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Liam Denning
For Liam Denning's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a presidential permit for energy development that he signed during a tour of an oil rig in Midland, Texas, in July 2020.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 1, 2024
How the planet could survive another Trump term
In his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, rolled back environmental regulations, unleashed gas drilling and more.
Graphite, now deemed an essential mineral by the U.S., is the single biggest ingredient by weight in the batteries that go into electric vehicles and the power grid. It is also used in a variety of defense applications.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 8, 2023
Biden deploys Pentagon to beat climate change and China
A $37.5 million grant to Graphite One acts as a relaxed form of venture capital as the White House supports nascent parts of the domestic cleantech supply chain.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2023
What Exxon won’t tell you about climate costs
Society might be willing to make sacrifices if it meant avoiding even worse damage from global warming.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2023
What fracking can tell us about the future of fusion
Energy breakthroughs such as with fusion usually come through refinements of existing technologies and processes, not blinding flashes of transformation.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2022
Nuclear power has one last chance to flourish in the U.S.
Climate urgency, energy security concerns and government support make this a make-or-break moment for U.S. atomic energy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2022
Midterms move climate battle beyond Washington
With the U.S. Federal government headed for gridlock, the fate of energy legislation lies with the states.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2022
Putin’s Ukraine war forces ugly bargains on food and fuel
The war in Ukraine has laid bare the worldu2019s addiction to freely flowing fuel and grain. Disrupted supplies and surging prices will force the have-nots into desperate choices.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 13, 2022
Elon Musk isn’t the only one to blame for the Twitter mess
From Larry Ellison to Marc Andreesen, Tesla CEO Elon Musk doesnu2019t have backers on Twitter deal as much as well-heeled enablers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 10, 2022
The Republican climate plan forgets about the climate
The GOP is flashing just enough green to woo voters in vulnerable Democratic House districts.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 5, 2021
Gasoline at $3 a gallon isn’t as painful as it used to be
Novemberu2019s year-over-year price increase is the sharpest in monthly data going back to the early 1990s.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 10, 2021
Energy’s year of recovery more like a remission
Until news of the COVID-19 vaccine broke, energy had been the worst performing sector in 2020, falling by more than half.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2021
Tesla killed it on Bitcoin (and also sells cars)
You may recall Tesla only got into the Bitcoin game the very same quarter, announcing it would also start accepting the stuff for car payments.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 26, 2021
Elon Musk’s other, not-so-secret battery could help Texas
With the right chemistry and configuration, batteries can send power to the grid rapidly u2014 which is relevant in light of Februaryu2019s debacle.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 9, 2021
The Tesla-Bitcoin singularity is here at last
The casual reference to Tesla taking Bitcoin as payment down the road is like digital catnip, helping to boost the value of that $1.5 billion bet.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 9, 2020
Exxon's activist uses weapons provided by Exxon
The fact the activist led with this straightforward jab speaks to the difficulty inherent to landing the other punch: namely, getting Exxon to look beyond oil and gas.
BUSINESS
Jun 14, 2019
Liquefied natural gas is another fuel in Persian Gulf firing line
News of more mysterious tanker attacks, this time in the Gulf of Oman, is having its predictable effect on oil prices. But there is another fuel at risk: liquefied natural gas. What might conflict, or the threat of it, mean for this fast-growing segment of the energy business?

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A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world