The small Japanese town of Kuzumaki (coo-zoo-mah-key), not to be confused with uzumaki (whirlpool) has just 8,000 residents that are showing the rest of the world how things might be done … that is, kicking the fossil fuel habit.

How green are they?

  1. Electricity is generated from cow dung.
  2. Dozens of wind turbines decorate nearby Mt. Kamisodegawa (kah-mee-so-de ‘like in dead’-gah-wah)
  3. 25% of schools get power from 420 solar panels
  4. biomass facilities
  5. wood chips converted to gas

  6. bark into pellets for fueling stoves

Japan gets 90% of its fuel via the import route. If the country could be like this small town, imagine what could be.

The 12 wind turbines generate 21,000KW of electricity. This more than amply supplies the town and the rest is sold to other communities.

The town has a biomass facility, uses wood chips from larch trees to create gas, and bark to make pellets for heating stoves.

The town’s mayor, Tetsuo Nakamura gets credit for giving his town the focus for the past 9 years. “It was clear to me that the environment and food would be critical issues in the 21st century.” He made the town a role model.

Japanese know about Kuzumaki. Why doesn’t the rest of the world know? Better yet, why not follow suit?

Source: Time

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