politics

Japan's CO2 emissions hit record as fossil fuel consumption rises

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Whatever happened to the Setsuden campaign? Was it too much of a reminder of what's (and who's) been swept under the carpet?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So let's get those solar farms hooked up.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Whatever happened to the Setsuden campaign?

Still ongoing. We have requirements to reduce energy consumption at work.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Start up the atomic plants!

2 ( +9 / -7 )

Ministry of Environment says that co2 emissions were up 1.3% from 2005 and up 10.6% from 1990 and tries to relate that data to not using nuclear energy? Nuclear energy was 100% still online during that time. This is just fudging the numbers to gain acceptance for Abe's agenda! Yet tomorrow, the secrecy act will be officially up and running and JT nor ANY other Japanese news source consider that to be relevant news.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

It is all at the doorstep of the anti-nuke crowd. Ironically, we can expact that the loudest anti-nuke screamer are also protesting about "greehouse gasses"...... reality once again beats fiction.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

WilliB: (ironically, we can expect that the loudest anti-nuke screamer are also protesting about "greenhouse gasses" reality once again beats fiction.) Lol, I'm anti-nuclear but I don't buy into the Co2 fear tactics at all, so your blanket statement is wrong again. I just pointed out that the data presented in this silly article, actually shows that emissions went up during the years that all nuclear reactors were operating. The vast majority of "greenhouse gases actually come from the earth itself, the amount created by human activists is much less. Just another story to keep people's attention away from topic that really matter, don't you find it odd that not one news media is talking about how japans secrecy act will be starting tomorrow?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

@Willi

Why is it surprising that people concerned about the environment are concerned about two forms of power production which could potentially destroy human civilisation?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Don't worry about the plant food (CO2). The water vapor in the air is about 1000X as effective doing the "green house" thing as the tiny trace of carbon dioxide in the air. Anybody notice the general cooling of the past twenty years or so? Or the growing layer of ice in Antarctica? According to Al Gore, the earth is supposed to "fry" in about thirteen months based on his prediction made on 27 January 2006. We'll see.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

no one has mentioned wind farms yet, why or don't they have them in Japan ?? start using them in conjunction with solar,

2 ( +5 / -3 )

For all those people against the reactivation of the nuclear plants...

Read this.."Coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste" here, I give you the link http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/

Read it and.....struggle

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Is there any angle they won't try to gain support for restarting the nuclear reactors? I have no problems with them restarting the reactors IF they are proven to be 100% safe and impervious to anything Mother Nature can throw at them, which we all know is not possible in Japan. I'm also very interested to see if electricity tarifs will be reduced after they restart the reactors or will the money just be filtered back into the coffers of the TEPCO criminals that caused all this trouble in the first place?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

@Stuart hayward

I agree that the numbers look strange, particularly the 2005 reference. Others sources (Wikipedia, World Bank) show little change in emissions between 1990 and 2008, and then perhaps a sharp drop between 2007 and 2009 (no data after that, and only one source had data after 2008). Who to believe?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Implement a nation-wide energy efficiency/savings program that has some teeth. There are still millions of unnecessary lights on all over the country during broad daylight. Make sure homes and buildings are properly insulated with double-pane glass (it`s not new you know), fine people for leaving their cars idling while they read manga in the convenience store, and the list goes on, and on, and on.........................Problem solved. But, that is too simple it seems.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

An extra $35 + billion on imports in 2013 alone of fossil fuel to compensate for the continued loss of nuclear power is unsustainable. This is one of the most important issues for the public and should be part of a televised election debate. Safety, energy security, the costs of decommissioning.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Open debate that concerns important current affairs affecting the lives and environment we live in must not be snuffed out because of a difference of opinion. Deep breaths and a cup of coffee works for me.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Start up the atomic plants!"

One more Fukushima Daiichi type disaster and Japan will have to beg for help from China, Russia and the rest of the world.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

no more nuclear power until you can do something with the nuclear waste produced that pollutes for 30,000 years. Now that that's settled, move on to energy that doesn't pollute. Japan has resources, but insists on ignoring all of them

Others get talked a lot about but Geothermal makes a good nuclear replacement. It scales if you want a large plant but unlike nuclear, you can have it at smaller scale for homes and commercial buildings throughout the country. At smaller scale you don't have to go down more than 5m-10m to be useful. If Japan removed all kerosene in home heating that would be an improvement.

I talk with Japanese engineers all the time, it's not a lack of expertise or interest. The real problem are the oyagi's holding the country back. If there were only real political options instead of representatives of the nuclear association who run for office, Japan could be moving forward not backward. Green energy is an investment darling so it's happening in spite of them, but it would go smoother if there was no more corporate interference.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Is there any angle they won't try to gain support for restarting the nuclear reactors?

It's not an angle. It's a fact that many have been saying since March 2011. The facts are that fossil fuels are guaranteed to pollute. Guaranteed to cause environmental damage. Guaranteed to cause illnesses. Guaranteed to cause deaths.

I have no problems with them restarting the reactors IF they are proven to be 100% safe

Yet you still seem happy with all of the damage and destruction caused by fossil fuels. Guaranteed damage and destruction. Not hypothetical.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

30,000 years of pollution from radioactive waste is pollution of the highest order. If the argument is pollution, nuclear doesn't win . It would be like keeping all your garbage onsite in your house while whistling through the radiation. It's madness.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sf2k: 30,000 years of pollution from radioactive waste is pollution of the highest order.

And won't that waste need 24/7 security? Is budget for that included in per-kWh cost estimates?

And it's not like they're going to stop generating new waste so they can watch the old waste, "oh, that's enough, we'll just watch this stuff for the next 30,000 years and we can start making new waste then". It's accumulative.

That large New Mexico site rendered unusable for several months and maybe is still unusable just because they mixed wastes they shouldn't have in ONE or TWO containers, IIRC, a year ago or so. At some tiny percentage of 30K years in. And they let a plume escape!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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