Japan Energy Crisis: Workers Asked to Dress Coolly to Beat Summer Heat
June 1, 2011 — -- In Tokyo today, a government-sponsored fashion show kicked off the "Super Cool Biz" campaign to encourage workers to adopt a breezier look this summer.
"We have a power shortage this year," said Environment Minister Ryu Matsumoto, dressed in an open-collar shirt. "The government is calling for a 15 percent cut in electrical usage."
Office buildings are being told to set their thermostats to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Everywhere, escalators and elevators have been shut down. The Environment Ministry advised workers to use gel sheets or eat foods that cool the body. It also suggested that employees limit overtime hours, work from home and take two weeks of vacation.
Matsumoto told The Associated Press today that the campaign was not only for the summer. "This is going to be a big event to change the way of life in Japan and people's lifestyles," he said.
Nuclear Plant Becomes Bucket of Toxic Water
The push to save energy comes from Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant being taken out. New time-lapsed images from the March 11 tsunami show waves crashing over the 49-foot seawall at the power plant, turning the radiation-waste treatment facility into a giant bucket of toxic water.
Officials say it's now clear that three reactors melted down, their walls giving way and radiation seeping out. Though the reactors have cooled, radiation is still seeping into the atmosphere.
United Nations inspectors who spent the last week touring the broken nuclear reactors now believe that sealing the site for good will take years.
A group of 20 senior citizens, including Yasutero Yamada, 72, has volunteered for the dangerous job. "We are not kamikaze," he told ABC News. "Of course, there's risk but not of death."
Japan has plunged into a recession because of the power crisis. In the U.S., carmaker Toyota reported that last month's sales were down 28 percent. Sales in its Lexus division were down 45 percent because of worries about supplies.
Cars that should be in showrooms are turning Japanese docks into giant junk yards. Last month, Japanese automakers agreed to work weekends when energy usage is lightest.
The Associated Press contribute to this article.
