dontpanic said...

dontpanic at 01:37 AM JST - 6th December

Alphaape-Cloth and paper bags are made from plant materials that absorb carbon dioxide when growing and release it again when destroyed. Theyre considered carbon neutral. Plastic bags are made from oil (formed millions of years ago when the planets atmosphere was very different to now) and end up either in…

Posted in Retailers step up efforts to slash plastic shopping bag use at 01:37 AM JST - 6th December
dontpanic at 12:41 AM JST - 6th December

They came clean in the 1990s when the transport ministry sunk its teeth into Mitsubishi. After that Honda, Nissan et al started to be more open.

The US big three (though for how much longer no-one knows) could always have competed by producing vehicles of equal or better quality, they…

Posted in Nissan to recall nearly 430,000 vehicles worldwide at 12:41 AM JST - 6th December
dontpanic at 05:50 PM JST - 5th December

A bit of a disaster at the rear but otherwise a good effort. Looks like good value and has been said before, the platform and mechanicals its based on are great quality. Good luck to them.

Posted in Mitsuoka Motor unveils handmade convertible for Y5 mil at 05:50 PM JST - 5th December
dontpanic at 05:38 PM JST - 5th December

Designers and installers make mistakes but at least they've come clean. I remember a time when Japanese manufacturers would never fess up and issue a recall unless caught trying to cover up with a 'service action'.

Posted in Nissan to recall nearly 430,000 vehicles worldwide at 05:38 PM JST - 5th December
dontpanic at 02:19 AM JST - 27th November

Nice to see some justice.

Posted in Officer in anti-drunken driving campaign fired for drunken driving at 02:19 AM JST - 27th November
dontpanic at 09:23 PM JST - 23rd November

K cars arent robust enough and the ability to generate enough solar power to move a full size car is many years away.

We'll see much more efficient deisel and petrol cars in the near term and in the medium term a hydrogen infrastructure is needed and we'll see fuel…

Posted in Ghosn says auto industry consolidation likely at 09:23 PM JST - 23rd November
dontpanic at 01:54 AM JST - 20th November

Someone's going to pay those union pensions, might as well be Mazda. Ford, GM et al shot themselves in the foot years ago and even now continue to pay too much to staff in the US who build poor quality, backward engineered, inappropriate cars.

Posted in Ford to slash Mazda stake to raise cash at 01:54 AM JST - 20th November
dontpanic at 01:27 AM JST - 20th November

A carbon tax is guaranteed to make people that can, switch to more energy efficient vehicles. Just look at what's happened in the UK. Downside is those that buy larger cars are more often than not families struggling on a limited budget. They will be the ones paying for this,…

Posted in LDP to propose turning part of road taxes into carbon tax at 01:27 AM JST - 20th November
dontpanic at 01:57 AM JST - 11th November

In some industries, call centres etc, teleworking is rightly gaining ground as an alternative to fixed shifts in large offices. Saves heaps on overheads and fits in well with people not available for the 9-5 grind.

If you can work the hours you want, be there for when the kids…

Posted in Do you think teleworking will gain wider acceptance in Japan? at 01:57 AM JST - 11th November
dontpanic at 12:15 AM JST - 7th November

Of course seeing my spelling above, looks like a little time devoted to my own education is indicated.

Posted in Early learners' brains more efficient when learning English, researchers say at 12:15 AM JST - 7th November