Many scientists, media columnists and critics over the world have been
warning about the importance of environmental preservation pertaining to
such as global warming, world’s population increase and food security. However, there is no argument ever how to
manage industrial development and environmental preservation comprehensively.
Since each argument on environment issue is closely related to specific
interest in industries, subsequent conclusion often sees vague aspects. Even in
the serious talk in CO2 reduction, nobody recognizes how targeted carbon
dioxide reduction rates affect on industrial developments demographically. In other words, it seems current world’s
ensemble crying for setting the reduction targets falls in political demagogue
literally. When we think about the
correlation between industrial development and environmental preservation,
there is a hint in looking at ecological chain.
As you know, any creatures belong to food chain from amebas and planktons
to plants and animals. In that sense,
the food chain is a perfect ecological cycle to maintain existence of
creatures. So, I think the frame of the ecological chain should be shadowed on
the argument on industrial growth and environmental concern. As a possible example, one Japanese entrepreneur
proposed last year that the government organize a so-called forest preservation
troop participated by young-age people. The
troop should be dispatched into Japanese local mountains and live up there by
plating and lumbering trees for certain period.
By doing so, current barren Japanese mountains could be changed to be
filled with green trees which might contribute to reducing carbon dioxide. Also, the physically trained young people in
isolated nature can realize the importance of natural environment’s maintenance,
cooperative work in groups and close-ties with local communities. The fell-down timbers can be distributed in
the market so that the workers can hold economic base for their
life-living. Someone might say such
organization will not lead to big gorgeous business, but I think if
human-beings have really concern about natural surroundings, we should mull the
combination of our individual life on grass-root level and cultivation of
environmental sense. That is, by growing
up young generations healthily and soundly, the bottleneck character of our
society might be possible to change to be more environmentally friendly. How about this idea? (Takashi Higashi, President, TCS)
Key articles on Japanese industry scenes selected by TCS
Headlines of the articles:
| ELECTRONICS |
30% Higher Speed Semiconductor Chip for Mobile Communication Invented |
| Two Types Crushers against Used Mobile Phones to Appear | |
| Innovative Inverter to Reduce 25% Power Loss by Using Silicon Carbide | |
| Joint Venture for Producing Thin Display of Organic Electronic Luminescence to Start in April | |
| MATERIAL |
Enhanced Polyester Film to Apply for Solar Back Sheets |
| Eye Glass Frame without Nose Pad to Make Human Face Look Sharply | |
| New Membrane to Reuse Wastewater for Industrial Usage | |
| Propylene Production Technology from Natural Gas to be Introduced in the Middle East | |
| ENVIRONMENT | Environmentally-Friendly Toner Made from Corn to Emerge on Market |
|
High-Performance Heat Exchanger Using CO2Refrigerant to Appear |
ELECTRONICS
30% Higher Speed Semiconductor Chip for Mobile Communication Invented
December
18--NEC Electronics invented a technology to achieve drive speed of a
semiconductor chip for high-speed wireless communication 30% up compared to
existing chips. The company devised
wiring on the part of analog signal in the semiconductor circuit and realized a
high-frequency signal to be processed without attenuation. As a result, the
most advanced semiconductor chip can operate at 200GHz.
Two Types Crushers against Used Mobile Phones to Appear
December 18--NIMS
announced that it has developed equipments that can crush and break up small
electronic devices such as used cellular phones. The developed equipments are divided into two
types: first one holds a rotating plate with projection for decomposing used
phones to the state of components and wiring substrates; the second is a
three-dimensional ball mill to make phones into a powder state.
Innovative Inverter to Reduce 25% Power Loss by Using Silicon Carbide
November
23--Toshiba invented an inverter that combines a silicon semiconductor and a
silicon carbide semiconductor. Instead
of using silicon for diode, the company placed silicon
carbide at high-speed and with strength against high-voltage. The new inverter
is possible to reduce power loss to 25% in household air conditioners.
Joint Venture for Producing Thin
Display of Organic Electronic Luminescence to Start in April
November 16--CASIO
and Toppan Printing collaborate in the business of thin display of organic
electro luminescence (EL). The two companies will establish a joint venture
company which develops and produces the organic ELs in April 2010. The new company will target commercialization of small-and medium-size organic ELs in five years from 2010.
MATERIAL
Enhanced Polyester Film to
Apply for Solar Back Sheets
December 18--Toyobo will begin to produce a
sophisticated polyester film to be utilized for back sheets of solar
cells. The new film is weather resistant
and at half priced compared to PVF film that is currently in a main stream. Also, the product can reduce environmental burden due to no-use of fluorine.
Eye Glass Frame without Nose
Pad to Make Human Face Look Sharply
December 16--Bridge Corporation started
selling an eye glass frame without nose pad. Instead of using nose pad, the company adopts a side frame which
sustains a glass frame at human temple. Consequently, glass users do not see any pressed trace or cosmetics removal
at their noses.
New Membrane to Reuse Wastewater for Industrial Usage
November 23--Toyobo devised a membrane that
can reuse wastewater in factories and sewage water to be converted for
industrial water. The company has
improved a filtration membrane of seawater desalination to realize drink-use
water. Toyobo will start selling the material in the Middle East and Asian countries.
Propylene Production
Technology from Natural Gas to be Introduced in the Middle East
November
8--JGC and Mitsubishi Chemical developed a plant technology to produce
propylene from natural gas to be applied for bumpers of automobiles. The new technology is based on reaction
process of dimethyl ether to a special solvent. Using the technology, it is possible to mass produce propylene such as
in the Middle East for making chemical materials.
ENVIRONMENT
Environmentally-Friendly Toner Made from Corn to Emerge on Market
December 10--KYOCERA MITA developed a
plant-derived color toner the world’s first ever. About 30% of the developed toner material is
composed of resin made from corn. According to the reduction of usage of
oil-base resin for toner, environmental burden will be lower. The company plans to sell the new toner for
its own-brand printers and combined machines within 2010.
High-Performance Heat
Exchanger Using CO2Refrigerant to Appear
December
2--CKU developed a heat exchanger which uses CO2 as a refrigerant
instead of using alternative Freon. Heat-exchange ratio of the new product is about twice than the existing
alternative Freon-base products. The innovative heat exchanger can also
contribute to downsizing household appliances and reducing environmental
burden.
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(Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun)
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