This is a representation of the Earth at night as it might appear when viewed from space. The bright areas are areas where lights have been switched on. They are an indication of just how much energy we are consuming even at night. Since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, technical progress has succeeded in bringing ever more comfort and convenience into our lives. Yet most of us gave no thought to the behind-the-scenes destruction that we were unwittingly wreaking on the global environment. As a result, we now find ourselves facing an array of daunting challenges, from global warming and depletion of natural resources to pollution by environmentally hazardous substances. To enable future generations to enjoy the benefits of the Earth, we must tackle these environmental issues head-on.
Source: NASA
This photo was created from several images of the Earth at night taken by weather satellite.
Global Warming
The average global land temperature is rising at a rate of approximately 0.74℃ per century. It is generally agreed that global warming is caused by the increasing concentration of CO2. The resulting imbalance has wide-ranging impacts, damaging the ecosystem, bringing extreme weather conditions and causing the loss of low-lying land through rising sea levels.
Now: The average temperature is higher than that recorded at any time in the past 300,000 years.
In 45 years time: Failure to take immediate action now to bring about change is predicted to result in the level of CO2 shown in the figure.
IPCC: Jointly established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Source: IPCC Third Assessment Report
Depletion of Natural Resources
Development following the Industrial Revolution which started at the end of the 18th century was propelled by fossil fuel energy and led to a population explosion in the 20th century. This population explosion, in turn, is the source of the issues now confronting mankind, from environmental destruction such as global warming and depletion of natural resources to problems of energy and food security.
Relationship between humans and energy
Oil is not available in inexhaustible supply, as it was once said to be. Nor are other natural resources limitless. We must leave as much as possible of these greatly depleted resources to future generations. To achieve this goal, development of technologies for safe nuclear power generation, production of fuel cells, etc. is essential.
Source: Energy in Japan 2010, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, METI
Original Source: BP Statistical Review 2009 (Oil, Natural Gas, Coal:2008) OECD/NEA-IAEA URANIUM 2007 (Uranium:2007)
Pollution by Environmentally Hazardous Substances
Japanese rice-fish threatened by water pollutionAir pollution, ozone depletion, water pollution, soil contamination, erosion of biodiversity and health damage are just some of the problems caused by the effects of environmentally hazardous substances used by man, such as cadmium and chlorofluorocarbons. In the natural world, animals, water and air form a complex and mutually supportive ecological network. There is a need for appropriate worldwide management of chemical substances that do not degrade easily.
Biodiversity
Species are disappearing at an unprecedented speed. Erosion of biodiversity is not simply a matter of a decline in the number of species; it means the breakdown of the mutually complementary relationship of living organisms, in other words, the collapse of the earth’s ecosystem. This is a critical issue for human beings who are at the top of the ecosystem. The cause of this breakdown is linked to various environmental issues such as global warming, acid rain, deforestation and pollution of the oceans.
The 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10) was held in October 2010 in Nagoya. Nagoya Protocol and Aichi Targets were adopted. Pioneer continues to work toward a balance between conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use from the Basic Law on Biodiversity’s perspective in Japan. Pioneer views reduction of greenhouse gases as the greatest challenge in its common biodiversity strategy and is striving to protect biodiversity through reduction of CO2 emissions generated at its facilities and during use of its products. In addition, as measures focused on conservation and sustainable use, Pioneer employees and their families promote forest conservation and protection of biodiversity at Pioneer Forest, cooperated with Saitama Agriculture and Forestry Corporation.
