"Proposals" of the Science Council of Japan Some things that are familiar to us in our daily lives

"Recommendations" of the Science Council of Japan Some things that are familiar to us on October 18th, 5:12

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The "Science Council of Japan" is being discussed in the Diet.

Scientists play a role in expressing their opinions from a professional standpoint, but many of the "proposals" that are made are familiar to our lives.

The most frequently published method of expressing opinions by the Science Council of Japan is the "proposal" that is given as "opinions that hope to realize scientific matters."

While presenting various opinions on cutting-edge science and technology, such as those related to genome editing technology, there are many proposals that are familiar to our lives.

The recommendations that have been made include those that require children and pregnant women to take measures against second-hand smoke, and the need for legislation to create a society in which people called "transgenders" who have different mental and physical genders can live comfortably. Some have pointed out.

Also, in May of last year, before the spread of the new coronavirus, it was recommended that education on microorganisms and pathogens such as viruses should be enhanced in preparation for the "pandemic" of infectious diseases.

In addition, he pointed out that "summer time", which accelerates daylight saving time in summer, may affect health over a long period of time and is not always a measure against heat. "Introduction should be postponed." It is recommended.

In addition, in a proposal that summarizes measures to deal with the decline in voter turnout in elections announced six years ago, in areas where depopulation is progressing, cars carrying ballot boxes for early voting will move around the area. He mentioned the need for "ballot boxes" when they were not yet widespread nationwide.

We also propose "creating space" for the healthy growth of children

Professor Isami Kinoshita of Otsuma Women's University served as a collaborative member of the Science Council of Japan for 15 years until last month.

For the past two years, I have been the chairman of a group that thinks about the child's growth environment, and last month I compiled the "proposals" and submitted them to the Cabinet Office.

In addition to poverty alleviation, the content is wide-ranging, such as how schools and daycare centers should be developed.

Among them, Professor Kinoshita was deeply involved in the proposal for creating a space for children to grow up soundly.

He pointed out that the problem is that children's opportunities to play outside are decreasing due to the growing safety awareness of parents and the spread of smartphones.

Since there are many parks with prohibited items in the Tokyo metropolitan area, especially in Tokyo, it is possible to create a place where children can challenge dangerous play after establishing a system to watch over by people with specialized knowledge. I need it.

A specific example is a park called "Play Park," where specialized staff watch over children's play.

The play park operated by an NPO in Musashino City, Tokyo, has playground equipment that is more difficult to play than general parks, such as climbing a wall that is about 2 meters long, and you can also enjoy climbing trees and playing with fire.

Parents who visited said, "Children can take the initiative in playing games that cannot be done in ordinary parks, and I think that playworkers are also necessary for the growth of children. I want more places like this." Was asked.

Professor Kinoshita said, "It is a major mission of the Science Council to utilize the results of research in the lives of the people. I hope that the content of the recommendations will be reflected in the policies of the national and local governments, as well as the efforts of NPOs and regions. I was talking.

What is the expression of opinion of the Science Council of Japan?

There are seven ways the Science Council of Japan can express its opinions from a professional standpoint: "report," "answer," "recommendation," "request," "statement," "proposal," and "report."

Of these, the "report" is issued after receiving an inquiry from the government, and the "answer" is issued after receiving a deliberation request from the ministries and agencies.

The other five are voluntarily conducted by the Science Council.

The most frequently issued is "proposal".

From 2011 to the end of last month, there were 277 "proposals" issued in nearly 10 years, and 68 were announced, which is the largest number in the last 10 years.