E-News & Songs July 12,2018
Before starting discussion on an editorial of the Japan Times at Kwansei Gakuin’s Lambuth Hall in SAPIA Tower,Tokyo on July 12, 2018. We enjoyed singing golden oldies in English at a nearby Karaoke bar which is set once every three months as a fun day. Each one of us sang three favorite songs paying attention to pronunciation and expressive power. We welcomed two new members whom we had come to know each other at KG Summer Festa held at Grand Prince Hotel Shin-Takanawa on July 1, 2018.
Title: Step up war on plastic pollution (The Japan Times Editorial dated June 23,2018)
Reported by Miyoko Kishii -Leader of the month
Now Japan is urged to take a more proactive role to combat and ban the manufacturing and use of recyclable and disposable plastic products. However, in reality, Japan abstained from signing the “Ocean Plastic Charter“ that was endorsed by other group of seven members and the European Union at the G7 summit held earlier last month in Canada. Since plastic products can’t be decomposed naturally they accumulate in the sea and spread all over the world by current in the ocean.
It is hardly possible to remove microplastics –small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which accumulate inside fish, birds and other animals as they make up the food chain, possibly disrupting the ecosystem and affecting humans. Likewise a global warming problem, plastic refuse and pollution problems can’t be resolved by a single nation. Global understanding and measures as well as building worldwide framework for the implementation call for urgent attention.
日本はリサイクル及び使い捨て仕様プラスチック製品の製造と使用を中止する事へ積極的な役割を果たす必要があります。しかし現実には先月カナダで開かれたＧ７サミットで７か国の他のグループメンバー国とE.U.-欧州連合に支持された 海洋プラスチック憲章（“Ocean Plastic Charter”）の調印を差し控えました。プラスチックは自然に分解されない為、海に溜まり、海流に乗って全世界に広がります。長さ5ミリ以下のマイクロプラスチックは一旦海に入ると取り除くのは難しく魚や鳥そして他の動物の内部で堆積し食物連鎖により有害物を吸収し、生態系（ecosystem）を破壊し人間に影響を与える可能性があります。海のプラスチックゴミ問題は地球温暖化と同様に単一の国の努力だけでは限界があります。国際的な理解と対策そして体制作りが急務であると考えます。
In summary, all of us strongly regarded alarm brought about plastic wastes and felt again relative necessity of viable countermeasures. Research and development of further environmentally friendly materials taking the place of plastics as well as commercialization of such products should be driven forward by not only Japan but all over the world.
It’s now or never, the time to utilize advanced Japanese technologies for resolving the emergent issue.
So, let’s try hard to refrain from using disposable plastic products and step down plastic refuse.
私達メンバー全員プラスチックゴミのもたらす恐怖についての理解と実効性ある対策の必要性を改めて強く感じました。より環境に優しい代替材料の研究開発と製品化が日本のみならず世界中で推進される必要性があります。
今こそ日本の先端技術を生かす時であると考えます。
我々一人一人が使い捨てプラスチック製品の使用を控えて廃棄物を減らしましょう。
次回例会日
９月１３日（第二木曜日） １５：００～１７：００ 例会 東京ランバスホール
１０月１１日（第二木曜日） １３：００～１５：００ Oldies（ １２：５０ サピアタワー一階集合）
１５：００～１７：００ 例会 東京ランバスホール
