Overcome power shortages with a new perspective
It is feared that power shortages could occur in many parts of the nation this summer. We hope every company and household will find ways to save electricity and deal with the summer heat.
Starting July 1, the government is set to impose power-use restrictions in areas serviced by Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co. The scheme will target such facilities as large factories and buildings, all of which will be required to reduce their power consumption by 15 percent from last summer's peak levels.
Similar action will be taken by Kansai Electric Power Co., which will ask private-sector companies and ordinary households to cut their electricity consumption by 15 percent. This is because the utility remains unsure about when--and if, for that matter--it will be able to restart operations at reactors closed for regular inspections.
Other power companies could follow suit, asking consumers to save electricity. These moves may well be regarded as inevitable, given the need to prevent a shortage of power this summer.
One challenge facing corporations will be to efficiently use a limited amount of electricity, a task essential to minimize the impact of power-saving efforts on their business operations.
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Firms already taking action
It is reassuring to know that some companies have already come out with power-saving measures. Automobile and electronics manufacturers, for example, have decided to suspend operations at their plants on weekdays instead of weekends.
Power-saving steps adopted by these companies include replacing their lighting with light-emitting diode devices that require less electricity. They will also lengthen summer vacations and utilize daylight saving time, a measure to move up the time employees start work.
Admittedly, reductions in power consumption will place most of the burden on the corporate sector. Put another way, however, saving electricity could lead to an increase in companies' operational efficiency. Changes in the way company employees work could eventually reduce their working hours and improve the efficiency of their employers' business operations.
Power-saving efforts could also provide new business opportunities. This has been demonstrated by the rapid rise in sales of LED lamps and energy-saving air conditioners in recent weeks, for example. Also, the food service and hotel industries are offering various new services for employees whose companies will try to reduce power use through such measures as letting them leave work earlier than before.
We hope the economy will be revitalized as a result of new types of consumption that are generated by products and services catering to demand created by power-saving efforts.
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Everyone must pitch in
It is disturbing to see that the anticipated power shortages will affect a wide area, meaning households, companies and others in nearly all parts of the nation will have to implement power-saving measures.
For instance, corporations with manufacturing bases in Tokyo and adjacent areas are likely to reconsider their initial plans to shift their production activities to western parts of the country. These companies should think about what kind of production system would best suit them, keeping in mind the estimate for this summer's power supply and demand.
It is also indispensable for households to cooperate in saving electricity, given that they account for 30 percent of this nation's total power consumption.
Households in the areas serviced by the Tokyo and Tohoku electric power companies should take this to heart. They are not obligated to reduce electric consumption, but we hope these consumers will raise their awareness of the need to cut wasteful power consumption as much as possible. There are various ways for them to easily save electricity--for example, raising air conditioners' preset temperatures and turning off the master power switches for electrical appliances.
TEPCO is planning to shore up its "denki yoho" system, through which the utility releases such information as the daily balance between power supply and demand, and the forecasted demand. The system is certain to help companies and households save electricity efficiently.
TEPCO and all other utilities need to keep providing power consumers with detailed information about the status of its electric power supply.
Careless riders make bicycles dangerous
Many people have been given a fright as a bicycle charges straight at them as they walk along the sidewalk.
Cases of bicycles colliding with pedestrians while trying to dart by them are hardly rare.
Not a few people ride bicycles at night without a light on. People are often seen riding bicycles while talking on a mobile phone--or even using e-mail.
Cyclists speeding along sidewalks or making startled pedestrians jump aside at the sound of a bell have become an everyday sight.
Such an annoying and self-centered lack of traffic manners must be denounced in the firmest terms.
Under the Road Traffic Law, bicycles are classified as vehicles like cars. But cyclists have long been permitted to ride on sidewalks despite the lack of a clear legal basis to do so.
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Law poorly understood
The law was revised in 2008 to allow cyclists to use sidewalks in exceptional situations, but it still aims to keep cyclists and pedestrians apart as much as possible. The revised law in principle makes it mandatory for cyclists to use roadways, but allows them to run on sidewalks if the roadway--such as a busy thoroughfare--is especially dangerous.
But according to a government survey, 40 percent of the public is not aware of the principle that bicycles are meant to be ridden on roadways. This indicates that the purpose of the law revision has not been widely recognized.
Of course, cyclists are the most vulnerable parties in roadway traffic. It is primarily motorists who have the duty of care on roadways. However, when reckless cyclists do things like threading between cars stopped at traffic lights, it sometimes results in accidents.
National Police Agency data on traffic accidents shows that about 20 percent of accidents in the past decade, a high proportion, involved bicycles.
Reported collisions between bicycles and pedestrians totaled about 2,900 in 2009 and 2,800 in 2010, a huge increase over about 1,800 a decade before.
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Accidents are expensive
Bicyclists must remember that they may pay a high price if they cause an accident.
According to court rulings on bicycle accidents in recent years, a high school student was ordered to pay more than 60 million yen in compensation for hitting a pedestrian and causing serious spinal damage, while another high school student was ordered to pay nearly 40 million yen for killing a pedestrian.
In contrast to automobile accidents, there is no compulsory liability insurance system to cover bicycle accidents. It is difficult to pay such huge liability judgments, often making it impossible for victims to receive compensation. This is a serious problem.
We suggest studying a plan encouraging cyclists to take out an insurance policy on a voluntary basis. So-called "TS [traffic safety] stickers" issued by bicycle dealers after inspection and maintenance of bicycles would be included with the insurance. Subscribing to such insurance could enhance bicyclists' consciousness of safe riding.
The number of cyclists has increased along with public concern about health and the environment. The increase has been accelerated in recent months by disruptions in transportation systems in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
But bicycles can turn into dangerous weapons when carelessly used. Bicycle riders should be aware of this.
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