Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Nurturing Environmental Leaders Among
Science and Engineering Researchers—Tohoku
University Approach
Michael Norton and Yasumitsu Tanaka
Abstract
This chapter sets the scene for the topic by explaining the background
reasons why Japan decided to support a range of environmental leader programs.
Current trends in growth of both population and economy are placing demands on
the Earth's ability to supply resources or absorb the wastes. This is widely recog-
nized but the current socio-economic system is currently not adapting and exhibits
system failures in prioritizing growth over sustainability. Japan's environmental
leader programs are designed to nurture human resources who can help lead society
towards a transition to a more sustainable socio-economic system. Tohoku Univer-
sity's environmental leader program is described in this chapter and the background
to the course materials on which this topic is based introduced.
Keywords
Environmental leader
·
Sustainable development
1.1
Why Do We Need Environmental Leaders?—The Failure
to Develop Sustainably Under Current Systems
The term 'Sustainable Development' (SD) entered the global stage in 1987 when the
World Commission on Environment and Development reported (WCED
1987
). This,
commonly referred to as the 'Brundtland Report', defined SD in terms of meeting
the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs. The WCED identified a number of targets for a more sustainable
development path (Table
1.1
) and World Leaders accepted the aim of sustainable
development at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992; yet despite the many international,
national and local 'sustainable development' initiatives, there is little evidence that
the nature or pace of human development has become any more sustainable.
