Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fall for 3rd straight year

Goodlucktoyou - or promote energy conservation. I remember Kanto reducing its electricity consumption by about 20% in 2011 without any great difficulty or reduction in the quality of life.

Since the population also fell by about 0.2% last year, it's not much of an achievement.

The rotting vegetation produces methane.

What rotting vegetation? The fields are drained and the rice is dried, right?

Goodlucktoyou - I remember that too, and it was during the first few weeks after March 11. By the summer, things were running virtually normally in Kanto while the government was urging everyone to conserve electricity because they were concerned that there would be blackouts during peak demand (the hot middle of the day on weekdays). I was checking the supply and demand for electricity on TEPCO's website most days, and the demand was consistently about 20% below the same time the previous year. In short, electricity is normally used so inefficiently in Japan (and other developed countries I imagine) that a concerted effort to use it more efficiently would eliminate the need for new power stations.

@sensei. The biggest problem is Japanese dependence on stupid nuke, so we have to back human rights abusers like Saudi to get oil, to burn, until amukudari can restart all dangerous nukes.

japan is perfect for solar, geothermal, wave and wind production. But...

0.2% is within statistical error.

Agree with Cucashopboy recall how we were warned about rolling blackouts but my Area in western Tokyo never saw those, further west yes.

live in west and it almost seemed like your neighbour would report you for using aircon.

@ Fizz - from the time the seedlings are planted, till just before the harvet, the fields are under water. So, for months the fields are producing methane.

@cucas. Such a time many people huddled in blankets in their homes watching authorities say japan is safe. Endono. At that time, when I went to shopping centers, they were full to the max with humans sleeping or just being warm. I took many photos, so I know I am factual.

What the article doesn't mention is that the biggest producers of greenhouse gasses in Japan are the flooded rice paddies. The rotting vegetation produces methane.

Goodlucktoyou,

The biggest problem is Japanese dependence on stupid nuke

But 'stupid nuke' is a very low emitter of greenhouse gasses.

japan is perfect for solar, geothermal, wave and wind production. But...

But... is it? And what about the energy storage needs?

Well done and good to hear when most countries around the world are rapidly increasing emissions