Japan is lagging behind several other countries in developing liquid biofuels that serve as alternatives for fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. An increase in demand for oil caused by expanding economic activities worldwide as well as tighter government control of natural resources, as in Russia, are likely to drive up oil prices.
It is imperative that Japan develop alternative renewable energy sources to diversify energy sources and reduce reliance on oil. The development of such energy sources would also help combat global warming.
The International Energy Agency's "World Energy Outlook 2006," published Nov. 6, predicts that primary global energy demand will increase by 53 percent between now and 2030, with more than 70 percent of the increased demand coming from developing countries, led by China and India. The government needs to work out a concrete timetable for reducing Japan's dependence on oil through wider use of renewable energy. The rise in oil prices is likely to make it commercially more feasible to develop and use such energy.