using online tools to assess public responses to climate change mitigation policies in japan使用在线工具来评估在日本公众应对气候变化缓解政策.pdfVIP

Future Internet 2011, 3, 117-129; doi:10.3390/fi3020117 OPEN ACCESS future internet ISSN 1999-5903 /journal/futureinternet Article Using Online Tools to Assess Public Responses to Climate Change Mitigation Policies in Japan Sengtha Chay * and Nophea Sasaki Graduate School of Applied Informatics, University of Hyogo, Kobe 650-0044, Japan; E-Mail: nop.kankyo@ai.u-hyogo.ac.jp * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ab08e107@ai.u-hyogo.ac.jp; Tel.: +81-90-8212-2518; Fax: +81-78-367-8620. Received: 22 January 2011; in revised form: 3 March 2011 / Accepted: 21 March 2011 / Published: 1 April 2011 Abstract: As a member of the Annex 1 countries to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Japan is committed to reducing 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve this commitment, Japan has undertaken several major mitigation measures, one of which is the domestic measure that includes ecologically friendly lifestyle programs, utilizing natural energy, participating in local environmental activities, and amending environmental laws. Mitigation policies could be achieved if public responses were strong. As the internet has increasingly become an online platform for sharing environmental information, public responses to the need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions may be assessed using available online tools. We used Google Insights for Search, Google AdWords Keyword Tool, and Google Timeline View to