Kaze, August 2018
Real climate crises? – this summer’s abnormal weather in Japan
Saburo KATO
These days, and especially after 2010, tragic climate disasters hit various parts of Japanevery summer. Torrential rainfalls of July 2017 in Fukuoka and Ohita left 40 deaths and 2 still
missing as of June 2018. In2016, the Typhoon No. 10 (Lionrock) attacked Iwate, killing 9 people
in an elderly group house. The intense rainfalls this July widely in western Japan was the worst
case and at least 230 deaths and missing were counted
These climate disasters extensively ruined social infrastructures (roads, rails, electricity,water, individual houses and public buildings) and also seriously damaged agricultural crops by
mud and debris flowed into cultivated areas. This is quite an impact on national economy, notonly in a single year but will negatively affect our life in the years to come.
The climate disaster this year was not limited to rainfalls. Later in July, Kumagaya City of
Saitama Prefecture recorded a historic high of 41.1 degree on 23 July, and several other cities
also experienced severe heat of more than 40 degrees in July and August. Naturally, the numberof deaths due to heatstroke increased and also crops were damaged by these heat waves.
Japanese media precisely reported these climate-related damages, but they rarelyreferred to global warming, the actual cause of these damages. The way they reported themalmost implied that these torrential rainfalls and severe heat waves were just one of thosenatural phenomena which do not allow human interventions. Now it is clear that atmosphericwarming raises the temperature of seawater and increases the amount of evaporation from sea,and when a huge amount of evaporated seawater hits a high mountain range or a weather front,
it will come down as heavy rainfalls. For nearly 20 years, however, Japanese media hesitated toclearly link these extreme weather to the anthropogenic global warming, but on 25 July, when
the WMO reported this year’s extremely high temperature and heavy flooding in Japan as animpact of climate change, it was quickly followed by major newspapers. They finally started towrite the extreme weather in relation to global warming !
So far, climate-related disasters have been considered as “natural” disasters andtherefore we kind of having given up going further into it. Although we felt sorry for those who
were suffered from deadly serious disasters, we even did not think that we ourselves may besuffered from similar disasters sometime in the future. Now, after experiencing those terrible
disasters in the past few years, we should fully recognize that torrential rainfalls and heat waves
are not issue of someone else’ but they are our issue happening at our own feet. It is time wegive our full attention to those climate disasters and squarely face them for the future
generation.
If we think honestly and see things as they are, it is not difficult to understand that thoseclimate disasters are anthropogenic disasters. Once we recognize that they were human-madedisaster caused by years of human-centered economic activities, then governments/policy
makers can do something to control the issue. The measures may include putting a stop toconstruction of new coal-fired power plants, or substantial investment for the promotion ofdomestic renewable energy. We can and should make an appeal to politicalparties/politicians/policy makers through various channels. To make a change, it is important totake one step forward and do something ourselves !
Of course, Japan is not solely responsible for the global warming, but all those developed
countries including Japan are to be blamed for the issue. Simply, the global warming wasresulted from years of our emphasis on growth and efficiency more than on safety andsustainability.
Then, what type of economy we should create in the future? The answer is “GreenEconomy” with lower rate of growth but will be safe and sustainable. Specifically, creating a new
decarbonized society is an urgent issue for the benefit of future generations.
It is clear that Prime Minister Abe and his Cabinet put most emphasis on economy, buteven in this cabinet, the Ministry of Environment is still responsible for environmental safety ofcurrent and future Japanese nationals.
By the way, the Abe’s Cabinet excessively emphasizes short-term economy, but Prime
Minister Abe himself may not be solely responsible for it. Rather, he is doing what people want
him to do. The public-opinion polls in the past decades showed that economic recovery was theirbiggest expectation to the government.
Under the framework policy of prioritizing short-term economic recovery, the Ministry ofEnvironment is making a difficult effort to realize the carbon-pricing system (Carbon Tax andEmissions Trading.). Even if difficult, however, the Ministry should fulfill its mission of protecting
the life/livelihood and environment of Japanese nationals. If they stop working for the protectionof the environment, we should say that the environmental policy was yielded to the economicpolicy.
If they surrender today and give attention to short-term economic concerns, how canthey be accountable to the public and take responsibility when the global warming really fails ourcountry in the near future? All officials of the Ministry of Environment are requested to fullyaware the heavy responsibility they hold to the public. They should not forget even a day themission of the ministry and for whom they are implementing environmental policies.