Now you can become an eco doctor

Diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke, which used to be called "adult diseases," are now called "lifestyle-related diseases." ' came to be said. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare defines "lifestyle-related diseases" as "a group of diseases whose onset and progression are related to lifestyle habits such as eating habits, exercise habits, rest, smoking, and drinking." In other words, "lifestyle-related diseases" is the general term for diseases that are thought to be related to the onset of lifestyle habits. In order to prevent this disease, you literally have to work on improving your lifestyle. In addition, if lifestyle improvements are not promoted in parallel with treatment after onset, the effect of preventing the progression of the disease cannot be expected. Recently, however, a new disease called "global warming-promoting behavioral syndrome" has joined the ranks of "lifestyle-related diseases." Symptoms of the disease include the following behavioral patterns:

It is said that the global environment is being eroded and our health is at risk due to "Global Warming Behavioral Syndrome". If global warming progresses due to this disease, it is predicted that there will be an increase in the mortality rate of heat stroke, an increase in the concentration of photochemical oxidants that will affect health, and an expansion of malaria-affected areas. A cure for this disease has not yet been discovered. For now, the only way to stop the progression of the disease is to improve lifestyle habits and establish a lifestyle that prevents global warming, just like other "lifestyle-related diseases."

With a little ingenuity, air conditioners can be used efficiently. Let's promote energy saving that leads to saving household budget. The recommended room temperature is 28°C for cooling and 20°C for heating.

Let's use a fan for cooling and heating. During cooling, the wind reduces the sensible temperature, and during heating, warm air, which tends to stay near the ceiling, spreads throughout the room, enabling efficient air conditioning.

20-30% of the heat coming into the room and 10% of the heat leaving the room comes from the windows. Therefore, if you make good use of curtains and blinds depending on the weather and time of day, you can increase the cooling and heating effect.

Using an air conditioner and an electric carpet together will keep you comfortable even if the room temperature is slightly lower, and will save energy by about 25% compared to using the air conditioner alone. Place a heat-retaining mat or cloth under the electric carpet. This leads to a reduction in power consumption. If you use an electric kotatsu with a futon as well as a futon, you can save energy by 5 to 15%.

We have developed society and economy with the goal of ``faster and more materially rich'', and have lived a comfortable and convenient life. However, this socio-economic system, which is based on the consumption of large amounts of resources and energy, continues to place a heavy burden on the global environment, including global warming. Around this time, unless we reaffirm the finite nature of the global environment and resources, break free from the spell of "time is money," and change our sense of values, the yellow light for the future of the earth may turn red. not. This is because infinite development is impossible in a society that is premised on the limited environment and resources of the earth. Let's discuss "true abundance" and "moderate efficiency/comfort" at home. At that time, the key word is the concept of "Earth Environmental Time". This is a new concept of time that takes into account the degree of impact on the global environment, instead of simply capturing the value of time in the sexagesimal system as in the past. For example, if you take a 20-minute bicycle to a place that can be reached in 10 minutes by car, a bicycle that emits zero carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides is more valuable in terms of global environmental time. Become. Also, between eating cucumber salad on New Year's Day and waiting until summer to eat it, it is better to wait seven months and still enjoy the season. This is because greenhouse-grown cucumbers use five times as much energy as outdoor cucumbers. When purchasing products, select and give priority to products (green products/eco-products) that take into account the burden on the environment throughout the product's lifetime (raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use (consumption), and disposal). Purchasing in the green sector is called “green purchasing”. Green products may cost slightly more than conventional products. This price difference is called the global environmental cost. For example, if you have a notebook with 100% recycled paper and 70 whiteness (150 yen) and another with 70% recycled paper and 80 whiteness (120 yen), the price difference of 30 yen is the global environmental cost. "is. Today, the global environment is in a critical situation due to global warming, destruction of the ozone layer, and acid rain. In order for the irreplaceable green earth to continue to shine beautifully forever, let's think about the true richness of human beings as one key word: global environmental time and global environmental cost. And let's transform the society of "mass production, mass consumption, mass disposal" into a recycling society of "optimum production, moderate consumption, minimum disposal" through the practice of eco-life.

Forests are important green spaces that not only have economic value, but also have functions such as maintaining ecosystems, replenishing water resources, absorbing carbon dioxide, and improving landscapes. The soft fresh greenery of spring, the dense trees of summer, the fiery autumn leaves of autumn, and the silhouettes of bare trees of winter. Forests occupy 51% of the area of ​​Hikari City. The Nijigahama and Murozumi coasts with white sands and green pine trees, which are said to be the original scenery of my hometown, are part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park area, and have been selected as one of Japan's top 100 white sand and green pine trees, one of Japan's top 100 pine trees, and one of Japan's top 100 forests for forest bathing. has been selected as In addition, the Mt. Emi forest in the Murozumi district is rich in evergreen broad-leaved trees such as linden, tabunoki, and bayberry, which are characteristic of temperate forests, and has been designated as a national natural monument. Nature research trails are well maintained, so hiking with the family is also wonderful. Trees absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and store it in their bodies. Therefore, forests play an effective role in preventing global warming by storing carbon dioxide. However, the world is in a critical situation due to depletion of tropical forests and damage caused by acid rain.

This is a phenomenon in which sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides emitted from factories, thermal power plants, automobiles, etc. react with substances in the atmosphere and cloud water and fall as strong acid rain. Acid rain kills plants by destroying the nutrients in the soil that plants and trees need. It also makes the water in lakes and marshes acidic, which kills fish. The damage is particularly serious in Europe and the United States, but in Japan as well, the Kanto region and other regions have suffered considerable damage.

It is said that the sight of green makes us feel at ease, a remnant of the days when our ancestors used to live in trees. Let's try to save energy such as electricity and automobile fuel to protect the forest while valuing the nature around us. In addition to promoting the purchase of products that use waste paper, try to recycle paper and reduce the consumption of pulpwood.

Eco-cooking is eco-friendly cooking, and there are three points to this.

Blessed with four seasons, Japan is rich in seasonal ingredients. Not only are seasonal fish fresh and delicious, but the amount of energy used in the production stage is much lower than that of house-grown or farmed fish. Don't you think it's wonderful to live a life where you can feel the seasons at the dining table? Use seasonal ingredients as much as possible and sieve your skills. Various foodstuffs are imported to Japan from all over the world. These things consume more transportation energy in the distribution stage than the features. If you use the same means of transportation, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted will increase in proportion to the distance traveled. Let's try to purchase local ingredients that lead not only to environmental conservation but also to regional development.

Eating them raw, without using heat energy, minimizes the carbon footprint during the cooking stage. When heating, try to reduce the amount of energy used and use energy efficiently. It is also important to use ingredients without waste and to cook the appropriate amount of food.

Sink drain pipes lead to rivers and oceans. Consider the drainage from the kitchen and try to conserve water quality. Arrange leftover meals into other dishes. Unusable garbage such as leftover food should be composted and returned to the soil, or drained well and disposed of as combustible garbage.

Some of the earth's resources, such as fossil fuels such as petroleum and natural gas, and minerals such as iron ore and bauxite, cannot be produced once they are exhausted. Use limited resources as wisely as possible. For that reason, let's promote the reduction of garbage, which leads to resource and energy conservation, with the "4 R's" as keywords.

What we buy is the product itself. Bring shopping bags and decline plastic bags. My favorite bag is a wonderful fashion. Also, stop over-wrapping gift items and give them in eco-packages.

Are you looking to buy a "necessary item"? Or is it "what you want"? Consumer goods will eventually end up in the trash. Buy only what you really need and consume less resources. Also, choose long-lasting and reusable items and avoid buying disposable or over-packaged products. The first is to avoid bringing garbage into your home as much as possible.

Let's use things repeatedly to maximize their lifespan and reduce waste. Let's do things like repair home appliances and use them for a long time, and renovate clothes. Discarded items that can still be used should be sent to a bazaar or flea market.

Even if you try to reduce and reuse, let's recycle resources by reusing them as raw materials and energy for making things. Also, try to buy products made from recycled materials and expand the market for refurbished products. Let's create a society where resources are recycled.

If the quality, price, etc. are almost the same, the container is important when choosing a product. (Containers that cannot be reused or recycled become waste, leading to wasted resources and energy.)

1. Choose something that is not in a container. (sold individually or by weight)
2. Choose items in reusable containers. (Beer bottles, 1.8L bottles, etc.)
3. Choose bottles in containers made of materials that are easy to recycle. (Steel cans, aluminum cans, milk cartons, etc.)

Inquiries regarding this article

Environment Policy Division, Environment Department No. 1 phone number: 0833-72-1465 (Environmental Policy Section), 0833-72-1466 (Environmental Conservation Section)

Email address: kankyouseisaku@city.hikari.lg.jp