Japan Press Weekly

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2008 May 28 - June 3 [ENVIRONMENT]

‘Save health, atmosphere, and earth’: Day of anti-pollution action

Victims of environmental pollution and civic groups from around the country gathered in Tokyo on June 2 to press the government to take urgent steps to prevent global warming and save the clean atmosphere and the earth. It is an annual petition that included a publicity campaign since 1976.

At the Environment Ministry, members of the Japan Action Commission of Environmental Pollution Victims emphasized that power companies, steel and iron makers, and other major corporations, which are causing environmental pollution across the nation, are to blame for emitting the largest amounts of CO2 and other pollutants in Japan.

Through signature collection and other campaigns, they are demanding that the government mandate companies with coal thermal power plants to drastically reduce their use and work out a mid-term project of 2020 to achieve substantial reduction without delay.

In talks with Environment Minister Kamoshita Ichiro, Hayakawa Mitsutoshi, Citizens' Alliance for Saving the Atmosphere and the Earth director, warned that the government has completely failed to achieve the Kyoto Protocol’s 6 percent CO2 cut goal.

Stressing the vital significance of urging industrial sectors to drastically cut CO2 emissions, Hayakawa called on the minister to let major corporations abide by the goal by concluding agreements with the government.

The minister answered that the government wants to take the initiative to effectively control global warming gas emissions.

Minamata disease (organic mercury poisoning) sufferers, who in a compensation lawsuit against the state and chemical maker Chisso Corp. asked Kamoshita to take steps so that their sufferings can, after 50 years, be ended.

Ikenaga Sueko, a 64-year-old-woman from Nishi-yodogawa Ward in Osaka, complained that she, together with her child, have for many years had “attacks, hospitalizations, and treatments” that cost much money. “We need relief measures by the government,” she added.

About 700 pollution victims, including Minamata disease sufferers who completed a one-month-walk from Kyushu, demonstrated in front of government offices.

At a rally at that night at the Hibiya Open-air Hall, they proclaimed that Japan’s pollution victims are determined to work harder in defense of the global environment.

Specifically, the appeal calls for establishing state criteria on Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5, comprehensive counter measures against the Minamata disease, a drastic cut in wasteful major public construction projects, and achieving the Kyoto Protocol’s goals.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi sent a message of solidarity to the participants.