Tsukuba Institute
Yuichi OBATA, Director
Environmental policy of Tsukuba Institute
Right from the design stage, the Tsukuba Institute was set up in such a way as to complement its environment in Tsukuba Academic New Town, and in particular its garden city setting, through the creation of a surrounding green belt and planting of on-site vegetation.
Responding to requests by the neighboring community, the exterior of the buildings was designed to match the surrounding townscape. In recent years we have renewed our efforts to reduce the site’s energy consumption, as well as to achieve a harmonious coexistence with the natural environment. The rooftop garden on the administration building is an example of one such initiative.
Rooftop garden on the administration building
Tsukuba Institute started its life in this location as an uninvited guest, amid opposition from the local community. It is impossible to undertake construction work, let alone research activities, without the understanding and cooperation of one’s local community. In terms of our core activities, we have adopted the motto ‘Reliability, Continuity and Leadership’ for our BioResource Center, and ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ as our mantra; we have also worked hard to gain the trust of our local community and government through transparency, in particular with respect to environmental issues such as waste management and the treatment of laboratory effluence. Recently, these efforts have started to bring rewards.
Research and environmental contribution
Activities at Tsukuba Institute include conservation, provision, collection and development of bio-resources, materials for use in research on health, food and the environment.
Energy and the environment are two of the biggest challenges that humanity is facing this century, and scientists are the ones who are expected to find solutions in these areas.
The conservation of nature, the promotion of a recycling-oriented society and the reduction of harmful waste are some of the measures adopted in tackling environmental problems. At Tsukuba, we aim to support the kind of life science research that is essential to achieving the success of such measures. Some of the most important areas of geo-environmental research are to be found in the development of bio-resources such as plants that can cope with global warming or that absorb large amounts of CO2, and we are focusing our attention on these areas.
Since its establishment, Tsukuba Institute has been especially careful regarding contamination and the dangers of releasing experimental life forms into the environment.
The environment is a broad term that encompasses not only global environmental problems such as global warming, the destruction of natural habitats and pollution, but also biodiversity, destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of species. It also covers problems related to the food we eat and even the allergies that many people suffer from. Both at the level of the Tsukuba Institute as a whole, and at the level of every individual who works here, I believe that how we think and how we act is very important.
In our efforts to contribute in solving environmental problems, it is our aim to go beyond promoting the merits of science and technology. We must also take into consideration seriously the dangers of scientific and technological development, such as the creation of elements that are harmful to the environment.