Japan Fails in Keeping Its Promise to Cut Down on Gas Emission

Pieces of information made public by the Energy Information Administration in the US indicate that, as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster from March 2011, Japan's administration was forced to go back to using fossil fuels in order to keep the country afloat.

Therefore, Japan's use of coal, oil and gas during the first trimester of 2012 is said to have increased by 40% by comparison to the first four months of 2011.

As was to be expected, this lead to Japan's producing significantly more greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2009, Yukio Hatoyama, who at that time served as the country's prime minister, argued that by 2020 Japan would succeed in bringing down its gas emissions to such an extent that overall levels will be 25% lower than those registered in 1990.

However, as huffingtonpost.com informs us, Katsuya Okada, Japan's current deputy prime minister, argues that, as unfortunate as it might seem, the country will have to rethink its plan to reduce pollution by diminishing gas emissions.

Addressing the press, Katsuya Okada explained that their 25% initial target was “a number computed on the premise that we will depend on nuclear power to a fair degree” and that he has no doubt that “an overall review will be necessary.”

Thus, seeing how most Japanese citizens openly refuse to agree to restarting the country's nuclear reactors, the national administration has no choice but to continue using fossil fuels.

This means that gas emissions in this part of the globe will only be dropped by 2-11% on 1990 levels.

Although by putting its nuclear reactors back to work the country would successfully lower gas emissions by approximately 27% until 2030, it is quite understandable why the general population displays reluctance towards such an action.

Hopefully, rather than entirely turn back to using fossil fuels, Japan will also find ways to invest in renewable energy sources.