Summer Landscape Drawn by Green Curtains: Kawaguchi City's Challenge (2007-2009)

Summer Landscape Drawn by Green Curtains: Kawaguchi City's Challenge (2007-2009)

--- (Japanese only)

Kawaguchi City (Saitama Prefecture) - May 2007
Kawaguchi City launched "Operation Green Curtain" on April 24, 2007, in an attempt to block direct sunlight in summer and reduce the rise in room temperature by planting bitter gourd and other vine plants on the walls of the city hall building. This is expected to reduce the amount of air-conditioning used, resulting in an annual reduction of approximately 800 tons of CO₂ emissions. The project also attracted attention as a community-wide global warming countermeasure by encouraging citizens to install green curtains at their homes. In addition to the practice at the government building, cooking classes and other events were scheduled, showing the expansion of this participatory environmental awareness program.

This activity was highly praised by citizens and was selected as one of Kawaguchi City's "10 Greatest City Government News of 2007. The city has continued to promote "Operation Green Curtain" since then, and in 2009 held a seminar and hands-on training event at the Greening Center and Asahi Environmental Center. Participants experienced everything from making planters to planting seedlings, and the experience has been put to practical use at home.

--- "Green Curtain Project" (Japanese only)

Related Sources (noun):
- News report of the start of the initiative (April 2007)
- Kawaguchi City Ten Major News Items (2007)
- Green curtain workshop (2009)