Mega Solar Power Plants Chipping Away at the Green--The Contradictions of Renewable Energy in Gifu and Kyoto in the 2020s

Mega Solar Power Plants Chipping Away at the Green--The Contradictions of Renewable Energy in Gifu and Kyoto in the 2020s
The ongoing development of mega solar power plants in Ena City, Gifu Prefecture, and Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, symbolize the "paradox of environmental destruction" that lies behind the promotion of renewable energy. The feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake has promoted the spread of renewable energy, but has also turned solar power generation into an investment target. In Gifu, deforestation has reduced water retention capacity, resulting in an increase in sediment runoff, and residents have demanded an injunction against construction. In Kyoto, the Tamba Highlands have been cut down, threatening the long-established satoyama culture. The contradiction of "development for the environment" destroying local nature was exposed, and the residents appealed for their "right to live with nature. In the background are the country's green growth strategy and decarbonization policy. Urban capital-led development has left behind the voices of ru
ral areas and caused the loss of the "nature protected by local communities" that the National Trust Movement had set forth. Now that the sun's rays are baking the greenery, we must ask, "Who is renewable energy light for?