Oil or biofuels? Japan has neither
Bioethanol from rice straw and husks and used construction materials, such as waste wood and wood chips, at a cost of 100 yen per liter?
At present, such fuel costs more like 2000 yen, making it yet another pipe dream.
Hisane Masaki is a Tokyo-based journalist, commentator and scholar on international politics and economy. He frequently writes for Asia Times:
The rising oil price is one of the biggest potential threats to the Japanese economy. The country imports almost all of its oil - 4.2 million barrels a day last year - with nearly 90% coming from the Middle East. Domestic gasoline prices soared to their highest-ever levels last week, reaching an average of 154.9 yen, according to the Oil Information Center, after global crude oil prices hit a record US$99.29 a barrel last month.
The New National Energy Strategy, which was compiled last year by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), set a goal of reducing the nation's reliance on oil for transport to 80% from the current 100% by 2030.
More about Japan's efforts to introduce tax breaks for biofuels at Asia Times: Japan steps up its biofuel drive
At present, such fuel costs more like 2000 yen, making it yet another pipe dream.
Hisane Masaki is a Tokyo-based journalist, commentator and scholar on international politics and economy. He frequently writes for Asia Times:
The rising oil price is one of the biggest potential threats to the Japanese economy. The country imports almost all of its oil - 4.2 million barrels a day last year - with nearly 90% coming from the Middle East. Domestic gasoline prices soared to their highest-ever levels last week, reaching an average of 154.9 yen, according to the Oil Information Center, after global crude oil prices hit a record US$99.29 a barrel last month.
The New National Energy Strategy, which was compiled last year by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), set a goal of reducing the nation's reliance on oil for transport to 80% from the current 100% by 2030.
More about Japan's efforts to introduce tax breaks for biofuels at Asia Times: Japan steps up its biofuel drive
Comments
A better approach would be to look toward shifting toward a sustainable economy that (over a long period obviously) uses less and less fuel of all kinds.
But as long as corporation run things it won't happen.
Also, I don't know how the electricity rates here work, just how much we pay each month, but perhaps a graduated billing scale so the more you use the more you pay per kilowatt. (or the more you cut back the more you save per kilowatt). They do that with water rates in Hawaii.