The Group of Eight summit began Monday at the Windsor Hotel Toya, an exquisite, maximum- security resort in Hokkaido. There, the world's top leaders are holed up in conference rooms, trying to strike last-minute deals on various global issues, the most disputed of all being climate change.
Though these leaders are facing enormous pressure to "save the Earth," so are the rest of us. How many times, after all, have we been told by environmentalists to turn off this light or refill those shampoo bottles? How many times, standing in line at a supermarket, have we suddenly felt guilty, realizing we've forgotten to bring one of our growing collection of "eco-bags"?
Still, each of these personal gestures can make a difference. So for all those guilt-ridden readers, here is a reminder of how they help. The Japan Times' list of 10 green activities anyone can engage in is also a chance to check out how the Japanese consumer stacks up against others around the world.