Course:VANT149/2022/Capstone/Arts/GroupD6
Title of the proposal
The effects of climate change on Japan's population
Research question
How is climate change impacting the population's health in Japan?
Student researcher names
Zihan Zeng, Valeria Luna, Rita Yammine
Project proposal summary
| The research focuses on the goal number thirteen of the United Nations: climate change, which aims to raise awareness about it and promote action. Current research shows that Japan is one of the highest fossil fuel producers and this has raised climate change impacts in Japan. As Japan is highly dependent on fossil fuels, it has made its population more vulnerable to acquiring diseases, such as respiratory or heart related diseases. There is a lot of scientific information about the consequences of climate change on Japan’s population health. However, there is a lack of information on what the population has to say about this problem. It is important to know what the population thinks to find better ways to raise awareness about climate change and promote action. Therefore, the research question is “how is climate change affecting Japan’s population health?”, the group will investigate the positive correlation there is between climate change and the increase of diseases through analyzing surveys done in Japan’s hospitals. The people who will be surveyed will be people at hospitals since they are a vulnerable sector of the population (pregnant women, children, or people who already have any kind of disease). The objective of the research is to investigate the positive correlation between climate change and diseases, such as, heart and respiratory diseases. Finally, through analyzing people’s answers, the group will find better ways to raise awareness and promote action. |
Project Objectives and Contribution to Scholarship
There is plenty of scientific information about the consequences that climate change can have on people’s health in Japan, such as increased heart and respiratory diseases. However, there is a lack of information on what Japan’s population has to say about this problem. Therefore, the main goal of the proposal is to fill out the research gap by analyzing the survey’s answers that will be realized in people in Japan’s hospitals and examine the positive correlation between climate change and diseases. Regarding its contribution to scholarship, analyzing people’s answers will help us promote awareness about the positive correlation. Moreover, educating people about climate change, specifically a vulnerable sector in the population (people at hospitals). Overall, as a group, we chose this research question because it is important to know what people think to create awareness of the consequences of climate change on people’s health.
Connection of Research Proposal to Sustainability
Because climate change might have serious consequences, there is a strong desire to practice sustainability, particularly in Japan, which has one of the world's most afflicted environments (Adebayo, Tomiwa S., 2021).Many variables influence sustainability. To build healthy communities, we need clean water and air, natural resources, and a nontoxic environment. As the population grows, we will require more resources such as power, water, and space.
Literature Review
We chose number thirteen from the United Nations sustainable development goals: climate action. This goal focuses on raising awareness and promoting action to prevent the increase of climate change. One of the leading climate change contributors is fossil fuel production. Japan is one of the highest fossil fuel emitters, distinctively from carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the gasses that increase climate change impacts (Kondoh, 2009). Moreover, Japan is the only G7 country that continues to build coal-fired power stations, one of the essential fuels contributing to climate change and thus global warming (Irfan, 2020). As Japan highly depends on fossil fuels, it has negatively affected the environment and, therefore, Japan’s population health. In fact, Japan is one of the countries that has been the most affected by climate change, due to extreme weather patterns and socio-economic losses.
On the government’s side, Japan's government stated that increased temperatures could also provide better growth conditions for disease-causing organisms and parasites (Government of Japan, 2006). For example, massive fossil fuel use contributes to the rise of temperatures and thus, has made the plants produce more pollen which causes more allergies and diseases related to allergies. Moreover, studies suggest that increased tem peratures can contribute to heart-related diseases (Government of Japan, 2006). As Japan is one of the most significant fossil emitters, such as CO2, its population is at risk of acquiring health-related problems, demonstrating the importance of targeting climate change.
References
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