Since FY 2020, I have been serving as chair of the Editorial Committee for the “’Eco-Act’ Kumamoto University environmental report.” We sometimes refer to environmental reports from other universities to help us plan the content and structure of our own, and I am delighted to have had the opportunity to connect with the “Kobe University environmental report 2024.” Here, I wish to off er some candid impressions.First, the message from President FUJISAWA Masato (Page 2) describes Kobe University’s strong commitment to and eff ective implementation of var-ious initiatives toward achieving carbon neutrality (CN). Kobe University has joined the Coalition for Achieving Carbon Neutrality and has taken on a lead-ership role in the working group. The university’s Offi ce for Promoting SDGs has established a Carbon Neutral Promotion Headquarters and implemented two symposia and a site visit in 2024 alone, as noted on the university’s website. An interview article titled “Kobe University’s approach to regional decarbonization utilizing its research resources” highlights the acquisition of useful information for the realization of a CN society in collaboration with local companies and students, as well as the implementation of a site visit that in-volved students. Under Fujisawa’s leadership, faculty, staff , and students alike demonstrate a sense of responsibility and determination to tackle CN chal-lenges and acknowledge their roles in shaping the future. This focus made me feel as though Kumamoto University must rise to the challenge in its own way.For humanity to sustainably utilize Earth’s resources and environment, it is necessary to reduce various human-induced environmental burdens. Fur-thermore, the execution of action policies requires multifaceted perspectives. In most cases, there are two sides to every action and reaction; therefore, addressing SDGs and CN challenges necessitates balancing these factors. The director of the Center for Environmental Management, UCHINO Takashi, illustrates this balance by referencing the rapidly growing fi eld of generative AI, noting the enormous energy consumption from semiconductor manufac-turing in the system development process, potentially impacting government decarbonization policies (Page 3). Recent efforts in Kumamoto to attract domestic and foreign semiconductor fi rms are expected to yield economic benefi ts, but will also raise important issues regarding energy consumption, decarbonization, and water resource preservation.In “Clothing and environmental issues” (Page 13), Professor INOUE Mari from the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment explores whether plastic or natural fibers are more environmentally friendly. Amid growing social concern about marine pollution caused by plastic waste and microplastics, the socially dominant view might favor natural fi bers for their biodegradability. However, Inoue points out the severe environmental im-pact of agricultural chemicals used in cotton cultivation due to soil pollution, which pollutes the soil and causes health problems for workers and local residents, as well as the vast amount of water required, providing a balanced assessment. Furthermore, Professor NAKAYAMA Keisuke from the Graduate School of Engineering succinctly explains the background and necessity of CN and introduces his “Freshwater carbon” initiative using aquatic plants (Page 17). The diverse and top-level initiatives at Kobe University illustrate robust, collaborative, and comprehensive eff orts aimed at maximizing out-comes.So, how can we pass on the SDGs and CN issues to students and other generations, so that they will not be a one-off eff ort? Actually, although the “Kumamoto University environmental report 2XXX ” can be freely downloaded from the university’s website, to be honest, it is not widely known among stu-dents. For younger generations accustomed to short videos, reading material that extends over several dozen pages may no longer be a medium that gets Grand Prize (Cover photo or illustration)Work by OSHINO Chisa, 3rd year,Faculty of Agricul-ture, Kobe UniversityShooting location: Rokko-dai Main BuildingPhotographer’s comment:Even the familiar Main Build-ing of the Rokkodai Campus off ers a completely diff erent landscape when viewed from the perspective of an insect.In order to further publicize this environmental report to our students (who comprise the majority of the university population), we created the cover by requesting photos and illustrations from undergraduate and graduate students at the university, as well as from students at our affi liated schools. The cover photo was select-ed by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Committee, with the photo below receiving the grand prize.From the many works submitted, we also selected two photos for Excellence Awards as shown below. We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all those who submitted photos and illustrations.through. For this reason, we plan to create a digest version of our report next year. We are also considering introducing the report in general education classes, presenting and submitting tasks, sharing information via videos and social media, and creating an environment where the reports are actively read and utilized.While space prevents me from mentioning all its contents, the “Kobe Univer-sity environmental report 2024” contains many insights beyond CN. I express my respect and gratitude to all the faculty, staff and related parties who con-tributed to its creation.Excellence Awards (Cover photo or illustration)Work by YANIGAKI Yu,2nd year master’s stu-dent, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe UniversityShooting location: Near the Kobe University Cen-tennial HallName: NAKATA HaruhikoCurrent position: Kumamoto UniversityAssociate professor, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology (Chemistry)al heritage scienceUnderstanding the dynamics and bioaccumulation patterns of trace harmful chemicals in the environment and evaluat-ing related risksHistorical research and preservation methods through chemical analysis of cultural heritage samplesWork by SHIRAKI Hodaka,2nd year master’s student, Graduate School of Sci-ence, Kobe UniversityShooting location: Between the Research Center for Advanced Membrane and Film Technology and Science and Technology Research Building 3Date of issue: September 2024Created by the Center for Environmental Management Inquiries: Kobe University Facilities Department, Equipment Division, Environmental Management Group1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo 657-85011) 20230908_University, etc. Coalition_Interview_Kobe University_v7-1.pdf (uccn2050.jp)2) https://www.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/daigakujouhou/jouhoukoukai/eco_ac1998 - Assistant, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Kumamoto University2002 - Ministry of Education research fellow abroad, Michigan State Universi-ty2003 - Research affi liate, State University of New York2007 - Associate professor, Graduate School of Science and Technology (Science), Kumamoto University□Awards received2015 - Environmental Chemistry Award, Japan Society for Environmental Chemistry□Research fi eld : Environmental chemistry, environmental risk science, cultur-□Affi liations : Japan Society for Environmental Chemistry, Japan Society on Water Environment, Japan Society for Scientifi c Studies on Cultural PropertiesSETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemis-try, USA)About the coverProfi leOutside opinion
元のページ ../index.html#8