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日本人の環境意識
日本人は、たった一輪の花にさえ美と慰めを見い出す心を持ち合わせている国民なのに、なぜか環境問題への配慮となると、世界一と言ってよいほど意識が低い…と筆者は指摘する。
At first this seems odd; most Japanese are ardent nature lovers who can find beauty and solace in even a single flower. They also eagerly protect the natural environment and public spaces.
This affection for nature was most evident during the recent oil spill involving a Russian tanker off the Japan Sea coast. Many ordinary people volunteered in the clean-up efforts with only buckets and tin pans as equipment. However in many other ways, these same people are unknowingly destroying the same environment they strive so hard to protect.
Consumers use disposable items because they are convenient. Pocket tissues have replaced handkerchiefs and paper towels are used instead of cleaning rags.
Shoppers ask stores to package their purchases elaborately ― even if this wastes paper ― because nicely wrapped boxes create a good impression.
The Japanese custom of sending New Year cards may entail the cutting of thousands of trees each year. Today environmentally aware people are starting to view this custom as wasteful and time-consuming, done simply because people feel pressured to do so.
"We don't really write anything special since we have to send so many cards," said one young manager. "In fact many people have cards printed instead and they write the same things: `Happy New Year' or `Best wishes,' along with their name and address."
People matter-of-factly consider these integral parts of modern Japanese life. Yet producing each item entails the sacrifice of a limited resource that could have been used for more important purposes.
Unfortunately, the world's natural resources are limited and much is now being wasted on non-essential items in contemporary life.
Yet the balance of nature plays a key role, enabling us to live as we do today, and a depletion in any part may result in various unknown and maybe frightening changes.
What will we do when we start running short of natural resources for basic needs, such as fresh air and fuel? Clearly we must each do our part if we want to preserve the environment we have today.
Last Christmas, an association of hotels in Hong Kong decided to stop sending greeting cards to clients in a small effort to avoid unnecessary paper wastage. Many consumers in other countries reuse old shopping bags for purchases, while stores charge for new ones to encourage recycling.
My friends and I have stopped sending letters; instead, we communicate via e-mail. E-mail is cheaper, faster and definitely environment-friendly. I also turn old clothes into cleaning rags, reuse gift boxes and plastic containers, and water the plants with rainwater or left-over hot water or tea.
What can you do to help preserve the environment?
Japan has long been known as a First World country with one of the poorest levels of environmental awareness.
At first this seems odd; most Japanese are ardent nature lovers who can find beauty and solace in even a single flower. They also eagerly protect the natural environment and public spaces.
This affection for nature was most evident during the recent oil spill involving a Russian tanker off the Japan Sea coast. Many ordinary people volunteered in the clean-up efforts with only buckets and tin pans as equipment. However in many other ways, these same people are unknowingly destroying the same environment they strive so hard to protect.
Consumers use disposable items because they are convenient. Pocket tissues have replaced handkerchiefs and paper towels are used instead of cleaning rags.
Shoppers ask stores to package their purchases elaborately ― even if this wastes paper ― because nicely wrapped boxes create a good impression.
The Japanese custom of sending New Year cards may entail the cutting of thousands of trees each year. Today environmentally aware people are starting to view this custom as wasteful and time-consuming, done simply because people feel pressured to do so.
"We don't really write anything special since we have to send so many cards," said one young manager. "In fact many people have cards printed instead and they write the same things: `Happy New Year' or `Best wishes,' along with their name and address."
People matter-of-factly consider these integral parts of modern Japanese life. Yet producing each item entails the sacrifice of a limited resource that could have been used for more important purposes.
Unfortunately, the world's natural resources are limited and much is now being wasted on non-essential items in contemporary life.
Yet the balance of nature plays a key role, enabling us to live as we do today, and a depletion in any part may result in various unknown and maybe frightening changes.
What will we do when we start running short of natural resources for basic needs, such as fresh air and fuel? Clearly we must each do our part if we want to preserve the environment we have today.
Last Christmas, an association of hotels in Hong Kong decided to stop sending greeting cards to clients in a small effort to avoid unnecessary paper wastage. Many consumers in other countries reuse old shopping bags for purchases, while stores charge for new ones to encourage recycling.
My friends and I have stopped sending letters; instead, we communicate via e-mail. E-mail is cheaper, faster and definitely environment-friendly. I also turn old clothes into cleaning rags, reuse gift boxes and plastic containers, and water the plants with rainwater or left-over hot water or tea.
What can you do to help preserve the environment?
Shukan ST: March 21, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- First World country
- 第一世界の国(先進工業国)
- 〜 with one ... awareness
- 環境意識が最も乏しい国の一つである 〜
- seems odd
- おかしく思える
- ardent
- 熱心な
- solace
- 慰め
- eagerly
- 熱心に
- affection for 〜
- 〜 への愛情
- (was)evident
- 明らかになった
- oil spill
- 重油流出
- involving 〜
- 〜 が引き起こした
- Russian tanker
- ロシア船籍のタンカー
- off the Japan Sea coast
- 日本海沖での
- ordinary people
- 一般人
- volunteered in 〜
- 〜 に無償で参加した
- clean-up efforts
- 浄化運動
- tin pans
- ブリキの容器
- equipment
- 道具
- strive(to 〜 )
- 熱心に 〜 する
- Consumers
- 消費者
- disposable items
- 使い捨て商品
- have replaced 〜
- 〜 に取って代わった
- are used instead of 〜
- 〜 の代わりに使われている
- cleaning rags
- ふきん
- package
- 包む
- purchases
- 買ったもの
- elaborately
- 入念に
- wastes paper
- 紙を無駄にする
- nicely wrapped boxes
- きれいに包んだ箱
- create a good impression
- よい印象を与える
- entail
- 必要とする
- environmentally aware people
- 環境に配慮している人々
- view 〜 as 〜
- 〜 を 〜 と見なす
- wasteful
- 無駄が多い
- time-consuming
- 時間を浪費する
- done simply because people feel pressured to do so
- 単に、そうしなければならないと思うからする
- along with 〜
- 〜 と一緒に
- matter-of-factly
- 当たり前のように
- integral parts
- 必要な部分
- sacrifice
- 犠牲
- limited resource
- 限られた資源
- non-essential
- 必ずしも必要でない
- contemporary life
- 現代の生活
- plays a key role
- 重要な役割をしている
- enabling 〜 to 〜
- 〜 が 〜 するのを可能にする
- depletion
- (資源の)枯渇
- result in 〜
- 結果として 〜 になる
- frightening changes
- おそるべき変化
- start running short of 〜
- 〜 が足りなくなり始める
- fuel
- 燃料
- preserve
- 保護する
- association
- 協会
- clients
- 顧客
- in a small effort to 〜
- 少しでも 〜 しようとして
- paper wastage
- 紙の浪費
- reuse
- 再利用する
- charge for 〜
- 〜 の代金をとる
- encourage recycling
- 再利用を奨励する
- via e-mail
- 電子メールを通じて
- (is)environment-friendly
- 環境にやさしい
- turn 〜 into 〜
- 〜 を 〜 にする
- plastic containers
- プラスチック容器
- water
- 水をやる
- rainwater
- 雨水
- left-over
- 使い残した