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Summer
Time as a Means to Lifestyle Structural Reform
(April 19, 2004)
Lifestyle Structural Reform Forum |
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In
March 2002, the JPC-SED launched the “Lifestyle Structural
Reform Forum” (headed by Mr. Yoichi Kaya, Professor Emeritus
of the University of Tokyo, and Ms. Noriko Kimoto, Commentator).
The purpose of the Forum is to examine the nation’s course
from the perspective of the public and to reconsider the “lifestyles,”
“livelihoods,” and “working styles” of
the Japanese from a fundamental standpoint.
As an immediate goal of its activities, the Forum focused
on the introduction of the “Summer Time System”
(daylight saving system). This issue has been long pending
in Japan, but no clear prospects have yet emerged regarding
its implementation. The Forum believes that the implementation
of the Summer Time System could open the way for the creation
of an environment-friendly society that gives consideration
to energy conservation as well as provide a basis for the
Japanese themselves to reevaluate family life, leisure time,
and other important aspects of their lifestyles.
Based on this understanding, the Forum conducted a study of
the advantages of implementing the Summer Time System, including
its potentials to save energy, reduce greenhouse gases, and
spread economic benefits. The findings were compiled and disclosed
in the report, “Summer Time as a Means to Lifestyle Structural
Reform.” The major points of the report are summarized
below. |
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| Direct,
short-term effects |
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Energy
savings equivalent to 930,000 kiloliters of fossil fuel (400,000
ton CO2 reduction) |
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Corresponds
to the amount of electricity saved if the whole country
quits watching TV for 66 days |
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Corresponds
to 40-days’ worth of electricity consumed by all
the refrigerators in the country |
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Corresponds
to 68-days’ worth of electricity used by railways
throughout the country |
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Economic
effect worth 970 billion yen |
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Indirect, long-term effects |
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The
stimulation of regional activities can lead to regional investment
of 280 million man-hours |
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Corresponds
to an economic effect worth 880 billion yen |
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Rooftop
greening can save energy and generate positive economic effects |
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Economic
effect worth 250 billion yen over the next six years |
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•
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Implementation
of Summer Time can reduce 10,000 traffic accidents per year |
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Translates
to an annual economic effect of approximately 46 billion
yen |
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Lighter
early evenings during Summer Time can reduce bag-snatching
incidents |
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Bag-snatching
incidents involving people returning home from work
and people returning home from shopping can be reduced
by 10% and 4%, respectively |
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