日本政府呼籲國民縮短洗澡時間 節能減排

Speedier family baths could help Japanese cut their burgeoning energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a government report said on Tuesday.

Japanese households consume less energy than their US and European counterparts, but consumption has been sharply increasing --jumping 44 percent between 1990 and 2005 -- a big reason the environment white paper zeroed in on ways for people to save energy.

Families should not only shorten their daily showers by a minute -- a common recommendation in the West -- but should try to take baths in quick succession, the report said.

Japanese usually wash outside the tub and then soak in hot water, which is then reused by the next family member. That means the water must be reheated each time if the next person in line dawdles.

Hot water use in bathrooms and kitchens accounted for 39 percent of energy consumed in Japanese homes, a stark contrast to European households, where energy is mainly used for air-conditioning and heating, the report said.

Japan is one of the world's most energy-efficient countries, but greenhouse gas emissions from companies and households have been on the rise in recent years, prompting the government to raise public awareness for global warming.

Climate change will be a major agenda on at the G8 summit Japan will be hosting in early July.

日本政府於本週二發佈的一份報告稱，國民縮短洗澡時間有助於減少日本不斷增長的能源消耗量及溫室氣體的排放。

日本家庭的能耗量一直低於美國和歐洲，但近年來卻急劇增長，1990年至2005年間就增長了44%。這也是政府的環境白皮書關注人們節能方式的重要原因。

白皮書指出，日本家庭不僅要學習西方人每天洗澡時間縮短一分鐘的做法，盆浴時也要行動迅速。

日本人洗澡時習慣在浴缸外把身體沖洗乾淨，再到浴缸的熱水裏泡，不過由於這一浴缸的水要供全家人輪流使用，所以這就意味着如果下一個人洗澡時磨磨蹭蹭，浴缸裏的水每次都要重新加熱。

報告指出，浴室和廚房的熱水能耗量佔日本家庭總能耗的39%，這與歐洲家庭的能耗方式截然不同。歐洲家庭的能耗主要用於空調和供暖。

日本是世界上最節能的國家之一，但近年來企業和家庭的溫室氣體排放量不斷增長，這一狀況促使政府採取措施提高民衆對全球變暖問題的關注。

氣候變化將爲七月初在日本召開的八國峯會的主要議題。