Global Environment Note #05
“Note on Global Environment from Hokkaido” is a special series that will send you a report of Environment of the world, Japan and Hokkaido NOW, and give you hints to begin Eco-friendly life Now, to reduce the GHG (Green House Gas) by 6%, in order to avoid the global warming.The key for the fifth series is “ －１℃”
From November 2007 to April 2008, Hokkaido prefecture has been putting into practice the “Hokkaido Warm Biz Project”, advising households to adjust the heating temperature 1 ℃ below the usual set degree. In everyday clothing, food, and living environment, you can find hints for the ways to spend the winter in Hokkaido warmly and happily without heavy dependence on heaters. Using this Global Environment Note as a guide, let us now think of the eco-friendly winter lifestyle.What happens when you set the heaters 1 ℃ below usual?
Reduction of about 88 kg of CO2 per year
Stoves and other heating devices are the main causes for Hokkaido to have 1.3 times more amount of CO2 emission than the national average. In order to prevent global warming, it is important to conserve energy used for heating. By putting into practice the plan “to set the heating temperature 1 ℃ below usual” under the Hokkaido Warm Biz Project, a household using kerosene stove can reduce 88kg of CO2 per year.Stop global warming by reconsidering our lifestyle!
In addition to the lowering of heating temperature, we can play part in Warm Biz by contriving the various aspects of our daily lives, including food, clothing and shelter. The Ministry of the Environment refers to the household-level efforts to prevent global warming as “Uchi Eco” (home eco), introducing ways to spend a year in comfort while conserving energy. This time, we have selected the ideas able to practice during the winter in Hokkaido.Tips on clothing
Wear extra layers of clothes in winter
Wearing extra layers of clothes is one of the easy “Warm Biz” to practice in a household. A research showed the 2.2 ℃ increase in a wind-chill index as a person wore a cardigan. The choice of clothing material is another important point to consider. It is highly effective to wear the combination of insulating materials such as infrared underwear or fleece jacket made from recycled PET bottles.Feet are crucial for keeping warmth
As we have a proverb “Cool the head, warm the feet” in Japan, in order to stay more comfortable in winter, it is important to keep warmth around your feet. You can increase the wind-chill index by 0.6 ℃ by wearing socks, and 0.6 ℃ more by adding slippers. When you are performing seated tasks, such as reading or knitting, use “lap blanket” to cover around the thighs. It would increase the wind-chill index by 2.5 ℃. The effective use of extra clothing can help conserve energy used for heating.
Tips on shelter
A smart management of household environment is necessary in order to spend the winter in Hokkaido warmly and happily. You can conserve energy by keeping warmth inside a room and not letting it escape outside. As warm air tends to escape from the window, it is important to close the curtains tight at night, and to seal up the window sashes tightly. Also, you can minimize the energy loss by quickly opening and shutting the doors.A small effort makes difference in energy conservation
Since daylight hours are short in winter, the responsible use of both heating and lighting apparatus becomes important in energy conservation. For example, if you change the room light to an inverter type, you can save about 10~15% of electric charges, as well as cutting CO2 emission by 1.2 kg per year. You can also save energy by frequently switching off the household electric devices including television and personal computers.
Tips on food
Tips to reduce CO2 are hidden in daily meals
Whenever cooking a meal, we consume energy by using gas or electricity. It is important to cut energy loss in everyday cooking. For instance, let’s stop the overnight use of “Keep Warm” mode of rice cooker. It is better to switch off the rice cooker at night and reheat the rice the next morning. Consider if we kept it warm for 8 hours and about 30 watts of electricity was consumed during those hours, it results in a total of about 34kg of CO2 emission per year. Instead, we can reduce the equal amount of CO2 by switching off the rice cooker once the rice is cooked.
A menu to warm your body from inside
In order to spend the winter without heavy dependence on heating devices, it is necessary to eat balanced food that builds a healthy body. Let’s eat the menus that warm the body, such as hot-pot, stew and warm vegetable salad made of green and yellow vegetables (vegetables rich in color). In addition, you can reduce about 58 kg of CO2 per year by carrying your own bag when buying food ingredients and by choosing products with fewer wrappings.