May 20, 2004 - Sharp, Tsukui, Yamagata Prefecture, Pellet Stove - Eco-Environment News Summary

May 20, 2004 - Sharp, Tsukui, Yamagata Prefecture, Pellet Stove - Eco-Environment News Summary

1. proposal to utilize former golf course sites for solar power generation (May 2004)
A concept to utilize vacant land of disused golf courses and industrial parks for solar power generation was proposed. The system would generate renewable energy by taking advantage of the abundant sunlight and installing a system. Although there are some issues in terms of costs and systems, the possibility of introducing subsidies and green power certificate programs through citizen investment has been suggested, and the project is attracting attention as an advanced approach to both reuse of unused land and environmental conservation.

2) Restoration of Agricultural Land by Grazing in Tsukui (Kanagawa Prefecture, 2004)
In the Tsukui district of Kanagawa Prefecture, a project is underway to restore abandoned farmland by grazing beef cattle and removing weeds. The labor-saving method makes it possible even for elderly farmers to continue the project, and is also effective in preventing vermin. Similar projects are underway in Tokushima and Shimane, and are spreading as "Shimane-style grazing. It is attracting attention as a model that aims to achieve both sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation by linking it to satoyama management and local revitalization.

Biomass Utilization in Yamagata Prefecture (2004)
Yamagata Prefecture established a council of industry-academia-government collaboration to promote biomass utilization. Based on the prefecture's biomass vision formulated in 2004, the prefecture is aiming to build a recycling-oriented energy system that makes the most of local industries and resources.

4. woody biomass co-firing experiment by Hokuriku Electric Power Company (Fukui Prefecture, 2004)
Hokuriku Electric Power Co. has begun a demonstration test of co-firing power generation using woody biomass as an alternative fuel to coal at its Tsuruga Thermal Power Station. Wood chips and bark from sawmills are mixed with coal, pulverized, and burned. In addition to reducing CO₂ emissions, the project is exploring the possibility of resource-recycling energy by using by-products of the forestry industry.

5. wide-area eco-town collaboration among the four Setouchi prefectures (2004)
The four Setouchi prefectures of Kagawa, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Ehime have embarked on a wide-area collaboration for the purpose of complementing each other's eco-town projects and resource recycling. The goal is to increase recycling efficiency and create a new economic zone by sharing facility functions and conducting joint research across prefectural borders. The project includes metal recycling in Naoshima, a wood carbonization facility in Okayama, and RDF power generation in Hiroshima. Following discussions at the Chugoku-Shikoku Summit, this initiative is attracting attention as the first of its kind in Japan.

6. pellet stove dissemination issues (2004)
Stoves fueled by wood pellets have a low environmental impact, but their popularity is limited because they are inferior to general heating appliances in terms of price, convenience, and safety. Product improvement, price reduction, and safety performance improvement are urgently needed. Pellet stoves contribute to CO2 emissions reduction and forest preservation, but their diffusion to general households requires improvements from the consumer's perspective, such as simplified operability and maintenance, and standardization of catalogs and descriptions.

Review of Food Waste Recycling Law (2004)
The Food Waste Recycling Law, enacted in 2001, is under review to increase the emission reduction rate and expand the number of businesses subject to the law in anticipation of a review in 2006. There is a proposal to include not only commercial waste but also food waste from households, and it is expected that local governments will strengthen their efforts. The promotion of reuse may lead to a shift to a structure that aims not only for reduction but also for recycling.

8. Issues of the Home Appliance and Containers and Packaging Recycling Law (2004)
The Home Appliance and Containers/Packaging Recycling Law has been criticized for insufficient manufacturer responsibility, as municipalities bear most of the collection costs. Future revisions of the law are expected to clarify expanded producer responsibility, expand the scope of items covered, and introduce a system in which companies are responsible for everything from collection to recycling. It remains to be seen whether the strengthening of the legal system will motivate companies to introduce returnable containers and curb their emissions.

9. expansion of the environmental insurance market (2004)
In the U.S., the market for environmental pollution liability insurance has grown to $2 billion a year, and it has become an established means of preparing for risks such as soil remediation. In Japan, the need for environmental insurance is growing due to the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Law and the clarification of liability for illegal dumping, although the system has not yet been fully established and is not widely used. New types of insurance products have emerged that provide coverage for cost overruns and contamination detection, and are attracting attention as a corporate environmental risk countermeasure.

10. successful fuel cell experiment on a railroad (2004)
The Railway Technical Research Institute succeeded in the world's first experiment using polymer electrolyte fuel cells to drive rolling stock. The experiment confirmed that the fuel cells can power trains up to 10 kilometers per hour. The experiment, which aimed to utilize hydrogen energy and achieve zero emission operation, opened up prospects for the next generation of environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure. The challenges for future commercialization include increasing power output and ensuring safety.