Japan has one of the highest installed renewable energy capacities in the world. The country is also one of the world’s largest consumers of energy. Lacking its own fossil fuel resources, it relies on imports for nearly all of its supply. This dependence on imports makes the country vulnerable to …
Japan's ruling coalition will recommend lifting evacuation orders for most people forced from their homes by the Fukushima nuclear disaster within two years in a bid to speed up reconstruction, a draft proposal shows. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party and its governing partner will also press local governments in the …
Kyushu Electric Power Co's two-reactor Sendai nuclear plant on Wednesday cleared safety regulations introduced after the Fukushima crisis, paving the way for the resumption of nuclear power generation in Japan. Commissioners of the Nuclear Regulation Authority said in a televised weekly meeting that the reactors have cleared the final safety …
On Friday, climate change efforts across the world reached a very important milestone: the release of $5 billion to begin the work of the Green Climate Fund, which will become the main financial operator of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Initial climate financing disproportionately favored middle-income developed countries …
UN chief Ban Ki-Moon is calling for renewed "global action" to limit climate change ahead of a quadrennial congress in Geneva. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) meeting is a forerunner to a key conference in Paris at the end of the year which will be the first attempt to clinch …
The government has restarted work to select final disposal sites for highly contaminated radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel at atomic power plants nationwide. In an effort to stoke interest, the government has decided to conduct a series of public symposiums in nine cities. Seminars for municipalities are also planned …
The temperature topped 30 degrees in Tokyo on Tuesday for the first time this year as much of the nation baked in unseasonable hot weather. The mercury rose to 30.1 degrees in central Tokyo at 1 p.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding Tuesday was the 16th straight day of …
VIENNA – The International Atomic Energy Agency criticized Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Japanese regulatory authorities for their failure to prevent the 2011 Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster despite knowing the risk of large tsunami hitting the facility, according to a copy of an IAEA report obtained Sunday by …
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 struck the Kanto region of Japan at 2:28 p.m. on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding there was no danger of a tsunami. The epicenter of the quake was about 51 kilometers deep in northern Saitama Prefecture. The quake had an intensity …
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday pledged 55 billion yen in aid to Pacific island nations to help them combat climate change and natural disasters. Abe made the pledge as leaders of 14 Pacific island nations wrapped up a two-day meeting, which began on Friday in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, …
The construction on a 2.3-megawatt floating solar power plant has been completed on Sunday in Hyogo prefecture, western Japan, which is the world's largest floating solar power plant in terms of output. The plant, coinvested by electronics giant Kyocera Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation, is expected to generate 2, …
By the end of this month, the government is expected to announce a national long-term energy plan for 2030 that will include a “best energy mix” scenario — the formula for the various ratios of oil, coal, LNG, nuclear power and renewable energy that will be powering Japan in 15 …
Typhoons (tropical cyclones) severely impact the half-billion population of the Asian Pacific. Intriguingly, during the recent decade, typhoon destructive potential (Power Dissipation Index, PDI) has decreased considerably (by B35%). This decrease, paradoxically, has occurred despite the increase in typhoon intensity and ocean warming. Using the method proposed by Emanuel (in …
Japan's nuclear regulator signed off on the basic safety of a reactor at a third nuclear plant on Wednesday, as the country inches toward rebooting its atomic industry more than four years after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The decision will be a boost for operator Shikoku Electric Power Co, which …
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that two people died and 480 were hospitalized for heat exhaustion in the week from May 11 to May 17 as temperatures soared across the nation. In some parts of Japan, including Tokyo, temperatures topped 30 degrees—the norm for July. By prefecture, …
Japan will announce a $100 billion plan to invest in roads, bridges, railways and other building projects in Asia, a report said Tuesday, weeks after China outlined its vision for a new infrastructure development bank in the region. In the latest twist of a tussle for influence in the fast-growing …
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said the management of radioactive waste and contaminated water at Japan's tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant could be improved despite good progress in cleaning up the site. The operator of the plant said in February it had found a pool of highly contaminated water on the …
Frantic efforts to avoid adverse status for reef which could foil government plans to open up vast region in Queensland for new coal mines The Australian government is undertaking frantic diplomatic efforts to avoid the Great Barrier Reef being listed as “in danger” by the UN, amid rising international concern …
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 struck off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture on Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding there was no danger of a tsunami. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 12:30 p.m., was 50 kilometers deep in the sea off the Fukushima coastline. …
An earthquake struck the northeast of Japan early on Wednesday, the area devastated four years ago, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury and no tsunami alert. The quake off the Tohoku region had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and 6.6 …
A panel of nuclear experts on Monday largely approved a government report saying that atomic power remains the cheapest source of electricity despite the rising safety costs triggered by the 2011 Fukushima core meltdowns. Despite an expected glut in solar power, the government is looking to make nuclear power account …
