Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

Sort of. They are testing what happens when you put biofuel in one engine:

Triple-digit oil prices are doing their damage across the world. With airlines strugglin to survive, the Business Travel Coalition issued a stark press release warning of bankruptcies by the end of the year.

High oil prices are a serious problem when it comes to food. Peak oil is peak food.

One of the nice things about living and working in Japan is that it's a convenient base for traveling to other parts of Asia. However, with oil hitting $135 a barrel last week, the days of cheap and easy travel look to be at an end.

As I mentioned previously, the media has reported with great fanfare the introduction of bioethanol to Japan. Hooray for technology!

I know I've been harping on energy and cars lately, but this kind of "reporting" on TV [link to video and transcript in Japanese] has me scratching my head. This is a prime example of news dressed up as an advertisement or PR. The clip is about biofuels (bioethanol from sugar cane and other plants) becoming available to consumers in Yokohama and how it will help combat global warming. The biofuel goes on sale tomorrow at 50 gas stations with the goal of supplying biofuels nationwide by 2010.

The Japan Times has an article on Toyota North America President Jim Press who said that technology is key to solving the auto industry's problems.

The Yomiuri had an article on geothermal power titled Benefits of geothermal power eyed. Given that Japan is completely dependent on foreign oil and that global warming is a serious problem, it's only natural that alternative energies be sought out. But looking at the headline, “Benefits of geothermal power eyed,” you'd wonder what those benefits are. Here they are: