Sounds like good news if they really mean business.

If the Japanese do get serious about this then we could see some interesting innovations in auto and electronic technology.

This would put pressure on other manufacturers to up their game regarding efficiency\emissions.

It is always in 2020 with everyone apparently now. In the meantime, they all do absolutely nothing! It is sort of like me promising my wife that I will reduce my consumption of beer by 50% by 2020. It means nothing. What I am really saying is that in 2020 and only in 2020 will I make an attempt to reduce my consumption. Until then, it is BAU.

The funny thing is that everyone may indeed have reduced emissions by 20% (probably a lot more) by 2020, but it won't be voluntary.

As if the levels from the 90's were good enough.

I'd like to see an announcement promising action in this budget year, not some vague promise of cuts in a decade.

Under Kyoto, cuts were promised by every signatory going into effect in 2005 with the goal of reducing emissions by an average of 5% by 2012 compared with 1990 levels.

Japan's goal was a reduction of 6% by 2012 relative to 1990 levels.

The reality?

Between 1992 and 2007, Japan's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 11%.

The only region of the world that has actually decreased emissions in any serious way are the countries of the former Soviet Union in which economic collapse destroyed demand for energy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

You believe this Expletive deleted., you will believe anything. Give these jokers two years in office and their so-called leftist platform will be firewood.

Don't start applauding for Japan just yet.

Japan's commitment to cut CO2 is phony. The offer is contingent on other countries all agreeing to make similar cuts at the Copenhagen conference.

Given that China has already said it won't be making emissions cuts until 2050 because cuts would hurt its economy, the Japanese cuts aren't going to happen. The Japanese offer means nothing...... It is just a PR ploy designed to gain goodwill among people who aren't informed about the actual conditions Japan put on their "commitment".

2020, 2050, might as well be 2250 for all we care.

One way would be to have fossil prices double, triple and quadruple from here and we'll see everyone scramble. No need for government edicts, vague promises and whatnot. The people will be crying out for answers, solutions, anything.

Of course there's the argument that $xxx oil would crash the economy. IMHO that's backwards.

Second run at $150, let's make it a good one and see what transpires.

Through the 80s and 90s the UKs CO2 production fell, just nowhere near enough to meet Kyoto.



This was due to de-industrisation and the take up of gas for baseload.

So British carbon dioxide emissions were outsourced to China and the rest of the developing world along with a large and growing trade deficit?

Japan may see a similar decrease in GHG emissions but much of that could be just a decline in economic activity.

Often it was more than a metaphor to describe its carbon production as being offshored. The giant Ravenscraig steelworks was dismantled and shipped to Malysia in 1993.

I seen a graph showing the upspike in Britains carbon consumption a couple of weeks ago, lets just say that is not falling.

japan has the advantage of a gradual decline in population

in australia our glorious leader is using australia's increasing pop.
as an excuse to justify limited cuts to GHG emissions

at the same time that each baby born in australia attracts
a "baby bonus" of $5000

More bad news for the US, if Japan's new leader, Yukio Hatoyama follows through with his campaign promise to stop buying any more US treasuries. Yes, this site has a religious slant but is noteworthy.


http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=6567.5047.0.0

Japan's prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama has started to demonstrate his Afghanistan foreign policy autonomy, away from the US. I'll try and keep an eye on this guy.


http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107720&sectionid=351020406

This is as one should expect, if you have two trading partners with reserve quality currencies, and one works to improve its stability, and the other tries to squeeze every possible luxury out of its status; it quickly becomes apparent which is the safer external currency to hold onto.

Sad that its the PRC that is creating a solid, market worthy currency.
Sadder still that its the US with its preaching on the wonders of capitalism, that is milking its own currency for freebies galore.

Well written, powerfull article. Seems to suggest the best time to get home for America would be ASAP.