NHK: Dealing with environmental issues

In February, I complained about NHK's poor environmental record.

Today, they responded with an interview with the broadcasting company's new president, Mr. Shigeo Fukuchi, on the top of the Broadcasting Center Building (oupps, he needed help to locate Tokyo Tower...).

On the NHK Eco 2008 page, click on the banner to find the video.

As broadcasters move to 24 hour programming, they use more and more energy. NHK is no exception. Mr Fukuchi notes that this is their biggest challenge.

In Kobe, NHK has installed solar cells on the roof of the broadcast center (still something their national center in Tokyo has failed to do) while wind power, albeit on a small scale, has been installed at towers around the country.

Mr. Shigeo Fukuchi is aware that the reduction of CO2 emissions and the conservation of the global environment are becoming ever more pressing issues:

NHK intends to foster public awareness of and interest in these issues and encourage viewers and listeners to take action. NHK is also committed to autonomous eco-friendly activities through the concerted effort of the entire organization. As a part of this effort, we launched an environmental campaign called NHK Eco 2008 in January and this is being intensified from April with ever greater emphasis on environmental issues in our broadcasts and other activities. For instance, special programming, Save the Future, will be broadcast from June 6 through 8 to give a serious consideration to environmental issues. 20 hours will be devoted to the coverage of such issues from diverse angles, including live relays from NHK Fureai Hall. A series of 10-minute mini segments will be shown on General TV at 10:40 p.m. on Sundays.

The specific goals and agenda of the campaign include expansion of the late night off-air hours on Educational TV and Radio 2 while carefully securing the capability to provide broadcasting services in emergency situations; active installation of solar powered electricity generation systems and energy-saving air-conditioning systems when rebuilding local stations; and a 10% reduction of CO2 emissions over the next five years, from fiscal 2008 to 2012, at the offices of the Tokyo headquarters.

NHK: On how NHK is dealing with environmental issues

So, why is their CO2 reduction target only 10%? I think NHK as a company needs to rethink its priorities and set a much higher target.

From June, NHK will show more of Kaguya's amazing images of Earth, and the Save the Future special programming on June 6-8 involves asking viewers to get kids and grandchildren to make and send digital drawings online: more details here.

Below is a program NHK aired on January 1, 2008 with a reminder that Earth is a planet of water, with no neighbours similar to us here in space, near us...