Homework Assignment For Tokyo Students: Cut Greenhouse Emissions

If you can’t make citizens do it voluntarily, try making it a homework assignment for their kids:

Tokyo’s Koto Ward Government is set to require all elementary school fifth graders in the ward to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home as part of their summer vacation homework, officials said.

The ward will launch the project beginning in the academic year of 2008, which starts this April.

“We’d like to raise children’s awareness about the importance of protecting the environment while they are still young,” said Mayor Takaaki Yamazaki.

The local government hopes that families will help with the homework, eventually helping transform local residents’ lifestyles into more eco-friendly ones. “If children take action, then their parents will get involved as well,” a ward government official said.

Prior to summer vacations, teachers at public elementary schools in Koto-ku will give fifth graders sheets on which they are supposed to record their specific actions aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions, such as “turning off lights in unused rooms,” “setting the air conditioner to 28 degrees Celsius” and “shortening the period of taking a shower.”