Akihabara News (Tokyo) — eJet Aerospace executives are confident that their technology can dominate the eVTOL industry, but they are still searching for deep-pocketed investors to make their vision a reality. If the funds are forthcoming, they would welcome making Japan their home base.

Saul Tarazona, the company’s co-founder and CEO, told Akihabara News in an exclusive interview that the technology is in place, and only financing is holding eJet back.

“The scientific work is done; there’s no more research to be done,” he asserts.

Tarazona’s pitch is that the patented SMAPAD electric cold jet propulsion system, developed by Raymond François Aubourg, is “a master scientific discovery” utilizing fluid dynamics, which allows the creation of eVTOLs that can massively outperform the competition.

“We can fly at 250 kilometers per hour at cruising speed in a range of 562 kilometers,” he claims.

Based on this technology, designs for two potential gyrocopter models have been drawn up–the two-seater GJet Æón and the four-seater GJet Kóan.

Tarazona emphasizes the low production costs, safety, and the anticipated high performance of these aircraft.

While the co-founders are currently found in Miami, Florida, and Bogota, Colombia, they are willing to build a new base wherever the financing becomes available, and that includes Japan.

Explaining the potential benefits to the host country, Tarazona states, “we would create jobs; we would create a new infrastructure; and we would create a new transportation system that is realistic.”

He also sees benefits for the transition to a green economy.

In its pre-seed round, eJet spent US$2.7 million on design and engineering, and now Tarazona and his colleagues are trying to raise US$10 million in the seed round to build the full-size propulsion system in order to further test and prove it to independent observers.

They are eager to move forward with their plans for production and licensing.

Should things fall into place and investors come forward, Tarazona makes clear that eJet does not intend to become merely a producer of hardware, but rather the operator of an air taxi service which might ultimately have a global reach.

The GJet Kóan could also be configured to carry cargo.

“The highest priority for us is to protect the technology,” he explains.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The biofuel ethanol has taken the United States by subsidized storm, and now it seems Japan too wishes to embrace this mainly corn-sourced fuel by committing to the US government to upgrade its ethanol demand.

When US President Joe Biden visited Japan last month, the joint statement included Tokyo’s promise to double ethanol imports from the United States by 2030, utilizing it as fuel for ground and air transportation.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel personally celebrated this development, declaring on Twitter: “More American corn, less Russian oil, and better for the environment—a win all around. Another notch in the belt for tighter US-Japan relations.”

Also, the US Grains Council, a trade association that promotes exports, publicly thanked Emanuel for his efforts to communicate the biofuel’s benefits to the Japanese government, and noted that Japan already ranked “as the fourth-largest export market for US coarse grains, co-products, ethanol, and meat products.”

Ethanol is being promoted by the US Grains Council and others as a way for countries to meet carbon-reduction goals and still offer consumers an efficient fuel. The US Renewable Fuel Standard program argues that “a certain volume of renewable fuel [can] replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil, or jet fuel.”

While US farmers and trade groups have celebrated biofuel promotion, concerns for energy security and achieving carbon neutrality are also key considerations.

On the other hand–similar to the wood pellet biofuels that the Japanese government has been keen on–ethanol runs into farming and land-use issues. Production of ethanol itself creates a considerable amount of carbon dioxide emissions.

Tokyo believes, however, that imports of ethanol from the United States might be useful in meeting its national carbon emissions reduction targets.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — While the voyage of the Suiso Frontier, bringing liquefied hydrogen from the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Australia, to Kobe, Japan, has been hailed as a breakthrough for the Australia-Japan Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project–and thus a new chapter for the emergence of clean energy–the environmental soundness of the achievement is less impressive under closer examination.

Both countries’ governments have touted the US$350 million HESC project as a “game changer” and “an environmentally conscious solution to producing clean hydrogen.”

According to the Tokyo-based Renewable Energy Institute, if Japan is to reach zero emissions in 2050, its greenhouse gas emissions must decline by 95% by 2045.

One of the Japanese government’s strategies to realize this ambition has been to partner with Australia in the extraction, liquefication, and export of hydrogen.

Unfortunately, the Australian government is well-known for its dependence on its established coal and gas industries, and its hydrogen strategy reflects this reality.

There is not yet any indication that there will be a fundamental policy change under the new Labor administration.

During the HESC pilot phase, almost 100% of the Australian hydrogen supplied to Japan via the Suiso Frontier has been produced from brown coal and biomass fuel.

Brown coal is one of the most emissions-heavy gasification methods for hydrogen production. For every ton of hydrogen produced, 10-12 tons of carbon dioxide is emitted. This means that it is one of the most polluting forms of energy.

Brown coal is employed despite “clean hydrogen” being touted as a key focus of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.

There is not a single state in Australia which does not engage in coal mining, and in 2019 alone, coal was responsible for over 164 million tons of Australia’s greenhouse emissions–almost 31% of the national total.

However, despite the detrimental effects coal has on the environment, Australia’s Office of the Chief Economist reported that over a hundred new or expansionary fossil fuel projects were launched last year alone.

According to Market Forces, an Australian campaign group dedicated to assisting people in avoiding environmentally destructive spending, “just four of the projects… would enable the release of 9.8 billion [tons] of CO2 [emissions], enough to cancel out any gains made under Australia’s emissions reduction target (2021-2030) 109 times over.”

Such facts leave Canberra open to accusations that its hydrogen strategy is little more than a cover for the continued promotion and use of fossil fuels, thus constituting a clear-cut instance of greenwashing.

An alternative, environmentally-friendly approach would be a massive expansion of so-called “green hydrogen.” Green hydrogen is created using renewable resources, such as solar and wind power, in a process known as electrolysis. It is a minimal-to-zero carbon emissions technique.

Both Japan and Australia cite concern for the environment as a primary motive for the HESC project.

Markets and Markets, a research firm, has predicted that hydrogen generation will account for US$200 billion globally within three years.

Furthermore, according to the International Energy Agency, hydrogen demand is “expected to expand 44% by 2030.”

By comparison, the global green hydrogen market is predicted to reach barely US$10 billion by 2028, according to the projections of Allied Market Research. This would account for around only 5% of the total market.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — With the rapidly expanding need for renewable energy storage, the role of lithium-ion batteries has become vital. However, the manufacturing and widespread use of lithium-ion batteries has proven to be less environmentally friendly and economically efficient than once believed.

In Chile, the second-largest lithium-producing country in the world, opposition is growing to the negative environmental and social impacts which lithium mines have imposed upon local communities and habitats.

The process of mining lithium in the salt flats of Salar de Atacama, Chile, requires the pumping of large amounts of salty ground water from nearby lakes. This process greatly damages local habitats that are home to a variety of species, including flamingos, whose population is shrinking in the areas around the mines.

Furthermore, the copious amounts of water required for lithium mining has also led to water shortages in indigenous Chilean communities.

With a more progressive government coming into office, restrictions on the mining sector are expected to tighten, and this may in turn reduce the amounts of lithium exported to the world market.

This could become a major problem as Electric Vehicles (EVs) proliferate. According to the International Energy Agency, the number of EVs on the road in 2021 was triple that of 2018, reaching 16.5 million, and projections anticipate exponential growth through this decade and beyond.

Another metal required for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, cobalt, is facing similar challenges.

Around 70% of the world’s cobalt is supplied by the Democratic Republic of Congo through poorly-regulated artisanal and small-scale mining operations that carry significant human costs, such as health risks and dangerous working conditions.

Furthermore, waste from Congolese cobalt mines pollutes local waterways which supply drinking water to surrounding communities.

Environmental concerns do not end at the damage caused by mineral extraction. Once the finite life of a lithium-ion battery expires, disposal poses a separate environmental threat, as leaking fluids from the batteries contaminate landfills and create fire hazards.

As a result of stronger environmental oversight and shortages of key raw materials, the prices of lithium-ion batteries has been rising, and this may continue in future years.

Consequently, the race is on to find solutions.

One possibility, backed by one of the Nobel Prize-winning inventors of lithium-ion batteries, Akira Yoshino, is to focus on recycling.

Currently, the global recycling rate for lithium-ion batteries is less than 5%, with Australia achieving a measly rate of only 2-3% in spite of being an advanced industrial economy.

While recycling may not be a comprehensive solution to the shortages–that may have to wait for technological advancement–it may go a long way toward relieving the immediate crisis.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Biomass has become an increasingly popular alternative energy source, but the sustainability of wood pellets, which fuel many of these plants, has been called into question.

In the one-year period between 2020 and 2021, Japan’s wood pellet imports rose by 50% to 3 million metric tons, according to the USDA Global Agricultural Information Network.

Wood pellet biofuels are made by compressing wood fiber or lumber byproducts into smaller pellets. The appeal of this particular biofuel lay in its compactness, dryness, and portability relative to other types of biomass fuel. The pellets are used in boilers or stoves for heating as well as in power plants as a coal alternative.

Japan generated over 3GW of electricity in 2019 using wood pellets, a figure that is rapidly growing, in part because they are promoted by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry subsidies.

The problem, however, is that larger-scale use of wood pellets may create new problems for sustainability, and it doesn’t make Japan less dependent on foreign markets for its energy supplies.

More than 90% of wood pellets come from overseas and, according to the nonprofit Biomass Industry Society Network, there is no prospect that Japan’s own woodlands can themselves meet the growing demand.

The overwhelming majority of the wood pellets are imported from Vietnam and Canada.

Unfortunately, the creation of wood pellets causes deforestation. The elimination of such crucial carbon sinks throws into question the climate-friendly nature of wood pellet-fueled biomass energy.

Palm kernel shells, which is another type of biofuel commonly used in Japan, has a similar tendency to cause deforestation.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — As Japan seeks to expand its onshore wind power capacity in pursuit of carbon neutrality, high installation costs continue to stand in the way.

Installation costs fall mainly into three categories: turbine costs; foundations and site preparation; and electrical work and transmission infrastructure costs.

Of the three categories, turbines account for the largest proportion of the expense.

Even though the average cost of turbines has fallen over the past several years, Japan costs remain higher than the international average.

According to the Renewable Energy Institute (REI), average turbine costs per kilowatt in Japan have fallen by over 15% between 2016 and 2021. However, this is still about 13% more expensive than the international average.

There is no single explanation for Japan’s higher turbine costs, but REI suggests that one salient factor is Japan’s preferred class of wind turbine–developers tend to select a more expensive class of turbines which can better withstand strong winds, even in the face of major typhoons.

The rising cost of ready-mix concrete, needed for the pile foundations used in lowland wind farms, is another factor. In Osaka, for example, prices have increased by over 50% since 2013.

Prior to the introduction of the Renewable Energy Special Measures Act in 2016, wind power producers were required to bear additional costs when connecting to the grid.

If the transmission and distribution system operator determined that there was no available capacity, the producer was charged for grid upgrade costs.

Some operators, in an effort to offset the power production infrequency due to wind variability, also used to require producers to install battery storage, further driving up the costs.

In the wake of the 2016 legislation, such battery storage costs have been eliminated.

Nevertheless, according to figures provided by the International Renewable Energy Agency, installation costs in Japan are nearly 73% more expensive than the international average.

Despite this cost differential, REI asserts that “onshore wind power is a promising energy source that will be indispensable to the firm achievement of carbon neutrality in Japan.”

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan’s offshore wind power development is suddenly threatened from an unexpected direction–the demands of the Defense Ministry, which says that the massive turbines may interfere with its missile defense radar.

It has been revealed that the Defense Ministry has singled out about ten offshore zones earmarked for development which it says could pose a national security risk.

Self-Defense Forces radar emits radio waves that bounce off objects, with the returning signal allowing objects to be located. The Defense Ministry believes that offshore turbines may interfere with its radar, making it more difficult to identify incoming planes or missiles.

The Defense Ministry says that this has already proven to be the case with some onshore wind turbines located on mountaintops and along the Sea of Japan coastline.

In March, the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that offshore turbines can interfere with ships’ navigational radar systems

Offshore wind, however, is seen as a crucial element to boost renewable energy and to achieve the nation’s decarbonization goals. Since the enabling legislation was passed in 2019, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) have been moving quickly to prepare promising offshore zones, most of which happen to be along the Sea of Japan coastline due to the extreme depth of ocean waters along Japan’s Pacific coastline.

Until now, offshore wind was not seen to be within the purview of the Defense Ministry.

It now seems likely the Defense Ministry’s objections will have a serious negative impact on Japan’s offshore wind power development. Some developer plans may be revised, and some offshore zones suitable for wind turbines may be dropped from consideration entirely.

This is doubly the case because the ruling party is filled with defense hawks who will automatically prioritize Defense Ministry concerns over renewable energy plans.

Indeed, the rightwing commentator Kotoe Hashimoto has already suggested that there may be a conspiracy involved: “Are the enemies promoting renewable energy in order to carry out the bombing of main island Japan?”

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With major televised events and significant sponsorships from global brands, it’s safe to say that esports has hit a new level of popularity. Insider Intelligence estimates there are 29.6 million monthly viewers in the US in 2022. That’s up 11.5% from last year, which gives us a clear picture of growth.

Many people have only briefly heard of esports or are just coming to appreciate the growing phenomenon. If you fit into that category, it can be challenging to get to grips with what the fuss is about. However, with a closer look, it becomes easier to see why esports are so popular.

Read on to get a better understanding of what esports is and what it includes. Plus, find out what has caused esport’s recent growth and its increase in popularity.

What Does eSports Mean?

eSports comes from the combination of the words electronic and sports. It refers to competitive video gaming, which usually involves two individuals or teams going head-to-head to win. Like other sports, it commonly has a spectator element.

The format usually involves local or global tournaments with professional or amateur teams competing to win a cash prize. The style of the game will affect how the tournament operates. It could be competing against other players in specific game modes, direct battles, or aiming to complete a map first.

Several types of games are part of the competitive world of esports. There are some sports, such as FIFA or NBA 2K. Other games usually fall into the category of FPS (first-person shooter), MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), and RTS (real-time strategy). Titles include Street Fighter, CS:GO, Dota 2, and Hearthstone.

Delivers Similar Benefits to Other Sports

If you’re confused about the popularity of esports, it’s useful to note that they have a similar appeal to other sports. They’re fast-paced and exciting for players and spectators. For players to perform well in tournaments, they need to have in-depth knowledge of the game.

The level of professionalism and skill can easily be compared to other professional athletes.

Witnessing that as a spectator holds the same level of appreciation and awe. Just like any other sporting event, you can gather your friends for a livestream or get tickets for an event where the stadium atmosphere is electric.

Online Entertainment

eSports is part of a growing movement of online entertainment. It’s one of many sources of fun that are now becoming top priorities for people looking to fill their leisure time. Alongside playing at an online casino, esports and esports betting are delivering thrills and diverse ways to pass the time.

Like casinos, esports popularity has grown in recent years thanks to advances in technology. Game quality has hit a new peak, meaning that the quality of the action, controls, and graphics makes for a smoother performance. The quality of the video and the ability to stream it has also played a role in making it possible to share tournaments with spectators worldwide.

Online Community

One of the critical reasons esports is so popular is that it didn’t just take something that already existed and turn it into something new. It has added to the appeal of sports and competition by combining a social aspect.

Many people are now heading online to socialize with friends or to meet new people. While social media was at the forefront of this trend, there has been an increasing appetite for people to find independent forums where they can meet likeminded people.

eSports provide the opportunity for online community engagement as there are servers and chat opportunities for most streams and events. Spectators don’t only get to share their appreciation together; they also get to feel more connected to the players to a much higher level than football fans, for example.

Accessible and Inclusive

Although you might need a fairly expensive kit to play, an internet connection, a computer, or a game console can be found in many households across the world. That’s all anyone needs to start playing. It’s not necessary to find a sports field, a team to join, or sports equipment.

To become an esports player, you might need a team and a coach one day, but it’s possible to practice alone at any hour. Teams can be mixed of men, women, those with disabilities and all nationalities, meaning that none of those factors will necessarily be a barrier to participation.

eSports Is Here to Stay

As an exciting and accessible sport, it’s clear that the popularity of esports isn’t a short-lived trend. It brings people together in an engaging way with diverse formats, and more and more people are paying attention.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — A newly-constructed 54MW solar farm has been connected to the grid in Sano city, Tochigi Prefecture.

The solar farm was built on the former location of a golf course, and was developed by Juwi Shizen Energy, which is joint venture founded in 2013 between the German project developer Juwi and the Japanese renewables firm Shizen Energy.

At 54MW, this is the largest-ever solar project for the joint venture.

With the completion of the Sano plant, Juwi Shizen Energy has installed a total capacity of 479MW in Japan.

Moreover, there are two larger projects underway–a 100MW solar farm in Fukushima Prefecture and a 121MW facility in Hyogo Prefecture.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — “We will radically strengthen our country’s rocket launch capabilities,” declared Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last month.

The prime minister is concerned about Japan’s overreliance on the United States and Russia, especially since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. He wants Japan to launch more rockets into space from its own facilities.

Currently there are two existing rocket launch venues in Japan, the Tanegashima Space Center and the Uchinoura Space Center, both in Kagoshima Prefecture. These facilities are open to private companies as well as to international collaborative efforts.

However, these older launch sites are in need of upgrade. Tanegashima is slated to expand storage facilities for rocket engines and other components, which will allow for more frequent launches.

In addition, Oita Airport expects to become the first venue in Asia for the launch of a satellite into space from an airplane, which may take place as early as this year.

The Kishida administration is concerned about growing competition from other Asian nations, many of which are developing their own space ports and could draw business away from Japan.

In terms of the rockets themselves, Japan’s national efforts took off with the H-II rocket, first test launched by the now-defunct National Space Development Agency of Japan in 1994.

Its successor rocket, the H-IIA, was turned over to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as a privatization measure in 2007.

MHI and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are now hard at work to prepare the next generation H3 launch vehicle, touted as being more cost competitive. However, the inaugural launch of the H3 has been repeatedly delayed due to engine problems.

On the startup scene, Interstellar Technologies has launched several rockets to the edge of space, last year successfully delivering its first payload.

The government is planning to offer Japanese firms additional support through the placement of launch orders.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Asahi Soft Drinks is rolling out carbon offset vending machines across the country.

Beginning this month on an all-Japan scale, passersby may begin to notice that some machines have been slapped with a “Green Power” logo and an explanation, in Japanese, that these are “Carbon Offset Vending Machines.”

What it means is that the vending machine is part of the Green Power Certificate scheme, introduced by Japan Natural Energy Company, which verifies that the electricity used to power the machine has been offset elsewhere by investments in carbon reductions.

This system was established to enable companies which do not possess their own green power generation capacity to demonstrate responsible behavior, and thus contribute to increased business sector demand for solar, wind, and other renewables.

Asahi Soft Drinks last month switched over about four hundred vending machines at its own company offices, and it expects to cover almost all of them across Japan by 2025.

Some international environmental organizations question the degree of effectiveness of carbon offsets in addressing the climate crisis.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The rollercoaster saga of Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada has taken another bizarre and unlikely turn as the controversial billionaire seizes by force one of the largest casino resorts in the Philippines.

Okada’s career is a storied one. The soon-to-be 80-year-old mogul originally built his wealth as a producer of pachinko machines with his company Universal Entertainment Corporation. He partnered at the beginning of this century with Steve Wynn to enter the casino business, and was instrumental in establishing Wynn Resorts. Eventually, Okada’s relationship with Wynn soured and the Japanese entrepreneur made a risky move to build his own independent casino resort, Okada Manila, in the Philippine capital.

But Okada’s fortunes took a sharp turn for the worse in early 2017 when he was accused of embezzlement and misuse of company funds for personal benefit. In a true melodrama, he lost control of Universal Entertainment when his ex-wife and children voted him out.

In the following years, Okada kept up the fight. Dodging arrest warrants and losing multiple court cases in Japan, the Philippines, and elsewhere, his struggle looked increasingly quixotic.

That is, until April 27, when the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a shocking order that Tiger Resort, Leisure & Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI), the management company for the Okada Manila casino resort, must restore the company leadership to the state that it was in before Okada had been removed.

This appeared to contradict a 2020 verdict by the Japanese Supreme Court which had upheld Okada’s removal from the leadership of the parent company, Universal Entertainment, which is the 99.9% owner of TRLEI.

On May 31, about fifty security guards and police led by former TRLEI board member Antonio “Tony Boy” Cojuangco, acting on behalf of Okada, arrived at the casino resort and physically removed the management loyal to the current leadership of Universal Entertainment.

Lawyer Estrella Elamparo, who was on the scene, told the local media that senior executive Hajime Tokuda was dragged out of room by “goons” and effectively kidnapped before their eyes. He was eventually deposited at his home, traumatized by the experience.

Back in Tokyo, Universal Entertainment denounced what it called “serious criminal offenses,” and it vowed to take legal action.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the powerful regulator of the country’s gambling industry, waited a few days and then fully backed the Okada group’s physical takeover of the premises, downplaying allegations of physical violence.

However, video taken at the time emerged that confirmed Tokuda was indeed roughly handled and dragged out of the facility, contradicting the claims of both the Okada partisans and the government regulator.

Most recently, the Tokyo-based leadership of Universal Entertainment accused PAGCOR of “manifest bias” and “an act of graft and corruption”–very strong words indeed for a major corporation to use against a government organization.

The current situation is a confused one. Allies of Kazuo Okada now have physical control of TRLEI and its Okada Manila casino resort, with the apparent backing of the Philippine authorities. Meanwhile, the parent company in Tokyo, the 99.9% owner of TRLEI, is fiercely and loudly denouncing what it calls the violence and corruption of the takeover, trying to regain control of the property which it ostensibly owns.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The government’s energy strategy has come under fire yet again, this time from the UK-based think tank Ember. With the European Union ramping up its efforts to meet its clean energy obligations, the Ember report outlines what the government needs to do to catch up.

The EU has progressed far beyond Japan in terms of its renewable energy development.

For example, Japan’s non-nuclear renewable energy goal for 2030–38% of all energy produced in the country–is roughly the same as where Europe stands today. Meanwhile, the EU expects that 69% of its energy will come from non-nuclear renewable sources in 2030.

The EU’s ambitious goals are expected to be made possible by the widespread use of solar and wind power in particular.

Central to the EU’s solar energy strategy is the addition of rooftop solar panels, which it is considering mandating for new residential building construction.

Currently, only about 10% of Japan’s solar capacity comes from rooftop installations.

The Ember report argues that this represents a crucial area of untapped potential in Japan.

Wind power could also help Japan catch up, according to the report. The government’s current renewable energy plans for 2030 anticipate wind power usage at only about 10% of that of the United Kingdom, a goal which Ember argues is far too modest.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — During US President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Japan, one of the most important areas of bilateral collaboration highlighted was the Artemis Program, which will see the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) working together on multiple Moon missions.

The Artemis Program was signed into existence in September 2020, following former US President Donald Trump’s push for a revival of his country’s space ambitions. It seeks to establish, according to NASA, “a robust human-robotic presence on and around the Moon.”

Japan signed the Artemis Accords the same year, joining its international framework for the civilian exploration of space.

The program consists of three missions: Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight planned for this August; Artemis II, a crewed lunar flyby scheduled for May 2024; and Artemis III, a crewed Moon landing lasting approximately thirty days, and set for 2025.

JAXA will work with the European Space Agency to supply a module for an orbital station, known as Gateway, meant for use and habitation by Artemis astronauts.

Additionally, Japan’s private sector will play a role in supporting the program, building lunar rovers and landers.

Among these firms is the Tokyo-based startup ispace, which has already been selected by NASA to collect resources from space on the agency’s behalf. The company also intends to participate in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which will offer delivery from the Earth to the Moon.

As announced by President Biden, at least one of the Moon landings will include a Japanese astronaut. He stated that “to see Japanese and American astronauts walk on the Moon together reflects our nations’ shared values to explore space responsibly and transparently for the benefit of humanity here on Earth.”

The Artemis Moon missions are also conceived as being a key step toward manned missions on Mars.

The last humans to set foot on the Moon did so during the Apollo 17 mission of December 1972. Only US citizens have so far walked the Moon’s surface.

For its part, previous JAXA Moon probes have all been unmanned and have not touched down.

In December 2013, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program’s unmanned Chang’e 3 mission became the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon since the 1970s. It was the first of a series of ongoing rival lunar missions sponsored by Beijing.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a Paris-based intergovernmental organization, emissions from SUVs have grown to become the second-largest source of carbon released into the atmosphere between 2010 and 2021.

Only the energy sector continues to produce more carbon emissions, with SUVs surpassing shipping, aviation, heavy industry, and even trucks.

In 2021, SUVs produced 900 million tons of carbon globally, meaning that if SUVs were a nation, they would rank just below Russia in terms of total emissions.

On average, SUVs produce 14-20% more carbon emissions than a medium-sized car.

“SUVs are typically around up to 250 kilograms heavier than a conventional hatchback and, being taller, have worse aerodynamics as a result of the bigger frontal area, leading to higher fuel consumption and, therefore, higher CO2 emissions,” wrote Florent Grelier in a recent report on carbon emissions released by the campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E).

T&E also noted that while the footprint of SUVs is nearly identical to most medium-sized cars, they are taller. This increased height makes them eleven times more likely to roll over during a collision. In accidents involving pedestrians, injuries are more likely to be fatal, because victims are struck in the torso as opposed to the legs.

On the other hand, most drivers perceive the higher cabin position and increased weight of SUVs as providing increased visibility and safety, despite the larger blind spot immediately in front of the vehicle.

The global fleet of SUVs has increased from about 50 million in 2010 to around 320 million in 2021. In the last year alone, the SUVs increased by over 35 million, according to the IEA, indicating that sales have remained robust throughout the pandemic.

With a powerful advertising apparatus at its disposal, automotive companies have leveraged people’s desire for safety, ruggedness, and dependability, creating a generational shift in purchasing preferences away from sedans and toward SUVs.

These automotive companies have also tapped into the market appeal of vehicles capable of operating in various terrains and weather conditions, even if the reality is that most buyers will never use their SUV outside of an urban setting.

Dynamic images of SUVs tackling off-road environments with ease in sunshine, rain, or snow has created an aura of freedom and independence that has become part of the allure of this vehicle class.

Such marketing campaigns have been successful, with four out of every ten vehicles sold globally in 2018 being a SUV, according to the IEA. In the United States, the average is even higher with SUVs being one out of every two vehicles sold, and in Europe the average is slightly lower, at one in three.

The increased popularity of SUVs, however, has come at the expense of the global climate. More fuel-efficient classes of vehicles have been replaced by an inefficient class with little regard to the impact on global warming.

While many automotive companies do promote greener vehicles, most sales are not of climate-friendly Electric Vehicles (EVs), but rather gasoline-powered.

In an interview last week with Nation of Change, a progressive news outlet based in the United States, Karen Sokol, a professor at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, stated, “The companies are making a lot of money from SUVs, so they continue to market those, but emphasize sales of EVs at the same time. The danger is that company ads risk allowing them to continue business as usual.”

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The Renewable Energy Institute, a Tokyo-based think tank, recently released a report contending that Japan’s energy goals for 2050 are too reliant on problematic Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has indicated that it will introduce a system of mixed power generation in Japan by 2050 which will see renewable energy limited to about 50–60%–a proportion that falls well below the 90% recommended by the International Energy Agency.

Japan hopes to meet its carbon neutral targets through the widespread use of CCS.

CCS denotes the storage of carbon underground in order to keep it from rising into the atmosphere and aggravating the climate crisis. CCS advocates believe that this technology has a crucial role to play in meeting climate obligations.

For its part, the Renewable Energy Institute contends that the Japanese government’s plans are overreliant on CCS as a means to preserve thermal power plants, noting that it is economically inefficient and ultimately not practical.

Indeed, CCS is losing some of the international popularity which it once enjoyed. CCS projects currently in operation are few in number due to the relatively high economic and environmental costs of implementation. Of the 31 CCS projects currently in operation globally, 28 store their carbon in land-based underground reservoirs.

As noted in the Renewable Energy Institute’s report, however, suitable onshore locations within Japan capable of storing large amounts of carbon have not yet been discovered.

Consequently, the Japanese government is now exploring the possibility of storing carbon offshore; that is, beneath the seabed.

The Renewable Energy Institute notes that any attempt to implement such a policy would be extremely costly in comparison to a land-storage system, partially due to the lack of existing research. Furthermore, the technology required to transport carbon to offshore storage sites on an industrial scale has yet to be proven.

One additional possibility that the Japanese government is exploring is to export carbon to overseas sites in Southeast Asia for processing and storage, which could lead to international complications. The Renewable Energy Institute calls this a “double vulnerability.”

The norm for most nations, the report emphasizes, is simply to phase out thermal power plants.

For Japan, earthquakes pose a special risk to CCS storage projects.

Research by the US Department of Energy has concluded that temblors could potentially cause carbon reservoirs to leak, resulting in environmental damage to soil, groundwater, and surface water. Of course, carbon leaking into the atmosphere would also cancel out the expected environmental benefits of the technology.

The report emphasizes that Japan’s current energy strategy does not include plans to research and address this potential threat.

Moreover, studies by Stanford University and the US National Research Council have concluded that CCS is itself capable of triggering earthquakes.

The Renewable Energy Institute fears that the Japanese government’s plans fall far below the emerging global standard for combatting the threat of carbon emissions, and create unnecessary risks.

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