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ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Oct 25, 2009

Of simmering frogs and economists leaping to terminal conclusions

They say that if a frog is dropped into boiling water it will jump out, but if it is placed in water that is then heated slowly it will steadily acclimate and boil to death — having missed its chance to escape.
EDITORIALS
Oct 22, 2009

Unexpected Olympic pitch

The mayors of the atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have announced their desire to invite the 2020 Summer Olympics to their cities and have called on the central government and the Japan Olympic Committee for support. Mayors Tadatoshi Akiba of Hiroshima and Tomihisa Taue of Nagasaki put...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2009

India shifts stand on carbon emission cuts after China announces a national program

LONDON — With a new U.N. climate treaty to be considered in Copenhagen in December, the developed world and the emerging economies are trying to bridge their differences on how to curb greenhouse-gas emissions that cause global warming. The United States wants developing countries like India and China...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2009

After fast start, it's crunch time for Cabinet

The Democratic Party of Japan-led Cabinet heads into its second month Friday, after coming out quickly to usher in a new political era in the wake of the Liberal Democratic Party's long domination.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2009

New concerns bring fresh hope for renewable energy

VIENNA — A decade ago, renewable energy was viewed as an unwelcome offspring of fossil fuels, but the recent establishment of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicates that governments worldwide are taking "renewables" seriously. With mounting concerns about climate change and volatility...
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2009

70% of Japanese back Hatoyama's CO 2 pledge: survey

OSAKA — Seventy percent of Japanese people support a midterm greenhouse gas reduction target of between 25 percent and 40 percent for developed countries, a survey on global warming conducted by a Danish government-backed organization says.
EDITORIALS
Sep 11, 2009

Impetus for a low-carbon world

Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, head of the Democratic Party of Japan and the prime minister-in-waiting, has announced that Japan will seek a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. This is an ambitious target that could put Japan on the path to a low-carbon society. It could also give...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2009

Target CO2 cut draws business ire

OSAKA — Yukio Hatoyama's reaffirmation Monday that his incoming government will stick to the Democratic Party of Japan's campaign pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels has drawn fire from local businesses but also praise from the international community.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 8, 2009

Showa Shell to expand output of solar panels

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. plans to build a ¥100 billion solar panel factory to expand output capacity about 10-fold and offset waning demand for oil products.
BUSINESS
Sep 3, 2009

Big business plans revolt against DPJ's 25% emissions-reduction goal

The nation's industries plan to jointly pressure the government to be formed by the Democratic Party of Japan to back off from its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, business sources said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Aug 24, 2009

Promoting renewable energy

To combat global warming, the government has a middle-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels. To achieve this goal, it will be important to spread the use of renewable energy. As part of this effort, the government plans to increase solar power generation...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 14, 2009

Bucking trend, Honda backs hydrogen

Honda Motor Co. believes hydrogen will power the cars of the future, a stance at odds with the Obama administration's decision to drop automotive fuel-cell technology in favor of battery-run vehicles.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2009

Utilities' CO 2 output decreases

Tokyo Electric Power Co. and nine other utilities emitted 5.3 percent less carbon dioxide as power demand slumps amid the global recession.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2009

Aso unveils LDP policy platform

Prime Minister Taro Aso revealed the campaign platform for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday, pledging to bring about 2 percent economic growth in the second half of 2010 and boost Japan's per capita income to among the highest in the world within 10 years.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2009

DPJ platform vows to weaken bureaucrats

With a month to go before the Aug. 30 election, the Democratic Party of Japan unveiled its campaign platform Monday, featuring five main principles centering on a government led by politicians rather than bureaucrats.
EDITORIALS
Jul 22, 2009

Meaningful returns from space

Forty years have passed since Mr. Neil Armstrong, commander of the United States' Apollo 11 space mission, and astronaut Mr. Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969 (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). They spent 2 1/2 hours outside the landing module Eagle.
JAPAN / G8 ITALY SUMMIT
Jul 10, 2009

G8 eyes 80% emissions cut by 2050

Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations agreed on the first day of their summit to seek an 80 percent cut in their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared with 1990 or more recent years.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2009

Aso unlikely to make much of a splash at G8

Birds of a feather will flock to L'Aquila, Italy, for the Group of Eight summit beginning Wednesday, with premiers in attendance including embattled British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the scandal-ridden Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 5, 2009

Putin's 'siloviki' move to resume command

STOCKHOLM — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently announced that Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have abandoned their separate talks to join the World Trade Organization. Instead, they would seek to enter the world trade body as a single customs union. In effect, this means that Russia seems...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2009

Mitsubishi Motors unveils i-MiEV electric four-seater

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. took the wraps off its new i-MiEV electric vehicle Friday, staking its fate on the zero-emission car as its best hope for a "green technology" future.
EDITORIALS
May 14, 2009

Toward economic growth

Along with the ¥14 trillion supplementary budget for fiscal 2009 designed to stimulate the Japanese economy, the government has a long-term strategy to attain economic growth. It envisages increasing the nation's gross domestic product by ¥120 trillion and creating 4 million jobs by 2020. For the fiscal...
COMMENTARY
Apr 7, 2009

Carbon slump threatens emission-cut goals

SINGAPORE — First, came the credit crunch and recession. Now there is a carbon price slump that may undermine one of the main ways governments have chosen to combat global warming. This is happening as Japan, the United States and other advanced economies develop plans for carbon trading based on national...
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2009

U.N. climate chief calls for big CO 2 cuts

Japan needs to move beyond simply showing leadership and come up with ambitious targets on cutting its carbon gas emissions, U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said Friday.

Longform

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