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FOLENS Seminar November 2012: Life and Agriculture after Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
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FOLENS Seminars from November 2012 to January 2013 feature the theme “Life and Agriculture
after Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster”.? This is based on the result of the
students’ discussion early this year where “Japanese agriculture” and “Tohoku” were selected as the
most important topics to focus on in this year’s FOLENS seminar activities.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident, occurred following the Tohoku Earthquake
on 11 March 2011, has caused extensive environmental pollution with mass emission of radioactive
materials into the air.? This has resulted in serious damages to lives and industries of local communities.?
The situation of agriculture in the area is especially severe.? Local people, including farmers, are now
taking various actions to face the challenges and many of TUAT faculty members are also trying to
support such actions from various specialties and approaches. Under such situation, this series of FOLENS
Seminars provides students from different countries and fields to meet the people in Fukushima
to; 1) learn
from the current situation of people’s lives and agriculture, and the various actions being
taken in local
communities; and 2) deepen thoughts on how issues in Fukushima, students’ own communities,
and the
world, are connected, how such issues and their own specialty fields can be connected, and what
action
they can actually take.
In the seminar on 19 November, information on the radiation contamination and its impact on local
communities and agriculture was shared as preparation for the Fukushima visit in December.? Among
them was a lecture by Associate Professor Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura of Faculty of Agriculture,
who introduced her research work in Towa District, Nihonmatsu City, to develop technology to remove
radioactive materials from the soil.? She also explained the background of Towa that has promoted sustainable
community development with organic agriculture since before the accident and how such community development
activities worked as a basis for taking actions in collaboration with outsiders after the accident.? Through the
seminar, the participants gained knowledge and clarified their interests for the visit in next month. (SN)
| Date/ Time | Monday 19 November/ 16:00-18:00 |
| Venue | N-103 (Multi-purpose Room, 2N Building, Fuchu Campus |
| Participants | 25 students (22 FOLENS students, 3 others), 6 faculty members (4 FOLENS, 2 others) |
| Program | -Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Overview (Ninomiya-Lim) -Nuclear Power Plant Accident and Animal Husbandry (Moriyama) -Action of TUAT Faculty (Ozaki) -Organic Farming and Radiation Pollution in Towa District, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima (Kimura) -Outline of Fukushima Visit in December (Ninomiya-Lim) |