Sustainability - Looking For Solutions

Stephen Hesse over at The Japan Times has asked Junko Edahiro at Japan for Sustainability what she thinks about Thomas Friedman and his recent ideas about the economy and ecology - and how we created a model for growth that depended on rich countries building more and more big stores to sell more and more stuff made in China, and how that was powered by burning more and more coal, and paid for by more and more U.S. Treasury Bonds...

"Thomas Friedman is quite right. In Japan, because of the prolonged recession followed by steep and painful cuts in sales, profits and jobs, I think many people are beginning to sense that we are now entering a new regime where economic stimulus measures and other 'conventional' measures don't help us, rather they hurt us in a long run," Edahiro said.

"Global warming is just a symptom of a more fundamental problem, and unless we tackle that we cannot create a sustainable society even with advanced technologies," she added. "The deeper problem is that we humans are seeking infinite growth on a finite globe: This is the core issue. So it is obvious that we should rethink 'growth' and the purpose of our economic activities."


The Japan Times Our mantra of continuous growth has left us on ecological brink

With Fiat (Fiat!) about to buy General Motors, and president Obama telling them to learn how to make a profit by building smaller cars, or else go bust, perhaps this is a good time for more experts to make the long trip to Japan to learn how to live without cars, invest in public transportation and smaller houses, how to save energy and eat less so there will be enough for all.

Not that Japan has all the solutions, but people here need to learn how to teach what they know about long-term sustainability. And there are many good ideas and solutions in Japan.

I am currently visiting Kyoto again and I am struck by how this ancient city has managed to provide a comfortable life for hundreds of thousands of people for so long. And they must have one of the most convenient bus systems in the world - you can get anywhere for a flat 220 Yen fee ($2) and kids ride for a dollar. Retired people ride for free. There are also a couple of subway lines and a JR train line plus the Shinkansen. Why is not every city built like this?

If we start looking for sustainable solutions we will have to throw away a lot of conventional thinking, but the first step may be to accept that others do it much better.

Comments

Durf said…
I have to say it was jarring to see Japan's "smaller houses" right next to "how to save energy" in this piece, considering how awful Japanese housing is in general as far as eco-friendliness (read: insulation) goes. And on the larger scale, dedication to public transport is admirable here, to be sure, but it's not as though there was a whole lot of wise urban planning in past decades to get the country to where it is today.

Lots to learn; lots of room for improvement. I'd love to see a Japan whose cities were knit together by energy-efficient train and bus lines and whose houses and offices didn't leak heat in winter and cool air in summer.
Martin J Frid said…
Thanks for the comment Durf, I could not agree more about the lack of insulation. However, people here seem a lot more resilient to the cold. And I am sure you know that most people just heat one room in winter rather than heat the entire house - even rooms not in use - like people do in Europe or the US.

I have said it here previously on Kurashi that home refitting - including insulation and double windows - would be a great policy that the government ought to support.

Have you been to Hokkaido? I have been told that buildings are much more sensibly built there.
Tom O said…
Hokkaido. Whats that saying, to do with something being built out of necessity more than design. By the way I found Sapporo to be a very agreeable place indeed. Sure, wasn't there in mid-December...

Public transportation. Living in Tokyo, with all the options available, its kinda strange there are indeed cars about. A little bit like London I guess where apart from the tube, train, bus, tram and river options there's also a really good one too - walking. Check it out on Google maps - Hampstead Heath-Primrose Hill/Regents Park. Then Baker Street (think Sherlock Holmes) and along to Hyde Park and round the Serpentine.

The G20 in London right now. At the same time as OB is shmoozing with GB and Queen Lizzie, Sarkozy and Merkel are making their stand/point. How do parents try and explain a future to their kids with all this crap?

Finally, on a lighter note, one thing I thought was just a pure myth when I heard about it was a 'shomei' ticket/voucher. Basically, the transport system being the efficient beast it is if a train is actually - gasp! - late and you miss a connection and it makes you - gasp!! - late for work one can ask at the arrival station for proof - the shomei thing. Sure enough, my last week in Tokyo/Japan it happened - two days running. Oh the look on the staff's face when I presented said 'proof'. Amazing really.
Pandabonium said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pandabonium said…
I had business in Tokyo today. Rode my Yamaha hybrid human-electric bike 45 minutes to the bus depot, and then express bus to Tokyo station, then walked to my appointment from there.

We heat only one room in Winter - and no heat at night while we're sleeping. In summer A/C is a luxury (waste), not a necessity, so we don't use it at all.

Unlike the US, most homes in Japan don't have a dishwashing machine, use only cold water for laundry (or recycle the furo bath water) and don't use clothes drying machines.

But Junko Edahiro really nailed it when she said, "The deeper problem is that we humans are seeking infinite growth on a finite globe". That is the "core issue" indeed.
Martin J Frid said…
Thanks for the comments!! Yes, you can get a printed card at the station in case your train runs late. Sweet.

Cold water for dish washing and laundry - very true. Waste not, want not: I like how the gas bill here has information to help people figure out your CO2 emissions. You can use the information about your gas usage and calculate the CO2 emissions directly, and what it means in terms of your annual energy foot print.

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