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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 | Monday, 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 | Monday, 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 | Monday, Oct 05, 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
Dec 09, 2011
Wave Created by Japanese Earthquake was a ?Merging Tsunami?
Researchers have long suspected that tsunamis sometimes merge to create a single more powerful wave, but the tsunami caused by the earthquake that rocked Japan earlier this year was the first time they actually saw it happen. Continue reading
Oct 18, 2009
Powering Paltown: Pushing PV in Japan
An innovative experiment in solar living energizes residents of a suburb in Japan. Continue reading
Oct 11, 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. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
Sep 28, 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. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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? Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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