Latest Trends in FY2007

“Eco & Energy Workshop” for College Students

Sendai Customer Services Office has, since FY2003, held “Eco & Energy Workshop” for college students assuming responsibility for future society.

This activity is intended to provide college students in the Sendai area, the largest energy consuming area in the Tohoku district, with an opportunity to feel the environment and energy close to themselves, and lead them to specific action.

The workshop in its fourth year started in December 2006, and 37 students from six colleges participated. Eight students of a data collection team as leading members compiled into a report the importance of imaging the “energy usage born by things and lives” that cannot be seen unless we try to see and its impact on the environment, taking action to solve problems, and not giving up a dream and a hope to create a desirable future, with a theme of “imaging, acting and not giving up.”

On June 9-10, 2007, we held an event called “On & Go!--Imaging, Acting and Not Giving Up” for college students, elementary and junior high school students and their parents as a place to announce the results of the half-year workshop.

Under the story that college students in Sendai think about the importance of energy resources together with the characters of “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” who have time-traveled to Japan in the 21st century from the U.K. in the 19th century when the age of mass consumption of energy started, data announcement and the play were presented on the stage in turn and in an omnibus style. The performance was played three times, and an audience of about 330 (college students, elementary and junior high school students and their parents) listened to the play.

We also held a table talk (exchanges and dialogues between participants) where college students make discussions about environmental and energy issues, and the college students as the workshop members and other college students who participated in the event made discussions about how our life styles are linked to the world, and what impacts our life styles have on energy and environmental issues. The college students who participated in the event showed their impressions that they were made aware of environmental and energy issues, and they also highly evaluated Tohoku EPCo's stance to create and provide the environment where young people who bear the destiny of future district on their shoulders can cultivate their talent and develop their abilities.

The presented works will be digitized and widely used as educational materials to learn the environment and energy for environmental communication activities to be hosted by Sendai Customer Services Office.

Holding of “ECO Life Talk 2007”

In June 2007, we held “Eco Life Talk 2007--Eco Message from the Earth” at our Head Office.

This event was held with an aim to “think about” the significance of “becoming aware of” environmental issues such as global warming, recycling, etc., and “acting” for solution together with local communities. About 230 elementary school children and their parents participated in the event.

On the day of the event, a talk show titled “Our Living and Global Environment” was presented by Professor Toshihiko Nakata of School of Engineering of Tohoku University, and an attraction of “Fish environment quiz game” was presented by Sakana-kun who is a TV personality acting as a fish life coordinator and also a visiting associate professor of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

In the talk show, Professor Nakata explained the relations between energy and foods, recent trends of global warming issues, etc. in an easy-to-understand way by showing slides.

In the attraction, Sakana-kun presented environmental quizzes in the hall and made explanations about fish, the sea and the environment by cheerfully showing illustrations. Those who gave correct answers were given the illustrations that were used when quizzes were presented. The participants in the hall were excited, and they had deep communications.

Lecture Meeting on Environment for Tohoku EPCo Group Held at Head Office

A lecture meeting on the environment was held at the Head Office on June 7, 2007 (Thursday). This lecture meeting is held every year in June as part of the Environmental Awareness Month of Tohoku EPCo Group. About 250 employees from the Head Office, establishments in Sendai and its vicinity, power stations and companies in Tohoku EPCo Group participated in the lecture meeting.

This time, Mr. Koji Murayama, who is a weather forecaster and a familiar weathercaster on TV, delivered a lecture titled “global warming and unusual weather events.”

Murayama explained various phenomena of global warming, which can be seen on the earth, based on the meteorological data accumulated to date as well as his wide knowledge in an easy-to-understand manner. Based on his many years of experience, he also talked about his forecast of weather trends of this summer. The participants listened with interest to his talk about the relations between their familiar weathers and global warming.

Voluntary Cleanup Activities

The Head Office conducted cleanup activities at major roads in Sendai on June 15, 2007, in time for the Environmental Awareness Month in June. On the day of the cleanup, about 120 employees participated, and they were divided into three routes, and collected litter on the street.