Climate Watch

Rising Sun: How Japan is Winning the Energy Race

KQED's Los Angeles Bureau Chief and frequent Climate Watch contributor Rob Schmitz spent six weeks in Japan as part of the Abe Fellowship Program. Rising Sun is a series of special reports on Japan's extraordinary strides in energy efficiency--and what we might learn from them.

From KQED Public Radio

The California Report | Mon, Oct 19 2009, 8:50 AM

The State of Solar Power

You might think that when it comes to harnessing the sun, the Golden State is way out in front. California's solar program is indeed exceeding expectations, and the state is on track to double the sun power it generates by the end of the year. But we still have much to learn from another country: Japan.

The California Report | Mon, Oct 12 2009, 8:50 AM

The Power of Home-Grown Hydrogen

Residential fuel cells are still a rarity in California, but they're becoming more common in Japan. The Japanese government is pouring billions of dollars into the technology, and the investment should get fuel cells into a quarter of all homes in Japan by midcentury.

The California Report | Mon, Oct 5 2009, 8:50 AM

Japan: A Model of Energy Efficiency?

California has set a string of ambitious greenhouse gas-cutting goals in recent years, but whether they're attainable has been a subject of some skepticism. One country we might look to for inspiration is Japan, which is, by some measures, the most energy-efficient country on the planet. The island nation has spent the last three decades on an obsessive quest to reduce its energy consumption.

 

From the Climate Watch Blog

Powering Paltown: Pushing PV in Japan

Oct 18, 2009

Powering Paltown: Pushing PV in Japan

An innovative experiment in solar living energizes residents of a suburb in Japan.

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Mottainai! Saving Energy as Cultural Value

Oct 12, 2009

Mottainai! Saving Energy as Cultural Value

Rob Schmitz continues his series from Japan with some thoughts on one of the "intangibles" that may have set the stage for that nation's leadership in energy efficiency.

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Keeping Up with the Sakakis

Oct 03, 2009

Keeping Up with the Sakakis

Meet the Sakakis and find out why this family in suburban Tokyo embodies the Japanese energy-saving ethic.

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Japan's Zero Emissions Fever

Sep 29, 2009

Japan's Zero Emissions Fever

While the average American tract home keeps getting bigger, cutting-edge home building in Japan is all about shrinking the carbon footprint, if not the floor plan.

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Notebook Lost, Work Ethic Found

Sep 22, 2009

Notebook Lost, Work Ethic Found

In Japan, small commitments add up to big results. Even a lost reporter's notebook provides an object lesson.

Read More...
Copenhagen Sans Congress

Sep 16, 2009

Copenhagen Sans Congress

If left to the Congress, the U.S. could show up at Copenhagen empty-handed. But how much do climate policy makers really need Capitol Hill?

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Japan's Climate Plan: Too Ambitious?

Sep 08, 2009

Japan's Climate Plan: Too Ambitious?

Japan's incoming prime minister raises eyebrows with his greenhouse gas reduction target. Critics say it's a stretch, even for energy-efficient Japan.

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Trash Day in Tokyo: The Learning Curve

Sep 01, 2009

Trash Day in Tokyo: The Learning Curve

Let's see. Disposable diaper: burn it or bury it? For a new arrival in Japan, life is full of such dilemmas.

Read More...
Mister Hatoyama's Neighborhood

Aug 31, 2009

Mister Hatoyama's Neighborhood

Our Japan correspondent finds himself in the very seat of power--or across the street from it, at least.

Read More...

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