Japan for Sustainability

Environmental Communication Awards 2008 Announced

2009-07-03T21:00:15Z

The Ministry of the Environment and the Global Environmental Forum have selected the winners of the 12th Environmental Communication Awards, which are given for outstanding efforts in environmental communication. The award ceremony was held on March 16, 2009. In the environmental reports category, the grand prize for environmental reporting was given to Ricoh Co., the grand prize for sustainability reporting to Teijin Ltd., and the grand prize for measures against global warming to Toshiba Corp. In other categories, the grand prizes in the environmental activity reports category and in the environmental television spots category were awarded to Sugar & Spice Modeling Agency and Sumitomo Forestry Co., respectively.

In its environmental report, Ricoh has set a drastic target for reducing the general environmental impact as a long-term goal toward 2050 and Teijin has established a target for reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2020 and is involved in a closed-loop recycling system for polyester products, known as the ECO CIRCLE, while Toshiba indicated that it will manage the specific progress of Environmental Vision 2050, which aims to reduce global CO2 emissions by 50 percent in 2050. Each of these efforts scored very highly, and thus earned the grand prizes.

Sugar & Spice has been making an effort to protect the global environment by donating part of the profits from its environmental contribution business, which exceeds the existing framework of advertising businesses. Sumitomo Forestry's TV commercial, Kikorin's Forest series, has plainly emphasized to the public the significance of protecting forests in Japan and producing houses using domestic timber for environmental sustainability.

Ricoh, Suntory Win 10th Environmental Communication Awards (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026687.html

Posted: 2009/07/04 06:00:15 AM

Toyota Launches Development of Home Energy Management System with Power Storage Function

2009-07-02T21:00:15Z

Toyota Motor Corp. and Toyota Housing Corp. announced on April 14, 2009, that they have begun developing a new Home Energy Management System (HEMS) capable of storing electricity, and aim for its commercial release in fiscal 2011.

Like conventional HEMSs, the system under development can display the amount of energy consumption and control operations of home appliances such as air-conditioners and lighting fixtures, as well as water heaters, by utilizing computer network technology. In addition, the new HEMS features a function to store energy from cheaper off-peak electricity and other surplus energy. The companies aim to combine the new system with a photovoltaic system, which are expected to be pervasive, and with plug-in hybrid-electric and electric vehicles, which are expected to be more common in the near future.

The prototype equipped with a lithium-ion battery has already been completed. The product will be priced at around several hundred thousand yen (several thousand U.S.$) when released onto the market.

Posted: 2009/7/03 06:00:15 AM

Japanese Company Opens Eco-Friendly Day Care Center

2009-07-01T21:00:15Z

JP Holdings, Inc., a major Japanese supplier of childcare services, opened an eco-friendly day care center in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, on April 1, 2009. The Kids Plaza Asuku Nanakoudai Day Care Center has an eco-friendly play area for kids to interact with nature which includes a well, a hill, a small creek, a pond and a wind turbine. The day care center also features multiage childcare and food education provided to children through their self-subsistence activities.

Aiming to encourage children to understand the importance of healthy eating and appreciation of food, the day care center has rented a neighboring vacant farmland and lets children participate in growing vegetables and fruits, which are cooked at the day care center and served on the lunch menu. JP Holdings has introduced this food education into this new day care center, based on their experiences that children in its other day care centers became able to eat whatever vegetables they had grown in garden planters.

The day care center has a 100% wooden building with an air conditioning system that utilizes geothermal energy, which is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the building by 35 to 40 percent compared with conventional air conditioners. In this eco-friendly system, heat is extracted from 100 meters underground by a geothermal heat exchanger to produce hot or cool water in a heat pump. The temperature in the building remains approximately 18 degrees Celsius even during midwinter as the outside air taken by the pump is properly controlled before coming indoors.

In addition, the overall design of the day care center allows cool breezes from neighboring hills to pass through the building in the summer. With these creative designs, JP Holdings aims to create a traditional human living environment without depending on air conditioners.

Posted: 2009/07/02 06:00:15 AM

Donation of Ricoh and Taisei Designs to World Commons Brings Total Close to 100 Eco-Friendly Pledged Patents

2009-06-30T21:00:15Z

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) announced on March 23, 2009, that the Eco-Patent Commons was recently joined by Ricoh Co., a major business equipment manufacturer, and Taisei Corp., a leading engineering construction company. The Eco-Patent Commons, launched by the WBCSD and four companies in January 2008, is a common resource of design patents pledged to the public domain, so that anyone wanting to protect the environment can have open access to the environment-friendly technologies.

The donors participating in the Eco-Patent Commons initiative currently include nine world-class companies representing a variety of business fields, with Sony, IBM Nokia, and Pitney Bowes as the four founding members; Bosch, DuPont, and Xerox as additional members since September 2008; and Ricoh and Taisei as the newcomers. Nearly 100 eco-friendly patents have been pledged so far, some of which have already been utilized in practice.

Ricoh pledged a patent that effectively reduces the waste involved with removable cartridges for devices such as copy machines and printers. Taisei pledged two patents, one that provides a solution to improve water quality by using special concrete blocks in rivers and lakes under development. The other patent offers a water purification technology that effectively circulates water in shallow waters such as lakes and reservoirs. (More information on the Eco-Patent Commons is available at the following website.)

Sony and Others Go Open with Patents on Environmental Technologies (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027027.html
Ricoh and Taisei Join Eco-Patent Commons, DuPont Contributes Additional Eco-friendly Patents
http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/
details.asp?DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzM3ODM

Posted: 2009/07/01 06:00:15 AM

Local Assemblies Appeal to Japan's Government to Enact Climate Protection Act

2009-06-29T21:00:15Z

The Kyoto City Assembly adopted on December 16, 2008, a statement to appeal to the Japanese government to enact the proposed Climate Protection Act, which is designed to avoid dangerous climate change. In response to such statement made by a local assembly, the executive committee of the Make the Rule Campaign, which is working at local assembly levels to promote an effective scheme to curb global warming, called for action nationwide. As of March 25, 2009, two prefectures and 92 municipalities had adopted a resolution or a statement on the act, and 123,295 persons had signed the petition.

Attended by more than 50 non-governmental organizations in Japan as executive committee members, the campaign calls for setting mid- and long-term targets to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by December 2009, when the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15) is held in Copenhagen, as well as creating a scheme to reach the targets.

The committee proposed the outline of the tentatively named Climate Protection Act on September 2, 2008, which sets targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 and 2050 at 30 and 80 percent, respectively, from the 1990 levels, and stipulates that 20 percent of primary energy should be supplied from renewable energy sources.

The campaign also calls for establishing new economic instruments, such as a domestic emission trading system and a carbon tax, and promoting renewable energy use through their compulsory purchase at fixed prices, and thus proposes a way to realize a low-carbon society in Japan, from the citizen perspective.

NPO Undertakes Drafting for Climate Protection Act (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027168.html

Posted: 2009/06/30 06:00:15 AM

Mitsubishi Electric Launches Advanced PV Modules for Stand-Alone Systems

2009-06-28T21:00:15Z

Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corp. launched four models of their advanced photovoltaic (PV) modules, suitable for use in overseas stand-alone solar power generation systems on April 10, 2009. Targeted areas are central regions of the USA and remote areas in developing countries where local infrastructure, such as power generation plants or the electricity grid, is insufficient.

The stand-alone system comprises a solar power generation system equipped with storage batteries, and supplies electricity without being linked to proprietary grids. Mitsubishi Electric's new PV modules for stand-alone systems consist of models with outputs from 115 to 130 Watts, and their operating voltages are suitable for a 12-volt rechargeable battery, which is most widely used in stand-alone PV systems. When compared to the company's conventional models, the new models have specifications that are more suitable for installation environments in the central USA and remote areas in developing countries. Mitsubishi Electric says the new models will meet the diverse demands of various countries and usage patterns.

Mitsubishi Electric expects the USA market volume of the PV system to surpass one gigaWatt per year by 2012, about 20 percent of which will be stand-alone systems to power streetlights, traffic signals and water sprinklers. Stand-alone systems are also being adopted in Asia and Africa to meet electricity demands in rural areas, where infrastructure is lacking.

Mitsubishi Electric Launches Small-Size Photovoltaic Module for Overseas Markets (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028627.html
Mitsubishi Electric Announces New Photovoltaic Modules for Stand-Alone Systems
http://global.mitsubishielectric.com/news/news_releases/
2009/mel0734.pdf

Posted: 2009/06/29 06:00:15 AM

Honda Subsidiary Releases Motorcycle Running on Bioethanol-Blended Gas

2009-06-27T21:00:15Z

Moto Honda da Amazonia Ltda., a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. in Brazil which produces and sells motorcycles and power products, launched the CG150 Titan Mix flex-fuel motorcycle in Brazil in the middle of March, 2009. The CG150 Titan Mix is a small-sized motorcycle which can run on gasoline-bioethanol mixtures in any ratio.

This model, which carries a Mix Fuel Injection System, a flex-fuel technology developed independently by Honda, is the first motorcycle in the world equipped with flex-fuel technology. Adopting the technology, the model helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as fuel costs.

In Brazil, flex-fuel automobiles are already popular, accounting for about 90 percent of the number of newly sold automobiles. However, Honda's new model is the first flex-fuel motorcycle in the market. The company intends to continue efforts to develop and promote motorcycles equipped with eco-friendly technologies.

RITE and Honda Develop Bio-Ethanol Production Technology (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026516.html
Honda worldwide site
http://world.honda.com/

Posted: 2009/06/28 06:00:15 AM

New Solar Film Utilizing Indoor Light to be Commercialized by 2010 in Japan

2009-06-26T21:00:15Z

Toppan Forms Co., a Japanese information management solution company, announced on March 16, 2009, that by 2010 the company is going to commercialize a power generating organic film, a solar cell which can utilize low-intensity light such as indoor light. This thin-film solar cell is based on technology developed by Konarka Technologies, Inc., an American organic solar cell development company.

Currently, the majority of solar cells on the market are made of silicon and have some limitations for wider application. They need to be installed outside where a lot of sunshine is available, and they are not portable due to their weight and thickness. They also require a large initial investment that takes time to recover. The new photovoltaic film, however, can convert indoor light to power. It is as thin as 400 micrometers and weighs only 500 grams per square meter, which makes it more flexible and versatile than conventional solar cells. The new film is also cost-effective as it can be manufactured by traditional printing coaters.

Toppan Forms intends to apply the new thin-film solar cell to various goods: furnishings such as window shades and curtains; office equipment such as partitions and whiteboards; products for commercial facilities such as posters and showcases; fabric products such as clothes and lap robes; and portable products such as handbooks and roll up chargers.

Toppan Forms Co. official website
http://www.toppan-f.co.jp/
Konarka Technologies, Inc. official website
http://www.konarka.com/index.php

Posted: 2009/06/27 06:00:15 AM

Ecological Utopia 'Millennium City' to Start Taking Residents' Ideas

2009-06-25T21:00:15Z

A Japanese non-profit organization, the "Millennium City," is building eco-villages in Chiba and Tokyo prefectures, aiming to create an ideal society where residents can develop their community based on their own ecological concepts. The eco-villages are self-supporting, sustainable communities in which urban areas, farmlands and forests are integrated. The NPO expects that the ecological living in such a community will help restore the global environment and foster connections among residents while allowing them to reconsider modern lifestyles and values which impact the environment.

The eco-villages promoted by the NPO will implement self-supporting renewable energy system and practice half self-sufficient food system to shift from a conventional consumption society to sustainable society. The villages feature many other creative features: a water heating system using plastic bottles, a biotope to purify the effluent water from the sewage treatment tank, and a summer cooling and winter warming environment provided by tall deciduous trees around the houses. The villages will also introduce a community currency which can be earned through volunteer activities.

Since its establishment in 1999, the NPO has completed the first eco-village named Kurimoto Millennium City in Katori City, Chiba Prefecture, and two other villages are under construction and will be completed in the near future.

Posted: 2009/06/26 06:00:15 AM

Certification and Dissemination System for Recycled Food Enters Operational Stage

2009-06-24T21:00:15Z

The Japan Food Industry Center (JFIC) and the Japan Soil Association (JSA) began full operation of a Certification and Dissemination System for Recycled Food on April 1, 2009. The aim is to develop a certification system for fertilizers utilizing recyclable food resources (effectively recyclable leftover food), and to provide identification marks for farm products grown using such fertilizers, as well as food processed from these farm products.

By including certification numbers and identification marks on the recycled food, JFIC and JSA intend to support food businesses and to help consumers select food products. When certifying fertilizers having a certain level of quality, such as including 10 percent or more recyclable food resources, together with the safety of the resources, JSA issues certification numbers and permits fertilizer companies to have identification marks on the products. Farm products grown using such fertilizers and processed foods made from these farm products (provided that content rates are five percent or more) are also allowed to carry identification marks.

Farm products grown with the certified food recycling fertilizers and processed foods made from such farm products are registered on the public database SEICA (Internet catalog for farm products http://seica.info). SEICA catalog numbers are printed on each label, along with identification marks, enabling consumers to verify information on production and delivery through the Internet.

Japanese City Teaches Students about Food and Environment by Recycling School Lunch Waste (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027086.html

Posted: 2009/06/25 06:00:15 AM

Marui Introduces New Carbon Neutral Business Shirts

2009-06-23T21:00:15Z

Marui Group Co., a large Japanese retailer, has launched a new line of eco-friendly business shirts on February 16, 2009. Sold under its private brand "Visaruno," the shirts are labeled with a carbon footprint--which is already offset by carbon credits purchased by the retailer.

Marui is the only apparel retailer currently participating in the Study Group for Developing and Promoting a Carbon Footprint Program, which was initiated by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2008. The retailer had been moving forward with the program and had displayed its prototype at the Eco-Products Exhibition in December 2008.

A total of 9,812 grams of carbon dioxide emissions are generated during the lifecycle of the shirt as its carbon footprint, including 571 grams in material procurement and 8,480 grams in the manufacturing process. The retailer purchases emission reduction credits from the REI Agro Wind Farm Project in India through Carbon Offset Japan, a non-profit organization,

The shirts are available at 28 locations, including Marui stores and "Visaruno" shops, for 6,900 yen each (about U.S. $70), including tax. They are also available online.

Ministry to Proceed with Carbon Footprint Program (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028738.html

Posted: 2006/06/24 06:00:15 AM

[Newsletter] Sustainable Resource Procurement a Big Part of Becoming One of the World's Top Five Pulp and Paper Companies: The Journey of the Nippon Paper Group

2009-06-23T06:51:18Z

JFS Newsletter No.81 (May 2009)
"Towards a Sustainable Japan -- Corporations at Work" (No. 79)
http://www.np-g.com/e/index.html

Japan's Nippon Paper Group is a leading pulp and paper company in Japan and the rest of Asia. Its management vision is guided by four ideals: achieving good and stable profits for shareholders; winning and keeping the trust of customers; having positive, forward-looking employees; and maintaining solid corporate ethical performance.

In 2007, however, it was found that some of its mills were emitting amounts of soot and smoke that exceeded emission standards, besides some cases of handling data inappropriately. It was then disclosed in 2008 that three companies of the Group had been manufacturing and distributing certain recycled-paper products with substandard de-inked pulp content and had misrepresented the quality of that content.

In response, the Group management placed a top priority on restoring trust in the company. First, in the Group's Sustainability Report 2008 it clarified the process that resulted in misrepresentation of the recycled content of its pulp, including the causes and then the measures to prevent a recurrence of the problem. The report also included the measures now in place to prevent excess soot and smoke emissions. By aiming to take full advantage of the information in the report, which offered opportunities for the company to reconsider how its products impact the environment and society, the Nippon Paper Group has been trying to increase the awareness of employees about compliance issues and accelerate its progress in environmental and sustainable activities.
(See the Sustainability Report 2008 at
http://www.np-g.com/contents/000186104.pdf.)

In particular, the Group is now focused on four challenges that stakeholders have said they are highly interested in: acting to counter global warming, the sustainable procurement of raw materials, promoting the recycling of used paper, and engaging in activities that contribute to society.

In this issue of the JFS Newsletter, we look at the Nippon Paper Group's efforts in the area of sustainable resource procurement, which includes parts of an interview with Hiromi Ito -- Deputy General Manager of the Corporate Social Responsibility Department of the Corporate Social Responsibility Division, Nippon Paper Group Inc. -- and Tetsuo Matsumoto -- Senior Manager of Forest Resources Department of Raw Materials and Purchasing Division, Nippon Paper Industries Company.

Nippon Paper's Green Action Plan 2010

The Group established the Nippon Paper Group Charter on the Environment in 2001, and revised it in 2007. It emphasizes a fundamental respect for biodiversity and is based on the philosophy that the Group should work on environmental conservation at the global scale, from a long-term point of view, and contribute to the creation of a recycling-oriented society.

In the revised Charter on the Environment, six items were set as basic policy, and the Green Action Plan 2010 was formulated to promote them. The Group has since been making efforts on each item, in accordance with the action plan. For sustainable growth of its pulp and paper business, it is important to build systems and structures to sustainably procure forest resources, the major raw material of the industry. Under one of its basic policies, "Protect and develop forest resources," the Group laid out four goals: (1) promote the "Tree Farm Initiative," an overseas afforestation project; (2) acquire forest certification of all company-owned forests in Japan and abroad; (3) increase the proportion of material from certified or afforested forests to 100% of imported hardwood chips; and (4) develop advanced technologies to boost timber cultivation.

Company Sets a Goal to Develop 200,000 Hectares of Plantation Forest

The Group launched its overseas afforestation project, called the "Tree Farm Initiative," in 1992 to secure a sustainable source of hardwood chips for its operations. More specifically, the initiative focuses on managing a raw material supply sustainably under a ten-year plantation cycle by planting trees and then harvesting and using them after ten years, once they have grown large enough.

The Group initially set a goal of developing 100,000 hectares of tree plantations by 2008, yet it achieved this two years earlier than originally planned. Now it has a new goal of having more than 200,000 hectares of plantations by 2015.

According to Matsumoto, it is extremely important to coexist with local communities in foreign countries when promoting afforestation projects. He said, "Just planting trees is not enough. By considering various factors comprehensively, ranging from ecosystems in the area to social contributions and addressing labor issues, we can operate our projects more smoothly."

In its afforestation project in Chile, for instance, the Group is promoting the planting of eucalyptus trees while respecting the local culture of Indian traditions, which is in line with Chilean governmental policy. And in South Africa, as the national government places emphasis on economic development in rural areas, the Group's initiative includes providing job opportunities for people in farming villages, as well as contributing to local society by offering wood from forest thinning work for local firewood use and installing water storage tanks to supply safe drinking water.

As well, in Australia, a country rich in forest resources, the Group's afforestation business is conducted by three of its related companies, and operated in accordance with the nation's strict forest management regulations and agreements to conserve the natural environment and ecosystems.

Since the environmental impacts of shrinking forests began to be reported, the topic of sustainable use and conservation of forest resources in Tasmania has been actively discussed by the Australian government, Tasmanian state government, and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for many years. Based on such a background, both Ito and Matsumoto said, "Australia has been thoroughly promoting the conservation of biodiversity. No other country has a stricter forest management system than Australia."

Nippon Paper is also making efforts to deepen mutual understanding on Tasmanian forest issues. For instance, it participated in a tripartite meeting of representatives of Japanese paper manufacturers, the Tasmanian state government, and Australian environmental NGOs in May 2008.

Another good example of the Group's efforts to participate and coexist with local society where it operates is the Bunbury Treefarm Project, a sustainable forestation project in Bunbury, West Australia. Here, an effective land-use farming method called agroforestry is being practiced by growing trees, farm crops, and raising livestock, all on the same piece of land. Meanwhile, one of its related companies has been conducting long-term water quality research in the Blackwood River, which runs through southwestern West Australia. The project also links the research activities with an environmental education program offered to local elementary and junior high schools.

Matsumoto said, "Forestry is an industry deeply rooted in localities. We think it is necessary to address issues concerning each local society, whether domestic or overseas, and make a conscious effort to develop together with those communities."

Moving Toward Sustainable Forest Management

Nippon Paper Group has been working on activities to conserve forest resources, such as shifting its total imports of hardwood chips to those supplied from certified forests or tree plantations, as well as acquiring forest certification for its domestic and overseas forests in fiscal 2008.

Ito said, "The main ingredient of most of our paper products, such as copier paper, is hardwood chips. According to data on the procurement of imported hardwood, Nippon Paper purchases more from outside suppliers' tree farms than from in-house tree farms. Based on the assumption that this trend will continue for the time being, we are trying to enhance the traceability of imported wood chips." Regarding the Group's procurement policy, "Besides monitoring each supplier's compliance with related regulations, we look at the regulations in suppliers' countries and confirm that their operations meet our requirements for corporate social responsibility, or CSR," added Matsumoto.

The Group set the challenging goal of obtaining forest certification for its own forests both domestically and abroad by 2008, as it had set the same challenge for overseas suppliers of hardwood to obtain third-party forest certification for that same year.

All of the company-owned domestic forests had obtained forest stewardship accreditation by 2007 from Japan's Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC), which is based on Japanese standards. As for the forests abroad, the Group set the goal of attaining certification from either the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) or from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) -- which are the two dominant performance-related forest management certification schemes that evaluate forest quality and conditions -- and ISO14001, which is an environmental management system certification. The Group fulfilled its commitment of having all overseas plantations certified before the end of fiscal 2008.

Domestic Paper Mills Utilizing Local Materials

Regarding the Group's overall procurement of raw materials, 70 percent is imported and 30 percent is from Japanese forests. More specifically, 60 percent of its coniferous forest resources come from Japanese sources, which was accomplished largely by more effectively utilizing wood waste from lumber mills. In particular, the Asahikawa Mill in Hokkaido Prefecture and the Iwanuma Mill in Miyagi Prefecture get their wood materials almost entirely from domestic sources.

Ito said, "The Yatsushiro Mill in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, has an outstanding performance in processing cedar trees, which are difficult to process as a raw material for paper. The Kyushu area is a big producer of cedar trees, and by utilizing this local product, the mill produces newsprint from cedar and recycled paper pulp."

For its domestic mills, the Group is engaged in reducing fossil fuel use by promoting energy saving and fuel conversion through the introduction of biomass boilers. These efforts are aimed at reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is one of the goals in its Green Action Plan 2010.

Specifically, Nippon Paper's emissions reduction target per unit of production is a 16 percent cut of CO2 emitted from fossil fuel use and a 20 percent cut of fossil fuel use compared to the 1990 levels. Ito said, "We utilize black liquor, a byproduct of making pulp from woodchips, as a fuel, and it provides one-third of all our energy needs. Non-fossil fuels provides about 40 percent of all the energy used by the Group, and our challenge is finding ways to increase this rate." Then he added, "Along with all our trials and errors in our efforts towards sustainable corporate activities that also protect the global environment, we are striving to be one of the top five paper and pulp companies in the world by 2015, along with the aim of being a corporate group that generates genuine value for society."

Written by Reiko Aomame

Elephants and Sweet Potatoes to Feed Osaka's Closed-Loop Project to Mitigate Heat Island Effects

2009-06-22T21:00:15Z

Image by Dai44. Some Rights Reserved.

The mayor of Osaka, Kunio Hiramatsu, announced on February 18, 2009, that the city will carry out a closed-loop project using sweet potatoes and elephants in fiscal 2009. To mitigate the urban heat island effect in summer, the city aims to green the rooftop of City Hall with sweet potato plants and use the plant vines and leaves that are usually disposed of for feeding elephants in Tennoji zoo. The elephant's dung is then used as fertilizer to grow sweet potatoes.

As an effort to revitalize Osaka under a theme of "eco-friendly," the city plans to create a "green carpet" of sweet potatoes on the rooftop of the City Hall. Other ward offices, as well as elementary and junior high schools also plan to create "green curtains" of goya (bitter gourd).

The plant vines and leaves, which are usually thrown away as garbage after sweet potatoes are harvested in autumn, can be utilized as feed for elephants. The elephants' resulting dung can then be used as fertilizer for flowers and vegetables. The mayor said this is an "ultimate example of recycling," and that it would be a good opportunity for adults and children to become more conscious of the environment.

Rooftop Sweet Potatoes Win Eco-Products Award (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027047.html
Osaka City official website
http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/

Posted: 2009/06/23 06:00:15 AM

Students Enjoy Greening School Rooftop as Memory of Graduation

2009-06-21T21:00:15Z

Matsuba Primary School in Taito Ward of Metropolitan Tokyo completed greening its rooftop (285 square meters) at the end of March 2009. The green area comprises lawn, gardens and a biotope (a small ecological area). Twenty-five students on the cusp of graduation in March planted 30 pots of rosaceous plants with their teachers and students representing lower grades on February 24. The Rhaphiolepis Enchantress evergreen shrubs produce white or rose-pink five-petaled flowers around May.

"We want the children to feel and appreciate greenery, and to remain interested in environmental issues such as global warming," said the principal, hoping that the greening would have an educational effect on the graduates while giving them good memories.

Since 2003, Taito Ward, with a limited green area, has been actively promoting the greening of its building rooftops, walls and verandas as a countermeasure for global warming and the urban heat island effect. The primary school is the tenth facility in the ward to have greened its building. The ward plans to continue its systematic greening scheme in fiscal 2009 and beyond.

[Newsletter] Efforts in Japan to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect No.73 (September 2008)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/
027856.html
Nagoya Launches System to Certify Green Developments (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027178.html

Posted: 2009/06/22 06:00:15 AM

Central Glass, IBM Jointly Develop New Water Filtration Membrane

2009-06-20T21:00:15Z

Central Glass Co., a major Japanese glass manufacturer with a proprietary chemical fluorine technology, and IBM announced on March 16, 2009, that they had jointly developed new membrane material for water treatment that can alleviate the growing shortage of safe drinking water worldwide. Membrane filtration is considered one of the most energy-efficient methods for removing salt and purifying water. The new membrane enables effective water desalination and removal of toxins, such as arsenic.

Conventional membranes are easily damaged by chlorine, a chemical commonly used for water treatment. Meanwhile, arsenic-polluted drinking water has become a significant health issue worldwide. To respond to these issues, this joint project focused on developing a membrane that performs well under basic (alkaline) conditions to remove arsenic from water while being highly resistant to chlorine damage.

The new membrane material, developed with fluorine materials, has the unique chemical characteristic of becoming hydrophilic under basic conditions. This allows greater control of the amount of water transmitted through the membrane, from low to high. Furthermore, because basic conditions cause arsenic to become ionic and easier to remove using a reverse osmosis membrane, this technology makes it possible to obtain safe drinking water from contaminated water.

IBM Makes Water Clean With Smarter, More Energy-Efficient Purification
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/
26921.wss

Posted: 2009/06/21 06:00:15 AM