Hello Everyone,
It’s September, and hot and dry summer around the world has passed. I hope your lives have returned to a normal rhythm as well.
In the United Kingdom, this September was shrouded in sadness after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is said to be the first member of the royal family to engage in actual military service. When the UK was facing a crisis during World War II, fighting against Germany, she was appointed a Colonel of Grenadier Guards at the age of 15 and an honorary second subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service at 18. Seven years later, on February 6, 1952, she ascended to the throne and, for 70 years, had been contributing to world peace not only as the Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms but also as one of the world's most prominent political and religious leaders. The loss of such an extraordinary leader at the time of ongoing war due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is still far from over, feels like the loss of a shining ray of light for the world.
The other day I noticed roses in my neighbors’ garden. It reminded me that roses are the national flower of England. On September 19, a solemn state funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. The President of the United States, the President of France, and other world leaders attended the ceremony. Japan was represented by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was decorated with a crown and scepter, as well as roses that were said to have been picked from the palace's garden. For England, roses once were a symbol of war but they are originally thought to be a symbol of respect and love. At this time when the world is divided, I believe that, if people shared these feelings, we would overcome such divisions and solidarity would be born instead. I pray this day comes as soon as possible.
As I mentioned in the beginning, this summer was marked by record-breaking high temperatures and worldwide droughts. More than 60% of Europe’s territory was affected by drought, while large-scale wildfires occurred in Spain and other countries. In China, high temperatures and drought that lasted for over 70 days were reported in the Yangtze River basin, where nearly 50% of the country’s population lives. In the United States, high temperatures and drought were reported in California. Meanwhile, Japan, South Korea, Australia, some parts of the United States, Pakistan, and other countries experienced frequent concentrated torrential rains over small areas, causing numerous rivers to overflow, leading to frequent floods.
This global climate change is said to be caused by global warming, and we consider this to be a problem caused by the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases that absorb the heat generated by the sunlight falling on the Earth's surface, thereby warming the Earth's atmosphere. These gases keep the average temperature of Earth at about 14°C. Without these gases, the average temperature would be -19°C. Nowadays, the amount of these greenhouse gases is increasing, raising the temperature of the atmosphere, which makes sea water and the Earth's surface hotter than before. I wonder, though, how this warming is related to the recent droughts and floods.
The other day I read a book on extreme weather written by Japanese weather forecaster Sayaka Mori, お天気ハンター、異常気象を, (Weather Hunter, Chasing Extremes), in which she writes the following: “The Earth's atmosphere is much thinner than we thought. The boundary between space and Earth is at an altitude of about 100 km. There is almost no air in space above that altitude, and most of the air is concentrated in the area of about 10 km from the ground. This 10-km layer is called the troposphere. If we think of Earth as a tennis ball, the troposphere would be about as thick as cellophane tape wrapped around it. In this thin layer, water can change shape freely, interact with air to create clouds, rain, thunder, and cause all kinds of meteorological phenomena.” The droughts and floods we are experiencing are due to the uneven distribution of water in small areas on Earth, and it is said that global warming is contributing to this uneven distribution of water. In addition, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that have been generated by industrialized societies since the Industrial Revolution also exist in this thin layer, and it is said that this thin layer needs to be restored to its previous state.
It is said that the amount of water that exists on Earth, including seas and glaciers, is enormous and could cover Earth with a 2,700-m layer. Only 0.001% of this water is floating in the air, an amount that would soak Earth only to a 25-mm depth. On the other hand, since the average annual precipitation on Earth is 1000 mm, water moves back and forth between the states of liquid water and water vapor 40 times a year, and the regional unevenness of these changes of states is causing droughts and floods. In addition, the heated atmosphere causes even more uneven distribution of the amount of water vapor with respect to regional characteristics, such as tropical regions near the equator and cold polar regions, as well as topographic characteristics such as oceans, deserts, mountains, plains, and forests. The influence of these factors has disrupted the water circulation cycle, causing excessive water vapor generation where it is easy to generate and excessive dryness where it is hard to generate, resulting in localized abnormal weather. In addition, there is a logical explanation that this atmospheric change affects ocean currents by melting the ice in the Antarctic and Arctic regions due to the greenhouse effect, which, in turn, changes the salinity of seas and increases the temperature of the sea surface, affecting the air circulation even more, further contributing to localized extreme weather events. The effects of such extreme weather events not only cause droughts and floods, but also pose secondary threats to humanity, such as the food crisis caused by the outbreak of desert locusts after the heavy rains in Kenya two years ago and the revival of Bacillus anthracis and viruses from the past due to the melting of permafrost soil in Siberia.
According to the book, the increase in the strength of hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons can be explained by the sea surface temperature increase and changes in ocean currents.
I believe that recovering the global environment, which is in such a critical condition for the survival of humankind, is of utmost importance for us living in the present. In the recently established MVV, we have made a commitment to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals, but we must contribute not only in words but also by deeds. Our business can contribute to the development of new energy-saving materials and evaluation of energy-saving manufacturing methods through analysis and measurement technologies using X-rays. But can we truly say we are doing enough to solve the problems that our planet is facing today? Simply by conducting our own corporate activities, we are using energy and increasing carbon dioxide emissions. If we are to achieve zero emission, we must also work on reversing the amount of carbon dioxide we have already emitted. This will require us to expand our activities beyond routine instrument development and manufacturing into areas such as forest conservation and the development of carbon storage technologies. I believe such activities need to be incorporated into the mid-term management plan that is currently under consideration.
Starting on September 28th, we will conduct a survey for everyone working in Rigaku globally. This survey will ask your opinions about your job satisfaction and the state of company management at Rigaku, and will also have a free-response section. I am looking forward to your ideas on how we at Rigaku can contribute to a sustainable global
environment.
