Summary of Japan's Lessons on the Economy and the Environment: Our Pollution Experience Part 3 of 4

00:00:00 - 00:05:00

This video discusses Japan's experience with pollution and the various movements that have arisen in response, with a focus on the anti-pollution movement. It discusses the role of the media in censoring Japan's polluters and the costs associated with pollution control and energy efficiency measures in the 1970s and 1980s.

• 00:00:00 This video discusses Japan's experience with pollution and the various movements that have arisen in response. The most significant of these movements is the anti-pollution movement, which began in 1967 after a Bertha coal mine explosion caused widespread environmental damage. In 1968, a tie in court cases regarding pollution-related health damage caused by Bertha and two other mines led to the Ministry of Health and Welfare officially acknowledging that pollution from these mines was the cause of the diseases. In 1969, a scientific study proved that organic mercury from the Chi cell factory was the cause of Minamata disease, and in 1971 the courts found in favor of the plaintiffs in four major pollution cases. This led to the enactment of the pollution related health damage compensation law in 1973. Dr. Michio Hashimoto, president of the Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center, discusses the history of pollution and the changes that have occurred in society and business in response to the movement against pollution. He also talks about the role of the media in censoring Japan's polluters.
• 00:05:00 This video discusses the influence of pollution on the Japanese economy and how the government responded to the issue. It also discusses the costs associated with pollution control and energy efficiency measures in the 1970s and 1980s.