Cross-generational problems impose a burden on the future by enjoying the present.
Speaking of Japan's unique problem, the pension problem corresponds to it.
The pension system, which was introduced at the time of the Kishi Cabinet in 1961, provides money as a pension to the elderly aged 65 and over. A pay-as-you-go system is adopted for this, and the working generation bears the pension for the elderly at that time.
As you know, the aging of Japan is unprecedented in the world, and it is confirmed that one in three people will enter the age of the elderly by 2050. Demographics, unlike stocks and exchanges, cannot be overturned.
The decrease in the population of young people who support the elderly and the increase in the number of elderly people who can support them means that the burden on young people will increase and the pensions that cannot be covered will have to be reduced.
In other words, the burden on both payers and recipients will increase dramatically now and in the future compared to 30 years ago. * In 2052, the national pension will be exhausted and the amount received will decrease significantly.
Originally, in order to correct this inequality, the system would have to be changed or the amount of pension payments would have to be reduced. The government, including the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare staff, is aware of this.
Then why can't we?
It's just a matter of politics, but now that the elderly occupy the majority of the population, policies that go against their interests will affect elections. As a politician, modifying pensions is taboo.
Currently, there is a survey that 20% of the elderly are already in poverty. If the amount received is reduced, poverty will spread further and many problems will arise. The idea that it is good even now makes the pension problem a problem that transcends generations.
Return to the main subject.
The problem of global warming can be said to be one of the problems that transcends generations.
And its structure is similar to the Japanese pension problem.
There are various global issues such as plastic issues and food issues, but none of them will have as critical an impact as global warming issues.
It has not been scientifically proven whether greenhouse gases affect current global warming and can prevent global warming → sea level rise by reducing it (it cannot be prevented in the case of the global temperature cycle). . It was hotter in the dinosaur era.) Will slow down the rate of warming.
If the Antarctic ice melts due to global warming, there is no doubt that sea level will rise by several meters. And much of the land, including Tokyo, Japan, will sink below the surface of the water.
Furthermore, if the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises, it will stay on the surface of the sea, and there is a concern that it will explode when brought close to fire. It will also have a major impact on ecosystems and agriculture.
Below is an article on COP26 on November 14, 2021.
The 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) adopted the outcome document after two weeks of negotiations on the 13th. Regarding coal-fired power generation, the expression was weakened from the original plan of "gradual abolition" to "gradual reduction."
Regarding the "gradual abolition" of coal-fired power generation included in the original plan, China and India will oppose it, and the wording will accelerate efforts for the gradual reduction of coal-fired power generation without emission reduction measures. It was changed.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the outcome but said it was "not enough" and "we continue to knock on the doors of the climate catastrophe."
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg reiterated her previous comment, saying that COP26 had no success and was just talking about meaningless things.
The European Commission has announced that the goals of the Paris Agreement have been maintained. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, since before the Industrial Revolution.The "gradual abolition" of coal-fired power generation, which was originally aimed at, was brilliantly revised to "gradual reduction".
Many countries, from developing and developed countries, participate in the conference. In particular, many developing countries rely on thermal power generation. Abolishing this means switching power generation to nuclear power or clean energy. It is obvious that there are many costs and uncertainties.
Developed countries, including European countries, have already begun to switch to nuclear power and clean energy. Considering the risk of land loss in the country, we can understand the desire to proceed with the gradual abolition. On the other hand, India, which opposed this proposal, is a developing country. Right now, we are in the process of industrializing and modernizing and aiming to join the ranks of developed countries. How difficult it is to draw one conclusion at the same table in the presence of many such countries.
If you compare Japan's aging problem, India and other developing countries that need coal power generation are active elderly people, and Tuvalu Maldives and other countries that are less than 4 meters above sea level and are in danger are young people. be. Western countries are politicians who have to reduce their pensions.
The sad part of this problem is that even if we sacrifice various things to reduce global carbon emissions to zero, we cannot guarantee that global warming will stop.
