Fukushima threatens fight against climate change

Climate Summit in Cancun (Mexico) 2010, Japan noted for his opposition to extending the Kyoto Protocol and its commitment to a UN agreement that both signatory countries as emerging economies limit their greenhouse gas emissions .
A few months later and after the disaster of Fukushima, the Japanese firm position on climate change loses steam. Japan might reconsider its promise to cut emissions by 2020, said an official of the Ministry of Environment in the press Japan.
Later, Yukio Edan, Chief of Staff of the Government came to the fore to qualify the bad news: Tokyo will have to analyze the impact of the crisis on many policy Fukushima and industries, and climate change will be one more. Japan plans to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases by 25% in 2020 to reach 1990 levels. However, this goal now seems a little more diffuse. "Right now, we have not decided whether to review that goal and we are not at a stage where we can make a decision," Edan said.

Fukushima and the Ecology

Even more direct was Hideki Minamikawa, administrative vice minister of Ministry of Environment: "It is true that our goal of reducing [emissions] will be affected significantly," recognized as recorded by the newspaper 'Yomuri'. Minamikawa is these days at the meeting in Bangkok on climate change, a prelude to the upcoming UN summit in Durban (South Africa).

The truth is that the complex of Fukushima was a fifth of all nuclear power in Japan and the disaster forced Japan to rethink energy policy. While reviewing the security measures of various plants throughout the country, international representatives gather in Bangkok expressed concern about the future.

The chief negotiator of the European Commission, Artur Runge-Metzer, acknowledged that the crisis of confidence in the nuclear impact on international negotiations on climate. "Nuclear is one of the energy that emit few greenhouse gases, the origin of climate change," said European press conference. Runge-Metezer also stressed the need to rethink our model of development, alternative technologies and renewable energy.

Fukushima and the nuclear energy

For its part, the chief economist of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, on Friday joined the voices of warning about the consequences of the catastrophe of Fukushima in the fight against climate change. Following the announced suspension of some nuclear power plants in Germany and the growing pressure in some countries against the extension of power plants or building new facilities, the nearest future resembles the past.

The gas and coal are back on the table. Looking to house, in late February, Miguel Sebastián defended the commitment of the Spanish Government for coal to ensure our security and energy independence. A month later, the data said that the main energy source in Spain in March had been the wind.
However, since international agencies warn: the abandonment of nuclear power using fossil fuels would increase by 0.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions by 2035, according to Fatih Birol. And Durban expected.