Regarding a recent poll about climate change, I am one of the 40 percent who feel that until ordinary Japanese citizens stop idling their cars and wasting electricity, decrees made at international summits ring hollow.
There is a Family Mart two blocks from our house. In the parking lot is a large sign requesting customers to shut off their automobile engines while shopping. But I have noticed that this seems mostly unheeded. The other day, out of curiosity spurred by the poll, I spent 20 minutes keeping tabs on the fuel consumption habits of Family Mart shoppers. I was astounded to discover that 80 percent of observed drivers parking in the lot left their engines running when they entered the store. I finally stopped counting and started turning off engines.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.