Subcommittee on Winter City Environmental Issues Questionnaire Survey Replies (summary)

Transcription

1 Subcommittee on Winter City Environmental Issues Questionnaire Survey Replies (summary) Q1. About your city Prince George Canada Changchun Harbin Jiamusi China Jixi Qiqihar Shenyang Maardu Estonia Nuuk Taebaek Korea Russia U.S.A. Japan Novosibirsk Greenland Yuzhino- Sakhalinsk Average August C temperature F Average February C temperature F Total annual , ,450 1, ,290 1,100 precipitation (mm) Average annual snow accumulation (mm) Population (thousand) 80 7,240 9,700-2,000 5, , ,880 Area (km 2 ) ,571 53,000-22,531 42,469 12, , ,950 5, ,121 Magadan Anchorage ,500 2, ,765 7,740 4,960 Aomori Sapporo Q2. Environmental issues in your city Serious issues your city faces Air pollution Water and soil contamination Waste treatment Energy conservation Nature and greenery Items Serious issues Most serious issues Gas exhaust from factories and other facilities 13 4 Gas exhaust from vehicles 14 5 Treatment of water drained from daily living 15 8 Water drained from factories and other facilities 12 3 River water quality control 12 2 Treatment of household waste 12 1 Treatment of waste from businesses and factories 11 2 Recycling of waste 13 5 Prevention of the illegal disposal of waste 11 1 Waste reduction 11 5 Technological improvement for energy coservation 14 5 Promotion of energy-saving lifestyles 14 3 Preservation of natural environment 16 5 Tree planting in downtown area and at parks 13 3 Environmental education Promotion of environmental education among citizens 13 5 Education of people who will work for environmental protection locally 10 2 Global warming Reduction of CO 2 emissions 11 3 Vehicle-related pollution Control of gas exhaust from vehicle 15 7 Air pollution, water and soil contamination, waste treatment, energy conservation, global warming, and vehicle-related pollution were listed as categories of concern for the cities. The fact that all these categories were regarded as serious issues suggests that the WWCAM member cities share a number of environmental concerns.

2 Q3. Environmental measures Administrative organizations that are mainly in charge of dealing with each environmental issue Most respondents stated that the city government is responsible for the environmental issues. As for the countermeasures against global warming, however, the majority of respondents, particularly in six cities in China, stated that the national government has this responsibility. Important environmental issues and measures that your city has to deal with Air pollution Water and soil contamination Waste treatment Energy conservation Nature and greenery Environmental education Items As was the case for Q2, all the categories were selected, which indicates that most of the cities are planning to work toward solving these environmental problems. Gas exhaust from factories and other facilities 12 Gas exhaust from vehicles 13 Treatment of water drained from daily living 15 Water drained from factories and other facilities 15 River water quality control 13 Treatment of household waste 14 Treatment of waste from businesses and factories 13 Recycling of waste 14 Prevention of the illegal disposal of waste 15 Waste reduction 14 Technological improvement for energy coservation 11 Promotion of energy-saving lifestyles 13 Preservation of natural environment 15 Tree planting in downtown area and at parks 14 Promotion of environmental education among citizens 14 Education of people who will work for environmental protection locally Cities Global warming Reduction of CO 2 emissions 9 Vehicle-related pollution Control of gas exhaust from vehicle 14 Taebaek, Korea stated that water contamination caused by household waste water and waste treatment were major concerns, and that the city wants to examine the use of a new type of energy. 10

3 Issues that hinder your efforts to solve environmental problems Most of the cities responded that budgetary issues hindered their efforts to solve environmental problems. Other cities mentioned that a lack of understanding among residents and businesses about environmental protection hinder their efforts. Q4. Local attitudes toward environmental measures Government organizations that handle practical measures against environmental pollution Development of laws, ordinances, plans, etc. against pollution City government State/provincial government Most respondents stated that the city is responsible for most of categories of environmental problems. However, some cities mentioned that provincial and/or national governments have responsibility for some of the categories. As for the education of the public on preventing pollution and the promotion of measures against pollution, city, provincial, and national governments share responsibilities in most of the cities. National government Legislation Planning of practical activities Permit of establishing pollution-generating facilities Building permit of smoke- and dust-pollution-generating facilities Building permit of noise- and vibration-polluiton generating facilities Work permit to remove sprayed asbestos Monitoring of air and guidance to the industries Constant monitoring of air pollution and underground water quality Inspection of and guidance to companies and factories Promotion and education of measures against pollution for citizens and industires Handled by For citizens For industries

4 Q5. Attitudes toward global-scale environmental issues Abnormal climatic conditions that may be signs of global warming in your city Many cities chose rise of average temperature and remarkable increase or decrease of precipitation as indications that abnormal climatic conditions are emerging throughout the world. The city of Anchorage, U.S.A., responded that a rise in temperature may be responsible for spruce bark-beetle infestation in and around Anchorage. Taebaek of Korea noted that daily life is affected by yellow dust from the desert in northern China early spring each year. Projects that each city has initiated to counteract the global warming Most of the respondents stated that they are promoting environmental protection by educating the public on the importance of energy conservation and recycling, as well as by promoting the use of clean energy. Examples of such efforts are the use of methane gas generated at hydraulic power plants and landfill sites, as well as the production of bio-diesel fuel using household waste oil. Q6. System to promote environmental measures Collaboration with private companies include the following (excerpt): Collaboration with the non-profit company, Green Star Inc. to promote recycling and the reuse of energy and energy conservation. The city is coordinating and supporting local private recycling efforts, including working with private companies to find local markets for recycled materials. (Anchorage, U.S.A.) The city is promoting environmental protection activities of companies by encouraging ISO accreditation and by supporting the establishment of green businesses and examining green product activities. (Changchun, China)

5 Collaboration with citizen organizations include the following (excerpt): Working with stewardship groups to promote knowledge of environmental issues; providing educational opportunities for children and adults. (Prince George, Canada) The Green Heilongjiang University Students Association was established and promoted events that take into consideration of environmental protection, such as a summer camp and the organization of the Heilongjiang Green Messenger, in which university students played an active role.(harbin, China) Citizens, businesses, and governments voluntarily organized Environment Aomori Network, a collaborative activity that promotes the recycling of kitchen waste and encourages environmental education as its main activities.(aomori, Japan) Environmental education includes the following (excerpt): Citizens responded to a call for cooperation, and donated money to plant 12,200 trees. Citizens are encouraged to carry their own shopping bags for shopping; also used batteries are collected. (Harbin, China) Various events such as a contest that encourages knowledge about environmental protection; photography displays, and a speech contest; in addition, a summer camp has been held for young people to deepen their understanding of the environment. (Shenyang, China) The city has been encouraging schools to systematically carry out environmental education in their general school curriculum. (Aomori, Japan) Q7. Use of energy Sources of energy for heating rooms and boiling water in homes As a source of energy for both heating rooms and boiling water, electricity is ranked at the top of the list, followed by gas. Coal is used in some cities in China, Korea, and Russia. Brick, steel-framed concrete, and wood were at the top of the list for construction materials for general housing. In most cities, insulating materials, double windows, double-layer windowpanes, and floor heating are used to improve insulation and heating. '()*+,-*-+. /0+1,0(2304 5),64)7) 860( 966: ;+<), Heating rooms =*-+-)4>! " # $ % &! &" '()*+,-*-+. /0+1,0(2304 5),64)7) 860( 966: ;+<), Boiling water =*-+-)4>! " # $ % &! &"

6 Energy-saving efforts of citizens at home Most of the items were chosen, which indicates that citizens are doing at most to save energy in their daily living. In the living room In a bathroom, washroom & toilet When shopping In the kitchen Transportation Passenger car ownership In many cities passenger cars are widely used, particularly in the United States and Japan, where the rate of the ownership per citizen was more than 0.5. Items Switch off the light of the room when it is not in use 15 Switch off the main switch when no one is watching TV 13 Put on additional clothes to save energy 8 Utilize outdoor air and/or solar heat to adjust room temperature 9 Do as much washing possible at one time 13 Use bathtub water for other purpose 5 Conserve water when taking a bath and wash dishes 10 Try to reduce waste by, for example, not buying disposable goods 9 Use own shopping bag and not take a new plastic shopping bag 8 Purchase environment-friendly goods such as the recycled items 8 Purchase products and/or vehicles that are energy-saving, low polluting and environment-friendly Cities Do not put too many items in a refrigerator or do not frequently open/close it 11 Wash dishes after pre-cleaning 5 Do not buy too much foodstuff and use up promptly 11 Keep a supply of heated water in a themos 8 Sorting of waste 9 Stop engine when parking a car 11 Do not brake suddenly or accelerate rapidly 7 Do not use air conditioner of the car frequently 8 Use public transportation 9 10 Canada Greenland China Estonia Korea Russia U.S.A. Japan Prince George Changchun Harbin Jiamusi Jixi Qiqihar Shenyang Marduu Nuuk Taebaek Novosibirsk Yuzhno- Sakhalinsk Magadan Anchorage Aomori Sapporo Number of cars owned Passenger car ownership per citizen - 300, , ,000 1,000, ,000 2,500 12, ,000 72,000 36, , ,000 1,000,