Most Japanese people are concerned about global warming, according to a report released on July 18, 2006 by the Keizai Koho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs), an organization affiliated to the Japan Business Federation. The center conducted a public survey on the topic of global warming issues between May 25 and June 7, 2006. It targeted 5,011 people in various occupations and age groups across the country who registered as respondents to the center's questionnaires, to which 4,161 people, or 83.0 percent, responded. Among the respondents, 1,651 were male (39.7%) and 2,510 were female (60.3%).

Asked if they are concerned about global warming, 96 percent of respondents said that they were "very" or "somewhat" concerned about the issue, a sign of widespread awareness among the Japanese people. Those who were "very" concerned about global warming were further analyzed by gender and by age group. Fifty-three percent of the male respondents and 37 percent of the female respondents fell into this category. The level of awareness was found to increase with age: about 30 percent of the respondents in their forties or younger, nearly 50 percent in their fifties, and over 60 percent in their sixties were "very" concerned about global warming. The survey also showed that the Kyoto Protocol was well known among Japanese people. Respondents who were "very" or "somewhat" aware of the protocol accounted for 85 percent.

Asked about their daily efforts to fight global warming (multiple answers allowed), the most common response was "set air conditioners and heating units at moderate temperatures" (81%), followed by "turn off lights when not needed and reduce standby power consumption by home electric appliances" (76%), and "reduce waste" (64%). Less common efforts, on the other hand, were "use fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrid cars" (10%), "participate in tree-planting and other activities" (8%), and "use solar and/or wind power systems" (3%). Meanwhile, 90 percent of respondents said that they would "highly appreciate" or "appreciate to some extent" the development and commercialization of fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-saving products and devices.

http://www.kkc.or.jp/english/index.html

Posted: 2006/10/11 02:24:13 PM
Japanese version

TAG Global warming , Government , NGO/Citizen