OUR DREAM

Ecotechnology for future generations

Paradigm
SustainabInnovation
Life Front
Honda Foundation

m Shiftbilityntier“We need to adopt a planetary perspective— to see the Earth as a world, one among many others.
The study of other worlds can help us to understandand improve this one, and so avert the very realcatastrophes that lurk in our technology.”—— Dr. Carl E. Sagan“ Scientific observation of the Earth remains animperious necessity for the management of our planet.
It may be costly, but it is our strict duty.”—— Dr. Hubert Curien“Fractals are a family of geometric shapes,
and one must see them in order tounderstand geometric shapes.”—— Dr. Benoit B. Mandelbrot

“Sophisticated high technology must contribute to theconservation of resources and to energy saving in the interestsof mankind.”“We should learn the technique of managementof technological change.”—— Dr. Jun-ichi Nishizawa—— Dr. Gunnar Hambraeus“Technological innovation that protects theenvironment of the Earth.”—— Dr. Shuji Nakamura“Materials science can help to ensure thattechnological evolution is on the right track.”—— Dr. Günter E. Petzow“Clean up our environment to make theworld healthier for us, our children, and our
grandchildren.”—— Dr. Barry John Cooper“ We have to create machinesthat are helpful to humans.”—— Dr. Ken-ichi Mori

“We use chemicals for the benefit of society
with a full awareness of possible hazards.”—— Dr. Donald Mackay“Time will never isolate human beings
from nature.”—— Dr. Ilya Prigogine“Shifting society from one that relies on the input of massmaterials and energy to one that relies on communication,
creativity, and complexity of products.”—— Dr. Åke E. Andersson“Strategic study is necessary for our planet’s energy future.”—— Dr. Umberto Colombo“We must pay attention to the changes in theparameters of our environment.”—— Dr. Hermann Haken

“Tackling substantive fuzzy problems
will produce a humane technology.”“I have dreamed of a society in which people from different
countries, irrespective of the difference in the pace ofprogress in their respective country, cooperate with eachother, advance at their own pace, and lead happy lives.”—— Dr. Lotfi Asker Zadeh—— Dr. Richard R. Nelson“Engineers should press forward with development
to meet the diversified needs of people.”—— Dr. Harold Chestnut“ These advances will transform the way we live,
learn, work and govern ourselves. Such capabilities
can be used to further increase the gap between thehaves and have-nots, or to help the poor, the sick andthe illiterate.”—— Dr. Raj Reddy“ We need to have technology that fits each region soas to achieve a sustainable end to hunger.”—— Dr. Monkombu S. Swaminathan“Do not fix any form of heavy, solid, andearthbound building on the surface of the
Earth.”—— Dr. Frei Otto

“Sustainable human development should therefore beunderstood as progress through quality in every humanactivity.”—— Dr. Aleksandra Kornhauser

“ Life science should lead to a better understandingof what each of us is.”—— Dr. Paolo Maria Fasella“ It is possible to reduce the rates ofmany types of cancer.”—— Dr. Bruce N. Ames

“In case of the engineer, it may mean that thesafety of thousands or even the well-being of
millions is in his hands.”“A great variety of these undiscovered
microorganisms are distributed on the Earth,indicating the boundlessness of the information
they have to offer.”—— Dr. Koki Horikoshi—— Dr. John F. Coales“Finally, healthy food can only be produced
from a healthy environment.”—— Dr. Walter C. Willett“Each and every person is one and only.”“ Classic surgery violates the natural integrity of thehuman body, and surgeons must respect its naturallaws to minimize the effect of such aggression.”—— Dr. Jean Dausset—— Dr. Philippe Mouret

Ecotechnology for future generations

OUR DREAM

OUR DREAM Contents

Honda Prize Laureates─ 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

10 Preface
12 Advocating Ecotechnology

14

Chapter 1 Paradigm Shift16

Advent of the Age of Science and Technology

20

Concept of Social Responsibility

24

Paradigm Shift in the 21st Century

32

Humane Use of Human Ideas

Paradigm Shift
Sustainability
Innovation
Life Frontier
40

Chapter 2 Sustainability

42

A New Perspective on

Global Environmental Problems

46

Towards a Goal of Sustainable Development

54

Think Globally, Act Locally

58

Sharing the Earth

64

19
23
26
28
31
35
36

Gunnar Hambraeus

45
47
50
52
56
59
61

Barry John Cooper

69
73
74
78
80
84
86

Ken-ichi Mori

94
97
101
103
106
108
111

Jean Dausset

Harold Chestnut
Ilya Prigogine
Hermann Haken
Benoit B. Mandelbrot
John F. Coales
Åke E. Andersson

Aleksandra Kornhauser
Hubert Curien
Donald Mackay
Umberto Colombo
Frei Otto
Carl E. Sagan

Chapter 3 Innovation

66

Humans and Machinery—Living in Harmony

70

New Materials Supporting

Technological Innovation

75

Specificity of Information Technology

81

Respect for Humans: Always the Center ofthe Discussion

90

Chapter 4 Life Frontier

92

Life Sciences and Ethics

98

Globalization of Life102

The Potential of the Science and Technology
in Protecting Life110

The Honda Prize acknowledges the efforts of individuals
or groups who contribute new ideas that may lead thenext generation in the field of ecotechnology, and is aninternational award honoring their achievements. The
Honda Foundation does not merely consider scientificand technological achievements from the viewpoint of
new discoveries and inventions, but it also takes into
account entire processes that would bring out, apply,or share new frontiers in ecotechnology and the broad
range of related scientific fields, and has given one
award every year.

Science and Personality

116 Afterword

Güunter E. Petzow
Shuji Nakamura
Jun-ichi Nishizawa
Lotfi Asker Zadeh
Raj Reddy
Richard R. Nelson

Paolo Maria Fasella
Bruce N. Ames
Walter C. Willett
Monkombu S. Swaminathan
Koki Horikoshi
Philippe Mouret

Preface

The Honda Foundation was officially established in December 1977,

already based his managerial philosophy on a spirit of public service, and theapproximately one year after it held its first DISCOVERIES International

Honda Foundation was established to communicate its core philosophy of

Symposium in Tokyo. Symposiums were subsequently held in Rome and Paris“ecotechnology” widely in line with Mr. Honda’s managerial philosophy. It can

to communicate Honda’s unique ideas to the international community.

be said that the Honda Foundation was remarkably ahead of the times in terms

Capitalizing on the experience of the DISCOVERIES International Symposiums,of environmental problems. When Honda was criticized for manufacturing

the Honda Foundation started full-scale activities in 1978.

mainly motorcycles, which allegedly provided motorcycle gangsters with theWhat happened in 1978? In that year, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. celebrated its

means to multiply, Mr. Honda insisted that riding a motorcycle could provide

30th anniversary, although Soichiro Honda, who was the founder of thethe younger generation with an opportunity to learn about society, and hecompany and aged 72 years old at that time, had already resigned as president.

actually started activities to provide those sorts of opportunities. I believe that

Two years before, Honda released the Accord, which is still one of its most

Mr. Honda established the Honda Foundation based on the concept of

popular automobile models. For Japan as a whole, there were two significant

ecotechnology in order to communicate his belief that corporate activities

events in 1978: the opening of Narita International Airport after much ado andshould always contribute both to the natural and the human environments.

Toyota’s achievement in shipping a total of 10 million units in the 42 years sinceThis is not something of a myth. I believe that the Honda Foundation has

its first automobiles went on sale. At present, a total of some 10 million

actually proved that Mr. Honda had considerable foresight. This booklet looks

automobiles are produced every year in Japan.

back over the 30 years of the activities of the Foundation, during which time

One of the biggest changes observed in the world over the past 30 years is

Mr. Honda sadly passed away, and is designed to serve as a milestone on theperhaps the change in people’s attitudes toward environmental problems. In

path to creating a new history for the Foundation while passing on Honda’s

1978, although pollution was causing people serious concern, so-called

unique ideas to future generations. I hope that this booklet will provide“environmental problems” were not yet recognized by society. Sustainableguidelines for the scientists and engineers who will be the leaders of thedevelopment, which has become conventional phraseology today, began to becoming age and will help them deepen their understanding of ecotechnology.

used 10 years later in 1987. Nowadays, it is regarded as essential to giveconsideration to environmental problems in formulating governmental policies,

March 2008

in corporate social responsibility, and in people’s private lives as well.
Soichiro Honda’s strong personality and ideas were incorporated in theactivities of Honda Motor and the Honda Foundation as well. In an age where

Yoichiro Murakami
Supervising Editor

no one had any concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), Mr. Honda had

10

11

Advocating Ecotechnology

The concept of ecotechnology, a term coined to represent the combination of
ecology and technology, was first introduced to the world at the DISCOVERIESTechnology

EcologyInternational Symposium in 1980. Ecotechnology implies something moreEarththan just “being friendly to the Earth,” which is the meaning that people often
associate with the word “ecology” today. Ecotechnology is a technologicalSociety

viewpoint developed in response to the needs of the age — a philosophy thatshows people new ways to look at, create, and treat things in their lives insociety.
Although supporting the economic activities of countries including Europe,

Life

Science andTechnology

the United States, and Japan, industrial development continues to cause
environmental problems, and these problems are now threatening theexistence of the whole of humankind. It is clear that we need to harmonize
human activities with the natural environment across the globe. In addition, we
also have to consider how to develop science and technology in harmony with

Ecotechnology

the human environment. Traditionally, geographical and national diversity andother human elements have been excluded from the paradigm of science and

The word “ecology” has been in use since before World War II.
The word was originally coined as a combination of the Greek
words oikos (eco) meaning a house and logos (-logy) meaning
knowledge and so ecology literally means “knowledge abouthouses.” The “house” is the very target of ecotechnology. The
Earth is indeed a house for all living creatures. Society isconstructed of the “houses” built by municipalities and countries.
Living organisms are the “houses” of souls. These houses — theEarth, society, and living organisms— affect each other and are
now greatly influenced by contemporary science and technology,
sometimes benefiting from them and sometimes destroyedand deformed by them. We should consider how to look at,
create, and treat these “houses” that now face major risks, andecotechnology provides us with a guide to an answer.

technology, but it is now time for us to include these elements as core elementsin the paradigm. In other words, the development of science and technology
must always be pursued in the light of the welfare of human beings.
In the 21st century, science and technology must be developed in harmony
with both the natural and human environments, and the Honda Foundation
uses the word “ecotechnology ” to generalize this idea. At the Honda
Foundation, we regard it as our mission to pursue all the roles that science andtechnology may be able to play to bring a bright future for humankind.
DISCOVERIES International Symposium1980 in Tokyo“Start of Advocacy of Ecotechnology—Dialogue between Technology and Culture”

1213Advent of the Age of
Science and Technology
Concept of Social
Responsibility
Paradigm Shift in the
21st Century

Paradigm Shift

Humane Use of Human Ideas

Since the middle of the 20 th century, science andtechnology have advanced increasingly rapidly inclose relationship with each other. At present weare witnessing the largest paradigm shift eversince the beginning of human history. Under thesecircumstances, what can we do to ensure a bright
future for our children? Young researchers engagedin science and technology will exert great influence
over the everyday lives of individuals, social systems,
and even the destiny of the Earth. What expectations
and responsibilities should they meet in their work?
In Chapter 1, the qualities and moral standpoint thatscientists and engineers should possess in this newparadigm for the 21 st century will be discussed in
depth.

1415

Advent of the Age of Scienceand Technology

Although it is now difficult to separate

the basis for newly-emerging industrial fields;

science from technology, until the beginning offor example physics and fluid dynamics withthe 20 century these two fields were following

airplanes and chemistry with poisonous gases.

completely different paths.

These associations brought new technologicalth

In the early days, scientific studies were

innovation and people began to recognize that

pursued by people who wanted to satisfy theirknowledge gathered in scientific investigations

own intellectual curiosity and the results ofcould provide a new foundation for the develop-

those studies were evaluated only within ament of technology.

small circle of colleagues who shared theDuring the Second World War, then U.S.

same curiosity, mainly within universities

President Roosevelt selected Vannevar Bush,and other similar research institutions.

who had served as Dean of Engineering at MIT

Scientific research was thus an intellectualin the 1930s, as a member of the team he wasactivity conducted within a closed community,

forming to establish a system that could mobilize

whereas technology has emerged out theanything that could be useful and effective inworld of the craftsman and has always been

winning the war. This substantially changed therelated to social activities. After the industrial

situation surrounding science. In particular,

revolution in Europe, society became more

the Manhattan Project, a representative project

open to educating people about technology.

implemented under this system, became a

In addition, technology made substantial

prime example of the use of the knowledge

advances through the appearance of great

possessed by the community of scientists forentrepreneurs and inventors, as represented

political and military purposes in the world atby Thomas Edison.

large. As a result, theories in atomic physics

The development of technology brought great

were put into practice to build nuclear weapons.

industrial and economical benefits, whereas

In May 1945, just before the end of the war,

science remained confined within intellectual

Dr. Bush submitted his final report, whichcircles, exerting little influence on technology.

he titled Science: The Endless Frontier . His

Science was thought of as, and actually was, ahope was that the R&D system for science

set of self-contained activities conducted only

and technology that had been establishedby groups of scientists.

during the war could be put to use for the

The two world wars of the 20

16

century,

good of the nation after the war, to spur on

however, radically changed our concept of

the fight against disease, to improve the life

science.

of the nation, and to expand employmentthDuring World War I, some fields of science

opportunities. In its response to this report,

became closely associated with and formed

the Federal Government drafted a policy toKnown as "the king of inventions,"
Thomas Edison brought dramatic
improvements to the life of theincandescent electric bulb by thetype of filament he used. This was in
1879, two years after the invention of
the telephone and the phonograph.
With the birth of the electric lighting
business signified by the "Edisonbulb," night was no longer trappedin darkness. With the emergenceof the inventor-cum-entrepreneur
represented by Edison, technologies
that had been handed down throughgenerations of craftsmen became
the seeds of businesses that created
new industrial structures in the latter
half of the 19th century. Technologicala d v a n ce m e n t b e g a n t o p i c k u p
speed. After World War II, nuclear
developments, genetic engineeringand other technological innovations
t h a t w e re i n t ro d u ce d o n e a f t e ranother had an immeasurable impact
on society. At the same time, the risks
generated by these technologies, aswell as the environmental destruction
they brought, began to expand on a
global scale.

17

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

1980 Honda Prize Laureate

Nuclear Test on Bikini Atoll (July 1, 1946)
To show the power of the atomic bomb, the test, in which livingorganisms in the vicinity of the test site suffered radioactive
damage, was disclosed to the public. It is said that in the fission of
1 kg of uranium, each gram of uranium releases the equivalent of
the energy required to light a 100-watt light bulb for 28,000 years.
Approximately 70 years after the invention of the light bulb by Edison,
humankind thus obtained an overwhelming energy source that had
the potential to destroy the world.

invest financial resources in scientific andNow, in the 21 st century, science andtechnological research in the interests of thetechnology are approaching an even greatercountry, rather than just allowing scientists toturning point. Both developed and developing

continue to carry out research to satisfy theircountries have science and technology as

own personal curiosity.

central to their national policies, not only forThis marked the beginning of a new age ofindustrial and military purposes but also forscience and technology, in which most new

education, diplomacy, medical care, and thetechnologies are developed from scientificwelfare of the nation. Science and technology

research. The result of this combining ofcross all fields, acting as the driving force forscience and technology closely related to thefurther advancement and growth. Science andneeds of society was the creation of a newtechnology now have the greatest influence

field—science and technology—which held theon our societies in the history of humanpotential to bring great changes to society andcivilization, and it is absolutely critical that we

which would involve all organizations including

ensure that they develop in the right direction.

industry, government, and academia, and bringdrastic reform of the social structure.

18

Paradigm Shift: Advent of the Age of Science and Technology

Born in Orsa in Sweden in 1919. Received abachelor’s degree in science from Uppsala
University in 1944 and a master’s degree inelectrical engineering from the Royal Swedish
University of Technology in 1945. Served as
the editor-in-chief and publisher of Teknisk
Tidskrift, a technical journal in Sweden andas a consultant to the International Atomic
Energy Agency. Professor and managing
director of the Royal Swedish Academy ofEngineering Sciences since 1971. Became
doctor of technology honoris causa at the
University of Gothenburg in 1975. Granted
various awards, including the Order of theNorth Star and Legion d’Honneur.

Dr. Gunnar Hambraeus— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Photo: Afro Co., Ltd

Honda Prize Laureates“We must pay attention to the changes in theparameters of our environment.”

In the 1970s, there arose problems that threatened the futureof mankind, including pollution, worsening natural destruction,
the threat of nuclear weapons, and violation of bioethics. Scienceand technology were increasingly criticized as the principal causeof these problems. Amidst this situation, Dr. Gunnar Hambraeus
received the first Honda Prize in 1980. He was indeed one of those
who had been continuing the activities that were most needed atthat time.
Dr. Hambraeus served as technical advisor to the Swedish
Embassy in New York from 1950 to the next year and had been
the editor-in-chief and publisher of a Swedish technical journal
titled Teknisk Tidskrift for 15 years from 1953. Through theseoccupations, he displayed great ability in bringing enlightenment toengineers. In 1971, he became the managing director of the Royal
Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, which is one of theoldest technological academies in the world. Since then, he has long
been playing a role as a bridge between the government, academic
circles, and industry in Sweden. After he became chairman of theacademy in 1983, he made a great contribution to the promotion ofscience and technology on a global scale.
With such a distinguished background, the lecture that Dr.
Hambraeus gave at the conferring ceremony of the Honda Prizefocused on the important roles to be played by governments inharmonizing technology with culture according to the needs of a
new age. As an advisor to governments and various administrative
agencies, he proposed the following three goals to be achieved by
future academies.
The first objective is the scanning of the scientific technicalhorizon by the members of academies and the second objective isthe creation of a wide and closely-knit network of personal liaisonsand contacts for interdisciplinary integration. The third objective isthe promotion of a better understanding of science and technology
and their potential possibilities, limitations, and consequencesamong decision makers and the public.
Dr. Hambraeus devoted himself to the attainment of theaforementioned three objectives and achieved great results forthe themes. Even now, more than a quarter of a century after his
speech, the three objectives still remain as important themes to be
tackled by governments.

19

Concept of Social Responsibility

The first of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs(Pugwash, Canada in July 1957)

The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs were
founded by 11 famous scientists on the initiative of Sir Bertrand
Russell and Albert Einstein (the Russell-Einstein Manifesto) to work
toward the elimination of all nuclear weapons and wars. The first
conference was attended by 22 scientists from 10 countries, including
Hideki Yukawa, Shinichiro Tomonaga, Iwao Ogawa, Max Born, andJean Frederic Joliot-Curie. (Photo: Pugwash Conferefces)

The Manhattan Project strengthened theinfluence that science and technology exerted
on society and also changed the mindset of thescientists. As a result of mobilizing knowledgeon atomic physics, nuclear weapons werecreated and inflicted grave damage on ourworld. The resulting disquiet in the minds ofboth ordinary people and scientists has forced
the societies of the world to recognize their
responsibility to society.
After the Second World War, with the fruitsof scientific and technological achievement
bringing ever more benefits, increasingly
events occurred across the world to shakepeople’s faith in the basis of our modern
civilization.
In the 1960s, some developed countries had
problems with destruction and pollution of theenvironment, and in the 1970s, environmental
problems began to expand on a global scale.
In the 1980s, the negative aspects of scienceand technology surfaced and had a great
impact on society, the most representative
being observation of a hole in the ozone layer

However, these kinds of accidents and events

They are now required to keep their eyes

devise methods to control their research andabove Antarctica in 1982 and the accident at

cannot all be attributed to the development ofon how their research activities are used by

implement those methods when required as

the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986—

science and technology alone. In our modern

society, what are the likely social outcomespart of their ethical responsibilities. Also,

said to have been the worst disaster the world

world, regardless of their original intentions,of their activities, and how the outcomes willin view of the fact that experts with special

has known. Since the end of the 20 century,

the work done by scientists acting throughinfluence the lives of ordinary people.

knowledge and expertise in respective fields

dramatic developments in the life sciences

many different channels has an influence on

As experts, scientists must always be

are not always the best people to discharge

h a ve g e n e ra te d n ew e t h i ca l p ro b le m s ,the lives of all present and future members

sensitive to the negative impacts that their

their ethical responsibilities, it is also

including those related to brain death, geneof society, including national and local

research might have on society and makeimportant that scientists always disclose theirrecombination, and cloning technology,

governments and companies.

appropriate decisions to avoid them, including

research activities and explain the results toScientists are now expected to be sociallydecisions on the direction of their research.

the general public.

responsible in carrying out their research.

At the least, scientists are expected tothleading to the birth of Dolly the Sheep, the firstmammal to be cloned.

20

At the same time, we all have the21Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

1981 Honda Prize Laureate

Born in the State of New York in the UnitedStates in 1917. Received a master’s degree inelectrical engineering from MIT in 1940 andentered the General Electric Company. Served
as the president of the International Federationof Automatic Control ( IFAC) from 1957 to1959 and as the president of the American
Automatic Control Council from 1962 to 1964.
In 1973, became the president of the Instituteof Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Made a great contribution to the world’s
industrial circles. Wrote many books, including
Systems Engineering Methods (1967).

responsibility to recognize how we use andtechnology follows certain ethical rules.

promote science and technology. It is clear

While scientists and engineers have athat in modern societies, the wholesale use of

responsibility to society at large, we all carryscience and technology to pursue efficiency,

the responsibility of ensuring that science

convenience, and comfort is no longer viable.

and technology are used in sustainable andIn addition, there are global inequalities andpragmatic ways.

issues of fairness between North and Southand between West and East. In modern society,we all bear the responsibility to work together
with scientists in ensuring that science and22

Paradigm Shift: Concept of Social Responsibility

Dr. Harold Chestnut— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

At the conference, which was held jointly by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and theInternational Council for Science (ICSU) and attended by approximately
2,000 scientists and governmental officials from all over the world,
discussions were held on science and society in the 21st century, andthe Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge wasadopted. The declaration advocated the idea of “science in society
and science for society” and insisted that the final goal of scienceshould be the welfare of humankind and accordingly, science shouldplay a role in reducing poverty, respecting the dignity and rights ofhuman beings, protecting the global environment, and fulfilling its
responsibilities toward present and future generations.

Honda Prize Laureates“Engineers should press forward with development
to meet the diversified needs of people.”

World Conference on Science (Budapest, Hungary in June 1996)

From 1940 to 1966, Dr. Harold Chestnut was engaged in researchand development as an engineer at General Electric Company. As a
researcher working for a company, he believed that engineers shouldpress forward with development to meet the diversified needs ofpeople. Based on this belief, Dr. Chestnut proposed the conceptof systems engineering, which incorporates the requirements ofsystem users while considering the abilities and requirementsof system developers. He also pursued environmentally friendly
development.
In the United States from the 1950s to the 1960s, rapidlydeveloping computers and the automatic control technology
developed for military purposes began to be used in a number ofindustries. Dr. Chestnut was also engaged in the research of thesetechnologies at the request of the electric industry. At the beginningof the 1960s, however, he also became interested in environmental
problems, including environmental pollution and the depletion of
resources.
Dr. Chestnut attended the International Congress on the Human
Environment (HESC) held in Kyoto in 1975. During his stay inJapan, he visited some local industrial areas where pollution-related
problems were being aggravated. He learned from that meeting, as
well as from visits to the areas, about some of the local problems
that were arising in association with air and water pollution,
including noise and pollution caused by the chemical, electrical, andother industries.
In Europe and the United States, people were becoming moreaware of environmental problems. Dr. Chestnut thought thattechnology itself cannot make judgments or select criteria, althoughthese are the basis of human decision-making. Based on thisidea, he insisted on the necessity of taking a systematic approachthat is reliable and takes the influence and social implicationsof technology into consideration, and developed his own uniquesystems engineering methods.
At the conferring ceremony of the Honda Prize, Dr. Chestnut said toengineers across the world as follows:“Those of us concerned with developing new technology should
consider ourselves to have a major undertaking to try to meet the
expanding needs of the increasing number of people in the world
with its finite resources and environments constraints.”

23

Paradigm Shift in the
21st Century

The problems faced by modern society are

the application of simple rules and principles.

caused by a variety of factors, including the

Research into complex systems has given riseeffect of our activities on the environment. For

to an innovative approach and made it possible

example, the drastic increase in the levels of

to gain an insight into the basic nature of

CO2 in the atmosphere cannot be solved only

complex systems.

by focusing on natural phenomena. A realistic

While complex systems demand a new

solution to the problem has to look at thescientific approach to systems to which simple

kinds of societies we live in, our lifestyles, andrules and principles cannot be applied, chaos

industrial, economic, and military activities;

theory, which first appeared in the middle

transportation is also an important factor inof the 1970s, deals with systems that startthis. In the latter half of the 20 century, aoff following simple rules and principles

new area of study was created that deals with

but gradually deviate from these rules ascomplex systems, and it is anticipated that aprocesses build up over time, due to small

new Paradigm shift will emerge for the 21 sterrors in the initial values. Chaos theory has

century.

demonstrated that it is practically impossibleth24

The science of complex systems is developing

to predict weather accurately on a long-termon many fronts, and it is difficult to summarize

basis or to predict long-term trends in thethem all in a simple way. However, we can say

foreign exchange market.

that complex systems are systems in which

Scientific investigations of complexity,

multiple parameters are related in nonlinear

including complex systems, were a featureways, making it difficult to predict the futureof the latter half of the 20 th century andbehavior of the overall system just from theopened up a vision of future progress into

Solar radiation[Atmosphere]

Greenhouse effect

Greenhouse gases

the 21 century. Supported by information

separate elements.

technology represented by computers and theEarth radiation

N2O
CH4

SnowfallRainfall

Cloud
H2O

Photosynthesis

CO2

Thermal cycle of
air and water

CFCs
Rainfall

CO2

Evaporation

O2
Hydrological cycle

Ecosystem

Lake
MountainRiver

Thermal cycle of
air and water
Plain

Wind

Human activity
City

Volcanic
eruption

Carbon cycle
O2[Land area][Ocean]Surface layer current

Plankton

Earthquake

CO2 subsidence
Fault

Marine ecosystem
Deep-sea current

Global ecosystemstcharacteristics and relationships between the

O3
Ozone holeincluding political and economic systems.

This definition is not easy to understand,Internet, these scientific theories are currently

A paradigm shift in the 21st century may leadbut the area can be clarified by listing specificcontributing to the development and practicalto completely new scientific and technologicalresearch targets for complex systems. Theyuse of innovations in science and technology,

approaches and give us the kind of science

include the weather, oceans, ecologicalas well as in nanotechnology. For example,

and technology that we really need for thesystems, life phenomena, artificial intelligencethese theories are helping to improve thefuture of our societies.

(brain science), large-scale transportation

precision with which we can forecast theflows, and political and economic systems.

weather, simulate the global environmental,

These belong to fields that cannot be dealt

and forecast traffic flows. They are alsowith using traditional scientific approaches tohelping us to clarify the mysteries of life, andunderstanding complex phenomena involving

are advancing research into social systems,

Exchanges of heat and water and various other interactive reactions
take place between air and seawater and between air and land.
Changes in the weather take place not simply as a result ofinteractions in nature, but as the product of complex, interrelated
exchanges among diverse activities on the planet, including humanactivities. Major causes of global warming are chemicals such as
CFCs that are released into the air with human activity and destroy
the ozone layer and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide andmethane. Unraveling this complexity requires exhaustive study into
the carbon cycle processes in which ecosystems on the land and in
the sea are closely interlinked. Research is currently underway using
a variety of approaches. (Picture: JAMSTEC)

Paradigm Shift: Paradigm Shift in the 21st Century

25

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote1983 Honda Prize Laureate

26

In the 1970s, Dr. Prigogine proposed the theory of interaction,
insisting that a part affects the whole and the whole affects a part.
This theory had a great impact on the research fields of biology
and life science in addition to its impact on the world of physicalchemistry. Furthermore, the scientific approach derived from thedissipative structures theory influences even the fields of humane
studies and the social sciences, such as philosophy, sociology, andeconomics (reter to P. 28) as well as meteorology and oceanography.
Together with synergetics founded by Hermann Haken, Dr.
Prigogine’s scientific approach has come to play an important role
for advanced research into complex systems, which is based ontheories that are currently among the most important scientifictheories.
The dissipative structures theory was born from a question that
Prigogine had in studying the second law of thermodynamics.
According to the law of increasing entropy, the world (universe)
becomes chaotic over time, with things irreversibly broken. The
world is destined to halt in chaos. In the biological world, however,living organisms grow and are organized in a more orderly manner.
The growth of living organisms was a phenomenon contrary to thelaw of increasing disorder.
Dr. Prigogine thought in his thermodynamics research that there
might be a phenomenon contrary to the law of increasing entropy.
For example, if you drop ink into water, the ink spreads according
to the law of increasing entropy. The random movement of ink
molecules tends to increase entropy. This, however, also means that
there is the possibility that some molecules move differently, even if
the possibility is low.
An orderly system might be created against the law of increasing
entropy by fluctuation. This fluctuation or small incidental order
was almost neglected in the field of science before Prigogine.
The whole follows the law of increasing entropy in a closed systemin equilibrium where no substances or energy inflow, but in an open
system in non-equilibrium where substances and energy inflow
and outflow in a continuous manner, a small fluctuation affects thesurrounding (whole) structure and the surrounding (whole) structure
further promotes the small order. This synergy effect is called selforganization, which might lead to greater order. Prigogine foundthis possibility and established the dissipative structures theory.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Born in Moscow, Russia (nationality: Belgian )in 1917. Received a master’s degree inscience in 1941 and became a professor at
the Free University of Brussels. Became thedirector of the Institute Internationaux dePhysique et de Chimie in 1959 and became theRegents Professor of Physics and Chemical
Engineering at the University of Texas. Becamea special advisor to the Commission of theEuropean Committees in 1981. Subsequently
served as the representative of the InstituteInternationaux de Physique et de Chimie
Solvay and the director of the Ilya Prigogine
Center for Statistical Mechanics andThermodynamics at the University of Texas.
Granted many awards, including the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry (1977).

Dr. Ilya Prigogine

Honda Prize Laureates“ Time will never isolate human beings from nature.”

You can observe one remarkable example ofdissipative structures when you heat a pan
containing liquid evenly from below. If heatedmoderately, the liquid will be at the second
stage (in a linear non-equilibrium state), andheat will be conducted through the liquid.
If, however, the pan is heated intensely andthe temperature gradient exceeds a specificvalue, convection cells will be abruptly andspontaneously generated. This is a highlyorganized molecular movement that occurs
when energy from the heat oscillations istransferred to convection flow, which is amacroscopic movement. The newly appearing
molecular order represents a huge fluctuation
stabilized by an exchange of energy with theexternal world, and this is the order brought
about by a dissipative structure. (Photo:
Nobuhiko Misawa [Ocean Research Institute,
the University of Tokyo])

Based on the idea that non-equilibrium rather than equilibrium
brings about order, Dr. Prigogine eventually proposed to build a
new society and science by learning a control method from a new
viewpoint beyond the range of thermodynamics research in the fieldof physics. As a result, he is now included in the list of researchers
who led scientific theories for complex systems, which are stilldeveloping.
The importance of his theory had been increasing over theapproximately 40 years since its first announcement. Livingorganisms consume negative entropy within themselves andmetabolize to form an order. This life system can be included indissipative systems. In the past, it was believed that the system ofliving organisms was too complex for human beings to control. Now,
however, thanks to the rapid development of nanotechnology, it is
becoming possible to control a system on an atomic level. Against
this background, the scientific elucidation of the self-organization oflife is attracting much attention as an effective means to solve themystery of life.
Dr. Prigogine says the following about his biggest research theme,
the concept of time, in his book titled Modern Thermodynamics.
“Time, in particular the direction of time is a basic dimension forlife. We have found out that the flow of time is ubiquitous. Time will
never isolate human beings from nature.”27

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

1992 Honda Prize Laureate

lightfieldlightfield

laser

lamp

Dr. Hermann Haken

28

Research into complex systems was started in the 1990s and has
become one of the most important scientific research fields in the
21st century. Dr. Hermann Haken gave a powerful drive to research
into complex systems with his synergetics proposed in 1978, as did
Dr. Prigogine with his dissipative structures theory.
Synergetics is designed to clarify theoretically the formation oforder in complex systems and has enabled the scientific researchof objects (systems) that were thought to be too complex to take ascientific approach.
In addition to its influence on physics, synergetics has exerted
interdisciplinary influence over biology, medicine, engineering,
economics, and the social sciences and has contributed to thedevelopment of research into complex systems in various academic
fields.
Born in Germany in 1927, Dr. Haken majored in mathematics andphysics at university and became professor of theoretical physics
at the University of Stuttgart in 1960. As a researcher, he has beenwalking the high road in the field of physics. He founded the theoryof synergetics inspired by his research on lasers.
In creating light with a laser, the laser molecules initially emit lightat various wavelengths (frequencies), mutually depriving each otherof energy. When a molecule that is emitting a beam of a certain
wavelength beats other molecules in the competition for energy, all
the other molecules begin to emit beams at the same wavelength asthat of the winning molecule.
Molecules that were each emitting light in an unrelated anddisorderly manner thus begin to cooperate following the newly
created “order,” as if the light wave of the winning molecule were amutually determined rule. Dr. Haken named this newly-created rulean “order parameter.”Furthermore, he formulated the slaving principle, which means
the unforced “self-organization” of all the molecules according
to the order parameter. In other words, Dr. Haken explained
theoretically the process in which an order parameter is formed bya specific energy or mode(“fluctuation” ) created in a system and theparameter enslaves and dominates others to create a system that is
totally different from the previous one.
In a sense, this process can be called a model of Darwin’s “survivalof the fittest.”

disorder— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

time

Born in Leipzig in Germany in 1927. Received
a doctorate in mathematics from the Universityof Erlange in 1951. Became professor oftheoretical physics at the University of
Stuttgart in 1960 and a visiting professor
at the Research Institute for Fundamental
Physics, Yukawa Hall, Kyoto, Japan in 1961.
After serving as a consultant to Bell TelephoneLabs and a consultant to Laboratoire
Telecommunications ( ITT) in Paris, becamea member of the Scientific Board of the Max
Planck Institute for Solid State Research in
Stuttgart in 1970. Also served as the directorof the Quantum Optics Division of the German
Physical Society and as a consultant to theGerman Sciences Foundation. Granted many
awards, including the Max Born Prize.

Honda Prize Laureates“We must pay attention to the changes in theparameters of our environment.”

time

order

Dr. Haken established synergetics theory
based on his research into lasers. Dr. Haken
found out that disorderly light waves
emitted from an ordinary lamp suddenly
change to well-ordered light waves when theenergy input to the laser exceeds a criticallimit, and he called the light wave that
becomes dominant as the optimal wave inthe environment an order parameter. Oncean order parameter is established, otherelectrons are “enslaved” to the rhythm of
the dominant light wave and then support
the existence of the order parameter. This
circulative cause-effect relationship is calledsynergetics.

Synergetics, which has the “order parameter” and “slaving
principle” as its key features, has greatly contributed to thetreatment of complex systems with regard to the global environmentand social sciences.
Dr. Haken says he has no doubt about the necessity of technology
for human beings, who want it to meet their needs that emerge one
after another and to adapt themselves to every kind of difficulties.
Human beings definitely need to find a good balance between
ecology and technology or between stability and adaptivity.
In the 21st century, Haken’s synergetics is playing an increasingly
important role as research into complex systems is advancing anddeveloping. It is almost 30 years since the theory of synergetics wasborn, and it might indeed be a method or “ecotechnology” to find agood balance between ecology and technology or between stability
and adaptivity.

29

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote1994 Honda Prize Laureate"I have often said that the branches of a tree arethemselves little trees; fragments of rocks are similar tomasses of rocks, particles of earth to enormous piles ofearth. I am persuaded that one would find a quantity ofsuch analogies," said the painter Eugene Delacroix. Fromlightning and coastlines to feathers and snow crystals–-many phenomena we observe in nature share "fractal"
characteristics. Benoit Mandelbrot's fractal geometry wasable to give mathematical expression to "self similarity innature" as described by Delacroix. As a theory that finds
order in the chaos of nature, applications for fractals in awide range of fields of science and technology are being
studied today.
(Photo: ”Moon Over Water. Composite image of the full moonover the sea and rocks”)

30©TONY CRADDOCK

Dr. Benoit B. Mandelbrot— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Born in Warsaw in Poland in 1924. Received adoctorate in mathematics from the Universityof Paris in 1952. Worked as a member of theInstitute for Advanced Study at Princetonfrom 1953 to 1955. Served as junior professorof mathematics at the University of Geneva,
University of Lille, and Ecole Polytechnique.
Entered IBM’s T. J. Watson Research Center in1958 and worked as an IBM Fellow from 1974
to 1993. Became professor of mathematicalsciences at Yale University in the UnitedStates in 1987 and became an honorary
professor of the university in 2005. Granted
many awards, including the Barnard Medaland the Wolf Foundation Prize for Physics.

Honda Prize Laureates“Fractals are a family of geometric shapes,
and one must see them in order to understandgeometric shapes.”

The word “fractal,” which is now used in a range of fields, wascoined by Dr. Benoit B. Mandelbrot. He based the term on the Latin
word “fractus,” which means broken or fractured. According to Dr.
Mandelbrot, a fractal is an irregular or fragmented geometric shapethat cannot be dealt with in traditional Euclidean geometry. Dr.
Mandelbrot announced his “fractal geometry” in 1975, when he wasjust over 50 years old and working for the Watson Research Center.
Subsequently the word “fractal” began to attract much attention.
For example, the entire shape of a river, including how it winds,
is very much like the shape of a tributary. As for a cauliflower, thewhole and each of the buds have similar structures and the parts
comprising the buds also have similar structures. Thus the samestructures are repeated at five or more levels of magnification. A
fractal is structured with parts, each of which has a similar shapeand so it is self-similar.
By using the theory of fractals, which refers to a recursive shape,
it is possible to mysteriously create a part that shows the shapeof the whole. Using the theory of fractals, you can visualize thecomplicated shape of a coastline, rocky mountains, fine branches
and roots of trees, space comprising numerous galaxies, and anyother shapes using computer graphics. In fact in 1980, in thescience fiction movie Star Wars, the theory was used to allow
computer graphics to create mountains and surfaces on otherplanets. The theory has since been making a great contribution tocomputer graphics.
It is anticipated that it will become one of the scientificapproaches used to derive order from chaos, and research iscontinuing. At present, the fractal is developing from a very simple(and short) algorithm to an extremely complex graphic form.

Fragment of a variant of the Mandelbrot set( B. B. Mandelbrot)

31

Humane Use of Human Ideas
The DISCOVERIES International Symposium held in Rome in
1977: A Combined Oriental/Occidental Approach to the Problems
Confronting Planet Earth
The Honda Foundation has been holding international symposiums
to enable wide and interdisciplinary discussions on measures toharmonize human activities with the global environment beyond
national boundaries. In recent years, these symposiums have been
held also in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and India focusing on the
rapidly growing Asian region. DISCOVERIES stands for Definition and
Identification Studies on Conveyance of Values, Effects and Risks
Inherent in Environment Synthesis.

Since the dawn of time, human beings
have viewed their world from many different
aspects, and have been developing theirscientific and technological abilities as a tool
to facilitate communication.
In the economic development of the postwar years, however, the advanced countries
have tended to use the growth of science andtechnology to pursue production economies,
which generate profit. A cultural and humane
viewpoint has long been missing from thebasic aims of scientific and technologicalresearch, development, and application. As aresult, serious problems have emerged related
to the environment, energy and resources, andlife ethics that have the potential to threaten
the future of humankind.
Research to solve these problems needs toextend over a wide spectrum; fundamental
solutions will not be found just by collecting
the results of scientific and technologicalresearch in ever more finely divided areas ofexpertise. The boundaries between specialized
fields of research need to be removed to givethe flexibility needed to integrate the resultsof R&D in pursuit of specific goals. For this,
it is necessary to set meaningful and fairtargets that are worthy of our uncompromisingefforts. In the latter half of the 1970s, theHonda Foundation set out one such target—
the Humane Use of Human Ideas.
For example, the ultimate goal of medicine
must be to save patients. Similarly, we believethat scientific and technological research

32

33

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote1982 Honda Prize Laureate

based on a belief that progress in science andviewpoint, with human happiness as its final

technology should bring happiness to humantarget.

beings. Young scientists and engineers face

Scientists in today’s world have already started

these kinds of expectations.

to look at increasingly complicated events

Achievement of these ideals will makefrom a global viewpoint, combining the naturalscience and technology truly essential to thesciences with the social sciences. An example

survival of humankind.

of this is the interdisciplinary application ofsystems theory to the social sciences andglobal environmental studies. However, evenwhen these integrated approaches generate
successful results, there remains the problem
of how to translate the results into technology

Born in Birmingham in England in 1907.
Received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics
and physics from the University of Cambridgein 1929. After graduating, served as ascientific officer in the Department of
Scientific Research and Experiment at theAdmiralty and returned to the University ofCambridge in 1952. Served as professor ofengineering at the university from 1965 to1973 and as the president of the International
Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) from1963 to 1966. Worked as the president of theInstitution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) from1971 to 1972 and the first president of theWorld Environment and Resources Council
from 1973 to 1976. Played a leading rolein a number of international organizations.
Appointed Commander of the Order of the
British Empire.

to solve practical problems, and how society
can best support reforms in science andtechnology. Putting scientific and technologicalinnovation to practical use requires a global
consensus that transcends all our political,
economical, and ideological differences.
Societies of the future may become morepolarized and face more difficulties in the
search for a balance between individual profit
and social order, and between the rights ofindividual nations and the interests of theworld as a whole. In this situation, scientists
and technologists will need to review theirgoals and set new targets.
We need to find a balance between scientificand technological development and the need toprotect the Earth, to ensure co-prosperity for
all people on the planet. All those engaged inscience and technology in the 21st century needto pursue their dreams with a fresh sense ofsocial responsibility and an ethical approach

34

Dr. John F. Coales— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

should be conducted from an integrated

Honda Prize Laureates“In case of the engineer, it may mean that thesafety of thousands or even the well-being of
millions is in his hands.”

Professor John F. Coales served as the president of theInternational Federation of Automatic Control from 1963 to
1966 and was a world-recognized authority on automatic control
technology. In addition, he was highly regarded for serving as abridge between different technological fields.
Professor Coales served as the president of the Institution ofElectrical Engineers (IEE) for two years from 1971 and became thefirst president of the World Environment and Resources Council in
1973. He thus served as chairman, director, and fellow of variousorganizations, including councils, academic societies, and research
institutes in a range of fields including the fields of electricity,
electronics, physics, and agricultural engineering. For many years
he played a leading role in a number of international organizationsof engineers and made a great contribution to academic circles andthe industry with his theory and its applications.
Professor Coales devoted himself especially to the growth ofdeveloping countries, paying attention to the role of an engineer
in a free economy, because it is important to promote the transfer
of technology from developed countries to developing countries tohelp the latter achieve sustainable growth.
To this end, Professor Coales attributed most importance to thedevelopment of leading engineers in developing countries.
The professor realistically pointed out that the situation differs
according to the developing country and these countries are facing
problems that are different from the ones that developed countries
have experienced. He then insisted on the importance of educating
leading engineers by helping them accumulate experience in theirown countries and acquire the ability to respond to contingencies
and lead important technological projects to success.
In his speech made at the conferring ceremony, as a premise to
taking on these challenges, Professor Coales said something which
is true even today:“If we are to be successful in developing technology to savethe world from penury in the 21 st century we must develop theengineering profession to serve the human race with the zeal of
missionaries and this can only be done if we work together andsupport each other irrespective of colour, race or creed or indeed ofideological belief.”

Paradigm Shift: Humane Use of Human Ideas

35

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

1995 Honda Prize Laureate36

Dr Åke E. Andersson, who serves as the managing director of theSwedish Institute for Futures Studies, received the Honda Prizein 1995 in recognition of his approach to futures studies from theviewpoint of economics. Fifteen years after the first Honda Prize
was awarded in 1980, Dr. Andersson became the first memorable
person with an arts background to win the Prize. It can be said
that his winning the prize symbolizes the advent of an age in whichscientific theories and approaches are actively applied to researchin the fields of the arts and the humanities, including sociology andeconomics.
Born in Sweden in 1936, Dr. Andersson received a doctorate ineconomics from the University of Gothenburg in 1967. Subsequently,
he served as associate professor and visiting professor atuniversities and then conducted research at the International
Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in the suburbs ofVienna, Austria from 1978 to 1980.
From 1984 to 1986, he served as a research leader at the IIASA,
where Dr. Haken, who is the founder of synergetics, was also amember of the research project. Dr. Haken’s synergetics theory
eventually had a great influence on Dr. Andersson’s economic
theory.
Amid the aggravation of global environmental problems, Dr.
Andersson insisted that the new-generation society should bea “C-society,” which is an industrialized society that relies on
creativity, communication capacity, and complexity of products, asa theoretical model to achieve global economic development while
protecting the natural environment, including forest resources.
Dr. Andersson regarded creativity as a new engine for economic
growth in the 21 st century. Only creative processes can provide
new solutions to make economic growth and global environmental
protection compatible.
Increasing complexity of products enhances the value per unit ofmanufacturing production and so Dr. Andersson analyzed that if thecomplexity of products increased with the development of scienceand technology, it would lead to the saving of natural resources.
Furthermore, in order to shift society from one that relies on
the input of mass materials and energy to one that relies on thecomplexity of products, Dr. Andersson thinks it important to promote
communication among individuals, companies, and local communities.

C

Creativity
Communication capacity— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Born in Solleftea in Sweden in 1936. Received
a master’s degree in economics from the
University of Gothenburg in 1967. After
serving as associate professor of city andregional economics at the Nordic Institute forCity and Regional Planning and as associate
professor of economics at the University
of Gothenburg, became professor at the
University of Umea in 1979. Served as a
research leader at the International Institutefor Applied Systems Analysis ( IIASA ) from1984 to 1986 and became managing directorof the Swedish Institute for Future Studies in1988. In addition, served as an advisor to the
Economic Commission for Europe, OECD,and the Swedish Government. Also served
as the main editor of the journal Regional
Science and Urban Economics.

Dr. Åke E. Andersson

Honda Prize Laureates“Shifting society from one that relies on the inputof mass materials and energy to one that relies oncommunication, creativity, and complexity of products.”

Complexity of products

It is, however, quite difficult to analyze and study the C-society,which has a complex system featuring creativity, complexity of
products, and communication capacity. In dealing with this problem,
Dr. Andersson looked to synergetics theory.
Dr. Haken, in his synergetics theory, clarified that rapidlychanging interacting systems are enslaved by slowly but steadilychanging dynamic systems (order parameters). Based on thistheory, Dr. Andersson argued that order parameters would play adominant role in structural changes in society and the economy
and in the development and growth of cities as well. He regarded
infrastructures as order parameters.
It will take an extremely long time for such infrastructures tofunction properly. However, once they begin to function, they will
exert great influence over society, shifting it to a C-society where
society and the economy can be developed with minimal burdens on
the global environment.
According to Dr. Andersson, it is necessary to understand thatenvironmental problems are also “slow but steady changes” and in
this age of rapid changes, we must continue to make investments
in infrastructures without being too much occupied by immediate
profits and problems.

37Modern technology impresses us with its enormous achievements

We must overcome blind competition by thoughtful cooperation. Abovesuch as sending spacecrafts to remote planets, mobile phones, GPS, theinternet, advanced car technology, high speed trains, and many otherthings. Our economy is governed by Darwinian principles: competitionand survival of the fittest.
But today, the public becomes aware of new gigantic problems that
constitute a threat to welfare and further development of Man, andmaybe even to his survival. We realize an increasing destructionof our environment, for instance by the CO 2 problem, huge floods,
thunderstorms and unusual dry periods, the poisoning of rivers andlakes, etc. Many animal species are getting extinct. But such processes
happen also among us humans at the cultural level. More and morelanguages disappear, and specific cultural values and habits are being
abandoned.

all we need a new collective attitude shared by many people, aiming ata deep and enduring harmony between ecology, economy, technology
and, not to forget, a preservation of our cultural goods. To put it in otherwords: We need a new paradigm that has evolved over the past years:
Ecotechnology. Its realization rests on the young generation, and it is thetask of our older generation to help our successors on their way. What I
am telling you here was anticipated by the late Soichiro Honda and his
foundation.
The Honda Foundation not only propagates the idea of creating a truly
human civilization, but it takes active part in this endeavor in a variety
of ways. The Honda Foundation will play a seminal role in achieving the“Honda Foundation’s Mission: Humane Use of Human Ideas”

What can we do to counteract these negative developments andpreserve our material and immaterial values?
There are some strong movements in the world, supported bygovernments such as in Japan and Germany towards protection of thenatural environment. Scientists are studying a variety of scenarios. In
my own field of research, Synergetics, I have studied the behaviourof complex systems, ranging from technical systems such as the lightsource laser up to economic and social systems. When I apply my results
to our present days’ situation, my answer is this:38

Hermann Haken
13th Honda Prize Laureate, Germany

39

A New Perspective on Global
Environmental Problems
Towards a Goal of
Sustainable Development
Think Globally, Act Locally
Sharing the Earth

Sustainability

Industrial activity has brought us environmental
problems, and because of these activities, the Earthhas been damaged beyond its ability to recover on its
own and humankind is now in danger of extinction.
In the second half of the 20 th century, when theeffects of environmental problems were beginning tosurface, people began to search for specific solutions
to environmental problems on a global scale. At thesame time, however, it became clear that various
other problems needed to be solved as a premise tosolving those environmental problems, including theadverse effects of measures to reduce environmental
impact which are the result of certain correlations in
the natural environment as well as differences in theeconomic situations between countries as represented
by the North -South problem. In Chapter 2, the directionthat scientists and engineers should take in solving
global environmental problems will be examined.
These problems will not be solved until scientists andengineers cooperate in carrying out their researchand collaborate beyond the existing frameworks indeveloping new technology.

40

41

A New Perspective on
Global Environmental Problems

Changes in the CO 2 content of the airfrom the North Pole to the South PoleThe CO2 content has been increasing year
by year. In particular, there are more land
areas in the Northern Hemisphere thanin the Southern Hemisphere and the CO2
content of the air is higher in the Northern
Hemisphere due to the burning of fossil
fuels by human activities. For the period
between 1983 and 2005, the CO2 content
of the air has been increasing by roughly
1.6 to 1.7 ppm per year on average for all
the latitude bands. For the past 10 years,
it has been increasing by 1.9 ppm per year
on average. (Source: Japan Meteorological
Agency)Global environmental problems began toattract attention at the end of the 20th century
and have been widely reported by the media
since the beginning of the 21st century. These
problems are now widely known and haveenabled us to recognize that the Earth on which
we live is a closed system, that the resources
needed to support our lives are limited, andthat if we continue to allow our economic
activities to emit large amounts of CO2 and topollute air and water, we will upset the naturalbalance and damage the environment to theextent that we can no longer live on the planet.
Environmental problems are extremely
difficult to solve. The following discusses
the reasons why in relation to problems ofpollution.
In the 1960s, developed countries including
Japan faced pollution problems; our rivers
were polluted by wastewater and our air
was polluted by smoke from factories. In
this polluted scenario, there were those who
emitted the pollutants into the air, water,and soil without appropriate treatment—theperpetrators— and those whose health wasdamaged by those emissions—the victims. It
thus became possible to solve the problem by
imposing regulations on potential perpetrators.
However, many environmental problems—
including global warming caused by greenhousegases such as CO2 and the associated changes
in rainfall and desertification, the depletion of
the ozone layer by CFCs, and acid rain—are
the results of our modern lifestyles in which

42

43

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

Changes in the greenhouse gas content of the air from 1750 to 2005
The content of CO 2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in theworld’s air has greatly increased since 1750, far exceeding any
increase over the several thousand years before the industrial
revolution. The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report concluded that there
is very high confidence that human activities result in global warming.

Annual emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities forthe period between 1970 and 2004
Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities have been
continuously increasing, and increased by 70% between 1970 and
2004.

“Clean up our environment to make the world healthierfor us, our children, and our grandchildren.”(Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report)

CarbonCarbondioxidedioxide(CO(CO
2) 2)

2000
2000

MethaneMethane(CH(CH
4) 4)

1800
1800

Oxide
Oxide
(N2(ON) 2O)
35035050 50

F-gases
F-gases2O from
N2ONfrom
agriculture
agriculture
andandothersothers2 fromCO2CO
fromdeforestation,
deforestation,
decay
decay
andandpeatpeat4 from
CH4CH
fromagriculture,
agriculture,
waste
waste
andandenergyenergy2 fromCO2CO
fromfossilfossilfuelfuel
useuseandandother
othersourcessources

1200
1200

35.635.6500500

1000
1000

1500
1500

28.728.7

20 2080080010 10600600
2000
2000

0 0

1970
1970

1980
1980

1990
1990

2000
2000

2004
2004

we consume large amounts of energy to makeIf the current worst scenario becomes a reality,

our lives more convenient. Anyone can be aour descendents will certainly become theperpetrator, but unlike with pollution, it isvictims of earth environmental problems. Thisdifficult to identify specific perpetrators.

is why it is important to fulfill our responsibilities

There is one more factor that adds to theto future generations in dealing with global

difficulty of solving environmental problems inenvironmental problems based on the realizationthat causal correlations have yet to be scienti-

that we must be ready to take action even against

fically demonstrated for many environmental

risks that may not yet have become apparent.

problems.

Born in Bedfordshire in England in 1942.
Employed at Johnson Matthey’s Technology
Center in England from 1964 to 1977. Received a doctorate from London University in
1976 and was subsequently employed by
SINTEF, Department of Applied Chemistryat the University of Trondheim, Norway.
Began working at Johnson Matthey Inc. in the
United States in 1979 and served as a principal
scientist, development manager, technicaldirector, and vice president in charge oftechnology. Now serves as the vice president
in charge of diesel emission control systems at
the company.

For example, some scientists still disagree
that global warming is caused by CO2, because
global warming is a scientifically unverifiablephenomenon that cannot be described simply.
The factors that cause global warming areinterconnected at many different levels, andinclude the uneven distribution of resources andwealth. Future changes in these relationships
may even lead to global cooling in place of
global warming. Because of this uncertainty,
it becomes necessary to create a variety ofdifferent scenarios to predict the results ofglobal warming.

44

Sustainability: A New Perspective on Global Environmental Problems

CRT System
Catalytic converters for diesel engines usedin heavy duty vehicles were put to practicaluse ahead of the world in 1995. The converter
is now used in public service vehicles in the
major cities of the world.

In the 1970s, when air pollution caused by emission gas was being
aggravated and becoming a serious social concern, Dr. Barry John
Cooper conducted research into catalytic control of emissions fromgasoline-powered vehicles at Johnson Matthey Plc far ahead ofother researchers. At that time, large amounts of emissions fromengines started at low temperatures posed the biggest technologicalproblem, because catalysts do not function well at low operating
temperatures. Dr. Cooper conducted more research to enablecatalysts to work appropriately even at cold temperatures and also
made more technological improvements so that they could remove
pollutants more efficiently. Finally, he succeeded in developing
three-way catalysts using platinum group metals. The catalysts canremove three pollutants (nitrogen oxide, carbon hydride, and carbon
monoxide ) at the same time, which represents an epoch-making
technical advance.
Three-way catalysts made using platinum group metals have beenfurther improved and continue to be the most powerful means forgasoline engine emission control. At present, it is becoming possible
to meet strict emission control regulations by using low-costcatalysts that contain ultra-low levels of platinum group metals.
Dr. Cooper also took on the challenge of developing catalysts
to control emissions from diesel-powered vehicles. Emissions
from these vehicles contain carbon particles and other particulatematter ( PM ) , which might cause lung cancer. He developed theContinuously Regenerating Trap (CRT) for the control of diesel
particulate emissions and this advanced emission gas control
technology, which does not lower the fuel economy of vehicles, ishighly evaluated across the world.
According to Dr. Cooper’s estimate, the amount of pollutants,
including carbon monoxide, carbon hydride, and nitrogen oxide
removed by the use of the catalyst technology developed by him
at Johnson Matthey totaled four billion tons as of 2002, when hereceived the Honda Prize. If the amount of particulate mattersremoved from diesel engine emissions is included, the amount ofpollutants removed by the catalysts will further increase.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

250250
0 0

1000
1000

49.049.0

39.439.440 40300300Dr. Barry John Cooper

44.744.7

1400
1400
30 30

2002 Honda Prize Laureate

Honda Prize Laureates

1600
1600

60 60

GtCO2-eq / yr
GtCO2-eq / yr

40040045

Towards a Goal of
Sustainable Development

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Sustainable human development should therefore
be understood as progress through quality in every
human activity.”

1999 Honda Prize Laureate

growth. However, we cannot just continueskin that might be malignant, you will spend

to pursue this in the conventional manner.

time and money to have it removed, even if

In recognition of this fact, a new concept of

this is painful or leaves a scar, whereas with a“sustainable development” was proposed‘wait-and-see’ approach, you would wait until

at a meeting of the World Commission

the tumor has been examined and proved to

on Environment and Development ( WCED)

be malignant. It is impossible to decide whichconvened by the United Nations in 1987. Thisof these two approaches is better for you until

concept has led to a consensus on the necessity

the outcome reveals itself. What is importantof preventing further global warming, saving

is to understand both of these approaches andresources, and protecting the environment

to be flexible in choosing the one that seems

f ro m p o l l u t i o n , a l t h o u g h i n d i s c u ss i n g

to be better in each specific situation.

sustainable development, some focus more on

Regardless of which approach you take, it issustainability and others more on development.

essential to collect the necessary information

There are several approaches to ensuring

in advance. Fortunately, precise environmental

sustainable development. A ‘wait-and-see’monitoring and predictions based on computer

approach is a rational one, and brings effective

simulations have become practical since thecost benefits. However, this approach canend of the 20th century. In the field of natural

produce a negative outcome. For example,

science, observation and measurement

asbestos has caused tremendous damage astechniques have substantially improved,a result of taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach

including monitoring by artificial satellite. The

despite the fact that the risks associated withuse of data collected using these techniques

the substance were pointed out by doctors as

has in turn improved the accuracy of computer

early as the 1880s.

simulations.

Another approach promoted by UNESCO in

Computer simulation is used in mostrecent years is the precautionary principle,

advanced scientific findings and technologies,

which was formulated during the United

and this in turn improves the simulation

Nations Conference on Environment andtechniques used. The Intergovernmental Panel

Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded in 1988

The principle states that even where cause

as a part of the worldwide effort to tackle

and effect relationships are not clearly proven,global warming. The panel enables scientists

precautionary measures should be taken

to reach a consensus based on scenarios

against any possible risks.

created by computer simulation and to makeBorn in Skofja Loka in Slovenia in 1926.
Professor of Chemistry at University of
Lijubljana since 1969. Also served as vicepresident of the Science Education Committee
and the International Council of ScientificUnions, and chairperson of the Chemistry
Education Committee and the Federation ofEuropean Chemical Societies among others.
Established an information system to control
toxic waste, and contributed to environmentallyconscious production processes and productdevelopment. Served as UNDP Lead-Trainer
for Environment Sustainable Development, andas a member of the United Nations University
Council.

Microencapsulation
Microencapsulation of pesticides andother agricultural chemicals allows thecontrolled release of active substances into
the environment over a long period. The
technology ensures the same effect whilesubstantially reducing the use of hazardous
substances. It can be applied to a range offields, and the International Center for ChemicalStudies (ICCS) provides various opportunities forinterdisciplinary cooperation, and is developing
a comprehensive information system for
microencapsulation.

As a PhD in chemistry, Dr. Kornhauser has been tacklingenvironmental problems for many years, focusing on the theme of
preventing harmful damage to the environment and society. She has
been trying to prevent such damage by improving the production
processes and quality of chemical products as well as theirrelationship with human beings at the production and use stages.
Dr. Kornhauser led the research to improve environmental
technologies, manage hazardous waste, and develop technology
for clean production processes and products, including taking theinitiative in a project to develop less hazardous pesticides using
natural products. The results of her research are widely applied in
the production processes for agricultural products and food and in
the chemical, pharmaceutical, and printing industries. In addition,at the initiative of Dr. Kornhauser, a comprehensive information
system was planned and built to control and manage the generationof hazardous industrial waste beyond the boundaries of academic
fields. In addition to her major role in establishing the system, shealso played a leading role in the application of the system in various
countries.
Dr. Kornhauser is also an excellent educator and coordinator.
She established the International Center for Chemical Studies in
Ljubljana in 1980 and invited several hundreds of scientists to thecenter, where they were able to learn the basics for the developmentof purification technologies, management of hazardous waste, andprocess control and preventive measures. Scientists studying at thecenter later returned to their home countries and promoted local
environmental protection activities.
Dr. Kornhauser serves as a key person on a range of international
committees and academic societies, including those belonging to
the UNDP, UNESCO, the World Bank, and ILO. She is committed tothe international and interdisciplinary networking of scientists andto giving support to developing countries in achieving sustainable
development. She has also founded the Pro Natura award thatcommends young researchers who have contributed solutions toenvironmental problems.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

For example, following the ‘precautionary
principle’ approach, if you have a tumor on your

Honda Prize Laureates46

It is certainly important to continue to developscience and technology and achieve economic

Dr. Aleksandra Kornhauser

47

SRES Greenhouse-related gases emission scenarios (B1, A1B, and A2)
Annual mean surface warming (surface air temperature change, °C)
Multi-model mean of three time periods, 2011 to 2030 (left), 2046 to
2065 (middle) and 2080 to 2099 (right).
B1: Scenario describes a world in which the emphasis is on local
solutions to economic, social and environmental sustainability
A1B: Scenario describes a future world of very rapid economic
growth with emphasis on a balance across all sources
A2: Scenario describes a very heterogeneous world* These scenarios do not include additional climate policies above
current ones; more recent studies differ with respect to UNFCCC
and Kyoto Protocol inclusion.
* SRES: Special Report on Emission Scenarios, IPCC 2000

In 1985, Joseph Farman, a British meteorologist, discovered theexistence of an ozone hole above Antarctica through observations
made from an artificial satellite. The ozone layer blocks 99% ofultraviolet rays falling on the Earth from the Sun. In response to thediscovery, many countries began to implement countermeasuresagainst depletion of the ozone layer. For example, in 1987, 53 industrial
countries signed the Montreal Protocol to completely discontinue theuse of CFCs, which destroy the ozone layer, by 2000. Humankind is now
capable of monitoring the environment from a number of satellites
revolving around the earth and possesses the technology to analyze theimages taken from the satellites, thereby observing natural disasters
and weather patterns and collecting accurate data on temperature
distributions and desertification.

(Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report)

proposals to the policymakers of individual
countries.
The progress of science and technology has
helped us to recognize that problems thatseemingly arise in different locations are
actually connected on a global scale. This has
provided us with a platform to devise more
effective measures in the future.

Sustainability: Towards a Goal of Sustainable Development

48

©NASA

49

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Scientific observation of the Earth remains an imperious
necessity for the management of our planet.
It may be costly, but it is our strict duty.”

1998 Honda Prize Laureate— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

50

Dr. Hubert Curien started his research career as a crystallographer. At that time in the field of crystallography efforts werebeing made to increase our knowledge about crystals by observing
possible crystalline defects using X-ray diffraction based on theperfect periodicity of the atomic ordering. With the spread of atomic
reactors, it became necessary to predict all the damage that might
be caused to solid matter by radiation. To this end, it was essential
to study crystalline defects.
Dr. Curien studied under Jean Lavel, who indicated a way tocarry out experiments on the spontaneous thermal motion of
atoms using X-ray diffusion. Being Laval’s student, he was able togive a complete description of the phonons in a crystal of iron. He
subsequently studied crystallography and gave lectures to students
at the University of Paris over a period of 40 years, during whichtime he paid attention to the merits of controlling small crystalline
defects (irregularities) from the aspect of materials engineering. It is
possible to control the most important features of crystal substancesby the use of these small defects and expand the application ofthese substances by purposely introducing and perfectly monitoring
irregularities.
Dr. Curien is also recognized for his great contribution to space
exploration in Europe through his direct involvement in spaceresearch. He was thus not confined to the field of crystallography
but also studied engineering in general. In view of the fact that
simple human errors often lead to serious accidents despite the useof perfect technology, he pointed out the necessity of conducting a
range of interdisciplinary research into man-machine relationships
and of always reviewing perfection achieved on a certain scale toensure more scalability and power. He played a leading role not only
in France but also internationally in his capacity as the chairmanof the European Science Foundation, chairman of the Councilof CERN, etc. He greatly contributed to global environmental
protection activities through his involvement in determining
scientific and technological policies.
With regard to space development, he particularly devoted himself
to the promotion of the Earth Observation System using artificial
satellites. In the latter half of the 1970s, he launched the SPOT as
the president of the French National Center for Space Studies andin 1979 led the development of a space rocket named Ariane, which

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Cornimont in France in 1924. Educatedin physics at the University of Paris andbecame professor of science at the university
in 1956. Served as the general directorof the National Research Center, France,
general delegate for research and technology,
president of the French National Center forSpace Studies, and chairman of the Councilof CERN. While studying and giving lectureson crystallography, played a leading role in
the formulation of scientific and technologicalpolicies in France and at internationalorganizations. Also served as the minister ofscience and technology for three cabinets inFrance. Granted the Grand Officier Legiond’Honneur in France, Knight of the British
Empire, and various other awards.

Dr. Hubert Curien

Photo: Uniphoto Press International Inc.

(Upper) Weather satellite launched by Ariane(Lower) The Ariane rocket

As president of the French National Center forSpace Studies and chairman of the European
Space Agency, Dr. Curien successfully led
the construction of the Ariane 1 to Ariane
4 rockets. The development of spacetechnology opened up new areas in a range offields, including telecommunications, weather
forecasting, and deep space exploration, andenabled regular monitoring of any place on
the Earth.

led to the first successful launch of a satellite in Western Europe.
Subsequently he promoted projects designed for observation andmanagement of the Earth as the chairman of the Council of CERN
and was designated as the chairman of the Space Agencies Forumfor the International Space Year (SAFISY) in 1992.
Research into weather and climate change has been advanced
by improvements in computer performance and by the use ofsimulation technologies based on mathematical models comprisingmultiple parameters and of data obtained through observation.
Research in this field has developed dramatically by the detailed
observation of the atmosphere and oceans by the use of artificial
satellites and analysis of the results with the use of computer
software. The achievements made by Dr. Curien have directly
led to the progress of research into the global warming problem
and climate change. It became possible to assess objectively the
impact of human activities on the global environment and takeprompt measures by using artificial satellites to observe the Earthfrom space. Visualization methods to intelligibly communicate theobservation and simulation results have also been advanced.
Finally, in honor of Dr. Curien’s contribution to space exploration,
the site on which the Huygens probe landed on Saturn’s moon Titan
in 2004 was named the “Hubert Curien Memorial Station” in 2007.

51

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“ We use chemicals for the benefit of society with a fullawareness of possible hazards.”

2001 Honda Prize Laureate

Transfer of chemical substances on a
global scale
Contaminants are condensed and distilled
on a global scale, and chemical substances
are conveyed by wind and ocean current as
far as the Arctic Circle. The Arctic can becompared to a huge household freezer, andeven contaminants, which are preserved there
for a long time in good condition, will gradually
be condensed.

The photo shows the oil spill caused by thecollision between the large tanker Hebei Spirit
and a barge off the coast of Taenan, South
Korea. The oil spill was one of the largest in
recent years.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

52

Dr. Donald Mackay is a pioneer in the field of environmental
science. He has long been continuing research to clarify how
chemical substances are transferred, spread, and accumulated in
the environment, receiving support from the Natural Sciences andEngineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). According to Dr.
Mackay, human beings have made multiple mistakes regarding thetreatment of chemical substances due to their lack of knowledge
about the behavior of chemical substances and their influence on
ecosystems. So far, there are about 20 million chemicals known toman, of which 50,000 to 100,000 have been produced in commercial
quantities. Dr. Mackay thinks it unrealistic to simply deny the useof all chemical substances. Instead, he advocates the idea of “EcoChemistry,” which means to impose necessary regulations on
chemical substances based on the results of their evaluation anddiagnosis of their harmful effect and to replace them with moreenvironment-friendly ones. He has been studying a method topredict the behaviors of chemical substances by a mathematical
approach using computer simulations.
Around 1970, Dr. Mackay conducted research into the behaviorof spilled oil following the proposals to produce oil and gas in the
Canadian Arctic, which might badly affect the Arctic ecosystems in
the event of an oil spill. In the research, he predicted the behaviorof spilled oil and found an effective method to deal with it. He used
an analytic formula and mathematical model to predict the flow of
spilled oil and its environmental impact, which are highly evaluatedand still used now.
In the research, he focused on fugacity, which is the pressure ortendency to escape of substances emitted into the environment,
which tend to move from one medium to another. Dr. Mackay is thefounder of an environment modeling theory based on the conceptof fugacity. He made a great contribution to the environmental fieldwith his Mackay Model, which systematically and comprehensively
models the behavior of chemical substances in the naturalenvironment, including air, water, soil, and the sea bed.
Estimation using fugacity is utilized by world-class chemical
product manufacturers in developing new chemical substances. Dr.
Mackay says that he hit upon the use of the concept of fugacity forenvironmental protection because he had the experience of working
in the chemical industry as an engineer. He therefore attributes

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Glasgow in Scotland in 1936. After
receiving a bachelor’s degree in appliedchemistry, ARCST in chemical technology
and chemical engineering from the RoyalTechnical College, Glasgow, moved to Canada
and worked on shock tube research withProfessor O. Trass at the Department ofChemical Engineering and Applied Chemistryat the University of Toronto. Subsequently
served as a research chemical engineer at the
Heavy Organic Chemicals Division of Imperial
Chemical Industries Ltd. in the United
Kingdom and became professor of chemicalengineering and applied chemistry at the
University of Toronto in 1967. Professor ofenvironmental and resource studies at Trent
University since 1995. Now also serves as
the director of the Canadian Environmental
Modelling Centre at Trent University.

Dr. Donald Mackay

importance to the roles to be played in environmental protection byindustrial scientists. To ensure the accuracy of prediction results,
it is essential that those engaged in environmental science collectappropriate emission data, analyze environmental situations,and develop better prediction models, and that governments
appropriately manage and regulate chemical substances. To thisend, the chemical industry, which produces chemical substances,
should play a leading role. Dr. Mackay says that the principle of“EcoChemistry” cannot be successfully implemented without thecooperation of all those concerned.
Dr. Mackay had a great influence on the regulation of chemical
substances through his research achievements. Influenced by him,each country began to regulate pollutant chemical substancesin cooperation with each other and the Stockholm Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants was adopted in 2001 with theagreement of 127 countries. This convention is intended to reduceand discontinue the use of specified pesticides and chemical
substances and so it is quite meaningful.
The progress of research in this field has revealed that pollutant
chemical substances have spread widely to areas far from theareas where they were actually used. For example, pollutants
carried by wind and marine currents have long accumulated in the
Arctic Circle although these substances were never used there.
In the future, it is therefore necessary to conduct simulations andpredictions targeting the complex behavior of chemical substances
on a global scale and industries and the international community
should implement measures based on the results.

53

Think Globally, Act Locally

Our current environmental problems can bemost vulnerable to environmental degradation

roughly divided into the following three types:

and suffer famine caused by draught. Rich

global warming, problems related to resources

countries can purchase seawater desalination(energy, food, and water) , and environmental

plants but poor countries cannot afford them.

pollution. These three types of problems are

It is therefore natural that the developed

interrelated.

countries, which are already enjoying affluence

The bioethanol issue is one typical example

and convenience, and developing countries,

showing the interrelationship between

which are still trying to achieve economic

problems.

growth, have quite different opinions regarding

Bioethanol has been attracting muchattention as a way of reducing global warmingThis kind of uneven distribution of resour-

because it does not emit much CO 2 when

ces and wealth is further complicating

burned as a fuel. Because of this, the price ofenvironmental problems and hinders thecorn, from which bioethanol is made, soared

implementation of global measures beyond

and more farmers began to grow corn instead

national boundaries.

of oranges and wheat. This in turn raised the

Although the phrase is often overused, it isprice of food other than corn across the world.

indeed necessary to “think globally, act locally”

In countries promoting rapid economic growth,in solving global environmental problems.

In virtually all parts of South Asia, fetching water is the duty of women andchildren, who spend many hours each day simply to carry water. (Photo:
Rajasthan, India) Although the proportion of people who use sanitary water
sources has grown in developing countries in general, some 1.1 billion stillneed access to improved sanitation. (Source: United Nations)demand for water has been increasing due toAs the bioethanol example clearly shows, itindustrialization and increases in population,is important to think globally in dealing withothers who have similar problems beyond

For engineers who devise ways of responding

while water pollution has been aggravatedenvironmental problems, and we must takeregional and national boundaries. In this way,

to conflicts between the needs of users andbecause of industrialization. To importa range of approaches to solving them. We

we are gradually establishing an environment

consumers under restricted conditions, thisfood and bio-energy from these developing

face difficult trade-offs between the separatethat allows us to “think globally.”

approach might just be an extension of thecountries will literally deprive these countries

elements of environmental problems because

What we now need is to “act locally”— towork they already do every day. But it has nowof their precious water resources, because

it is now clear that all those elements,

think and implement less conflicting solutions

become urgent for engineers to successfullylarge volumes of water are necessary to growincluding CO 2 emissions, environmental

to local problems that take into account thedevelop technologies that will contribute tocorn.

pollution, and food problems are intricately

social and economic restrictions peculiar tosustainable development.

Viewed from a global perspective, theintertwined. Fortunately, simulations havea specific area. It is not always necessary tobioethanol issue involves almost all theprovided more scientific findings, allowing us

invest large amounts of money in leading-elements of the main environmental problems.

to capture a global picture of environmentaledge technologies to solve these problems.

Behind this, there has always been the North-problems and to make effective predictions.

Adopting those technologies can be effective

South problem, which is further complicating

In addition, the Internet has made it easier toin some cases, but what is more important in

the situation.

obtain information on the global environment

facing the critical nature of current demands

and to exchange technical information withis to find solutions that are less conflicting.

Those living in developing countries are54

regulations on CO2 emissions.

Sustainability: Think Globally, Act Locally55

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

The photo is taken on Pellworm Island, Germany. Germany is an environmentally advanced
country and aims to increase the percentage of electricity generated by renewable energy
to 20%, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020.

“ Strategic study is necessary for our planet’s
energy future.”

1984 Honda Prize Laureate

1979. Also serves as the chairman of the EC’s
Committee for Science and Technology and as
the chairman of the United Nations’ Advisory
Committee on Science and Technology for
Development.

56— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

the Italian National Commission for Nuclear
and Alternative Energy Sources [ENEA] ) since

Dr. Umberto Colombo has been holding important positions atenergy- and science and technology-related governmental agencies in
Italy and has also been making proposals to solve global environmental
problems in his capacity as chairman of the EC’s Committee for
Science and Technology and as chairman of the United Nations’Advisory Committee on Science and Technology for Development.
Dr. Colombo’s papers and proposals communicate his practical andstrong will to create a harmonious sustainable society while taking
into consideration a wide variety of issues, including those related
to science and technology, social systems, conflicts of interest
between nations, and the North-South problem.
He became widely known to the public by co-writing the fourth reportof the Club of Rome titled Beyond the Age of Waste with D. Gaborin 1977. In the report, he insisted on the necessity of creating asustainable society, which many insist on now.
He attributed special importance to energy issues. Having
experienced two oil crises before he received the Honda Prize in
1984, Dr. Colombo thought that human societies were entering an
age of transition with regard to energy and technology.
As for energy sources, we experienced several transition
periods in the past. First, we shifted from wood to coal becauseof the depletion of the former. Then we shifted from coal to oil inaccordance with the progress of urbanization, because oil is easierto transport and can be more widely applied. Dr. Colombo called
this type of transition, namely the shift of a major energy source
to a single, more convenient source as “downhill transition.” Hethought that “downhill transition” and production and distribution
systems relying on this type of transition were nearing their limits
and that an age of “uphill transition” would come, in which avariety of energy sources would be utilized in a post-industrialized,
information-oriented society.
As future energy sources, Dr. Colombo suggested nuclear power,
solar power generation, and new energy technology using nuclear
fusion. He also proposed the more effective use of natural gas,coal, geothermal heat, oil shale, tar sand, and biomass throughtechnological innovation and suggested the possibility of using
wind, waves, currents, and oceanic heat gradients as energy
sources. In addition, he proposed the combined use of several
energy sources according to their features and advantages. Further,

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Livorno in Italy in 1927. Received
a doctorate in physical chemistry fromthe University of Pavia in 1950. Served
as researcher and chairman of the OECD
Committee for Science and Technological
Policy and chairman of the European
Industrial Research Management Association.
Proposed the technological development
and waste control policies to secure energy,
resources and food in the fourth report of
the Club of Rome titled Beyond the Age ofWaste (1977). Chairman of the Italian Atomic
Energy Commission (CNEN, now renamed

Dr. Umberto Colombo

Photo: Uniphoto Press International Inc.

World Renewable Energy 2005

World Renewable Energy 2005
Bioethanol fuelBiodiesel fuelGeothermal heat
Solar
heat

Other elec**

Biomass heat*
Large hydroSmall hydroWind power
Biomass elec
Geothermal elec
(Data marked with *Photovoltaic
and ** are data for 2004.)(Off-grid power sources, geothermal heat pumps, andincineration of renewable flammable waste are notincluded.)

Renewable energy accounted for 13.1% of
the world’s total primary energy supplies
World
Renewable( TPES) in
2004. TenEnergy
point 2005
six percent of
renewable energy is obtained from biomass
and flammable sources, followed by hydraulicpower ( 2.2% ) and geothermal heat ( 0.4% ) .
In the power generation field, renewableenergy accounted for 17.9%, most of which
was generated by hydraulic power. In recent
years, power from sources other than largescale hydraulic power generators, that is,
power generated by “non-hydro” renewableenergy sources such as wind power, has been
increasing. (Source: IEA Renewable Fact Sheet)

Bioethanol fuelBiodiesel fuelGeothermal heat
Solar heat
Biomass heat*

Photovoltaic
Geothemal elec
Biomass elec
Wind power
Small hydrohe pointed out that due considerations should be given to safety
World Renewable Energy 2005
and the environment in using energy, because its use would have atremendous influence on the environment.
According to Dr. Colombo, the information, robotics, biotechnology, and new materials industries would require less energy
and materials, and the economic system would completely change
in the future. It is therefore possible for each country to reduce
their use of resources while maintaining its GNP level. He regarded
electricity as the most flexible and convenient energy form. In
fact, demand for electricity alone has been increasing in developed
countries and it has been possible to use a variety of energy sources
to generate electricity, including hydraulic power, nuclear power,
0.42%■ Bioethanol fuel0.16%
■ Photovoltaic
fossil fuels, geothermalheat,energy,elecand
nuclear fusion
0.72%■ Biodiesel
fuel steam,
1.21% solar■ Geothemal■ Geothermal heat 2.17%
3.42%■ Biomass elec
as well as locally ■distributed
renewableenergysourcessuch asSolar heat
6.83%
4.58%
■ Windpower■ Biomass heat*
17.08%
5.12%■ Small hydro■ Other
elec** and0.05%
waste, biomass, wind
power,
solar cells.
58.23%■ Large hydroDr. Colombo hoped that developed countries would share theconvenience achieved by the progress in energy technologies withothers and would eventually create a society where people were not
only physically but also spiritually rich.
In addition to energy sources listed by Dr. Colombo, fuel cells
are also now available as new energy. It will take far more time forthe practical use of nuclear fusion, which Dr. Colombo proposed.
However, the resource saving method proposed by him, namely
using a variety of energy sources in a well-balanced and efficientmanner in consideration of the local situation, is an excellent
and up-to-date method. Now researchers and engineers globallyare engaging in fierce competition to develop energy-related
technologies toward the achievement of a sustainable society.

57

Sharing the Earth

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Do not fix any form of heavy, solid, and earthboundbuilding on the surface of the Earth.”1990 Honda Prize Laureate

data to be displayed more clearly, has helped
stimulate the general public’s interest inboundaries of specialized fields. Specifically,

environmental problems.
In the background to these encounters,

are necessary in addition to scientific andthe progress of information technology

technological approaches. In view of therepresented by the Internet has dramaticallyfact that ordinary people contribute toincreased the exchange of information

environmental problems with lifestyles thatbetween people of different backgrounds. The

devour large amounts of energy, it is also

globalization of information has given rise toimportant for them to engage fully in solving

acknowledgment and utilization of the local

the problems in cooperation with experts inknowledge built up over the years in local

each field.

communities and this will complement the

While in the past, scientists have been able

detailed but narrow knowledge of the experts.

to devote themselves to pursuing the themes

People with completely different interests andof their choice, with almost no links to thebackgrounds are now tackling environmental

engineers who work closely in association

problems as a common challenge. They

with the economy and society, in recent years

experience both conflicts of opinions andscientists are increasingly required to makesynergy effects, which have the potential tosocial comment and some scientists have

give rise to historically significant discoveries.

actually done so.

58

Young people who hope to specialize in

However, with environmental problems, as

science and technology should be encouraged

a result of scientists pursuing their own path

to involve themselves in discussions withand engineers pursuing targeted technologicalpeople who take different positions, havesta n d a rd s , t h e re h a ve b e e n i n c re a s i n gdifferent viewpoints, and work in different

numbers of unexpected achievements, andfields of expertise. Conflicts of opinion andcomputer simulations are a good example

synergy effects can create the innovativeof this. Scientists in the natural sciences,

technologies needed for the solution to our

including meteorologists, oceanographers,

environmental problems.

b i o lo g i s t s , a n d c h e m i s t s e n c o u n t e re d

In finding solutions to environmental

computer technology in searching for a tool

problems, we must be able to imagine the pain

to support their work. This has eventually ledof those people who are actually experiencing

to a substantial expansion of environmental

these problems and truly empathize withfindings. Also, the development of visualization

them. We must look on even the problems oftechnology, which allows computer-processed

other countries as our own problems and try

Born in Sachsen in Germany in 1925. Studiedsociology and city planning at the University ofVirginia and obtained the title of “independentarchitect” in Berlin in 1952. Became assistantprofessor and director of the Lightweight Plane
Support Institute at Stuttgart University in
1964. Founded Atelier Warmbronn in 1969.
Received a doctorate in art and architecturefrom the University of Washington in 1973 andsubsequently became an honorary doctor ofscience at the University of Bath in the United
Kingdom in 1980. Designed the Japan Pavilion
at Expo 2000 in Hannover by adopting paper as
the construction material and received the 18th
Praemium Imperial Prize in 2006.

Olympiastadion in Munich

Dr. Frei Otto began to question the conventional concept ofarchitecture when he joined the German air force during World War
II. He was one of the German architects who experienced the Nazi
administration and became doubtful about the traditional valuesof magnificence and immortality. In particular, Dr Otto’s works
of architecture are characterized by a richness of variability andflexibility and they are also light and beautiful. He often adopted
cablenet and membrane structures for his works and is recognized
as the world’s authority on lightweight tensile structures.
Dr. Otto established the Lightweight Plane Support Instituteof Stuttgart University in 1964 and conducted interdisciplinary
research with engineers, biologists, physiologists, and philosophersat the institute. By incorporating research results into the fieldof natural science, he was able to create ultra lightweight, highperformance architectural works, including the West Germany
Pavilion at Expo 67 held in Montreal, Canada and the roof of the
Olympiastadion in Munich (main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympic
Games). Adopting cablenet and membrane structures, he createdlarge spaces with optimal curves calculated by experiments using
soap bubbles. Buildings thus made are highly evaluated for theirharmony with nature and have had great impact on the architecturalindustry.
According to Dr. Otto, architecture is a means to protect humanbeings and nature. Buildings should be something good for all
people, in particular for the poor, the weak, mothers and children
and should have beauty associated with love. To this end, hebasically wanted to take an ecological approach to ensure thecoexistence of human beings with the environment and nature
instead of trying to control nature. He says, “The youngest
ecological system within evolution is the human city whichhas probably never been genuinely healthy since it came into
existence,” and insists that the form of the “natural house” and the“natural city” has still to be found today.
What he says is not just theory. In fact, Dr. Otto’s lightweightbuildings need less than 5% of the materials and energy requiredfor ordinary buildings to perform their functions. He has repeatedly
made experiments regarding the impact of buildings as part ofhuman society and the environment. He still has a strong impact onarchitecture and other fields with his never-diminishing originality.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

social, economic, and cultural approaches

Honda Prize Laureates

E n v i ro n m e n t a l p ro b le m s c a n n o t b esolved without collaboration beyond theDr. Frei Otto

59

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“We need to adopt a planetary perspective— to see the Earth as a world, one among many others.
The study of other worlds can help us to understand andimprove this one, and so avert the very real catastrophes
that lurk in our technology.”
1985 Honda Prize Laureate

to devise solutions based on the recognition
that we share a single Earth. This could
provide the means to fulfill our responsibility
to future generations.

Dr. Carl E. Sagan was a famous astronomer who was involved inalmost all the exploration plans for planets in the solar system. He
wrote many science books and articles for ordinary people as well.
In particular, in the 1980 television series Cosmos, he successfully
showed a new perspective on “the Earth in the universe and lives
on the planet” to people all over the world. The TV program showedthat it is nearly a miracle that the Earth provides habitats forliving creatures while various other planets do not, and taught theimportance of the global environment. Now we share the idea that
the Earth is a closed system, greatly influenced by Dr. Sagan.
Dr. Sagan warned that human beings might cause anthropogenic
environmental disasters on the Earth based on his research into
other planets. In his paper announced in 1984, he introduced
his theory of “nuclear winter.” According to his theory, the large
volumes of aerosol that would be emitted into the air by a nuclear
explosion and large fires in the event of all-out nuclear war
would bring a “nuclear winter.” Aerosol in the atmosphere would
shield solar rays throughout the year and partially invalidate thegreenhouse effect, which in turn would rapidly lower the Earth’s
temperature. As a result, plants would die because they would beunable to photosynthesize and the ecosystem would be destroyed.
Human beings would face an unprecedented crisis, and starve todeath in the cold. Even after the end of the Cold War, there remains
a possibility that a “nuclear winter” might come. Also, Dr. Sagan
pointed out that the increase in CO2 emissions caused by the use offossil fuels would accelerate global warming through the greenhouseeffect. Now research into climate change, especially predictive
research using simulations are conducted giving consideration to
his warning.
Dr. Sagan said, “It is within our power, purposely or inadvertently,
to change the climate of our planet to such an extent as to put
into jeopardy our civilization, perhaps even our species.” Although
he had the idea of “terraforming,” which means to transform theenvironment of other planets into one in which human beings
can live, he first of all wanted to protect and enrich the global
environment by the power of science and technology.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Image of the Earth setting over the Moon taken from lunar orbit: theimage shows the Earth rising and setting over the Moon’s horizon,
and is the second of its kind following the images taken by the U.S.
spaceship Apollo. The photograph was taken with an HDTV camera
developed by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) aboard the
KAGURA, a lunar explorer satellite launched by the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Honda Prize Laureates©JA X A /NHK

Born in the State of New York in the UnitedStates in 1934. Received a doctorate inastronomy and astrophysics from the
University of Chicago in 1960. Worked at theSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory andtaught at Cornell University as professor of
astronomy and space sciences. Founded andbecame the first president of the Planetary
Society in the United States. Played a leadingrole in the Mariner, Viking, and Voyager
expeditions to the planets. Published many
science books for the public and one of his
books Cosmos became a best seller. The TV
series Cosmos was broadcast in 64 countries.

Dr. Carl E. Sagan

Sustainability: Sharing the Earth

60

61

Even today, ecotechnology is often narrowly defined only as a

obstacle in development of responsibility. Knowledge is needed like

technology, sometimes also called sustainable engineering, which
supports the fulfilment of human needs while causing minimal ecologicaldisruption.
And yet, this concept of ecotechnology was already surpassed thirty
years ago by the great vision and mission of Soichiro Honda, followed byits dissemination by the Honda Foundation. Soichiro Honda has given
ecotechnology a holistic approach which not only integrates the scientific,
technological, economic and social dimensions of ecotechnology, but
enriches it also with moral, ethical and cultural values. In this approach,ecotechnology has become a comprehensive philosophical concept and afoundation for understanding and pursuing sustainable development.
The role of the Honda Foundation is increasing. We are entering theCentury of the Environment: human health, social justice, sustainable

the sun – it must bring light and warmth to everyone. Therefore, it
is right that scientists call for the creation and dissemination of new
knowledge. However, this is not enough. We have also to do much more
to communicate knowledge and transfer it into decision making andwork processes.
Science cannot be divided anymore into fundamental and appliedscience. It has to become a holistic science. It needs fundamental
research results – you have to have them, otherwise there is nothing
to apply. But this is only the initial phase of modern holistic sciencein which fundamental research has to be followed by the efforts torecognise opportunities for its responsible use, to create inventions,develop innovations and implement them on a wider scale for the benefit
not only of humankind, but of all species, all nature.
The main hope is that the holistic science, and in its scopeecotechnology as defined by Soichiro Honda, will become the guiding
principle, the vision and the mission of all, and particularly of scientists
and engineers of the future.

economy, security, peace – they all are environmental. This meansthat we have to change the direction of current spontaneous change;sometimes we have to oppose it.
And it is high time for this! The Global population is still growing at
a very high rate, many resources are getting scarcer, waste problems
bigger and poverty persisting. Global warming, ocean depletion,
destruction of the habitats of many animals, uncontrolled introductionof foreign species, are examples of non-linear changes with serious, but
often unpredictable, consequences.
Our main hope is to eradicate ignorance which is often a crucial

62

Aleksandra Kornhauser
20th Honda Prize Laureate, Slovenia

63

Humans and Machinery— Living in Harmony
New Materials Supporting
Technological Innovation
Specificity of Information
Technology
Respect for Humans: Always
the Center of the Discussion

As a result of technological innovations in the 20 th
century, technologies have advanced incongruously at

Innovationa pace that the human beings who use the technologies
cannot keep up with. In particular, technologicalinnovations in the information and communications
field driven by the popularization of the Internetin the 1990s have changed economic relations,relationships between countries, and the daily lives ofindividuals. Having entered the 21st century, the speedof technological innovation has further increased,
and new materials have been developed one after
another. Substantial progress has been made in thefield of nanotechnology. Now we have entered an age
in which technological developments are made atunprecedented speed and frequency. Technologicalinnovations are beginning to exert a dramatic influence
over the direction of social development and overindividual values. In Chapter 3, we will discuss
what would be a desirable future for technologicaldevelopment.

64

65

Humans and Machinery— Living in Harmony

A look at history shows that we have received

But it is not always easy for a person to

innovations. These innovations freed people

control a machine in a consistent manner. Whilef ro m h a rd l a b o r a n d g re a t ly i n c re a s e da machine can exhibit a constant performance

productivity and efficiency. Meanwhile, science

unless a problem occurs, the performance (orand technology developed independently, atcapabilities) of people vary. While a certain

least until the end of the Second World War. But

person needs only one second to complete anlater in the century, when technology became

operation with a certain machine, a different

linked closely with science, technologicalperson may need three seconds. This meansdevelopments brought unprecedented benefits.

that the performance of the machine cannot

The combination of science and technology

66

used by ‘technology’ as part of the system.

great benefits from a series of technological

A US film that was released in 1936 portrayed the unease thatwas growing amid the working classes as the industrializedcountries were expanding economically at spectacular speed,
sending a warning of the excesses of capitalism. This was"Modern Times," a film produced, directed, written by andfeaturing Charles Chaplin (1889-1977). The scene where theleading character working in a factory starts to lose his mind
because of the endless routine work and becomes trapped
between giant gearwheels, in particular, not only drew
laughter for its comical antics but also was a vivid portrayalof the human isolation of workers who were becoming“mere gearwheels" in a larger mechanism. It has become
one of the most unforgettable scenes in film history. Withthe technological innovations since World War II, concerns
over "man not controlling machines but being controlled bymachines" have been further aggravated. The picture of man
as a cog in a machine that Chaplin portrayed as a warning
unhappily turned out to be a forecast of what was to become
reality in the following decades.

be consistent.

also brought with it unprecedented problems.

The concept of a “foolproof system” wasThe conventional idea of the relationshipadopted as an important element in the

between people and machines, i.e., “people

man-machine system. A foolproof system is

use machines,” was demolished. The “man-designed on the premise that the performancemachine system” is a good example that(or capabilities) varies between different

shows this change.

operators. The capabilities of the operator

The man-machine system was suggested

therefore are set lower than average, but

by information technology and engineering

still obtaining the highest efficiency fromd u r i n g t h e S e co n d Wo r l d Wa r a n d p u t

the machine. This idea suggested the future

into practical use as a system where thedirection of the man-machine system, i.e., “Notfunctions of the operator and the machine

people adapting to machines but machines

a re i n t e g r a t e d . Fo r e x a m p l e , a r a d a radapting to users.”

system (machine) captures the enemy plane, an

When the war ended, the foolproof man-operator (man) reads the information, and an

machine system was adopted by civilian

antiaircraft gun (machine) shoots at the enemy

industries, and brought with it new problems.

on a trajectory programmed by the man. In a

Automation was a technological innovation

man-machine system, “man” and “machine”

every factory around the world was eager

function as one integrated whole from theto adopt. While automation brought drastic

input to the output of the system. Man andincreases in productivity, it also broughtmachine are integrated in the system asconcerns that people would become just acomponents with equal value to increase thecog in a machine. When people started seeing

efficiency and accuracy of the operation. In athemselves as just a cog in the machinery

sense, it is a relationship where humans areof the production process, they felt a loss of

Photo: Pacific Press Service

67

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“We have to create machines that are helpful to humans.”

2003 Honda Prize Laureate

dignity, and productivity also decreased. As

the center of operation.” The idea of humana solution to this dual problem, a new notion

engineering in design and technology forms

brought another technological innovation in

the core concept of ecotechnology.

Unlike the alphabets used in Western cultures, the Japanese writing
system requires several different sets of characters (i.e., hiragana andthe 1970s. The idea of human engineering was

katakana, both of which form part of the Japanese syllabary (alphabet) andintroduced as a way to humanize technology.

kanji, the Chinese characters imported from China). Altogether, the number

An example is the production line and thedevelopment of factory automation. In efforts
to improve efficiency and safety and to provide
people with a smooth work environment,
kinds of work processes that are productive
for both people and machines (including
industrial robots) and what types of machines
Rather than attempting to replace thehuman worker, importance is placed on the“human interface”; that is, the machine isdesigned to assist workers and expand theirfunctional capabilities. In short, the focus is on
harmonization and collaboration between man
and machine.
In today’s man-machine systems, therelationship between man and machine thathas emerged is moving away from one in

Pinyin Chinese
Character Input
Systemwhich the worker has to keep pace with themachine towards one that restores man as theprimary agent.
Human engineering aims to achieve the ideal
use of technology; to use the most advanced
science and technology to design a machineor system that any person can operate while
getting a sense of fulfillment and achievementfrom using the machine. “Not to have people

68

The First Japanese Word Processor
Innovation: Humans and Machinery—Living in Harmony(Toshiba, 1978)— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Born in Tokyo in 1938. Dr. Mori graduated fromthe University of Tokyo (faculty of Engineering)and joined Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.
( present Toshiba Corporation ) as a memberof the Research and Development Center.
In 1970 he invented the Handwritten Postal
Code Number Reader and Sorter followed by
the invention of the Japanese word processor
in 1978. For his research Dr. Mori received
a number of awards, including the Japanese
Patent Office Commissioner Award, theOhkouchi Memorial Technical Award and theScience and Technology Director General’sPrize. In 2003, he became adviser to the Board
of TEC Corporation. Also serves as professor
at the Tokyo University of Science Graduate
School and chief researcher at the Japan
Science and Technology Agency.

and robots should be used.

of characters necessary for everyday reading and writing exceeds
3,000. For this reason, development of easy-to-use Japanese input
devices at first seemed impossible to everyone. Dr. Kenichi Mori wasthe exception. He saw the potential demand for Japanese input devices
from newspaper companies, magazine houses and government offices,
and in 1971 started research to develop a device that (1) would enable
any of its users to write Japanese documents faster than writing out
by hand, (2) was portable, and (3)could create documents that could
be accessed and searched from anywhere. With the aim of developinga device that covered all of these three functions, Dr. Mori developed
mechanisms to deal with the problems of homonyms—a characteristicfeature of the Japanese language — and compiled co-occurrence
dictionaries to study how autonomous words are combined. In 1978,
the first Japanese word processor was completed. Although thefirst model was equipped with only the first of the three functions,advancements in recording media and the invention of liquid crystal
displays soon allowed development of small household models by
1985—fulfilling the second function. The third function was realized
when the Internet became available. Thus, the three functions requiredof the Japanese word processor, or the three concepts behind Japaneseword processor development, were all accomplished in less than 40
years. This was only possible because Dr. Mori was able to proceedwith a clear image of his future devices.
The development of Japanese word processors threw light on thedevelopment of word processors in other languages. Specifically, it gave
the motivation for many to develop mechanisms to process non-alphabet
characters on computers. Dr. Mori’s invention was adapted for manyother Asian languages as the model for word processor development.
Dr. Mori also has made great achievements in pattern recognition.
One achievement he made before starting to develop the word
processor has been adopted in studies on handwritten postal code
number readers and word processor functions that remember
frequently-used characters. These are manifestation of a belief that
Dr. Mori always keeps in mind: “We have to create machines that are
helpful to humans, not machines that need help from humans.”

Honda Prize Laureates

effective studies have been carried out on theadapt to machines, but to place people at

Dr. Ken-ichi Mori

69

New Materials Supporting
Technological Innovation

One area of science experienced great

developed from unique backgrounds andadvancement when science and technology

processes. For example, fullerene was notstarted coming together and a totally new

discovered during the research into new

way of research and development opened up.

materials, but coincidentally found during aMaterials development has been supporting

study to produce carbon molecules that aretechnological innovation for building machines

identical to the interstellar molecules in space.

and systems since the end of the Second

When the new material was found, it was used

World War.

not in the field of space science but in the field

The silicon semiconductor, the essentialof medicine, specifically in pharmaceuticals.

e le m e n t i n t h e g re a t a d v a n c e m e n t o f

In its most recent application, fullerene

technologies since the 1970s, is one example.

is combined with protease to produce a

It contributed greatly to realizing high-speed,

substance to suppress the AIDS virus. Even

high-performance computers in smaller sizes

during the process of fullerene synthesis,

and lighter weights, while lowering prices toanother material was accidentally discovered;suit mass production. That brought about athe carbon nanotube is now used in many

wave of advances in electronic devices, fromdifferent areas, including flat panel displays,

office equipment to household appliances,

ultrafine semiconductor devices, fuel cells,

transforming our lifestyles completely. A greatand scanning tunneling microscopes.

number of other newly-developed materials,

These new materials, developed with thesuch as superconductors, new alloys andknowledge and techniques of nanotechnology,

ceramics, brought great advancements inare significantly accelerating technologicalscience and technology, serving as the driving

innovation across all fields of research.

force for technological innovation in an
unprecedented way.
New materials developed by nanotechnology,

among researchers in different disciplines.
Scientists and technicians involved in research

the 20century, must be mentioned here.

and development in nanotechnology often

Nanotechnology is the name given to a wide

needs the capabilities to collect data andrange of technologies in various scientificunderstand studies in other fields or infields that share the key word “nano” totechniques that are not within their expertise.

describe their scale. Nanotechnology is used in

They may not have the best perspective on

medicine, bio engineering, pure engineering,potential applications for the new materials

electrical science and many other fields.

and technologies they have created, especially

In nanotechnology, new materials are70

Such possibilities for applications of
nanotechnology call for sharing information

the largest technological innovation ofth

In 1959, the concept of an electronic circuit witha variety of functions created by embedding
transistors, resistors, capacitors, diodes and otherelements on a substrate was created by scientists.
Several years later, another group of scientists
fabricated such a device. This marked the birth of
the integrated circuit (IC) chip. In the early 1970s, theLSI chip that achieved integration of 1000 to 100,000
components per chip was developed, leading to
the introduction of the microcomputer. By the mid1970s, the IC chip went into mass production foruse as computer memory and components fordesktop calculators. The picture of a huge numberof elements being embedded into a chip roughly thesize of a fingertip in order to create various functions,
resembles the complex process of the developmentof a city. For this reason, the integrated circuit boardthat continues to progress in miniaturization andcomplexity has been called a "micro-town."

in other fields. Now, in order to develop

Photo: Afro Co., Ltd

71

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Materials science can help to ensure thattechnological evolution is on the right track.”

1997 Honda Prize Laureate

nanotechnology further, information sharing

be able to expand their areas of knowledge tois called for, not only among the researchers

give a more comprehensive viewpoint. They

who are directly involved in nanotechnology

can expect their brainchildren to give birth toitself, but also among scientists and engineers

other great technological innovations in totallyin every possible field of application.

unexpected areas. It will be an era of unlimited

A society that integrates scientific disciplines

possibilities.

and technologies, including nanotechnology,
will expand the horizons of science andtechnology from a rather “self-contained”
existence. People who work in technology will

Materials
Stone

Wood

Clay

Tools madeof bonePottery

Zn,Pb,Au,Ag

Brass

Glass

Iron

BronzeSteel
Aluminium
ComputerAirplane
Automobile
Steam Engine

Technology
Hand Wedge-1.85 Million -500000
Australopithecus-100000-35000

Wheel

-8600

Fire
-4000

Plows

0

1000

Neandertal

Heidelbergensis

1700

1800

NaturalScience

Homo Sapiens

Engineering
Jomon - and Yayoi - Culture

Nara

Nobunaga

Heian

Tokugawa

Kamakura
Evolution of materials and technology

1900

2000 [Year]

SocialScience
Materials Science
Meiji
TaishoShowa

Muromachi

The rise of the evolutionary curve includes a number of discoveries
and technological events. New materials such as plastics,
semiconductors and superconductors, advanced alloys and ceramics
and others are appearing and provide an impetus for technologicaldevelopment.
(From the commemorative lecture at the 17th award ceremony for the

Honda Prize in 1997: “New Materials in the Service of Mankind”)

72

Innovation: New Materials Supporting Technological Innovation

Ceramics are known
for their outstanding
strength and lightweight. In particular, thefine ceramics that Dr.
Petzow has brought into
commercial use excel
in being assimilated byhuman tissue and they
have been used widelyin restorative medicine,for artificial joints andother uses.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Ceramics
Semiconductor
Plastics

Born in Nordhausen in Germany in 1926,
Dr. Petzow received a Ph. D. in materials
science from the University of Stuttgart. In
1974, he became an honorary professor of
the same university. After serving as the headof the Department of Powder Metallurgy,
and head and then managing director of the
Department of Advanced Ceramics at the Max
Planck Institute for Materials Science, therenowned institute in Germany, Dr. Petzow
became Director Emeritus of the same
institute in 1994. He is an expert in physicalmetallurgy, powder metallurgy, various issues
in special ceramics, and phase diagrams ofalloys and ceramics. He is a recipient of many
awards, including the Henry Clifton Sorby
Award from the International Metallographic
Society.

Dr. Günter E. Petzow has made significant achievements inmaterials technology at the Max Planck Institute for Metals
Research (one of the 70 plus Max Planck Society research institutes) .
Studies of powder metallurgy by Dr. Petzow have been applied
to various useful devices, including high-temperature turbine
blades and artificial joints. Dr. Petzow is the author of numerous
important papers and publications on a wide range of subjects,
such as phase equilibria between intermetallic compounds,
knowledge of peritectic reactions, the constitution and propertiesof cermets, metallography, high-temperature materials, beryllium
and its compounds, liquid phase sintering, particle rearrangement,
metallographic etching, toughening of ceramics, Sialon-ceramics,
sintering of Si3N4-ceramics, metal-ceramics interfaces and theprocessing of advanced ceramics. He is the author or co-author of
more than 600 research papers and 10 books and the holder of 27
patents.
From the perspective of an expert in materials science, Dr.
Petzow warns us that the increase in the demand for materials withthe growth in the world’s population implies a “looting” of the nonrenewable sources on the planet. Spaceship Earth as an economic
system thus faces serious problems, he also argues. As a solution tosuch problems, Dr. Petzow suggests three important approaches:
the recycling of materials, the optimization of our use of materials
and the development of new materials. Through these approaches,
Dr. Petzow emphasizes, we can not only find solutions for ecologicalissues but also put into use new technologies that have not beenpossible due to a lack of the appropriate materials.
Since its birth, humankind has experienced critical periodsof great change, including hunters forming settlements to start
farming and the industrial revolution. And now we are at the
beginning of a third renovation — ecological renewal. As a tool tosuccessfully achieve ecological renewal, “there is no alternative totechnology,” Dr. Petzow claims. We must promote advancements inmaterials science to ensure that technological evolution is on theright track. Then the efficiency with which we use materials will
improve, leading to advances in environmental conservation. This is
the theory of “ecotechnology” that Dr. Gunter E. Petzow has been
advocating in his pursuit of materials science.

Honda Prize Laureates

world to a more comprehensive and inclusive

Dr. Günter E. Petzow73

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“ Technological innovation that
protects the environment of the Earth.”

2000 Honda Prize Laureate

Honda Prize Laureates— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Born in Ehime Prefecture in Japan in 1954.
After receiving a master’s degree fromthe Graduate School of Technology at the
University of Tokushima, Dr. Nakamura joined
Nichia Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. While
working for Nichia, he invented a practicallyusable blue LED. Use of LEDs expanded
drastically because of their low power
consumption and long lifetime. After receiving
a Ph. D. from the University of Tokushima in
1994, Dr. Nakamura became professor in the
Materials Department of the University ofCalifornia at Santa Barbara in 2000. He has
also served as visiting professor at Shinshu
University from 2002 and at Ehime University
from 2006. He is a recipient of many awards,
including the Millennium Technology Prize
from the Finnish government for the inventionof the blue LED.

Blue LEDs (Nichia Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.)

74

Specificity ofInformation Technology

Dr. Shuji Nakamura

A light emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor diode with highenergy-saving features and a long lifespan (semi-permanent). Since
its first development in the 1960s, the LED has been used as analternative light source for fluorescent lights and light bulbs invarious devices from traffic lights and cell phone backlights to large
displays and DVD recorders. Uses of the LED have been rapidly
expanding in our daily life. On the back of this innovation is thedevelopment of the blue LED in 1993 by Dr. Shuji Nakamura.
Until the middle of the 1980s, out of the three primary colors, only
red LEDs could be produced and a yellowish green was the only
alternative to green.
Dr. Nakamura was working for a private firm at a time when eventhe leading semiconductor companies and universities had not beenable to develop an LED that emitted blue light. Dr. Nakamura asked
the president of the company for the use of the company’s resources
for this development and to give him an opportunity to study at
the University of Florida in the US. The two candidate materials
available at that time for an LED that would emit blue light werezinc selenide and gallium nitride, with the former much more
popular among researchers for its ability to generate clear crystals.
Dr. Nakamura chose the latter because it was unpopular. He did notwant to follow everyone else. He first developed an original two-flow
metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technique to make highquality gallium nitride crystals. This invention led him to success ingetting gallium nitride, an environmentally sound material, to emit
first blue light and then green light. The three primary colors were
now available in LEDs.
Even after this breakthrough, Dr. Nakamura kept going andsucceeded in getting nitrite to emit short wavelength purple lightto replace the conventional red semiconductor laser. This led to thedevelopment of a DVD with a large capacity and high resolution. In
2005, in collaboration with a research team at the Tokyo Universityof Science, Dr. Nakamura succeeded in splitting water into hydrogenand oxygen using gallium nitride and light. This success is expected
to lead to another innovation with practical applications.

Information technology (IT) was first introducedwith different time zones. In our daily life, thein the 1950s as the third fundamental concept

Internet has provided us with convenienceof the natural sciences to follow materials andfrom many different aspects, while introducing

energy. In the 1970s, when the discovery of

new styles of communication, such as blogs

the silicon semiconductor started the drastic

and SNS messaging, as new outlets for self-

advancements in computer technologies, IT

expression.

innovation also begun.

The Internet and other forms of IT innovation

The most significant innovation in IT mustare so different from their conventionalbe the birth of the Internet, which is often

alternatives in nature that the changes

referred to as the most significant technologicalbrought cover a wide scope of human activities

innovation since the Industrial Revolution.

from the values and lifestyles of individual

The Internet started with ARPANET, a computer

people to whole economies and relationships

network developed by the US Department of

among nations.

Defense. Then in 1986, NSFNet, an academic

While benefiting our societies in so many

version of the computer network branched off

significant ways, the rapid advancement offrom ARPANET, linking mainframe computers

information technologies has started to havein universities throughout the world. This

adverse effects. The increasing occurrence ofallowed information to be shared among

psychological problems among people involved

scientists and engineers across specific fields

in IT is a good example.

and subsequently knowledge building, and the

A reason for this trend can be explained byforming of comprehensive, multidisciplinary

the fact that specific tangible outcomes canviews.

rarely be seen by IT technicians. Engineers

In 1995, when NSFNet was privatized andworking for automobile manufacturers canWindows 95 was introduced, the Internet

see the process and results of their work, andbecame a tool for public use. All existing

are able to feel they are participating in the

restrictions were removed, and digitalized

whole line. They can even touch the products.

information became interactive and able to be

But for an IT technician, it is impossible toshared with real immediacy.

physically touch the products. They rarely

The Internet has had a great influence on the

feel the satisfaction of a job completed. Itworld’s economy. From retail shopping to stock

is difficult for them to feel that they havetrading, a succession of new business models

accomplished something. This has had an

has been introduced. A globalized economy

adverse psychological effect on IT workers.

has developed beyond conventional barriers

One problem that has been affecting our daily

between economic blocs and even regions

lives more fundamentally and more widely75

is the fact that technologies have become“invisible.” Unlike the conventional “visible”
technologies, research into new materials,
nanotechnology, and computerized machine

A house is built on empty land. As the number of houses
grows, roads are built to connect these houses. The
town grows in vitality, with houses, apartment buildings,
commercial buildings and others beginning to concentrate.
The roads then began to expand and extend with greatcomplexity, swerving between the buildings. Towns thatare separated by distance begin to be connected by roads.
On these roads, there is movement of motor vehicles andpeople. Eventually, the telephone is invented, leading totelephone poles and lines being constructed and the birthof a new form of voice communication. Next, the opticalcable that is being installed to cover the entire world today
is bringing mass digital data exchange, not only of text andstill images but also of audio and video. In the mature andhighly sophisticated information society of today, where
electronic information is exchanged at speeds that areincomparable to personal or human voice exchanges, thecurrent social structure may itself be a giant template of an
integrated circuit interconnected by networks.

control produces invisible or intangible results.
Today, it is difficult to recognize the extent towhich science and technology control our daily
life. While enjoying the products of modern
technologies, we feel troubled by elementsthat are blended into our life so adeptly that
we can no longer recognize them tangibly. Our
lives have changed beyond our expectations
and comprehension.

Innovation: Specificity of Information Technology

76

77

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“ Sophisticated high technology must contribute to theconservation of resources and to energy savingin the interests of mankind.”1986 Honda Prize Laureate

Optical communications, which formst h e b a s i s o f t o d a y ’s c o m m u n i c a t i o n s
infrastructure, developed from the idea ofusing the PIN diode (see photo below) that was
Dr. Nishizawa's first research project, as areceiver. Later, completion of the transmitterand the optical fiber cable (see photo above)that serves as the communication route madeoptical communications a reality.

he had once observed being used to produce glass sculptures. He
adopted the technique and used glass fibers to develop a structurethat uses the difference between the refractive indices of two
different materials. By maximizing the refractive index in the
middle of the glass fiber, he was able to prevent light from escaping
outside of the fiber. In 1970, he developed a polarizing fiber. The
foundations of optical communications were laid down by theinnovation and efforts of one researcher.
Dr. Nishizawa is distinguishable from the average researcher inrecent technological research who tends to pursue a specific theme
in a narrow area. His achievements extend beyond the boundaries
of academic research. They include practical technologies in awide range of fields, including the static induction transistor with
unsaturated characteristics (the current-voltage characteristics ofconventional transistor are saturated) and complete crystallization
techniques for semiconductor materials, in addition to thesemiconductor laser and the optical fiber technology described
here. Dr. Nishizawa has always carried out his research with asense of responsibility to society—how the new idea or technology
can be of practical use in helping people. Born in Japan, where
natural resources are very limited, Dr. Nishizawa believes that newtechnologies should benefit people and contribute to the survival of
the human race.
In line with his own principles, Dr. Nishizawa developed asemiconductor device with a 99% efficiency in converting direct
current to alternating current. He suggested using this development
in hydropower generation and direct current transmission as ameans of meeting the world’s electricity demands from as far backas 1986. When electricity is transmitted as direct current, instead ofas alternating current as in the conventional method, long-distancetransmission (approximately 10,000 kilometers) can be achieved overthe cables currently in use. If we can meet the global demand forelectricity with hydropower generation (i.e., with renewable energy),
eco-technology will have made a significant contribution to global
society and global energy issues.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

78

Optical communications have contributed greatly to thefoundation of the information-oriented society by allowing highcapacity communication. Three major inventions have made thispossible: the photodiode (or PIN diode, an optical sensor that converts
light into electrical signals) , the semiconductor laser (a light-emitting
device that converts electric signals into light), and the optical fiber thatcarries information in the form of light.
The person responsible for these three developments thatcomplete the framework of current optical communications systems
is Dr. Jun-ichi Nishizawa. As his nickname — “Mr. Semiconductor”
or “the Father of Optical Communications”— implies, Dr. Nishizawa
has carried out unique research projects not only in semiconductor
technology, but also across a wide range of other fields. He is aninnovator whose achievements still have a great influence in manydifferent fields.
Optical communications has become an indispensable part of ourdaily lives, and so it is natural to wonder what led Dr. Nishizawa
to these great accomplishments in developing the technologies for
optical communications. In the early 1950s, when he first started
his research into optical communications, Dr. Nishizawa had
already hypothesized on the possibility of using a PIN diode (his firstresearch theme and achievement) as the receiver in an optical power
detector. He then focused on experiments to amplify microwave
pulses using a ruby crystal as the light emitting source. He thoughtthat microwaves could be amplified using this phenomenon, andhypothesized that connecting a source to an external resonator
type semiconductor would produce light as a continuous amplified
oscillation. In 1957, he published a paper on the semiconductor
laser.
When research into optical fiber transmission lines started,
techniques to transmit light in space or through any kind of conduit
had not been developed. Instead, researchers at that time wereattempting to transmit light through copper tubes. However, it wasdifficult to get copper tubes to serve this purpose. The rough insidesurface of a tube contains bumps with a height as large as 0.1 μm.
Bumps of this size would bounce back light with a wavelength ofless than 1μm, making it very difficult to transmit light. Also, copper
tubes were not suited to the mass production of devices.
Dr. Nishizawa solved this problem by remembering a technique

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Miyagi Prefecture in Japan in 1926.
After graduating from Tohoku University
School of Engineering, served first as
a professor and then president of theuniversity. Was appointed president of Tokyo
Metropolitan University in 2005. Dr. Nishizawa
has influenced the world of technology acrossa wide range of fields through development of
the PIN diode, static induction transistor andstatic induction thyristor, as well as throughthe development of applications for opticalcommunications technology. In 2000, Dr.
Nishizawa proposed the use of terahertz waves
in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Recipient of numerous awards, including theOrder of Cultural Merit (Bunka-Kunsho), IEEE
Edison Medal and the Grand Cordon of theOrder of the Sacred Treasure.

Dr. Jun-ichi Nishizawa

79

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“ Tackling substantive fuzzy problems will produce ahumane technology.”

1989 Honda Prize Laureate

Honda Prize Laureates— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Born in Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan
in 1921. After studying electrical engineeringa t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te h e r a n a n d t h e
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hereceived a Ph. D. from Columbia University
in 1949. Dr. Zadeh was a professor at the
University of California at Berkeley from1959 to 1992. He made a great contribution
to studies on z-transformations for the
analysis of discrete signals. In the 1960s, Dr.
Zadeh introduced his fuzzy theory, allowing
quantitative expression from existing
qualitative languages. Dr. Zadeh’s innovations
have been applied to various fields, making
our information-driven society more human.

This is a subway car on the Nanboku Line in
Sendai, Japan—an example of a controllerthat employs the fuzzy logic. The system has
been able to achieve smooth and efficient
propulsion and stopping comparable to ahuman operator. The system has been able
to reduce the amount of electric power
consumed by several percentage points.
(Source: Sendai City Transportation Bureau)

80

Respect for Humans:
Always the Center of the Discussion

Dr. Lotfi Asker Zadeh

In our everyday conversation, we encounter a number of fuzzy
expressions. To gain an understanding of sentences that include
fuzzy expressions, just as when fine-tuning a machine, we all use
our experience, intuition and “fuzziness,” a very human way of
information processing. Dr. Rotfi Asker Zadeh proposed “fuzzy
logic” in 1965, and this proved to be a first step in applying thetheory to machines and computers. In fuzzy logic, any event canhave a value between 0 and 1, as opposed to only 0 or 1 as is thecase in conventional logic systems. That is, fuzzy theory is a modelof thought patterns that are very close to the natural system ofthought of the human brain, which is intrinsically fuzzy and has
been thought impossible to express with numbers or equations.
In fuzzy logic, (1) truth values are allowed to be fuzzy sets labeled“true,” “more or less true,” and so on; (2) the quantifiers such as“most,” “few,” and “usually” are interpreted as fuzzy numbers
which serve to describe the absolute or relative cardinalities offuzzy sets; (3) fuzzy utilities in fuzzy logic are computed by using
the connection between fuzzy probabilities, such as “likely” and“unlikely” and fuzzy quantifiers; (4 ) the role played by hedges suchas “very” and “more or less”-a role that conventional natural
language cannot deal with- can be dealt with by interpreting themas operators which act on fuzzy predicates.
Thus, fuzzy logic comes much closer to serving as a descriptivemodel of human reasoning than traditional logic systems. In thisway, fuzzy logic opens the door to many applications that fall beyond
the reach of conventional logic-based methods as well as methods
based on classical probability theory. Successful applicationsof fuzzy logic have been seen in a wide range of industrial andother areas, including automatic control systems for trains, land
management systems, tunnel drilling machines, cranes, incineration
plants, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. When fuzzy
logic was first introduced, aside from a small group of scientists
who were enthusiastic about it, the majority of researchers with
their traditional respect for what is quantitative and precise were
skeptical. Today, 40 years later, the controversy surrounding
fuzzy logic has not disappeared completely. However, it is now an
undeniable fact that this innovation plays an indispensable role inour daily lives.

Why have science and technology started

who suffer. To prevent this suffering, we haveto have adverse effects in modern society,to analyze the structure of society itself asagainst their primary purpose of making peoplea system from the technological aspect andhappier? There is no way to pin down the

introduce innovations to keep pace with theexact reason. But when we see the trend of theinnovations in science and technology. The

whole movement, we can at least say that themost important thing in this is to hold onto our

unexpected speed of advancement of science

respect for people. We should not bring about

and technology in our time has exceeded the

any changes that may coerce people to change

ability of people and whole societies to catch up

against their will.

and regain control.

This position is most important for those

How can we solve this problem? The key is in

who are directly involved in social systems

our history. We have to look at how people dealt

innovation— i.e., policymakers, as well as thewith technological innovation in the past.

representative scientists and engineers who

When the speed of scientific and technologicalserve as potential advisors to the policymakers.

advancement exceeded our expectations, weFirstly, these leaders must change their views,

took an unwanted approach—i.e., we accepted

but that is not enough to bring real innovationa relationship in which people attempted toto our social systems. Each of us ordinary

adapt themselves to science and technology.

citizens, members of society, must recognize

This relationship has caused confusion,

the problem of how to adapt our societies to

estrangement and isolation. What is needed inmeet the changes.

modern society is to stop our struggle to catch

In today’s world, many products of science

up with the ever-accelerating advancements inand technological innovation, such as materials

science and technology. Instead, we must rebuild

and information, have been transformed fromthe scheme to use science and technology tosomething visible and tangible to something

adapt to the needs of its users by embracing

invisible and intangible. This trend places

the concept of human engineering.

more significance on the role of scientists andWe will then encounter new problems. We
have to find a way to bring innovation to ourengineers who are at the frontline of technologicalinnovation.

social systems in order to deal with ever-

Scientists and technologists must keep

advancing technological innovation. Thisevaluating, adjusting and improving a number ofproblem exists within society itself. Whenthe products of rapid technological innovation insociety is forced to change against its will due

the light of the aims of human engineering. It is

to advancements in science and technology, it

more important now than ever before because

will be the members of that society, i.e., people,

science and technology, the centerpiece of our81modern societies, is increasingly becoming
invisible.
However, when seen from a different
perspective, this means unlimited expansionof the horizon dreamt of by scientists andengineers, including a better relationshipbetween society and people, will be right infront of our eyes in the coming years.

©Tezuka Production Co., Ltd.

Exponential Growth Trends in Computer Performance
MIPS
1638400
819200Tera PC
Doubling every 15 months

409600204800102400100G PC

51200
25600
12800

10G PC

Doubling every
2 years

6400
3200
1600
800

Giga PC

Honda Prize in 2005: “Robotics and Intelligent Systems in Support ofSocietal Needs”)

200

82

Earth, 1996)(From the commemorative lecture at the 26th award ceremony for the

400
100

Underlying most of the advances in robotics and intelligent systems
is the unprecedented exponential improvement in information
technology. In 2000, as predicted, we saw the arrival of a giga-PC
capable of a billion operations per second, a billion bits of memory
and a bandwidth of one billion bits per second, all available for lessthan two thousand dollars. Barring the creation of a cartel or some
unforeseen technological barrier, we should see a tera-PC by theyear 2015 and a peta-PC by the year 2030.
The question is what will we do with all this power? How will it affectthe way we live and work?

Astro Boy, an intelligent humanoid robot born in April
2003, was unveiled to its readership in 1951. Later, therobot sparked immense popularity among children andwas introduced in Japan as the first TV animation series
in 1963, followed by broadcasts of the series around theworld. Astro Boy, who became a world hero and a symbolof a bright future realized by scientific progress, has been
portrayed by its creator Osamu Tezuka like this: "In Astro
Boy, I wanted to express how science and technology, which
pursue progress without paying much heed to nature andhuman values, will bring fissure and deviations in society,breeding discrimination and wantonly harming human life,
as well as the lives of other creatures. What will happen if
advanced technology, including robotics and biotechnology,
goes out of control? The theme was that technology, which
aimed to bring happiness, might actually trigger extinction
and that it is actually starting to happen.” (Save Our Mother

1994

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020
Year

Innovation: Respect for Humans: Always the Center of the Discussion

83Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“ These advances will transform the way we live, learn,
work and govern ourselves. Such capabilities can be used
to further increase the gap between the haves andhave-nots, or to help the poor, the sick and the illiterate.”2005 Honda Prize Laureate

Robots with artificial intelligence that can
provide assistance with tasks that require
human skills and behavior are being
experimented with and commercialized in awide range of applications. Shown above isthe IRS Soryu of Japan's International Rescue
System Institute. It supports exploration andrescue in disaster areas that people cannot
enter and was used for field studies in the2004 Chuetsu Earthquake in Japan. Below is
a computer designed for people who cannot
read, who will be able to use the computer’s audio input to send emails, and in this way
the system contributes to filling the digital
divide. (Photo: Shigeo Hirose [ Tokyo Instituteof Technology]/International Rescue System Ins
Institute)— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

84

Dr. Raj Reddy, a world leader in computer science and robotics,
has always been involved in state-of-the-art research and madegreat contributions to studies of the human interface, artificial
intelligence, speech and vision and other areas. In 1979 heestablished the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University andbecame its first director. With his efforts to invite and train many
experts from universities and corporations from every corner ofthe globe, the institute has now become a world-leading robotics
research center with more than two hundred researchers.
Over the past 50 years, robotics and intelligent systems havemade great advancements. Underlying most of the advances are
exponential improvements in information technology that haveproduced personal computers working at megaflop and thengigaflop speeds. It should be only a matter of time before we witness
the introduction and commercialization of personal computers
working at teraflop and petaflop speeds. Once, the main purpose ofrobotics and intelligent system was to provide solutions to specifictechnological problems. But with the exponential advances in
information technology, the implications have changed radically.
Applications of the robotics research lead by Dr. Reddy have been
global in their extent, resulting in extensive systems and solutions
that greatly affect our lives.
Examples of applications of Dr. Reddy’s research into robotics andintelligent systems include: (1) robots that can care for the elderlyin aging societies all over the world, ( 2 ) rescue robots that canwork in disaster situations that are too dangerous or inaccessible tohumans, (3) speech and reading tutors that can support the illiteratewith advanced speech recognition and synthesis technologies, (4)computer vision and intelligent cruise control to prevent traffic
accidents, improve fuel efficiency and reduce driver fatigue, ( 5 )computer systems that enable the illiterate to use voice mail andother functions, ( 6 ) digital libraries where anyone can accessarchived publications, and ( 7 ) artificial intelligence to resolve
the rural digital divide, such as expert systems and knowledge
based systems that can be used in medical diagnosis and therapy
applications. From among these applications, Dr. Reddy believes
that digital libraries offer the highest prospects. “We can expect
digital libraries to become the most used ecotechnology of all,”he said in his commemorative lecture at the Award Ceremony for

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Andhra Pradesh in India in 1937.
Graduated from the University of Madras in1958. Served as professor of computer scienceand became the first director of the Robotics
Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in the US.
Dr. Reddy is currently the Mozah Bint Nasser
University Professor of Computer Science andRobotics at the School of Computer Science,
Carnegie Mellon University. His research into
robotics, intelligent systems, human interfaces
and other areas have contributed greatly to arange of fields, including education, medicine
and welfare services. He has received a numberof awards, including the Légion d'honneur fromPresident Mitterand of France and the Padma
Bhushan from the President of India.

Dr. Raj Reddy

the 26th Honda Prize, citing a collaborative project among several
countries, including the US, China and India, which is aiming tofinish digitalizing one million books by 2007.
And these technologies will not end in a pipe dream. Challenges,
such as the cost of making them available to wider communities, thedifficulties of dealing with languages (including technologies that can
successfully handle local dialects and the natural speech of children), andthe need for a simplified interface to allow wider usability, will beovercome. For a number of these technologies, it is only a matter oftime.
Dr. Reddy insists that robotics and intelligent systems will makedramatic advances over the next fifty years. His research is basedon the belief that the capabilities of robotics and intelligent systems
should be shared equally regardless of nationality, language, age,gender or economic status. Dr. Reddy concluded his commemorative
lecture by saying, “It is my hope that the Honda Foundation willlead the way to create eco-technologies for a ‘compassionate worldin 2050’ ! ”

85

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“I have dreamed of a society in which people from different
countries, irrespective of the difference in the pace ofprogress in their respective country, cooperate with eachother, advance at their own pace, and lead happy lives.”
2006 Honda Prize Laureate

Dr. Richard R. Nelson

Consumption of all ozone deplenting substances,1989-2005(Thousands of metric tons of ozone-depleting potential)

1,400

Developed regions
Developing regions

1,200
1,000

600
400
200
1986

1990

1995

2000

2020

Since the threat to the ozone layer was
identified, emissions of ozone depleting
substances (ODS) dropped dramatically from
1.5 million tons in 1989 to 89,000 tons in2005. (Chart: United Nations)

Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates
in the world ( 41.5%, according to UNESCO
statistics in 2004), and resolving this problem
is a major issue. A Christian nun teaches at aschool in Karachi, the largest city and state
capital.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

86

800

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in the State of New York in the UnitedStates in 1930. After graduating from OberlinCollege, he studied at Yale University, earning
his Ph. D. in 1956. He served as professorof economics at Yale University from 1968,
director of the Institute for Social and Policy
Studies at Yale University from 1980 andprofessor at Columbia University from 1986.
He has been professor emeritus at Columbia
University since 2005. He is widely known for
his research into innovation in technologies
a nd social systems, having substantial
influence on industries, the economic world
and many other areas. He is author ofnumerous papers and books, including An
Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change.

Dr. Richard R. Nelson was the first economist to focus on theroles of advances in technology and innovations in society on thegrowth and decline of industries and the economy. The question
first struck him when he was studying in graduate school at Yale
University. What produces the differences in economic growth
between different countries? Many countries saw enormous
improvements in productivity and standards of living from the late
18th century to the middle of the last century, but others did not.
Some nations grew quickly and continued to prosper, and some hadjust started to grow, while others lagged behind in poverty. Whatmakes this difference? He started studying the process of economic
growth and soon realized that technological innovation had neverbeen a subject of study in modern economics. This notion led him
to a year studying engineering at the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, where he developed a keen interest in engineering. He
eventually reached the conclusion that technological innovation isthe actual driving force behind the past two centuries of enormous
improvements in productivity. That is, technological innovation, or
the process of technological advancement, cannot be ignored in a
fuller understanding of the process of economic growth. In 1982, his
magnum opus, An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change, waspublished.
The theory had enormous influence on healthy development andsocial revolution in the developed and developing countries. By
now, innovation has become a keyword in the activities of manynations and corporations across the world. The trend may well
be reflected in the number of academic papers in sociology andscience published with a title that includes the word “innovation.”
According to a study by Dr. Nelson, the number of these papers
stayed relatively unchanged from 1970 until 1991, when it started
to increase drastically. Many factors may have been responsible
for these changes. Information and communications technology
has advanced rapidly. Globalization has advanced as well. New
business models have been established on a global scale. Industrial
competition between players in different parts of the world has
started. Now innovation is needed, not only to pursue researchand development in individual private corporations, but tosolve problems on a global scale in various areas, including theenvironment, resources and energy. The problem of ozone layer

depletion may be one good example. When the movement to restrict
the use of chlorofluorocarbons gases started, many governments
opposed it. But as CFC-substitutes were quickly made available,
the opposing countries were willing to include the CFC regulationsin their respective policies. That is, a set of enabling technologies
made possible implementation of the CFC regulations against ozone
depletion. Innovations in science and technology worked effectively
for environmental conservation and health development in oursocieties.
Dr. Nelson identifies a “society in which people from different
countries, irrespective of the difference in the pace of progressin their respective country, cooperative with each other, advanceat their own pace, and lead happy lives” as the ideal society. To
achieve this goal, we must focus on how to lift the intellectual levelof the entire society, Dr. Nelson argues. By providing universal
access to quality education, governments will be able to adopt
innovative policies supported by the understanding of the majority.
That in part explains Dr. Nelson’s warning against the Bayh-Dole
Act, which the US adopted in 1980 to allow universities to own
patents for government-funded innovations. The monopolizing ofspecific research results of a highly public nature can be a threat tothe development of science, he argues.

87

88

It is an undeniable truth that science and technology will bearsurvive through the threats and crises that are expected to break out

increasingly greater importance in the 21 st century. Represented by
the environmental problems of today, human society is being imperiled
by unforeseen threats. The consumption of resources that began with
the Industrial Revolution reached a frightening high before we realized
what had happened. This has raised concerns that the results of ourendeavors may cause serious harm to our children and their children.
Action to address the issues has finally begun today, with scientists
at the vanguard. However, this is just an example. Threats to peace inhuman society are emerging one after another. Not only do we continue
to see war and killings as we had seen in the earlier century but we face
new threats to individuals, such as 0157 E. coli, SARS and anthrax.
The fundamental principle of science is demonstration of proof.
However, unforeseeable threats that emerge in the future should be
predicted but not demonstrated, since demonstration means death. We
scientists and engineers must deploy science and technology for early
eradication of the roots of disaster without imposing any more burden
on humankind.
These threats are certainly the dark side of the 21 st century andmust be stopped by the scientists. At this time we need scientists withwisdom founded on compassionate human love. Without a sense of
responsibility to prevent all prospective problems whatsoever in one's
area of specialization, it must be extremely difficult for humankind tosuccessively.
I myself have been working for more than 20 years to carry on theknowledge of our predecessors in addressing global warming that has
become a global concern. At the OPEC meeting in Cypress, I submitted a
proposal for connecting hydroelectric power plants using direct-current
power transmission as an alternative source of energy. This idea, whichdrew no response at that time, has earned praise from many today. What
we have left is to work on full-scale propagation. Moreover, productionof vegetable-based alcohol by fermenting corn will only aggravate theproblem of food shortages that can be said to have already started. We
must urgently speed up our action. It is certain that there is much that
we must do.
The achievements that the Honda Foundation has realized over the
past 30 years were the product of the hard work and talents of Mr.
Soichiro Honda. If Mr. Honda had been where we are today, what
would he have done? Looking at myself, I must not forget to ask myself
whether what I am doing now is truly adequate.

Jun-ichi Nishizawa
7th Honda Prize Laureate, Japan89

Life Sciences and Ethics
Globalization of Life
The Potential of the Science andTechnology in Protecting Life
Science and Personality

In accordance with the progress of science, a spectrumof innovative technologies has been developed in thelife sciences. In particular, in the most advanced fieldin the life sciences represented by genetic engineering,Life Frontier
90

humankind is touching on the realm of God and isabout to explore the mysteries of life. For the 30 years
since the birth of the Honda Foundation, the results ofresearch into immune systems and gene engineering
have been utilized at medical and clinical institutions,in applications that include organ transplantation andgenetic treatment, beyond their use in the academic
world. In Chapter 4, the progress and possibilities ofscience and technology as well as the dignity of life will
be examined from the viewpoint of ecotechnology.

91

Life Sciences and Ethics

During the 20th century and at the beginningmany different species are now known, due toof the 21st century, life sciences and medicine

the collaboration of scientist all over the world.

have experienced a variety of innovations. As a

Now scientists are focusing on the study ofresult, the changes in science and technology“proteomics”— analysis of the mechanism of

are now more closely linked to our society andprotein production from amino acids.

the environment that surrounds us.

attention both for their potential and also

plants as a medical practice, a procedure inbecause of the ethical problems. ES cellwhich for centuries the medical world has

technology has many potential applications

been seeking success through trial and error,

in regenerative medicine because of its

has recently heightened. The discovery of HLA

almost unlimited potential in theory tohas solved immunological incompatibilities indevelop into any kind of tissue (“omnipotence”).

transplanting organs, the largest obstacle toWhen propagated, ES cells may be used in

the procedure, and made it into a medicallyregenerative medicine to form various organs,practicable matter. Organ transplants havenervous tissue and artificial skin. With thisthus developed into a “technology.”

potential, ES cell technology also brings

Development of such medical technologies

certain ethical concerns because ES cells arealone cannot produce a practicable medical

produced from embryos. How to ethically treat

procedure, were it not for agreement on social

the “life” of embryos has been discussed but noand ethical issues.

agreement has been reached. Meanwhile, thebeen treated as an ethically controversial

92

When it became known in 1997 that a sheep with a genetic makeup
identical to its parent had been born seven months earlier at the
Roslin Institute in Scotland, the shock reverberated throughout theworld. Dolly, who died six years later in 2003, was given life throughtechnology that transplanted the nucleus of a somatic cell into anembryonic cell. Dr. Ian Wilmut who led the research project has
stated that the possibility of human cloning is "technically feasible,"suggesting that biotechnology has entered a new phase. This is an
issue that continues to be debated to this day.

Embryo stem (ES) cells have been attracting

For instance, the potential for organ trans-

The cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 has

Dolly, the world's first ewe cloned from an adult mammal cell

Photo: The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd

technical skills needed have been developed in

we believed that science, including the life

Any attempt by the life sciences and medical

many countries in the world.

sciences and the development of medical

technology to regulate life, the source fromissue. The technology to plant a cell nucleus

The advancement of technologies in the life

technology, would form the basis to produce

which human dignity stems, must be carriedtaken from a donor animal into a foreignsciences holds great potential to provide manytechnologies that would bring us happinessout in a socially and ethically sound manner,recipient’s embryo after removing the nucleus

people with happier lives. At the same time, itu n d e r a n y co n d i t i o n s . W h e n i n d u st r i a lin harmony with the environment. How we

can be adopted in procedures with humans.

brings the social and ethical issues of how todevelopment progressed, however, various

should proceed with this is a question that

While the cloning technology develops rapidly,

define “life”— the attribute that makes each ofkinds of pollution occurred, damaging theeveryone involved in medical services mustno agreement or conclusion has been reached

us a human.

environment. Restoration of the environment

answer, and they should do so while seeking a

has now become possible because of the newconsensus with those who receive the benefits

science and technologies.

of the life sciences and medical technology.

on the argument: is it acceptable for science

Then should we stop all progress in theand technology to create humans that sharelife sciences until we find the answer? The

the same gene sequences asexually?

answer is clearly “no.” Life sciences should

The problems and defects brought about by

Studies of gene analysis (“genomics”) started inmaintain their progress regardless of thesetechnology must be solved by technology. Thus,

the 1990s and have made great achievements

concerns. We can find the reasons in recent

those involved in the life sciences and medical

at unexpected speeds. The gene sequences forhistory. In the latter half of the 20th century,

science can no longer stay in their ivory towers.

Life Frontier: Life Sciences and Ethics

93

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Each and every person is one and only.”1987 Honda Prize Laureate

The name of Dr. Jean Dausset became known to the world when
he discovered human leukocyte antigen (HLA) —the “blood types”
of leukocytes. There are many types, and numerous possiblecombinations. The discovery of HLA, one of the most importanttissue matching antigens, had significant meaning not only in termsof his fame but also for the advancement of medical science in theensuing years.
The discovery of HLA has contributed greatly to predictive
medicine. People who have the HLA-B27 antigen are expected tohave a 600 times higher risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis
than those without the antigen. Predictive medicine has become afield of medical science that serves as the precursor to preventive
medicine. Then the discovery of HLA opened the door to organtransplants. The tolerance of the HLA system can be used to
identify compatible donors, serving as a base for the development oforgan transplants into a practical medical procedure.
I n 1 9 8 4 , D r. D a u s s e t f o u n d e d t h e C e n t r e d ’ E t u d e d u
Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH, the Human Polymorphism Study Center
in English ) with the aim of completing genetic maps and physicalmaps of the human genome. In other words, the center was founded
to pursue the aims of medical science in the 21st century: to identify
disease-causing genes for the prediction and prevention of disease.
But Dr. Dausset warns us: “It is an illusion if someone thinks thatscientists can build a kingdom.” This represents the responsibility ofscientists very well.
One responsibility of scientists is to expand the extent to which
certain knowledge is known—that is to disseminate the knowledge
and information possessed by scientists to the public at large.
When doing this, it is also important for scientists not to limit that
information to the scientists’ own “pipe dreams.” They also need totell the public about the risks that come with new technology in the
medical and other fields of science. Equally, it is very important tokeep processes democratic. Scientists must carry out their studies,
especially in the life sciences, based on human ethics.
Dr. Dausset is a supporter of somatic cell gene therapy, atherapeutic method to use DNA for non-germline cells. For example,
specific genes causing abnormal conditions ( i.e., disease ) can be
replaced with the genes for normal conditions. By injecting nudegenes from a harmful factor into the body of a patient, the physician

can induce immunity to that factor in the patient, preventing
development of the disease.
But Dr. Dausset is against genetic therapy using germline cells,
more specifically the kinds of therapy that introduces genes
into reproductive cells (embryos) , because the introduced gene ispassed down to the next generation in the form of life. Dr. Dausset
argues that “each person has a specific ‘bar code’ made up with
HLA systems. Each and every individual human has a different
combination of genes. Nobody— in the past, present or future —isgenetically identical. Each and every person is one and only.” Thatis the unique trait of each irreplaceable person, and respect forothers is possible only because of the unique traits of each person,
Dr. Dausset argues. For Dr. Dausset, the practice of medicine that
goes against human dignity is as immnral as human cloning with the
purpose of reproducing copies of human beings.
Dr. Dausset claims that the responsibility of scientists is not
limited to the area of medical science, but falls on society at large.
This is at least partially because the field of medical science can nolonger exist within the field itself. Today life ethics is an issue forevery member of society. To this end, Dr. Dausset’s achievementsthat cover the responsibility of scientists and ethics and the life
sciences is an important marker for ecotechnology in the 21 st
century. It is noteworthy that Dr. Dausset, a scientist who changed
the study of immunology from its very foundation and led the studyof the human genome, is also an avid supporter and promoter of thefine arts and founder of an avant-garde art gallery that opened in1945.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

94

Dr. Jean Dausset

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Toulouse in France in 1916. Afterearning an M.D. from the University of Parisin 1945, served as professor at the Universityof Paris and Collège de France ( from 1977 ) .
In 1982, founded and became presidentof the Universal Movement for Scientific
Responsibility (MURS). Also served
as director of the Research Unit on
Immunogenetics of Human Transplantation,
Institut National de la Santé et de laRechetche Médicale, and co-director of theOncology and Immunohematology Laboratory
and the Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique among others. Has received
numerous honors and awards, including theNobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine (1980)
and Légion d’Honneur (1984).

Universal Movement for Social Responsibility( MURS ) organized in 1982 at the urgings ofDr. Dausset is aimed at creating a “trilogue”
among scientists, decision-makers and the lay
public. Scientists should inform the generalpublic. Public opinion will thus be able to alert
the decision-makers in order to make use ofscientific progress for the benefit of mankind.

95

Ever since the structure of the DNA double helix was
uncovered by Tom Watson and Francis Crick in 1953, theentire world worked to identify the DNA sequencing of thefour bases A, T, C and G that make up genetic informationand the design of the life form. Human genome studies
show promise for applications in medicine, especiallyfor the development of medicines and the treatment ofdisease, and the Human Genome Project was proposed
in 1984 to identify the human DNA sequence. The project
started in 1991 and was completed in April 2003, but this
only completed the deciphering of the sequence of thefour bases. We have yet to uncover which of the genes
are related to heredity and whether segments known as"introns" in the DNA sequence that are believed not to carryany genetic information are truly insignificant or whether
they actually play a role in the genetic makeup.

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Life science should lead to a better understanding ofwhat each of us is.”1988 Honda Prize Laureate— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

96

Professor Paolo Maria Fasella contributed greatly to the harmonious
development of man and science through his role as a leader incooperative programs for the development of advanced technology
with life science as a foundation. In life science, he was a distinctive
leader in genome studies. Specifically, Professor Fasella was
responsible for the technical steps for sequencing genomes: (1) genetic
mapping, (2) physical mapping, (3) production of DNA fragmentsof decreasing size, (4) sequencing small DNA fragments, (5) data
treatment, (6) development of sequencing technology, (7) molecular
rules governing structure-function relations, and (8) application to
medicine, agriculture and industry.
Professor Fasella also developed biological information
technology focused on neuron synapses in the brain. He focusedon the mechanism of the human brain, where information istreated through a series of highly nonlinear steps with more than
1011 synapses, and where learning and memory occur throughadaptive changes in cells. Based on these studies, he suggested thepossibility of a “neurocomputer,” a computer system that can learn
by itself, by transferring intelligence, feeling and awareness into
technology. For Professor Fasella, for technology to be “intelligent”
did not mean that it is able to play a game of chess with a human.
For him, it meant to have human-like intuition.
Professor Fasella argued that international cooperation is essential
for complex and large-scale research projects, especially in genome
analysis and in the development of a neurocomputer. As a symboliccase where international cooperation is required, Professor Fasella
took the example of the battle against global warming. That isa prime case that cannot be solved without promoting scientificapproaches in a globally comprehensive way, Professor Fasellaargued. Reforestation and reduction of CO2 emissions, for example,
consist of very complicatedly intertwined factors, and to pursue
conservation of the global environment, these factors needed to be
untwined on a global scale. The issues regarding the conditions ofSpaceship Earth are issues for all scientists throughout the world.
That is a significant suggestion for ecotechnology.

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Rome in Italy in 1930. After receiving
an M.D. from the University of Rome in 1954,
pursued his career in various positions,
including as professor at the University ofParma ( from 1968) and at the University ofRome ( from 1971) . Starting in the 1980s,
made substantial achievements as leader ofvarious international projects, including the
EUREKA program (for cooperative developmentof advanced technology in Europe) and the
Human Frontier Science Program ( a program
lead by the Japanese government) . Served aspresident of the European Molecular Biology
Conference and president of the International
Union of Biological Sciences ( IUBS).

Dr. Paolo Maria Fasella

97

Globalization of Life

The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus that swept
Southeast Asia in 2005 has been confirmed also in Europe andRussia, triggering a world crisis. There have been at least 30
new contagious diseases in the past 30 years, including Ebola
hemorrhagic fever in 1976, AIDS in 1981 and SARS in 2003.
Globalization has spurred widespread infection, pushing the world
into a new phase in the eradication of disease. (Source: WHO)

Globalization is not limited to the worlds ofpolitics and economics. Now, even in the life
sciences, a globalized view — globalism —is necessary when seeking solutions toproblems.
Medical science spent the first half of the
20 th century battling infectious diseases,
and in the last half of the century, many
infectious diseases associated with thedigestive system were successfully treated.
With the development of penicillin andother antibiotics, it appeared that many
diseases of the respiratory system could betreated. Later, however, species or strains
of infectious microorganisms, such as the
O-157 strain of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus
and Campylobacteria bacteria, which had notso far made an appearance in our catalog
of diseases, started to appear, bringing
epidemics. In addition, new viruses such as
HIV have been causing new types of infectious

Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic
H5N1 avian influenza virus■ : Countries with poultry or wild
birds killed by H5N1.
■ : Countries with humans, poultry
and wild birds killed by H5N1

diseases, threatening people across all
international boundaries.
The rapid spread of infection is closely

98

share habitats on one small planet.

serious disease. Instead of dying from an

If the mechanisms behind the correlation oflinked with the sweeping development of

In developing countries, people are still

infectious disease when young or in the middle

these factors with our health can be elucidated

transportation and a global economy, bringing

dying from primitive diseases of the digestiveof our life expectancy, we are slowly moving

by science and if we can maintain the ideal

the international distribution of large numbers

or respiratory system that are considered tothough life facing the threat of these invasive

diet and manage our health with scientificof goods and services. Lassa fever, Marburg

have been eradicated in the developed world.

diseases right up to our very last breath.

methods, it should be possible to conquer

disease and new types of influenza are

In developed countries, where people have

Achievements in the life sciences give hopeexamples of diseases that start in a small

become relatively immune to infectious

to the situation, too. The term “adult diseases”

We should not forget, however, that there

corner of the globe and spread across thediseases, cancer, heart disease, diabetes andhas been now replaced by “lifestyle-related

are no global level solutions available. A

world almost instantly. It is ironic that it isother forms of “adult diseases” have become adiseases,” which can be ameliorated by properbalanced diet is possible only in limited areas

the rapid spread of these infectious diseases

big health concern. The quality of life of people

nutritious balance, correct diet, limitedof the developed world and for a very smallthat has highlighted for us the fact that we allin our aging societies is thus threatened bysmoking, hormonal balance and other factors.

proportion of the world’s population. Balancing

lifestyle-related diseases.

99

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“It is possible to reduce the rates of many types of cancer.”

1996 Honda Prize Laureate

their diet with vegetables, fruits, grains, fish

Technology to prevent the spread of infectious

and meat is a mere pipe dream for people

diseases is also needed, and scientific

who are struggling just to get enough food toapproaches to eradicate infection-causing

survive, let alone to cover the calories needed

microorganisms should be studied. Also

for the day. Equally important to remember

important is new medical technology to provide

is that many people in the world do not havebiological defense (e.g., immunity) in treating

access to clean water, and thus have a highcases of infection.

risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Thus many more challenges still await the

In response to these conditions, strategies
for controlling infectious diseases in recent

life sciences and medical science in seeking
solutions at the global level.

years include political approaches, as seen inquarantine inspection programs at national
borders.

Rate per 100,000

300

200

Cancer Center)

10001947 1950

100

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2005

Life Frontier: Globalization of Life

larynx, oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, bladder, pancreas,
cervix and ovaries) compared with the quarter with the highest intakes.

For hormonally-related cancers, the protective effect of consuming
fruits and vegetables is weaker and less consistent: for breast cancer
the protective effect appears to be about 30%, Dr. Ames points out.
Dr. Ames never fails to exercise his ability to observe the conditions
fairly and critically—an essential capability for any scientist. Dr. Ames
states, for example, that there is no scientifically-justifiable reason toblame exposure to minute amounts of chemical compounds for increased
risks of developing cancer. While many people consider the use of
agricultural chemicals in farming to be a contributor to increased risksof developing cancer from the foods they eat, Dr. Ames refutes the idea
by pointing out the fact that there is no epidemiological data to support
a correlation. Instead, he presents the concern that discontinuing theuse of agricultural chemicals would rather increase the risk of cancer
for the whole population, because it would decrease the yield of fruitand vegetable crops, raise prices, and as a result make it impossible forpeople on low incomes to buy and eat fruits and vegetables. Studies
by Dr. Ames also point out that continuous inflammation in the bodyinduced by chronic infection can be carcinogenic. Dr. Ames therefore
believes that epidemiological studies of humans should lead to adecrease in morbidity for many kinds of cancer.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

After World War II, the number of deaths due
to contagious diseases such as tuberculosis
and pneumonia declined, while the number ofdeaths caused by cancer, cardiac disease andother metabolic disorders has increased. The
top cause of death in the world is cancer, withroughly one out of every five deaths caused bycancer. The death rate is high in industrializedcountries, especially in Japan, where the rateis roughly one in three deaths. (Source: National

Dr. Bruce N. Ames has been studying the environmental factors
involved in the development of cancer and aging. The significance of
his achievements can be recognized in the results of epidemiologicalstudies showing that reduction of smoking, increased consumption offruits and vegetables and control of infections have a major effect on
reducing rates of cancer.
The epidemiological studies by Dr. Ames cover a wide range offactors. For example, one study indicates that tall women have a higher
risk of developing breast cancer. Japanese women, Dr. Ames points out,
have a higher morbidity rate for breast cancer in recent years as theaverage height of the group increases. The results of his research into
the relationship between diet and cancer risk are more of a warning.
Fibers contained in fruits and vegetables can function as an importantfactor in reducing cancer cells in addition to antioxidants. Dr. Ames
suggests folic acid as an especially important factor. The quarter of the
population with the lowest dietary intake of fruits and vegetables has
roughly twice the risk for most types of cancer (i.e., cancer of the lung,

Honda Prize Laureates

Tuberculosis
Cerebrovascular diseases
Malignant neoplasms
Heart diseases
Pneumonia

Trends in crude mortality rate for leading
causes of death (1947-2005, Japan)

Born in the State of New York in the UnitedStates in 1928. After studying chemistry
and biology at Cornell University from1946, started studies in biochemistry at the
California Institute of Technology in 1950
and received a Ph. D. Served as professor inbiochemistry at the University of California
from 1968 and became chairman of the
Biochemistry Department in 1983. Served
as chief of the section on microbial genetics
at the U.S. National Institute of Health andas a member of the board of directors of the
National Cancer Institute. Recipient of a great
number of awards, including the Charles S.
Mott Award of the General Motors Cancer
Research Foundation and the Gold Medal
Award of the American Institute of Chemists.

Dr. Bruce N. Ames

101

The Potential of the Scienceand Technology in Protecting Life

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“Finally, healthy food can only be produced from ahealthy environment.”

2004 Honda Prize Laureate

philosophy that humankind cannot survive

is about to exceed seven billion. And thiswithout preserving the global environment that

increase in population is expected to continue

supports us.

in many regions throughout the world. In the

Scientists facing unpredictable crises indeveloping countries where industrialization

our lives must do so as members of a global

is advancing, population concentration rates

movement. That kind of spirit is essential forwill accelerate, and in agricultural areas, on

those who are engaged in the life sciences andthe other hand, population concentrations will

medical services.

continue to decrease. No one can prediction

Are there unknown forms of life in theaccurately how many more people the Earth

Universe? Many scientists are interested in

can support in addition to its current human

this question. Unknown life forms can also

population. The growth in food production

exist in the oceans, especially in the deep sea.

will decline on a global level, and at the sameStudies and research are carried out throughtime, we cannot allow the burden on theocean exploration. The new findings may bringglobal environment to increase. The mission

great benefits to us all.

of the life sciences is therefore to develop

On average, life expectancy is increasing.

technologies, including those to solve foodThis in part implies that the advancement of

supply issues, that can protect both human

medical science has saved more lives. On the

lives and the Earth’s environment.

other hand, lifestyle-related diseases havebecome a major concern for people living inthe 21st century. Now we need to clarify thedevelopment of the program in the following

right kinds of nutritional studies, lifestyles anddecades, can serve as a model case for the rest

medical services that will raise our quality ofof the world. The idea of the Green Revolution

life. We still do not have any clear guidelines,

in India is not a mere unidirectional solution-and the life sciences can be a key field of study

seeking program to increase food production,in laying down principles to this end.

but a comprehensive program to address

Advancements in genomics and proteomics

higher living standards for people within thewill bring new types of medical services. The

carrying capacity of the regional ecosystems.

potential applications of regenerative medicine

The very idea of the Green Revolution requires

have created many hopes and dreams, andapplication of knowledge in the life sciences

medical science is making steady progress.

to life on Earth while conserving the global

As members of society, we must watch,environment. In other words, action is needed

monitor and sometimes give suggestions on

to implement ecotechnology based on thethe ethical, social and environmental aspects

Use sparingly
White rice,white bread,white pasta;Red
meat, potatoes,
butter soda, and sweets

Multiple vitamins
Dairy or calcium
for most supplement, 1-2 times/day

Alcohol inmoderation(if appropriate)Fish, poultry, eggs,
0-2 times/day
Nuts, legumes,
1-3 times/day
Vegetables(in abundance)

Whole grain foods(at most meals)

Fruits,2-3 times/day
Plant oils (olive, canola,soy, corn, sunflower, peanut,
and other vegetable oils)

Daily exercise and weight control— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

The Green Revolution, a program thatwas started in India in the 1960s, along with

Born in the State of Michigan in the UnitedStates in 1945. Received an M.D. from the
University of Michigan Medical School in
1970, and subsequently received his M.P.H.
(1973) and Dr.P.H. (1980) from the Harvard
School of Public Health, becoming a professorof epidemiology at the school. Dr. Willet is aleading researcher in the field of epidemiology
at Harvard. Also serves as the leader ofsome well-known cohort studies, including
the Nurses’ Health Study and the HealthProfessionals Follow-up Study. Recipient of
numerous awards, including the InternationalAward for Modern Nutrition and the Charles
S. Mott Prize. Has published more than 900
articles and books, including Eat, Drink, and
Be Healthy.

To study the nutritional determinants of diseases such as cancer andheart disease, the dietary intake of every item of food for a person must be
repeatedly measured for a large population over the long term. Conducting
such surveys can be very expensive and analysis of the data collected may
be very complex. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed by Dr.
Walter C. Willet provides a solution to this problem. After a series of pilot
studies, he selected approximately 130 items from the most important items
of food in the American diet and included them on the questionnaire. To
verify that any statistical significance in the data would be recognized, hestudied the accuracy and suitability of the FFQ by comparing the nutritional
intake calculated from the FFQ data against records of the actual intake
of food items collected from several thousands of people over a four week
period. After repeating this comparison four times in a year, the two sets ofdata showed a significant level of correlation, validating the accuracy of the
FFQ.
Dr. Willet also examined the association between dietary intake and factors
in the blood known to be influenced by diet. For example, the association
between blood levels of homocysteine (a factor that causes cardiovasculardisease) and nutritional intake was examined. As the accuracy of the dietarymeasurements increased through long-term analysis of the data fromrepeated surveys, a variety of hypotheses and predictions have been put
forward on the relationship between diet and the risk of disease. Dr. Willet
has been conducting studies into how the risk of contracting a range of
diseases are affected by diet, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, many
cancers, kidney stones, gallstones, and degenerative diseases of the nervous
system, including decline in cognitive function. Using the FFQ, Dr. Willet has
shown that changes in diet can serve as a factor in suppressing or developing
symptoms of many diseases, in addition to ethnic or racial (i.e., genetic)
factors, which had been considered almost exclusively to be the main factors
in contracting these diseases. In this, Dr. Willet has made a major contribution
to medicine.
Dr. Willet expresses concern over the influence of the changing environmenton the human diet and therefore disease, because “healthy food can only
be produced from a healthy environment.” The role of ecotechnology inpreserving a sound global environment is therefore important in ensuring ahealthy diet and consequently the health of the people of the world.

Honda Prize Laureates

102

Now in the 21st century, the world population

Dr. Walter C. Willett

The New Healthy Eating Pyramid
Dr. Willet used scientific evidence to point out various problems with the USDA Food
Pyramid that was developed in 1992 by the US Department of Agriculture and spreadwidely throughout the country. He was quick to point out that trans fats are closely
linked to cardiac disease, brain hemorrhage and other ailments long before the acids
became widely known. In the "New Healthy Eating Pyramid," intake of vegetable oils suchas olive oil, canola, and soy and peanut oil is recommended to decrease amounts of transfats. (Source: Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy)103

of this progress, as well as on the response ofalternative forms of national development, wepolitical leaders to this progress. In this new

must not overlook the significance of people’sage, the life sciences should be able to take on

livelihoods in all areas, and even non-humanthe role of providing the right technologies.

life forms.

People living in developed countries

There is no guarantee that a rosy futureoften fail to remember the people living in

awaits humankind. But advancements indeveloping counties who are suffering fromthe life sciences promise unlimited andextreme poverty and starvation. When we work

unprecedented results, offering us hopes andon adjusting existing economic disparities,

dreams for our future lives as human beings.

conservation of the natural environment, and

人口（億人）(billions)
Population

90
90

70
70

82
82

Sub-Saharah
Sub-SaharanAfrica
Africa

40
40

19
19

?

33
33
25
25

20
20

?

10
10
1950
1950

1965
1965

1980
1980

1990
1990

29
29

24
24

44
44

2000
2000

2010
2010

2030
2030

2050
2050

14
14

99

44

Northern
NorthernAfrica
Africa
10
10
88
Latin
LatinAmerica
America&&the
theCaribbean
Caribbean11
11
77
Western
WesternAsia
Asia
11
11
77
Eastern
EasternAsia
Asia
19
19
77
Developing
Developingregions
regions

10
10

20
20

33
33
39
39

28
28

1990
1990
2005
2005

33
33

27
27

00

53
53

46
46

South-EasternSouth-EasternAsia
Asia

53
53

50
50

00

29
29

SouthernAsia
Asia
Southern

68
68
61
61

60
60

30
30

Proportion
Proportionof
ofchildren
childrenunder
underageagefive
fivewhowhoareareunderweight,
underweight,1990
1990andand2005
2005(Percentage)(Percentage)

91
91

人口
Population
耕地面積Arableland surface
穀物収穫面積Cultivatedland surface

80
80

34
34

（億 ha)
ha）(billion
Surface area面積

100
100

30
30

40
40

50
50

60
60(%)
(%)

(year)

World population and arable land surface/cultivated land surface
The current world population of approximately 6.5 billion is growing
chiefly in the developing countries and is expected to reach 9.1
billion by 2050. However, the arable land surface for the entire world
remains roughly constant and is not expected to see significant
growth. By the mid-21st century, it is believed that food production
will not be able to keep up with the population growth and this will
result in aggravation of the food supply situation around the world.
(Souce: United Nations / FAO [FAOSTAT])

Proportion of children under age five who are underweight, 1990
and 2005 (percentage)
Although the number of children suffering from huger had decreasedin East Asia, West Asia, Latin American and the Caribbean region by
2005, many remain in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. More thana quarter of the children in developing countries are malnourished.
Although malnutrition remains the cause of more than half of allchild deaths, other causes are debilitation resulting from contagious
diseases and lack of medical care. (Souce: United Nations)Life Frontier: The Potential of the Science and Technology in Protecting Life

104

Photo: Uniphoto press international Inc. 105

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“We need to have technology that fits each regionso as to achieve a sustainable end to hunger.”1991 Honda Prize Laureate

In the late 20th century, predictions that food production would
not be able to catch up with the ever-growing global population
were a major concern to the people of the world. And thoseconcerns became fact. The world population quadrupled in the 100
years up to the 20th century. Although it took more than a million
years to reach 100 million sometime around the year 1800, theworld population increased to 3.8 billion by 1972, and exceeded 6.5
billion by February 2006. When the population reached 3.8 billion,
India, where exceptionally rapid population growth continued, wasthreatened in 1975 with widespread famine. However, this did not
happen—because of a national scheme to increase food production.
Programs to increase food production in India have been led by
Dr. M. S. Swaminathan under the concept of a “green revolution,”
an idea first advocated by Dr. William Gadd of the US Department ofAgriculture in 1968.
At a meeting of the International Commission on Peace and Food
held under Dr. Swaminathan’s chair in Madras in October 1991,
participants agreed to work to achieve the following targets. A plan
was made to address increases in food production and security of
employment for the growing population at the same time.
(a) Raise foodgrain production from 188 million tons to 220 million
tons by increasing per hectare yields of wheat from 2.3 tons to 3.1
tons and rice from 1.76 tons to 2.15 tons, and bringing another 2
million hectares of irrigated land under high yielding varieties ofwheat and rice. The shift of existing crops from ordinary to highyield varieties will increase employment per hectare by 50%.
(b) Triple the area under irrigated cotton to raise total production
from 13.3 million bales to 26 million bales. This and othermeasures generate employment for 11 million persons.
(c) Extend the area under sugarcane by an additional 1.6 million
hectares and raise average yields from 60 to 80 tons per hectarewith a projection to meet domestic demand and increase exports
to 3 to 4 million tons annually by 2000.
(d) Raise fruit production by 50% and vegetable production by 100%
to meet the domestic nutritional requirements and to generate
25% exportable surpluses. Raise the average yield to generateRs. 18,000 per hectare and free 6 million families from poverty.
(e) Raise inland fish production by 4.5 million tons (66% of projected
domestic demand) through development of 50,000 hectares of

Cereal Production in India
Rice

1970

114

Wheat
Corn

1980

140

1990

194

2000

235

2001

243

2002

207

2003

236

2004

233

0

50

Unit: million tonnes

100

150

200

250

(Source: FAO [FAOSTAT])

With the achievements of Dr. Swaminathan
and his “green revolution,” agricultural output
grew every year in India. The drop in 2002
was caused by a major drought. (Source: FAO[FAOSTAT])

intensive fish farms generating fulltime employment for one
million people.
(f) Double mulberry silk production by establishing 500 integrated
sericulture estates generating 750,000 additional fulltime jobs.
(g) Expand the area under irrigated oil seeds by 3 million hectares
and improve yields to produce an additional 7.5 million tons ofoil seeds, including groundnut, sunflower, rape and mustard andsafflower.
(h) Reclaim and utilize 4.5 million hectares of wastelands to meetthe entire projected demand for industrial wood and provide
sufficient animal feed for continued expansion of dairy
development programs.
( i ) Increase the number of milch animals in the country to generate
11.6 million additional jobs.
These numbers in Dr. Swaminathan’s plan strategically address
both food and job security concerns through a long-term vision.
When Dr. Swaminathan pursues a plan, he sees the problems bothfrom the macro and micro levels. That is, he addresses not only
land use (from the macro point of view) but also the selection of cropvarieties ( from the micro point of view ) . In 1961, Dr. Swaminathan
observed a few dwarf wheat lines with short height and long panicles
in the International Wheat Rust Nursery samples sent out by the
USDA. On being told that the lines came from Mexico, he collected
wheat seeds from dwarf lines from Mexico to study the genes
associated with dwarf traits. He eventually succeeded in breeding adwarf wheat variety with long panicles. As a result, wheat productionin India increased from 12 million tons in 1964 to 55 million tons in1990. India’s “Green Revolution” was thus successfully developed
because of the simultaneous introduction of mutually reinforcing
packages of technology, services and public policies.
Dr. Swaminathan holds to the principle of “improving humanlife within the limits of the carrying capacity of the supporting
ecosystems.” That is, agriculture that does not impose a burden on the
global environment and does not interrupt the natural cycles. In 1990,
Dr. Swaminathan took the position of president of the International
Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) based in Okinawa. This is his
contribution to conservation of the biological wealth of coastal areas;
over 60 percent of the world’s population lives within 60 kilometers of
the sea shore, Dr. Swaminathan points out.

— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

106

Dr. Monkombu S. Swaminathan

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Tamil Nadu in India in 1925. Received
a Ph. D. from the School of Agriculture at the
University of Cambridge in the UK and served
as director of the Indian Agricultural ResearchInstitute and other positions. Played a majorrole in the agricultural revival and the Green
Revolution in India through development
and promotion of crop varieties with highyields in the 1960s. In 1988, founded the M. S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation to pursue
the Evergreen Revolution for environmental
conservation and poverty eradication. Served
as president of the Pugwash Conferences
for Science and World Affairs, a group of
scientists who seek the eradication of nuclear
weapons and the elimination of wars.

The JRD Tata Ecotechnology Centre of the
M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
specializes in blending traditional ecologicalprudence with frontier technologies likebiotechnology, information communication
technologies, space technology and renewableenergy technologies. The Centre carriesout various experiments in its research
into breeding under various conditions,such as in high temperatures or desiccatedenvironments, as well as conservation projects
on various genetic resources.

107

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote

DB6906 Morphology cultured under thevarious pressure“A great variety of these undiscovered microorganisms
are distributed on the Earth, indicating theboundlessness of the information they have to offer.”

1993 Honda Prize Laureate

400 kg/cm2

600 kg/cm2
The deep-sea explorer Shinkai 6500 with Dr.
Horikoshi on board collected microorganisms
adapted to high pressure and capable ofmicrobial activity under such conditions.
The discovery of life under these extreme
conditions holds the potential for new
possibilities in biotechnology. (Photo: JAM
STEC)

Enzyme detergent (Kao corporation) based on
cellulase produced in an alkaline environment
was discovered by Dr. Horikoshi. It has
become a widely-used and popular enzyme
detergent in Japan.

from alkaliphilic bacteria. Mass production became possible with
the innovation of thermostable, organic-solvent-free methods. The
production cost of cyclodextrin went down from 50,000 yen to 2,000
yen per one kilogram. Now cyclodextrin is used widely in industry,
pharmaceuticals, food production and agriculture.
The finding of alkaline cellulase growing under alkaline
environments is another epoch-making discovery made by Dr.
Horikoshi. Since no cellulase that could be active at pH 10 or
higher had been found, the discovery of alkaline cellulase that
could decompose only carboxymethylcellulose found unexpected
applications, including the development of a laundry detergent
containing enzymes. With conventional detergents, it had been very
difficult to remove stains from cotton fabrics at low temperatures.
When added to the detergent, alkaline cellulase decomposes thestains but does not damage the cotton fabric. The alkaline cellulase
found by Dr. Horikoshi is now widely used in household laundry
detergents that have captured the market.
A good example of microorganisms living under high pressure is
the species that are found in the deep seas. Dr. Horikoshi studies
deep-sea microorganisms that live in the soil on the sea bed bytaking samples from the deep oceans using submarines such as the
Shinkai 6500 and Shinkai 2000. For Dr. Horikoshi, “Finding new lifeforms will definitely develop basic science and new biotechnologies.”
A new kind of microbiology has developed very rapidly around
Dr. Horikoshi’s work. This new microbiology is not restricted by
the conventional anthropocentric view, but is a microbiology basedon studying microorganisms in their optimal conditions for life. Dr.
Horikoshi said in his commemorative speech: “A great variety ofthese undiscovered microorganisms are distributed on the Earth,indicating the boundlessness of the information they have to offer.”— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

108

In late fall of 1968, Dr. Horikoshi was looking at some Renaissancebuildings in Italy, which were very different from Japanesearchitecture. The architectures and other forms of culture of Italy
and Japan developed in significantly different ways in the period
from the 14th century to 16th century. Japan and Italy had no official
relationship and people in the two countries did not even know of theexistence of the other. Even so, the people of Italy and the people ofJapan were living their lives simultaneously on the Earth. Then an
idea hit him. “There might be whole new worlds of microorganisms
in different unexplored cultures,” he thought. Up to then, studies
in microbiology had been carried out mainly under acid conditions,probably because most foods are acidic. Studies of microbial
infections also focused on acidic and neutral conditions.
After returning to Japan, Dr. Horikoshi prepared an alkaline
medium, placed in it a small amount of soil from the garden andcultured it at 37°C. He observed various microorganisms flourishingin all 30 test tubes. That was Dr. Horikoshi’s first encounter with the
new world of alkaline microorganisms. In 1984, the Superbugs Project
was launched to study microorganisms under extreme environments.
A species of bacteria that can thrive in a solution of toluene, achemical that can kill normal organisms at 0.1% concentration, wasfound and named IH-2000. Dr. Horikoshi made a great achievementwith Escherichia coli, too. E. coli has three layers of biomembranes
on its cell surfaces and 500 to 1,000 species of proteins remaintrapped inside the cells. He identified a gene that can make the outermembrane permeable, allowing the proteins to be easily secreted.
This led to production of several enzymes, human growth hormones,and Fc proteins from E. coli outside the bacteria.
Dr. Horikoshi also succeeded in the mass production of
cyclodextrin, a donut-shaped molecule with seven glucose units
derived from starch. Because of the shape, the molecule can be used
as a capsule to trap various compounds inside. By doing so, volatilecompounds can be treated as non-volatile and unstable compounds
can be made stable. The conventional approaches to the mass
production of cyclodextrin had not been successful because the
enzymes were not thermostable enough for industrial use and toxic
organic solvents such as toluene were needed to precipitate theproducts. The yield had also been low at 20 to 30%. These problems
were solved instantly by isolating cyclodextrin-forming enzymes

Ground level pressure

Honda Prize Laureates

Born in Saitama Prefecture in Japan in 1932.
After receiving a doctorate in agriculture fromthe University of Tokyo in 1963, served as
chief scientist at RIKEN from 1974 to 1991 anddirector of the Superbugs Project at ERATO
from 1984 to 1990. Became professor at the
Department of Bio-Engineering in 1988 andprofessor emeritus at the Tokyo Instituteof Technology in 1993. Took the positionof professor in the Department of Applied
Chemistry at Toyo University. Awarded theMedal with Purple Ribbon from the Emperorof Japan in 1987 and the Gold Medal of theInternational Institute of Biotechnology at theRoyal Society in the UK. Author of numerous
books, including Alkalophilic Microorganisms.
Also serves as president of the International
Society for Extremophiles.

Dr. Koki Horikoshi

109

Science and Personality

Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote“ Classic surgery violates the natural integrity of thehuman body, and surgeons must respect its natural laws
to minimize the effect of such aggression.”

2007 Honda Prize Laureate

ideas that accept diversity. The scientist who
revealed the diverse world of microorganisms

patience from the scientists involved along

was someone who was able to appreciatewith competitiveness in the global race forthe difference between his own and anotherdevelopment. Where do scientists find theculture.

motivation to continue their pursuit in such a

In both the life sciences and medicine, thetough environment? Are they motivated solely

personality of the researchers can serve as

by the praise and fame they receive froma very important element in the pursuit ofmany different sectors when they produce newadvanced technologies. In fact the approachfindings or a new technological development?

to and development of research can depend

To be sure, the life sciences and medicala great deal on the unique personality of thescience are recognized as being two of thescientist. HLA was discovered because of

most advanced and beneficial fields of science,

one scientist’s belief that “if red blood cells

and scientists working in these fields certainly

have different types, white blood cells should

receive great acclaim.

also have different blood types.” Alkalophilic
microorganism were discovered when one
scientist recognized the diversity of life forms,

Instead, it should be motivated by a childlike

and had the idea that “if microorganisms occur“curiosity for the unknown,” a feeling thatin acid and neutral environments, alkaline

many people retain from their early years.

environments should also support someWere it not for the curiosity of the scientist,

types of microorganisms.” And interestingly

the diverse world of microorganisms would

enough, both of these pioneering scientists

not have been discovered. The simple curiosity

have a profound interest in fine art. They bothof one scientist focused on microorganisms—

have a keen insight not only into scientifica form of life found in the soil in any garden—

matters, but also into different cultures

and this led to the discovery of beneficial

and the different ways of expressing artistic

microorganisms, now essential elements

sensibilities. In this, the personality of thein medicine, agriculture and industry. Thisscientists often acts as an important factor in

is a good example in support of our belief

being a good scientist.

that technological developments that bringOn the other hand, the analysis of thehappiness to our lives are not always the result

genome was accomplished as a result of theof the scientist’s desire for fame, and arecoordinated work of many scientists across theoften the result of simple curiosity. Scientificworld. Such a large volume of work with very

research is also supported by attitudes andintricate analytical processes could not have— 28 embodiments of ecotechnology

Scientific research, however, should not
be motivated solely by practical rewards.

Born in Lyons in France in 1939. Graduatedfrom the University of Lyon medical school in1957 and passed the Lyon Hospital medical
practice examinations. After serving as internand doctor at the Lyon Hospital, started in
private practice in 1968. Since 1981, has
worked at a private hospital in Torino, Italy. In
addition to assignment to the Ha Noi Ben Vien
Viet Phap in Vietnam from 2000 to 2006, hasbeen dispatched to Krishna Hospital in Arnad in
India as part of the medical practical teaching
project “Into the Field.” Performed the worldfirst practical laparoscopic cholecystectomy in1987 and opened the path to rapid spread ofendoscopic surgery.

Dr. Philippe Mouret began his career as a surgeon after studying
gynecology and gastroenterology at the University of Lyon.
Based on the conviction that “surgery is an act in which one must
express respect and address the laws of nature represented by thehuman body,” Dr. Mouret was inspired to apply endoscopy (use ofa laparoscope), a tool already used by gynecologists at that time, tosurgery in order to minimize stress and damage to the patient to thegreatest possible extent.
He opened a private hospital in 1968 in Lyons and refined his
skills in laparoscopy treatment and endoscopic surgery, gaining
confidence that the device could be used in cases where thecommon solution was laparotomy. His first case was an operation
conducted in 1972 on a patient suffering from intestinal occlusion.
In 1983, he performed an appendicectomy. Dr. Mouret’s operations
drew recognition for less pain and a quicker recovery. However,
he was long ignored in surgical medicine at that time because
laparotomy was regarded as the common practice.
In 1987, video recordings of surgical operation became possible
by attaching a video camera to the endoscope. The recorded
laparoscopic cholecystectomy finally transformed surgery into what
it is today. Still, he believes that “endoscopic surgery is not a totallynew concept. In fact, I believe it is a supplementary tool to mitigate
the invasiveness, or aggressiveness of conventional surgery. Its
objective is to minimize incision to the least necessary and reducestress of incision time.”
Later, endoscopic surgery spread rapidly around the world.
With advances in medical instrumentation and surgical methods,
application of the endoscope expanded into stomach and lungcancer operations and to the development of advanced robotics insurgery. However, this involves highly sophisticated equipment andexorbitant medical costs. Dr. Mouret thinks that “the advantagesof laparotomy can be utilized most effectively in more common,
less complex operations, rather than surgical operations of thehighest order in terms of difficulty.” He is currently working for its
wider use to bring the benefits of the procedure to patients even indeveloping countries.

Honda Prize Laureates

110

Studies and research in the life sciences
and medical science require unlimited

Dr. Philippe Mouret

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy being
performed in 1987.

111

been achieved without close collaboration
between everyone involved.
Similarly, without collaboration between
scientists and engineers that extends beyond
the capabilities of any single scientist or therange of a single discipline, development of thelife sciences and medicine in the 21st century
will not happen. Immunological research isa typical case. It requires long, painstaking
efforts with enormous volumes of data, as wellas continuous improvements to the accuracyof the research through detailed examinationof research methods. In some cases, it also
requires the study of unexpected elements, suchas the effect of human hormones, the influenceof exposure to synthetic chemical substances,and even the association between the height ofa person and their risk of developing cancer.
Such detailed research over a wide range ofissues, including the relationship between the
global environment and people’s lives, alsorelies upon the personalities and capabilitiesof the scientists and engineers.
Our human attitude to seek happiness should
not change, even when social, economic andpolitical factors change with the times, for it
forms the essence of the work of all scientists
and engineers.

Life Frontier: Science and Personality

112

113

The M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has beencommerce, it is important that small farm families are trained inengaged during the last 17 years in giving meaning and content to theecotechnological pathway of food security. This involves concurrent
attention to the principles of ecology, economics, ethics, equity,
employment, energy and education. MSSRF has developed the Biovillage
model of hu man centered development i n order to en hance theproductivity, profitability and stability of major farming systems in an
ecologically sustainable manner.

ecotechnology. They must be enabled to conserve valuable genetic
resources which can be used for creating novel genetic combinations
through recombinant DNA technology. They must be paid remunerative
prices so that there is an economic stake in conservation.

I coined the term “ever-green revolution” over 20 years ago to indicate
the need for achieving improvements in productivity in perpetuity
without associated ecological harm. The pathway for achieving an evergreen revolution is either organic farming or green agriculture. Organic
farming precludes the use of mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
Because of demographic pressures, it is necessary to grow more
crops per unit of land, water and energy. This can be achieved only
through blendi ng traditional w isdom w ith frontier tech nologies
like biotechnology, information, communication technology, spacetechnology and nano-technology. We must also promote the cultivationand consumption of a wide range of food and medicinal plants, so that
there is a diversification in the farming system. In order to stimulate
integrated attention to conservation, cultivation, consumption and

114

Finally, we must work for the health and happiness of all human beingsby generating bio-happiness through the sustainable and equitable
use of bioresources. This will also help to promote bio-partnerships
for spreading the ecotechnology movement. Bio-partnerships andbio-happiness should help to eradicate bio-piracy. This is the way fordeveloping priorities in action based on the excellent work done by the
Honda Foundation.

M. S. Swaminathan
12th Honda Prize Laureate, India

115

Afterword

This publication has been compiled to commemorate the 30th

It is our fervent hope this publication will serve in small ways to

Anniversary of the Honda Foundation. Our message is toinspire young people to take on challenges. In it we present thecommunicate the heart behind ecotechnology to as many people asvisions that have driven the work of past Honda Prize Laureates andpossible, and we send it especially to the young people who hold thedescribe the extent of the heritage they have left our world infuture of humankind in their hands.

pursuing their dreams. I look forward to a bright future for us all, onethat is carried forward on the dreams of the young people who are

The concept of ecotechnology that the Foundation has promoted

responsible for creating our future.

since its establishment places importance exclusively on man andsociety as a collaborative body of people. For this reason, issues ofstLastly, I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to the Honda Prize

the global environment that have become serious in the 21 century

laureates, the directors and councilors of the Honda Foundation andmust be perceived not simply as concerns for the planet, but as ato everyone who has been involved in the production of thisproblem for humankind on a global scale. Only in recent times havepublication.

science and technology become a double-edged sword for humankind.
Measured against the course of world history, it is only yesterday that
we have become aware of these issues. Ecotechnology should be seen
as a meta-technology that can give us control over the future ofMarch 2008

science and technology and make them truly useful.

Toshio Ban
When the CVCC engine became the first engine in the world tosatisfy the requirements of the Muskie Law, something that up to

Managing Director,
The Honda Foundation

then had been believed to be impossible, was it because of thetechnical prowess of Soichiro Honda, founder of an upstart
automaker? Mr. Honda believed in the power of technology, and it
was his devotion to society and his dream as an engineer that were
the driving force behind his success.

116

117

About the Founder

Born as the eldest son of a skilled blacksmith on November 17, 1906, in Komyo Village, Iwata-gun (currently
Tenryu-ku, Hamamatsu City), Shizuoka Prefecture, he set up the Hamamatsu Branch of Art Shokai in
Hamamatsu City in 1928, where he offered automobile repair and piston ring manufacturing services. Later,
the manufacturing division separated as a new enterprise named Tokai Seiki and began development ofvarious types of machinery.
After World War II, he sold the company and set up the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu
City in 1946. In 1948, he set up Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and became its president. He was personally involved
in internal combustion engine research and began production of motorcycles. He later expanded into
automobiles leading to the growth of the company as a leading Japanese business corporation. He succeeded
in developing the world’s first low-emission (CVCC) engine in 1973. He resigned from the office of company
president at age 66 and was appointed executive advisor.
After his retirement, he traveled to Europe in 1977 in search of “what problems the world faces.” In
December 27 of that year, he expressed his motif: “I reached where I am now just through technology. I want

Whether it be learning or technology, everything in this world is

to get involved wherever technology can be a solution.” With this decision, he founded the Honda Foundation

nothing more than a means to serve people.

to promote the concept of “ecotechnology” to achieve hol istic harmony between the env iron ment
surrounding man and his activities.
He passed away on August 5, 1991, at age 84. He received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising
Sun and is laureate of the Holley Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1980). He also
received the Global 500 Award from the United Nations Environment Programme (1987 ) and the Golden
Medal of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (1990) among others. He was the first Japanese to be

I think the most important thing of all is to have love for people.

Soichiro Honda

inducted into the US Automobile Hall of Fame in 1989.
The award ceremony for the Honda Award g iven i n recog n ition of mer itor ious contr ibution toecotechnology takes place every year on November 17, Soichiro Honda’s birthday.

118

119

OUR DREAM

Ecotechnology for future generations

Published in March 2008.
* Photographs of the Laureates weretaken at their award ceremonies.

The Honda Foundation
Honda Yaesu Bldg., 2 chome 6-20, Yaesu, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo 104-0028, Japan

Editors

Masafumi Fujimoto
Kei Saho*
Tatsuya Niwayama
Hiroshi Hamasaki
Yu Kozaki
Writers

Phone: +81-3-3274-5125

Paradigm Shift: Kei Saho

Fax: +81-3-3274-5103
http://www.hondafoundation.jp

Sustainability: Miyako Hagiya
Innovation: Yu Kozaki
Life Frontier: Akitoshi Urayama

Editor in Chief

Toshio Ban (Managing Director, Honda Foundation)

Designers

Natsuki Hirai (Hirai Info-design Studio)
Fumiko Kurosawa (Hirai Info-design Studio)

Supervising Editor

Yoichiro Murakami (Director of the Honda Foundation,
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo)
Editorial Production

AST Creative Co., Ltd.

Photographs (Honda Prize Laureates)

Hideo Fujimori (Member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society)
Credits for Photographs, Pictures, and Charts

Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)Tokyo Metropolitan University

Japan Meteorological Agency
Sendai City Transportation Bureau
International Rescue System InstituteToshiba Corporation
Nichia Corporation
Kao Corporation
Tezuka Productions
Pacific Press Service
Uniphoto Press International Inc.
Aflo Co., Ltd.
amanaimages inc.
Mariko Takahashi (The Asahi Shimbun Company)
Nobuhiko Misawa (Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo)
Shigeo Hirose (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Printing

Hattori Printing Co., Ltd.

HONDA FOUNDATION
6-20, Yaesu 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0028 Japan Tel: +81 3 3274-5125 Fax: +81 3 3274-5103
http://w w w.hondafoundation.jp