Environmental
education that utilizes "negative property" and
improvement of the base that sends information for the world
―Maintenance
and utilization of the Matsuki valley which became bald
mountains in the smoke pollution in the Ashio
copper mine―
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■Present
recognition
The
production of the copper by the Ashio copper mine was the large column that
supported the modernization of Japan by the acquisition of the foreign currency
by the export of the copper. However, under the modernization, vast
damaged areas by the mine pollution were created in the lower reaches of the
river in the Ashio copper mine, and vast bald mountains by the smoke
pollution were created in the Ashio town. As the result, the Yanaka village
died
out in the lower reaches of the river, and the Matsuki village died out in the
Ashio town. Postwar period, country and Tochigi Prefecture have cast the taxes
of a few hundred million yen every year, and they have carried
out
the replanting business. However, the terrible disasters of environmental
pollution
do not fade away, and the destroyed nature does not recover, even if it passed
100 years from the smoke pollution. The areas of 390ha that smoke pollution were
intense are being reported resistant to us with that the
development that ran only for the pursuit of the profit by disregarding the
environment, must not be repeated.The Ashio copper mine left enormous
"negative property" and was closed in
1973. Since then, the depopulation has advanced in the Ashio town.
At
that time, the Ashio town attempted the promotion of "the plan that all of
the town change into the museum" as a countermeasure for the depopulation.
As the part, "the Ashio
environmental education center" was established in the entrance in the
Matsuki valley in 2000.
In
the meantime, it passed 100 years, after Shozo Tanaka complained to the Meiji
emperor and the Matsuki village that had existed in the Matsuki valley abolished
it. And the people living inside or outside of the Ashio town established
"the association which regards the environment and history in Ashio"
on May 2001, which is the year to be commemorative. In October, by the
cosponsor with the Japan Association on the Environmental Studies and the
Japan-Brazil Network and the support of the Ashio town, this association invited
Carlos Zorrilla who is the representative of the ecosystem maintenance committee
that aims at the construction of "the city that maintenances the
ecosystem" which replaces the development of the copper
mine in Ecuador, and "the commemorative workshop of the 100th anniversary
for
the complaint and the abolition of the Matsuki village" was held, and the
importance of the development that maintenances the ecosystem was discussed,
while the history in the smoke pollution was studied.
■The
importance
It
can be expected that large effect is brought about, when environmental education
is advanced, by that the scratch of the environmental damage in the
Ashio copper mine called an origin of environmental pollution is made to be the
reach, and that natural, historical, and social environment of the Ashio town
are made to be the teaching material.
■The
proposal
●
The part of bald mountains in the Matsuki valley should be maintained as
"negative
property" without planting.
●
By the utilization of bald mountains in the Matsuki valley as "negative property",
excellent natural environment, and historical/social property
of the Ashio copper mine, the promotion
of "the plan that all of the town
change into the museum" should be attempted as a Mecca of the worldwide
environmental education.
●
The network should be formed with domestic or overseas NGO/NPO that choose
the problems on areas damaged by environmental pollution, areas whose
environment were destroyed, and the environment and development in the world.
And the network should be improved as a base of the worldwide environmental
education and a base that sends information of the environmental education for
the world. Improvement of facilities and talent training which are necessary for
it, should be carried out.
Haruo
Tonegawa
〔The
relation with Agenda 21〕
It
is described in Agenda 21 that "the education is important when it promotes
the sustainable development, and when it raises abilities of the citizens who
cope with the problems of the environment and development"
（Chapters
36 "the promotion of education, consciousness enlightenment and
training"）.
When the environmental education is advanced, it is important
that the importance of protection and maintenance of the environment is
experienced by the five senses.
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