Tuesday, July 15, 2008

using purell till my hands bleed and swell


When it comes to saving energy, the Japanese have much to teach the United States and other rich countries, whose leaders descend on Japan next month for a Group of Eight summit.

Energy consumption per person here is about half that in the United States, and the growth of greenhouse gas emissions is slower than anywhere in the industrialized world.

There is a hiccup, though, in this world-beating record. It happens inside the Japanese home, where energy use is surging. And nothing embodies the surge quite like the toilet — a plumbing fixture that has been reengineered here as an ultracomfy energy hog. […]

The Japanese are serious about cleanliness. The word for clean — kirei — is also a word for beautiful. People often sweep the street in front of their house. They remove their shoes upon entering a house. They shower before bathing.

In Energy-Stingy Japan, an Extravagant Indulgence: Posh Privies

1 comment:

Matthew Celestine said...

Yes, Japan is a pretty clean place.

I think the Japanese custom of removing shoes in homes is wonderful. I wish more people here in Britain would adopt it.

I have an whole blog about removing shoes in homes:
Shoes Off at the Door, Please
You might want to take a look.