The environmental cost of keeping mail and files online keeps rising
Everyone has seen warnings at the end of email saying, "Please consider the environment before printing." But for those who care about global warming, you might want to consider not writing so many emails in the first place. More and more, people rely on their ...
With coal under fire, 2020 could be a big year for wind power in Japan
One day, resource-deprived Japan may no longer have to import its energy, nor rely on nuclear power or coal, thanks to a renewable source with vast potential: offshore wind power. The International Energy Agency said in a report in November that by 2040, offshore wind ...
'Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy' spells out capital's plan to take on global climate crisis
Tucked into the tail end of the decade was Friday's release of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy," which unveils a blueprint for achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. In the strategy, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government states that it recognizes a ...
Giant solar park in the desert jump-starts Egypt's renewables push
Near the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, a swath of photovoltaic solar panels spreads over an area of desert so large it is clearly visible from space. They are part of the Benban plant, one of the world's largest solar parks following the completion last ...
Japan and China pledge to work together on energy-saving and environmental issues
Japan and China held a public-private forum meeting Sunday on energy saving and the environment, confirming cooperation in many projects. The Tokyo meeting brought together 800 officials from Japanese and Chinese government bodies, and companies including Panasonic Corp. as well as other organizations. Participants discussed technological ...
The United Nations rejected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's request to speak at its climate summit last September, government sources said Thursday, apparently due to the government's promotion of coal-fired power plants. Abe had wanted to brief participants at the U.N. Climate Action Summit on the ...
As extreme storms wreck power grids, Japan turns to home battery networks
After recent typhoons ravaged the nation's power grid and disrupted services to almost 1.4 million customers, the government is encouraging homeowners to invest in storage systems, seeking to marry batteries with existing rooftop solar capacity to create backup electricity networks. The backbone would be the ...
German state leader to visit Fukushima to see recovery and renewable energy efforts
Minister President Armin Laschet of North Rhine-Westphalia, a state located in western Germany, is set to pay a visit to Fukushima Prefecture in January to evaluate the progress being made to implement renewable energy sources and the region's recovery following the Great East Japan ...
World's energy watchdog is undermining climate change battle, critics say
A short walk from the Eiffel Tower, Fatih Birol oversees the world's energy watchdog, whose analyses of fuel demand have long been viewed as the gold standard by government officials, energy executives and investors. But now the Turkish economist and the International Energy Agency are ...
Cheap power the key to AI-based business
It is imperative that Japan reform its power industry to make electricity more affordable for industries relying on AI.
Akira Yoshino, winner of Nobel for work on lithium-ion batteries, sees tech as environmental fix
Midway through the 1800s, the English scientist Michael Faraday had the forethought to deliver a series of lectures on an object that was commonplace in Victorian Britain, as a way to get young minds hooked on science. He chose a candle. A century later, a newly ...
In the Australian Outback, answer to renewable power's top problem emerges
The answer to the renewable energy industry's biggest challenge is emerging in the Australian Outback. Early next year, one of the first power projects that combine solar and wind generation with battery storage is planning to start up in northern Queensland. The Kennedy Energy Park, ...
