Go Car, Stay Car, Smart Car, KEI CAR

TEXT: Clara Altfeld IMAGES: irasutoya

I drive three miles to and from work every day. I drive to my friends’ apartments. I drive to the grocery store, to the nearby cities, and to the konbini. I could theoretically walk the hour to school instead of driving the 10 minutes, although driving is certainly more convenient. But convenience comes with a cost. This may not be my home country, but I am now a part of the com - munity here, and I have a responsibility to that community. To me, I want being a part of a community to mean treating the environment around me well.

THE PROBLEM

Japan is the world’s fifth-largest producer of CO2 emissions. The transportation industry emits 17.1% of Japan’s CO2 emis- sions. Even though the more environmentally friendly Kei cars and hybrids are the majority of car sales in Japan, privately owned cars are still the main culprit in that 17%. Even beyond environmental sympathy, pollution from transportation has serious health effects. Cars are a large emitter of PM2.5, which is a carcin ogen, and diesel vehicles also emit NOx, which causes respiratory disorders, smog, and acid rain.

Owning a car isn’t the only way to contribute to transportation pollution. Pack - age redeliveries alone produce 420,000 tons of CO2 per year, and 70% of redeliveries occur be - cause people choose to be out even though they are aware that they will have a package deliv - ered. Beyond that, the air route between Tokyo and Fukuoka, which many Nagasaki residents take to get to Kyushu before catching the bus to Nagasaki, is the 3rd busiest air route in Japan

WHAT ABOUT NAGASAKI?

However, the news isn’t all bad. There are two special initiatives in Nagasaki Prefecture that are designed to improve and expand upon eco-friendly transport. One is the Saikai Junkan Initiative. Saikai is a small city on the west side of the prefecture, so the initiative focuses on utilizing Saikai’s long coastline by improving water-based transportation. The other is the Tsushima Model. Tsushima is an archipelago between Japan and Korea. The model focuses on using local resources as an energy source, with a particular emphasis on using hydrogen to reduce the use of carbon.

There are better transportation alternatives, besides driving and flying. There are, of course, local buses around the prefec ture, in addition to trains and ferries. Nagasaki City is also well known for a unique type of transportation: the tram. The tram lines first opened in 1915, and connect most of the city. There’s even a wooden tram over 100 years old that’s still in use. Another interesting feature of the Nagasaki City trams is that there’s even a Light Rail Transport app to inform users of the current location of trams, provide information about tourism, and help reserve rides for elderly or differently-abled passengers.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If, like me, you may be inspired to use public transportation more often, but aren’t about to get rid of your car, don’t worry. There’s still plenty to do that can help the car’s environmental impact. The Eco Drive Diffu sion Network came up with tips to help lower the emissions of your vehicle. These include to softly press the accelerator and brake, release the accelerator early, and reduce idling (which yes, includes avoiding traffic). Also make sure to use the air conditioner and heater moderately, to frequently check the tire pressure and make sure the vehicle is properly maintained, and not to carry around unnecessary items that weigh down your car. When done correctly, eco-driv ing can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15%, and the care it takes also makes the roads a safer place. And for the particularly brave: Mobility Week is September 16th to 22nd, during which you are encouraged to walk, bike, or use pub lic transportation instead of private vehicles.

For both car owners and non-car owners alike, try to ease back on that tempt- ing two-day shipping button, and time your online purchases so that they’ll be delivered when you’re at home. And if friends or fam ily come to visit, encourage them to check out the public transportation or the Kyushu Rail Pass. Foreign tourists using rental cars jumped from 17.9 to 70.5 million between 2011 and 2015, which is, of course, bad for the environment, therefore, we should encourage the use of Japan’s efficient public transport.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED TOURISM

If you’re raring for an opportunity to explore your local public transportation options, here are some interesting ones. If you want to leave Nagasaki, check out Kitakyushu’s Environmental and Waste Management tour, and discover how Kitakyushu went from a “town of pollution” to environmentally centered. And if you want to explore more of Nagasaki, look into (or look into going again, with an eye to the environment) Huis Ten Bosch. It was built on the site of an old landfill, and one-third of its initial budget went to making it environmentally friendly. All of Huis Ten Bosch’s garbage becomes energy and compost, and there’s a huge diversity of trees, flowers, birds, and insects. They’ll even give you a tour of their environmental facilities.

Even without a radical lifestyle change, there are always small things to constantly orient ourselves toward environmental consciousness. Environmental consciousness has to start with self-conscious- ness, whether that’s choosing to take the bus once in a while, driving without the AC, or keeping waste and pollution in mind as, not just a burden on, but a part of our tourism.