The latest data about Japan’s greenhouse-gas emissions cast a serious doubt over the Japan’s commitment to its Kyoto Protocol efforts.

The Environment Ministry reported Japan’s emissions hit a record high of carbon dioxide, 8.7% more than what Japan spewed in 1990. The 1997 Kyoto treaty calls for Japan to reduce its emissions to 6% BELOW the 1990 level. Japan is going the wrong way.

Emissions grew 2.3% since last year, largely in part to the closing of Japan’s largest nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture because of an earthquake in the region. Consequently, Japan has had to rely on electrical output from thermal power plants, which are heavy CO2 dischargers. Japanese households have produced 8.4% more greenhouse gases than last year. The unusually hot summer led to increased use of air conditioners.

In the next five years they needs to cut its emissions by 13.5% to meet its commitment and Japan’s best bet is either to plant more trees or increase the capacity utilization ratio of its nuclear power plant, up from 60.7%. A ratio 84.2% (1998), and Japan would have coughed up 5% less greenhouse gas in 2007.

The economy, however, is slowing. As production falls, so too will emissions. Japan needs to cut 50 million metric tons, per year. The steel industry lowered its emissions last year to 1% below its 1990 level despite an 8% increase in crude steel output. The chemical sector is 7% higher than its 1990 figure.

Japan is not going to make it. So, now what?

Source: Nikkei (sub req)
Image courtesy of hubbbadyabutters

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The Japanese government has taken the 1st step toward implementing carbon credit trading. The system will allow large companies to gain carbon credits by assisting small and midsize companies in reducing their emissions. “Firms that come in below their designated emission levels can sell the unused portions as carbon credits to businesses that exceed their caps.”

Tokyo is taking applications from interested businesses and is planning to hold briefings in eight locations around the nation over a 30-day period. Along with the briefings, matchmaking meetings. Fast dates. eHarmony for businesses wanting to fight global temperatures.

Tokyo is also collecting ideas for cutting global warming gas emissions such as one firm’s plan to introduce a fuel cell that can convert food waste into methane gas for energy and a shopping mall equipped with solar panels.

Source: Nikkei (sub req)

Image courtesy of curtisperry

Cement companies in Japan are getting in on cutting down on CO2 emissions and hope to help their counterparts in China and India do the same. The Japan Cement Association is taking the lead by sending engineers to China and India to produce estimates for how much CO2 can be decreased.

Japanese cement makers are working with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to publish on the Internet ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at cement plants for free, and some of them are :

1. power-efficient pulverizers
2. mechanisms for recycling waste heat from baking furnaces
3. using the recycled heat to generate power and heat up raw materials

And some quick facts -

• Japan produces 70 million tons of cement annually, the 6th largest producer of CO2 among Japan’s industries.
• China and India together make up about 50% of the world’s cement output.
• Some 5,000+ cement companies in China produce 1.1+ billion tons of cement.
• Some 500+ Indian companies produce 150 million tons.

If these guys can save some gas, it’ll make a difference. And, for once, Japan is leading.

Source: Nikkei (!sub required) - Image courtesy of ykanazawa1999

Here’s another new discovery towards the green revolution! Rolls Royce has come up with a brilliant modified version of an open rotor propeller plane installed with a less noise making engine as opposed to its original loud engine.

The engine has been tested with results showing a remarkable cut down on greenhouse gas emissions to 30% and also a great save on fuel costs as compared to the modern turbo jet engines.

Although CO2 from airplanes is barely 2-3% of the total global emissions, the rate of travel has gone up by 6-7% with the airline travel efficiency making improvements of only 1% a year. As solar planes are not being thought upon in the near future, the propeller plane is a feasible option for increasing travel efficiency and cutting down on fuel consumption.

Apart from Rolls Royce, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Snecma are also venturing upon the open rotor propeller plane. - via GreenDaily

Image courtesy of Moritz Josch

Carbon Sciences has recently declared that it has made an important breakthrough that can convert CO2 emissions into fuels. This would cut down on the 62 billion metric tones of CO2 - root cause of global warming, which is let out into the atmosphere every year.

The technology will use these harmful emissions and convert them into useful sources of energy.

As CO2 requires a lot of energy to break them into hydrocarbons that is used for fuel, Carbon Sciences is working on a technology, with the help of chemical and bioengineering principles that would hasten up this process. Since this process is highly energy efficient, they’ll set up a CO2 transformation plant that would use the CO2 released by a larger producer such as a power plant, and transform it into useable fuels.

This breakthrough technology promises that it can successfully give the world a cleaner atmosphere by closing the loop on carbon releases. - via Inhabitat

Pretty odd I must say, but a recent study revealed that if Australia is going to farm kangaroos instead of cattle and sheep (to remove 36 million sheep and 7 million cattle by 2020), that could lower the overall greenhouse gases by 3 percent each year. Do you think it’s that simple?

First of all, Australians won’t understand that killing kangaroos for food is good for the environment. It’s more like a matter of taste than a matter of global warming, and my bet is people are not yet prepared to switch to an all-kangaroo diet. Would you eat kangaroo meat just because they produce negligible amounts of methane?

The other problem, which is just as big is the kangaroo-image, over Austsalian peopl. Changing the way people think is not going to be done overnight and certainly not just with ad campaigns because the kangaroo is actually, the national icon.

The study which revealed all these said that “using kangaroos to produce low-emission meat is an option for the Australian rangelands … and could even have global application,” said the study. Do you agree?

Image courtesy of t3rmin4t0r

Tokyo passed a mandate for large office buildings, shops, hotels, universities and factories to cut their CO2 emissions. About 1,300 establishments which use 1,500 kiloliters of crude per year will be affected. The hope is to reduce energy consumed by 15-20% by 2020. Tokyo creates about 4.5% of Japan’s overall CO2 emissions, and these 1,300 businesses are responsible for about 40% of that total.

Tokyo’s governor says, ”I want Tokyo to take the lead in efforts against global warming in Japan.” The plan will take affect in 2010 and each company affected will be required to submit a five-year plan. For those who can’t make the grade, emissions quotas can be purchased. Cut their energy use down or pay up. In Japan the feeling is somewhat, if it’s good for Tokyo, it’s good for the country. We’ll see.

In the meantime, why doesn’t every major city in the world follow suit?

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What if those more than 5 million heavy duty trucks rolling up and down just the U. S. highways, would be powered by an engine wit 30-percent better fuel mileage, that doesn’t have pistons and needs no lube?

Such a truck gets on average a 7 mpg and with oil, diesel and gas prices only going up, someone had to come up with a solution. Turbine Truck Engines may have good news for the big fellas, a new engine dubbed Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine (DCGT) that:

• will use 30-percent less fuel
• will reduce emissions by 30-percent
• will be able to use all sorts of fuels - biofuels, hydrocarbon fuels, H and even synthetic
• will have fewer moving parts, which will reduce maintenance costs
• will use no lube oil, filters or pump because it has no pistons or valves
• will be lightweight : only 2lbs / hp

All they need is investors.

Where’s Pickens when you need him because having this technology in all those French and Spanish trucks idling and on strike, would be great. Right?

The first time I’ve been in Italy I was amazed by so many scooters. Old, new, it doesn’t matter because you see them in different colors at every corner. I even heard people calling Rome as the scooter-capital of Europe.

A classic Vespa scooter. Photo by the-spidernet

But there seems to be a problem. The Italian government is keen on keeping a healthier air in their cities and one of the measures they are taking is paying owners to change their old scooters with new ones. Obviously the 2-stroke engine emits much more harmful pollutants than a new generation 4-stroke model and add the fact that there’s no catalyst and you have a big polluter.

This is why authorities will offer a 300 Euro bonus when buy a new scooter and ditch your old one. Of course, if you live in Italy.

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