Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions hit a record high making Japan the world’s fifth-largest CO2 producer and putting them at risk of an embarrassing failure to meet its Kyoto target over the next four years. The increase of 2.3 percent last year was largely due to the closure of Japan’s biggest nuclear power plant after an earthquake.

Emissions rose to 1.371 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent in the Japanese fiscal year through March. The year before Japan finally saw a decline of 1.3 percent decline. Japan needs to cut emissions by an estimated 13.5 percent to hit its 2008-2012 target under Kyoto of down 6 percent from 1990 levels.

The task of cutting emissions may be its worst since the onset of a global recession, a diversion of governments’ focus away from climate change the investment needed.

Japan is not going to make their goal.

Source: Yahoo!

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Casio Computer has found a way to substitute fluorine gas for sulfur hexafluoride.  Sulfur hexafluoride is used in the processing of silicon thin films for LCD panels. As greenhouse gases go, sulfur hexafluoride is also 20,000 times worse than CO2. Casio thinks that if it eliminates this chemical the company will reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions by about 205.

Casio Computer says  -

“Fluorine gas is difficult to handle because it is highly reactive and potentially explosive. The company solved this issue through careful management of hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid levels. For the processing of silicon thin films, the company determined it could achieve the same quality as with sulfur hexafluoride by optimizing the volume of fluorine gas used and adjusting the voltage and other parameters.”

Evaluation of the use of fluorine gas will continue until the end of the year at such time a decision will be made. Does that line “highly reactive and potentially explosive” concern anybody else besides me? Casio also makes dandy wrist watches that can do all sorts of things, elevations, barometers, hail taxi cabs and such.

“Hey, Taro! Where’s you arm?”

“Ah, just another failed fluorine test for Casio. No big deal.”

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