On October 9th, President Harashina Yukihiko and six members of the student group SONE (hereinafter referred to as SONE) appeared as panelists and presenters at the international symposium "Asahi Earth Conference 2023."
On the day, a panel discussion was held on the theme, "At the eco-house 'Hokuhoku,' we thought: Change the world by taking action at your feet."
The eco-house "Hokuhoku" is an energy-saving home that was renovated from a vacant house by coordinator Kenichiro Saito of the Asahi Shimbun Culture Department, with the aim of achieving zero utility bills by running all of its electricity and gas on renewable energy sources.
In late June, SONE participated in fieldwork at "Hokuhoku" and was shocked by the highly airtight, highly insulated eco-house, which has zero utility bills. In late August, in order to spread knowledge and the effects of insulation renovation, he held a second insulation workshop with students from other universities who had visited "Hokuhoku" together, installing double-glazed windows in classrooms and insulation on the walls.
The panel discussion consisted of students giving presentations about what they learned and the changes in their awareness through their experiences in the fieldwork and insulation renovation workshop, followed by a discussion.
President of the university that achieved the first 100% renewable energy university in Japan, and as an expert in environmental engineering and environmental assessment, President Hara discussed with students the path to a "carbon-free society that we can all build together."
By interacting with people who think passionately about environmental issues in the same way, I feel like I have been able to broaden my horizons by being exposed to a variety of ways of thinking and ideas, rather than just my own opinions. There were many things we could empathize with during the discussions, and I am now working on what I can do to solve the problems. I hope to continue to cherish these connections and incorporate more activities like this fieldwork into SONE.
Mizuki Watanabe, second-year student Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (graduated from Yotsukaido High School)