Activists take part in a protest to demand Japan to stop supporting coal, outside the venue of the U.N. climate change conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain. Photo: REUTERS
politics

At climate talks, Koizumi confronts critics over coal

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By Valerie Volcovici

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Nice propaganda piece for the future p.m

17 ( +17 / -0 )

Koizumi, tipped as a future prime minister

Japanese “democracy” in action.

20 ( +21 / -1 )

Never mind Japan----how about China and India? What about Australia--one of the world's major miners and exporters of coal?

7 ( +11 / -4 )

In fairness to Koizumi, he is the head of a relatively weak ministry in the cabinet and its the stronger ones (METI, Finance) who really determine these policies, not environment. So when he says his hands are tied I am willing to give him some benefit of the doubt, its really Abe and the cabinet as a whole to blame for Japan’s embarrassing and outrageous policies on coal.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

I live in Tokyo.... our house has Solar Panels and they totally cover the cost of our electric needs. I look around our neighborhood and I see many new homes and I'd say maybe 1 in 20 or even 30 has a solar panel setup. The government needs to Mandate that all new homes be built with the use of solar energy in mind. But they don't do this.... maybe their coziness with large Power Companies is the problem.

21 ( +25 / -4 )

The government needs to Mandate that all new homes be built with the use of solar energy in mind. But they don't do this.... maybe their coziness with large Power Companies is the problem.

Didn't the LDP cancel subsidies to home owners to instal solar panels after they won the 2012 election? I think it was one of the first things they did....

18 ( +18 / -0 )

Solar, wind and nuclear power is the way forward if your serious about climate change... It's not one solution but multiple that need to be taken for such a big problem.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Not a leader material.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Solar panels may cover the household electricty but not big factories and offices. After the Fukushima incident, all the nuclear power plants in Japan were halted and today only several out of 17 reopend. How can Japan survive where they do not have natural resources and if the country has to import expensive oils and LPG, Japan will go broke. We are already broke. Japanese coal power plants are equipped with sophisticated trappers and do not produce much hazardous emissions.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

How can Japan survive where they do not have natural resources and if the country has to import expensive oils and LPG, Japan will go broke

Give us a break, Japan is the third largest economy in the world.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Perhaps we misheard what Mr. Koizumi said the other day.

Perhaps what he actually said was:

 It's got to be fun, it's got to be coal. It's got to be sexy too....

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I live in Tokyo.... our house has Solar Panels and they totally cover the cost of our electric needs. I look around our neighborhood and I see many new homes and I'd say maybe 1 in 20 or even 30 has a solar panel setup.

The government does not even have to mandate solar panels for new builds. All it has to do is mandate they have a roof that enables them to be fitted in an efficient way. Even if people moan about the cost of solar panels, do not let them build a house which cannot be fitted with them because the roof faces the wrong way.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

More "read-my-lips" Platitudes from another spooner that the media will idol-ize.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Greta ,Time person of the year

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Why is Pikachu involved with this? He should be apolitical and not used for such propaganda.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan, a big financier of new coal plants in southeast Asia, is seen as an outlier among industrialised countries since it is the only G7 nation to still be building coal plants at home.

Where do they get this nonsense from? E.g. Germany has been massively building new coal-fired power plants, which are necessary because a) the phasing out of nuclear plants and b) the huge energy fluctuations because of unstable wind power, which require constant compensation by stable energy sources.

Do these article writers ever check facts??

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Psycok Saiko:

I live in Tokyo.... our house has Solar Panels and they totally cover the cost of our electric needs.

OK. At night too? And did you ever check how much energy went into the production of these things? And have you considered what to do with them after their life cycle which is approx. 20 years, after which they turn into toxic garbage, full of rare earths (which is an environmental disaster in itself)?

Just asking...

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Do these article writers ever check facts??

Do you?

The German government has committed to shutting down all of its 84 existing coal plants by 2038. There are a small number of plants that were approved decades ago which have come online recently, but they aren't approving anymore and the ones that do exist are all going to be gone in less than 20 years.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Germany is making progress. Last year it phased out brown coal, it has a goal to phase out black, using solar and wind.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

coal power these days are vastly more efficient than what you saw on the 19th century photos, its really not as bad as the climate phobia people are making it to be

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

@marcelito Abe gave Koizumi Jr the poison chalice... the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Koizumi Jr has much potential in Japanese politics. But it is just potential, and nothing else. How can anyone even consider him a future prime minister when he has not even publicized his stance on any issue. For all we knew, he could be a Nazi, or he could be a far left Bernie Sanders guy or he could be secretly making plans to make same-sex punishable by death. Who knows. until he makes clear what his policies are, he shouldn't be considered anything more than a former-PM's son.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Koizumi, tipped as a future prime minister

straight up nepotism, facepalm

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Do these article writers ever check facts??

Why should they? For decades I've been saying no writer or pundit should ever let facts stand in the way of what they want to say, write, or believe about Japan and/or the Japanese.

It is in no way relevant to the discussion that the US also generates nearly a third of its electricity from coal using technology that is more polluting than that of Japan. Similarly, it is irrelevant that the absolute coal generated output in the US is five times that of Japan.

Facts like these should not prevent Americans from believing in their moral and ecological superiority to the Japanese.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It is in no way relevant to the discussion that the US also generates nearly a third of its electricity from coal using technology that is more polluting than that of Japan. Similarly, it is irrelevant that the absolute coal generated output in the US is five times that of Japan.

Also relevant: the US has permanently shut down 50 coal plants since 2017 alone (and more than 500 since 2010). Only 1 new plant has begun operations in the same time frame.

So the US, for all its faults in this field (and yup, nobody there can claim moral or ecological superiority), is at least moving in the right direction.

Japan though is going full steam ahead on coal (pun intended). Not because its a better source of energy, it clearly isn't. But because powerful business interests stand to lose a lot if their coal assets are no longer used and these guys have hijacked government policy in the area.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Also relevant: the US has permanently shut down 50 coal plants since 2017 alone (and more than 500 since 2010). Only 1 new plant has begun operations in the same time frame.

In favor of LNG, another fossil fuel, which is better than coal environmentally but is only possible because of fracking. Japan doesn't have that luxury and I doubt you'd be happy with Japan switching to LNG even if they did. Either way, every energy grid needs a baseline power source, which wind and solar are not. Realistically the only options are nuclear, coal, or LNG. As unreasonable as the climate change alarmists may be, no government is going to allow rolling blackouts to happen. Which is why this

The German government has committed to shutting down all of its 84 existing coal plants by 2038.

is a blatant farce.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

To me, I still don't think they have proven climate change is human induced beyond a reasonable doubt. They only have data for around 150 years. The earth is 4.543 billion years. Yes, the climate is changing, but the climate has fluctuated drastically in history. Climate is not a static metric. Many, many things affect climate.

With that being said, pollution (air smog, toxic, garbage) is absolutely a concern. Environmentalists should really focus on pollution. Pollution has been proven to cause health problems, many diseases, and even deaths. Focusing on pollution is similar means to an end, but doesn't focus on a hypothesis of human induced climate change that hasn't been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

"We don't have any plans to phase out coal just yet, but don't worry!---We're considering starting considerations about a possible discussion over steps we may take to proceed with examinations for considering future possibilities about a policy on how we may consider considerations for pretending we're doing something. Watch this space!".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

In favor of LNG, another fossil fuel, which is better than coal environmentally but is only possible because of fracking. Japan doesn't have that luxury and I doubt you'd be happy with Japan switching to LNG even if they did.

Yup, the UK also took that shortcut and there are a lot of downsides there too. That said, I wouldn't be thrilled with Japan switching to LNG, but it does have a lot of benefits over coal.

Either way, every energy grid needs a baseline power source, which wind and solar are not. Realistically the only options are nuclear, coal, or LNG.

Agreed, except with the qualifier that "today" those are the only options which exist at the necessary scale. We do have the technology and paths by which they can be replaced as the base load and I think those need to be developed and deployed ASAP. But yeah, in the meantime we can't phase those out right now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I still don't think they have proven climate change is human induced beyond a reasonable doubt

Scientists who study the matter think it has.

What makes your random thought more valid than their research?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Obviously Japan has a complete contempt for other Asian countries, expecting them to do Japans dirty work, while enjoying the benefits of importing the coal.

At the same time, Japan has closed down it's own coal mines in Hokkaido, virtually wiping out towns such as Yubari (now becoming a tourist attraction).

Of course, Koizumi's family man bleating is his way of bleating - please give me a break. Japan is a special case.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Koizumi is literally flailing away in a pool he doesn't understand. But he probably will be PM and again flail away with no actual idea other than being the son of another PM, I'm pretty sure given a pice of coal he would be bedasiled and stare at it wondering what is this?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

rainyday:

The German government has committed to shutting down all of its 84 existing coal plants by 2038. There are a small number of plants that were approved decades ago which have come online recently, but they aren't approving anymore and the ones that do exist are all going to be gone in less than 20 years.

That is 20 years off, and it is cheap to make impossible promises. Meanwhile, Germany is buying nuclear-produced electricty from France and Poland, and the Nordstream pipeline is coming online, supplying gas from Russia. Burning gas is cleaner than coal, but it it still buring fossil fuel, so I don´t see how that fits with the whole CO2 narrative.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

zichi:

The country should seek alternatives to coal.

So tell us your alternatives, and how viable they are.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Illyas:

In favor of LNG, another fossil fuel, which is better than coal environmentally

It is cleaner, yes. But it still means burning hydrocarbons to create CO2, so I do not see how the "global warming" crowd can endorse it. It is fundamentally the same thing, except that it will run out sooner than coal.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What this article doesn't report is that Japan has been cutting down CO2 emissions for the past 4 consecutive years from 2013 to 2017. (The 2018 figures haven't been announced yet)

In total Japan cut down 200 Million tonnes from 1.49 billion tonnes to 1.29 billion tonnes while the global out put has been steadily growing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I live in Tokyo.... our house has Solar Panels and they totally cover the cost of our electric needs

Let me ask you this. First, are you completely off the grid? Because somehow I don't think so. I think it may cover most if not all your electric usage in the day, if it is sunny enough... night is another story, it depends 100% on your battery capacity, charging speed, and the life remaining on your batteries, also how much they were able to charge during the day.

That's why even the more hardcore solar power enthusiast still has a normal power grid installation in their homes along side the solar panels.

Solar panels, are really cool, but unless battery technology improves, it is still kind of unreliable.

The government needs to Mandate that all new homes be built with the use of solar energy in mind. But they don't do this.... maybe their coziness with large Power Companies is the problem.

So basically you want to make housing even more expensive... as a government mandate.

That's really going to help people struggling to get month by month. Also, once again, solar energy is unreliable.

For example, I live in Sapporo, and solar panels are basically dead weight during winter.

Day light is less than 10 hours a day, many days there are snow storms, so you will have to constantly take care of the panels so that they don't get blocked by the snow, and low temperatures lower the performance of solar panels.

If you all really cared that much about climate change, you wouldn't be against nuclear power, but your the truth of the matter is that for most of the people who are "going green", this concern has to do more with ideology than with a real concern for the planet's climate.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"We can't make an announcement of phasing out coal or fossil fuels right away but will keep considering options going forward," he later told a news conference. "So please keep eye on what we do in the future."

This is just simple Japanese pragmatism and conservatism at work. Not buying into the politically and emotionally charged panic merchants that offer little else than condemnation for those trying to map out a viable course in an extremely complex energy mix environment. Of course to the activists its simple. Bad guys vs Us the anointed ones. Yawn.

Consider this. Japanese coal plants may be cutting edge technology that allow developing countries a way to have access to cheap energy the way the West had access and allowed it to develop a standard of living that we all love and enjoy. Now, in cold arrogance we turn around and demand those poor nations, that also want to lift themselves out of the stone age, not to develop because we now cant give them access to these refined technologies and cheap energy. So sorry guys. Enjoy living in fear of disease and early death. Tough luck. Solar, wind im sure within the next few decades will be a grande option but what do you tell those living in squalor now? Wait a generation or too? Anyone see the hypocrisy in this?

Then, when a country like China steps in to make the coal plants for surrounding countries and does it ten times dirtier and less efficient than what the Japanese could have done, what do you get? More pollution. shoddy workmanship and corruption, but hey we all got to have a good dig at the young Koizumi. That was fun. When we start talking about options and less villification Ill be all ears. Am I missing something here?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

My native country still has some coal fired power stations, and these are been phased out.

Bur my native country does not finance other countries to build coal fired power stations.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

That is 20 years off, and it is cheap to make impossible promises. Meanwhile, Germany is buying nuclear-produced electricty from France and Poland, and the Nordstream pipeline is coming online, supplying gas from Russia.

Yeah, you didn't say in your original post that Germany was buying nuclear electricity, you said that Germany was massively building new coal plants. I was just correcting that mis-statement. I hope this clarifies things.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Develop super scrubbers and use coal

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

rainyday:

Yeah, you didn't say in your original post that Germany was buying nuclear electricity, you said that Germany was massively building new coal plants.

They are doing both. The completely unpredictable nature of wind energy makes it necessary to have coal plants to compensate. And these plants have at sub-optimal production levels constantly, because they always have to be turned on and off.

Merkels pie-in-the-sky plans for 20 years ahead have nothing to do with reality. Mind you, they had to cut their massive subsidies for solar panels too, because they became too expensive.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The relative risk with nuclear meaning that the radiation from Fukushima is lower than the background radiation in India in heavely populated areas is 200 mSv versus 120 mSv in Fukushima and this will represent an increased risk for lungcancer with one percent while smoking do mean 1 500 percent.

Compared with coal burning this will effect in a lot of healthy risks as well as deadly exposure out of dust from coal power plants. A deadly killing that ought to be avoided and compare with that the nuclear is to prefere.

Renewable of cource but neither Sweden nor Germany have got any CO2-exhaust reduction in high degree so for to reduce that nuclear is a much better tool in the long run.

Brittish experts say re the evacuation of Fukushima were not needable. What about water power that killed 10 000 people in Japan. Why not scrapp this too. Look at the problem in a senceble way.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

At 38 here is your future. Same party same country nothing else holy so Asia is in this

century at last.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

LOL.... some of you really are so obtuse. No I'm not off the grid and yes I need power at night. I would go of the grid if Battery technology was better but it is not there yet. But that even said.... if 90% of Japanese homes had Solar... how much less coal do you think Japan would import? The point is to do what is possible to decrease the numbers now. Then when technology in various areas get hopefully better.... you upgrade to try to use even less coal. So many people talk about Solar like it needs to be PERFECT first.... this isn't a perfect world and it will take time and research before it gets even close.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Obtuse or here right now?

maybe just addicted to money?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So many people talk about Solar like it needs to be PERFECT first.... this isn't a perfect world and it will take time and research before it gets even close.

It had to be good enough to be a viable alternative. Right now it isn't really a reliable alternative, and to be honest, there aren't many good signs that it will ever be.

Solar lives in a paradox where when people most require electricity is exactly at the times when solar cannot produce them.

Right now there isn't any real alternative to Ion-Li batteries, and we are reaching kind of the limit of what is posible to do with Ion-Li batteries. Unless there is a breakthrough in battery technology, it really doesn't matter how good solar panels get, it will never be a good enough alternative.

Also, I have no problem with more people using solar, more power to you. What I have a problem is with people trying to use the government to push their ideological views of the world.

Forcing all new homes to have solar power isn't going to do anything else than rise the cost of living.

Japan would still need to use coal a lot, unless, like I said, the anti-nuclear activists stopped their anti-science propaganda, and we could re-start many of the now almost a decade long stopped reactors.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So sorry, no choices nothing to vote for?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Luis.... so you your agenda is more Nuclear Power Plants. Hey.... more power to ya!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Amateur is amateur, as defect is defect.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Luis.... so you your agenda is more Nuclear Power Plants. Hey.... more power to ya!

I actually don't have an agenda. I don't care if there aren't more Nuclear Power Plants (Outside of the fact that my electric bill has gone up because the one nuclear plant that provided about half of the electricity of Sapporo is out, and we are still paying for it even if its in an infinite "maintenance" state).

I kind of understand that most people are dumb and scared of nuclear enough, that even if it is the best way of producing energy, it will never regain its place in this world because of religious like thinking, so I don't have my hopes up for it.

Not to mention that I'm not advocating for the government to force people to do things I would like them to do.

What pisses me off are hypocrites that pretend to be "worried" about the climate, and climate change, but ignore science that could solve all of their worries, because in fact they really don't worry that much about it, unless it is a talking point for some "green revolution" crap.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan has to bet on hydrogen fuel cell power. That by means of the process of electrolysis with water, it is the source of energy totally clean to 100%.

And not only that. It would also lead the country to a situation of total energy independence from the outside world. Because it would no longer need the oil and gas that the Middle East provides.

Wind energy like solar energy. They are essential auxiliary energies but not very competitive. One because it only happens during the day. And the other because it only works when there is wind. And the demand for electricity does not always coincide with the generation produced.

That's why hydrogen must be the bet of the future. A clean and productive energy.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That by means of the process of electrolysis with water, it is the source of energy totally clean to 100%.

Getting hydrogen from electrolysis as an energy source is completely stupid.

The amount of energy you require for the electrolysis itself is actually more than the energy you will get by the hydrogen combustion of the generated hydrogen.

Remember kids, conservation of energy.

That's exactly why people who do not understand basic physics should not be in charge of making energy policy for the country.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Luis David YanezToday 05:21 am JST

Getting hydrogen from electrolysis as an energy source is completely stupid.

The amount of energy you require for the electrolysis itself is actually more than the energy you will get by the hydrogen combustion of the generated hydrogen.

Remember kids, conservation of energy.

That's exactly why people who do not understand basic physics should not be in charge of making energy policy for the country

A simpleton's response won't win any economy awards either.

Whether it be nuclear, oil or coal it first requires energy to transport from other side of the planet.

Next oil and nuclear requires further vast amount of energy to refine them.

Coal power plants also requires vast amount of energy to grind them into fine powder to burn them cleaner.

Hydrogen on the other hand does not require refinement and transportation is minimal compared to then the other alternative requiring much less energy.

.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Next oil and nuclear requires further vast amount of energy to refine them.

Coal power plants also requires vast amount of energy to grind them into fine powder to burn them cleaner.

Yes, but not as much or more than the energy coal or nuclear produces.

If it required as much or more, it would be a stupid way to produce energy.

Transportation and refinement isn't the same as production.

Not to mention that transportation is also required for hydrogen. 1kg of hydrogen weights the same as 1kg of coal.

That's why doing electrolysis to get hydrogen for energy production is stupid.

It takes 55 kW/h to produce 1kg of hydrogen, and 1kg of hydrogen produces about 33.33 kW/h.

It is a waste of resources if your main goal is energy production. If your goal is energy storage, or some other benefits that hydrogen combustion brings, then that's a different story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Natural gas is cheaper than coal, puts out less particulate matter and about half the co2. Until such time as Japan can get off of fossil fuels, switching to natural gas would seem to make a lot of sense.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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