation at workshops.

In the game, teams of four to six players compete as families of four with a budget of three million yen (U.S. $28,000) for the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by replacing their household appliances with more energy-efficient models.

CO2 emission reduction volumes are calculated using real-life data that ECCC members researched using the Internet and other sources. Estimated CO2 emissions from disposing of the old appliances are also included. In most cases, CO2 emissions can be reduced by at least 40 percent, and most players are amazed at how much energy can be conserved in this way.

CO2 emissions, a major cause of global warming, can be easily reduced by replacing household appliances with energy-saving models already on the market. Consumers, however, often hesitate to choose such products because they are relatively expensive and it is not easy to communicate their CO2 emission-reduction and electricity cost-saving effects to consumers. This new board game is gaining popularity as an easy and fun educational tool for teaching about energy conservation.



Posted: 2004/05/22 02:18:05 PM
Japanese version