COP26, Global Warming, Meiji Shrine. What is the relationship between them?
I’m Nobu, I like traveling overseas and in Japan, visited 25 countries. I’ve got the license of the certificate English guide in Japan for 7 years.I show you hidden Japan which you have never seen and heard of!
COP26
Currently, COP26 is being held in Glasgow, UK.
The leaders from the US, UK, EU, Japan and other countries are gathering to discuss measures against global warming and climate change.
Global Warming
It is said that if human activities continue at the current rate and carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, global warming will further accelerate.
It’s causing various abnormal weather conditions, rising sea levels, droughts, and starvation due to crop failures.
Renewable energy, electric vehicles
We need to stop using oil for power generation and shift to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
We also need to replace gasoline and diesel cars with electric cars and hydrogen cars.
Afforestation
In addition, planting trees is also considered to be effective.
This is because plants take in carbon dioxide to produce oxygen for photosynthesis.
It is said that many civilizations have died out because the forests that were cut down gradually disappeared over time, causing the ecosystem to change.
Forests used to support human life.
Forests and Afforestation in Japan
In Japan, more than 70% of the land is covered with forests.
It is truly a country of forests.
However, 40% of the forests are actually forests planted by our ancestors.
Japanese people have long known that forests support many insects, birds, and animals.
And that the rich soil prevents landslides and floods from occurring due to rain.
They also knew that the rivers that flowed from the forests contained a lot of nutrients that nourished a variety of insects, amphibians, and fish.
Then that the rivers flowed into the ocean to increase plankton, which greatly contributed to the fishery.
That is why we have been planting trees for generations.
Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine, located in the center of Tokyo, was built in 1920.
Today, it has the atmosphere of an ancient forest with of 10,000 large, dense trees.
As soon as you get off the train at Harajuku Station and pass through the first Otorii Gate of Meiji Shrine, you will already feel something cool in the air.
This is because the dense trees are more than 90% water, which cools the breeze blowing through.
In fact, the Meiji Shrine was originally an empty wilderness.
When the idea of a shrine in honor of Emperor Meiji came up and a call was made for donations of trees.
The donations came in one after another from all over Japan.
The botanists of the time then got together and planned to use the 10,000 trees to create a natural artificial forest in this place.
With an emphasis on diversity (species) and multilayeredness (different heights), the forest was designed with the aim of creating a natural forest.
That would last, with little or no human intervention and with the power of nature to repeatedly change generations.
They planned for this forest to become a natural forest in 200 years.
Now it is 2021, so half of the plan has passed.
However, the forest is already deep, the trees are large, and it has the appearance of an ancient forest.
As you can here from my videos, there are many birds. Also there are many insects, fish in the pond and small raccoons too.
After 100 years various creatures live here in the ecosystem.
This is kinda way to reduce the carbon dioxide and make our life sustainable.
When you come to Tokyo, why don’t you come to Meiji Jingu Shrine and experience the atmosphere of this forest planned 100 years ago?
You will feel a contrast to the modern concrete jungle of Tokyo.
Also you will feel the one of the solutions against the global warming!
I’m Nobu, one heart enjoy together!!!