Mt. Takadake is in the Aso volcano zone of Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern most island of Kyushu, one of Japan’s four main islands, but not ALL of Japan’s island.

The mountain was found snowcapped Tuesday. The Kyushu region had its first snow of the season says the Kumamoto local meteorological observatory. The snow on the 1,592 meter (5,250′) peak came one day later than average but 16 days earlier than last year.

Light rain in the Aso area turned to snow early Tuesday morning because of a stream of cold air. And this happened on Japan’s southernmost main island, you know, where it’s warmer and such. The temperature in the area stood at 3.2 C at 4:04 a.m. However, it started falling and marked minus 0.5 C at 12:32 p.m. just cold enough to snow.

Global cooling? Of course, we can’t say so from one isolated incident such as this. But, to be sure, we only hear about when it’s warmer, not when it’s cooler than usual. How about a balanced hearing, eh?

Image courtesy of morygonzalez

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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!

Though GreenPacks may not have gotten everything right with the Faroe Whale Cull tradition, it’s not a stretch to say that the Japanese are headed out on their annual slaughter of whales. This morning, a Japanese whaling ship left for the Antarctic Ocean to do its ‘research.’

The vessel, Nissin Maru, sailed under the protection of the Japanese Coast Guard … protected from the environmental group Greenpeace. Japan is permitted to catch 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales.

Different than usual, this year there was not a departure ceremony. Japan kills about 1,200 whales annually under a scientific program that studies the feeding habits and distribution of mammals in the seas of Antarctica.

Greenpeace’s Sea Shepherd says it plans to follow up on its attack of a Japanese ship last year when it dumped a foul-smelling acid on the whaling boat and collided twice with another boat.

That’ll show them, Greenpeace. The more obnoxious you can be the more headway you will make…NOT!

Seven Eleven Japan, the convenience store plans to equip all its new stores with LED-based signboards and outdoor lighting. The effort is to reduce emissions of global warming gases. LEDs will likely be able to allow 7-11 to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 3%, or 1.8 tons per store per year times 1000 new stores each year.

The Seven & i Holdings Co. estimates that it will spend more than 1 billion yen a year on LED lighting. An initial investment per new store will cost 1-2 million yen. Down the road, Seven-Eleven Japan is expected to use roughly 75% less power than fluorescent lights, thus getting back their investment. LED lights also last four to five years, compared with a year or so for fluorescent lights.

Rival convenience store operators, Lawson Inc., FamilyMart Co. and Circle K Sunkus Co. have been testing LED-based signboards, however, 7-11 is the first to take the plunge on a large scale.

Convenience store operators are also turning to more power-efficient air conditioning to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Shall we call this a convenient truth?

Source: Nikkei
Image courtesy of chishikilauren

My wife and I have a new baby at home. Mia. She will be 10 months old in a week or so. She is pleasant and smiles delightfully every morning as if she is so happy to be alive. What a joy to see her each day. In a word, she reminds me there is hope for the world. Of course, there is.

Two more new little fellows made their first appearance at Adventure World, an amusement park in Wakayama, Japan. The twin panda cubs were born to giant panda Rauhin. The female (left) was named Meihin, and the male (right) was named Eihin. They were born in September. Most of all, they help remind us there is always hope for the planet.

Ota City is Japan’s Solar City. Three-quarters of the town’s homes are covered by solar panels. The panels are distributed for free. They are also a draw for new residents keen to minimize their power bills.

“We moved here because of the panels — it was something we wanted, but not something we could afford on our own,” said a resident.

Ota is located 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Tokyo and Pal Town is dubbed “Solar City”. The town received free solar panels from 2002 through a 9.7 billion yen state-backed study. Solar power is generally unreliable in cloudy Japan. But at high noon in sunny weather, a 4-kilowatt rooftop power generator can produce enough power to run a typical household. Cloudy weather cuts the power generated to less than half.

It is still not practical to implement the plan nationwide.

“People want solar power,” said an Ota City assistant section manager. That’s right! We want dependable, affordable solar power.

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

I might have heard of a jeanist. But it’s definitely my first time to hear of a leathernist. Apparently, in Japan, they pick the female and male stars/models who are the most unfriendly to our leathered friends. Not only that, they award them with trophies to say thank you for the cows and horses that sacrificed their lives so they could make a fashion statement.

Actor Shosuke Tanihara, 36, and actress-model Karina, 24

Where’s those PETA girls who take their clothes off at times like this?

And where are all those movie stars who walk around all cool in their faux-leather outfits, wanting to look like they killed an animal but not really having killed the animal?

What do you think of awards like this? - via JapanToday

Yamagata Prefecture in Japan has a wood gas-to-energy power plant powered by gas engines made by GE.

The project generates power from renewable biomass resources that are in abundance and would otherwise be treated as rubbish.

The plant which is owned and operated by Yamagata Green Power a subsidiary of renewable energy development firm Japan Biomass Development, received the Best Renewable Energy Power Plant of the Year by Asian Power magazine.

Japan wants to increase renewable energy production to 3% of the country’s overall energy supply by 2010 an the biomass fuel production which is hoped to be 330MW by 2010, will sure help.

The plant is located in Japan’s largest cherry producing region and runs completely on wood gas without and backup fuel.

A forest nearby means the facility has a steady source of wood biomass for raw fuel and makes use of the forest’s trimmed branches, which had been disposed of previously. However, the basic question - can Japan grow trees faster than they can burn them up?

Press release

I probably should have studied harder when I was in science class, but I seem to remember that all plants thrive on CO2. Even so, Ota Florticulture Auction Co., which is Japan’s largest flower wholesaler, is planning to market a series of arrangements made up of potted plants that gobble up large amounts of CO2.

There’s always someone wanting to capitalize on the green movement, why not a flower company, too? Ota will market carbon offset plants for homes and offices that come in pots that combine six kinds of plants such as the orchids and cacti, even at night and the company says each plant arrangement will trap 4-10kg of CO2 gas each year.

The price for having someone buy a plant to do what the plant would do anyway is going to be ¥8,000-40,000 ($85-$425). Watch for the plants to come on sale by Thanksgiving. - via Nikkei (sub needed)

Images by Rosberond, cobalt123