53
City has been trying to re-develop community relations under the concept of
moyainaoshi or re-connecting [ 4 ].
3.3.1.5 Science, Technology, and Society
Chisso’s irresponsible attitude has been discussed in the previous section. If the
result of the cat number 400 experiments had been published in 1959, countermeasures for Minamata disease would have been taken and the number of victims would
have been completely different. However, another factor, from the perspective of
“science, technology and society”, has also been pointed out.
When Kumamoto University was concluding that methyl mercury as a causative
substance, Chisso raised counterarguments:
1. Why was it not until 1954 that Minamata disease suddenly occurred, although
Chisso has been operating since 1932?
2. Why did Minamata disease occur only in Minamata although many acetaldehyde
factories had been using the same chemical process?
Once counterarguments are raised, scientists usually try to respond. In spite of a
government order forcing Chisso to submit wastewater samples, scientist tried to
answer these questions one by one, although what was urgently needed was only to
prove that factory effl uent was causing the disease.
In the fi eld of science, there are many unsolved problems, and scientists are
always doing research. However, government and citizens expect scientists to
come up with a 100% complete answer. If even 1% remains unsolved, governments often wait. They use the fact that arguments are still continuing as a reason
why they aren’t taking any measures for the relief of victims. This relationship
between the scientifi c community and government has been called the “resonance
of scientists and government” by Sugiyama [ 8 ], and Harada [ 6 ] mentioned that the
unsolved 1% should not be used as an excuse for corporations or governments to
avoid accepting responsibility. Ui mentioned that there is no neutral standpoint
with industrial pollution [ 7 ].
3.3.1.6 Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering
The “resonance of scientists and government” was pointed out in the previous
section. Relief for victims should start even if some issues remain. At the time, the
cat number 400 experiments were enough evidence to start relief measures.
However, scientifi c study is still necessary, especially for preventing the same mistakes from occurring in the future; scientifi c study must continue.
The two questions raised by Chisso were fi nally answered by Nishimura and
Okamoto [ 9 ] more than 40 years later. They revealed the chemical reaction pathways, determined the kinetic parameters of methyl mercury production under several conditions, and fi nally determined that switching the oxidant from permanganate
3 APIEL Compulsory Course: Environmental Challenges and Leadership in Asia
City has been trying to re-develop community relations under the concept of
moyainaoshi or re-connecting [ 4 ].
3.3.1.5 Science, Technology, and Society
Chisso’s irresponsible attitude has been discussed in the previous section. If the
result of the cat number 400 experiments had been published in 1959, countermeasures for Minamata disease would have been taken and the number of victims would
have been completely different. However, another factor, from the perspective of
“science, technology and society”, has also been pointed out.
When Kumamoto University was concluding that methyl mercury as a causative
substance, Chisso raised counterarguments:
1. Why was it not until 1954 that Minamata disease suddenly occurred, although
Chisso has been operating since 1932?
2. Why did Minamata disease occur only in Minamata although many acetaldehyde
factories had been using the same chemical process?
Once counterarguments are raised, scientists usually try to respond. In spite of a
government order forcing Chisso to submit wastewater samples, scientist tried to
answer these questions one by one, although what was urgently needed was only to
prove that factory effl uent was causing the disease.
In the fi eld of science, there are many unsolved problems, and scientists are
always doing research. However, government and citizens expect scientists to
come up with a 100% complete answer. If even 1% remains unsolved, governments often wait. They use the fact that arguments are still continuing as a reason
why they aren’t taking any measures for the relief of victims. This relationship
between the scientifi c community and government has been called the “resonance
of scientists and government” by Sugiyama [ 8 ], and Harada [ 6 ] mentioned that the
unsolved 1% should not be used as an excuse for corporations or governments to
avoid accepting responsibility. Ui mentioned that there is no neutral standpoint
with industrial pollution [ 7 ].
3.3.1.6 Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering
The “resonance of scientists and government” was pointed out in the previous
section. Relief for victims should start even if some issues remain. At the time, the
cat number 400 experiments were enough evidence to start relief measures.
However, scientifi c study is still necessary, especially for preventing the same mistakes from occurring in the future; scientifi c study must continue.
The two questions raised by Chisso were fi nally answered by Nishimura and
Okamoto [ 9 ] more than 40 years later. They revealed the chemical reaction pathways, determined the kinetic parameters of methyl mercury production under several conditions, and fi nally determined that switching the oxidant from permanganate
3 APIEL Compulsory Course: Environmental Challenges and Leadership in Asia