Comments on: Japan’s new prime minister promises to slash CO2 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 — with domestic emissions trading, clean energy subsidies

By: passingby

passingby — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:33:12 +0000

sorry! some fix for the wrong info!

Car users will jump “57.5%” not 33%

that make co2 emissions increase to 33%.

By: passingby

passingby — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:30:40 +0000

make sure they mean as they said!
the same party also got another vote boosting type of talk like “toll-free expressway”
which the Japanese research from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism showed that
it will increase number of people using car approx 33% and reduce number of people using public transportation like train apporx 10.6% for the on people traveling a distance of 200 kilometers or more.

that mean it will 33% increase Carbon dioxide emissions!!!

the dream is cool, isn’t it?

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:24:04 +0000

William Hoagaland (w. Hoagland & Associates, Boulder CO) wrote in an article appearing in the Scientific American Special Subscriber Edition “Energy’s Future: breaking the boundaries” that “over distances of more than 1,000 kilometers, it costs less to transport hydrogen than to transmit electricity.”

I was rather surprised when I read that. By the way, the article was obviously written (and not updated) before 1996 CE.

By: apeescape

apeescape — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:26:31 +0000

My opinion is that Hatoyama himself (an ex-engineering prof and Stanford grad) has very favorable views on the environment. If you read some of his pieces on his philosophy (see above link), he constantly mentions “coexistence” and “fraternity” with dissenting individuals and the environment. He also has an aversion to economic growth as Japan’s primary national goal. Hatoyama’s views are eccentric within the party, so I’m not sure how high the probability of achieving these goals are, but in terms of the environment, Japan has no better alternatives at the leadership level.

Here’s a recent article about his views (the longer version of his NYT article).

http://www.hatoyama.gr.jp/masscomm/090810_e.doc

By: paulm

paulm — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:49:06 +0000

Nice green backdrop!

By: Phillip Huggan

Phillip Huggan — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:59:55 +0000

“I DO love Japan, though, and I’ve even hiked to the top of Mr. Fuji.”

I wouldn’t antagonize a Sumo Wrestler. Lucky is a polite society.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:53:59 +0000

“China, India and the other big emerging economies are not going to sign up to hard emissions targets”

It depends on how the targets are assigned. If it’s based on emissions per capita, China and India will be sitting pretty while the industrialized world will have to make drastic changes. I don’t see why China and India would object to that.

By: Dan K.

Dan K. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:50:44 +0000

Here’s a way that could be achieved, at least here in the U.S. (sans the hydrogen)

http://www.treehugger.com/ files/ 2009/ 09/ could_a_solar-h.php

CSP!!

Dan

[JR: How could liquid hydrogen be more efficient a way of transporting energy than electric power lines? Plus you don't have to convert the electricity to hydrogen just so you can convert it back to electricity in a fuel cell? Nobody in their right mind would use CSP to make hydrogen. The only microscopic justification for hydrogen is as an energy storage medium for intermittent power. But heat is already incredibly easy to store, far cheaper and with an infinitely higher round-trip efficiency. I'm just saying....]

By: Jeff Huggins

Jeff Huggins — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:47:18 +0000

I haven’t followed Japanese politics recently, so I can’t comment on the recent results, nor do I know anything about the track record of the new folks or the degree of resolve they have. I DO love Japan, though, and I’ve even hiked to the top of Mr. Fuji.

But the point I’d like to make — if anyone from Japan is reading — is that the new government should call and push and prod us (in the US) to take REAL and EFFECTIVE action. Indeed, it would be a shame and a disaster if we (the US) don’t adopt serious goals and measures to address global warming.

Japan should not be shy about the matter. Indeed, I think it would be great if Japan ran an editorial and public service campaign HERE, in the US, to inform us of what Japan is doing and to let us know that the people of Japan would ask the people of the US to help address the climate problem.

Unfortunately, our media won’t do sufficient justice to Japan’s views in the news itself, and won’t cover them much. But, it has been very well proven that our media are quite happy to accept advertisements, paid statements, and so forth . . . anything that pays. Right now, here in the US, two of the largest advertisers on climate/energy issues are ExxonMobil and Big Coal. I think Japan — including the people of Japan and the Japanese auto industry, clean energy industry, environmental causes, and etc. — could do a great service by helping to “show the way” and encouraging the people of the US to get on board.

And, it has been said recently that our government needs people to “make me do it”. I think the people of the US — and other countries that can genuinely do so — should help “make us do it” when it comes to facing and addressing the climate and energy problems. Our most sensible government leaders need as much help as they can get.

I, for one, would ask you (Japan) to help “make us do it”, in a positive sense of course.

Hiking to the top of Mt. Fuji, and watching the sunrise there, was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Let’s all try to “see the light” and address the climate problem, together!

Be Well,

Jeff