世論 What Japan Thinks

The Yomiuri Shimbun, in conjunction with goo Research, recently published the results of a survey conducted between the 9th and 11th of March on the subject of global warming.

Demographics

1,107 members of goo Research’s internet monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50% of the sample was male, 22% in their twenties, 18% in their thirties, 21% in their forties, 17% in their fifties, and 21% aged sixty or older.

Note that the winter of 2006/2007 was very mild, with no snow falling in Tokyo during the official winter period, the first time this had occurred since records began in 1877, thus perhaps focusing minds on the topic. In addition, Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth had recently opened in Japanese cinemas.

Although this survey reports broad support for charging for plastic bags at checkouts, according to some statistics I saw, these bags represent just 2% of all household rubbish, in constrast to other plastic food wrappers making up almost 30% of the average garbage bag. The defense I saw of the policy was that the fees may engender awareness of the overuse of wrappings thus encourage people to use less, but it is the manufacturers who do the overwrapping, so there is little that the consumer can do to influence this, I fear.

Research results

Q1: Do you feel that global warming is happening? (Sample size=1,107)

Yes (to SQ)	95%
No	2%
Don’t know	3%

Q1SQ: What makes you most feel global warming is happening? (Sample size=1,048)

Warm winters	46%
Hurricanes, drought and other unusual weather	17%
Melting ice caps	17%
Little snow	12%
Flowering periods changing	5%
Animal behaviour such as not hibernating	2%
Other	1%

Note the second-top result mentioned hurricanes, not typhoons, whilst although they are the same weather phenomenon, just in different hemispheres, one would think they might have chosen the one closer to home.

Q2: Do you want to do something to prevent global warming? (Sample size=1,107)

Think so	92%
Don’t think so	8%

Q3: Do you do in your daily life to combat global warming, or with awareness of the global warming issue? (Sample size=1,107)

Take affirmative action to address it (to SQ)	7%
Address it little (to SQ)	55%
Don’t address it much	31%
Don’t address it at all	7%

Q3SQ: What sorts of things do you do? (Sample size=685, up to three answers)

Unplug televisions, etc	64%
Separate refuse, try to recycle	63%
Set air conditioner temperature higher	58%
Use refill bottles for shampoo and other goods	34%
Don’t take a plastic bag at when shopping	29%
Use both sides of paper for copying	14%
Buy items made from recycled paper, etc, whereever possible	11%
Don’t use disposable items like chopsticks	4%
Use hybrids or other low-fuel cars	4%
Use second-hand goods	3%
Participate or donate to environmental protection groups	2%
Other	2%

Q4: Do you agree with shops charging for plastic bags? (Sample size=1,107)

Yes	64%
No	17%
Don’t know	19%

Q5: If shops started charging for plastic bags, what will you do? (Sample size=1,107)

Try to avoid needing to pay for a bag	88%
Use the pay-for bags	6%
Shop somewhere with free bags	5%
Other	1%

Q6: Would you buy products that respect the environment, even if there was a higher price for them? (Sample size=1,107)

Want to buy even if considerably more expensive	1%
Want to buy if a little more expensive	32%
Want to buy if around the same price	63%
Regardless of price, whether it is kind to the environment is not a problem	3%
Other	1%

Q7: Which of the following products do you buy with awareness of environmental issues? (Sample size=1,107, up to three answers)

Refillable shampoo bottles, food ingredients, etc	57%
Recycled paper note books, copy paper, etc	39%
Refrigerator, washing machine, air condition and other low-energy home electrical items	37%
Car	15%
Organic vegetables	13%
Cool Biz fashions, etc	11%
House (insulation, etc)	10%
Other	1%
None in particular	19%

Q8: Regarding domestic measures to mitigate global warming, who do you feel needs to make the most effort? (Sample size=1,107)

Goverment	41%
Private industry	30%
Individuals, family	28%
Other	1%

Q9: What do you think about the implementation of a Carbon Tax or Environment Tax on petroleum-based products etc, aimed at reducing the release of gases that cause global warming? (Sample size=1,107)

Support it	32%
Oppose it	35%
Don’t know	33%