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Cites

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1		-Japan needs nuclear power
2		-WNA 16 World Nuclear Association, "Nuclear Power in Japan," August 2016 AZ
3		-Japan needs to import about 84 of its energy requirements. Its first commercial nuclear power reactor began operating in mid-1966, and nuclear energy has been a national strategic priority since 1973. This came under review following the 2011 Fukushima accident but has been confirmed. The country's 50+ main reactors have provided some 30 of the country's electricity and this was expected to increase to at least 40 by 2017. The prospect now is for two thirds of this, from a depleted fleet. Currently 42 reactors are operable and potentially able to restart, and 24 of these are in the process of restart approvals. The first two restarted in August and October 2015. Despite being the only country to have suffered the devastating effects of nuclear weapons in wartime, with over 100,000 deaths, Japan embraced the peaceful use of nuclear technology to provide a substantial portion of its electricity. However, following the tsunami which killed 19,000 people and which triggered the Fukushima nuclear accident (which killed no-one), public sentiment shifted markedly so that there were wide public protests calling for nuclear power to be abandoned. The balance between this populist sentiment and the continuation of reliable and affordable electricity supplies is being worked out politically.
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5		-The plan reverses all of Japan’s past emissions reductions.
6		-Foster 12 “As Japan shuts down nuclear power, emissions rise”, May 4, 2012 By MALCOLM FOSTER http://phys.org/news/2012-05-japan-nuclear-power-emissions.html
7		-(AP) ~-~- The Fukushima crisis is eroding years of Japanese efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, as power plants running on oil and natural gas fill the electricity gap left by now-shuttered nuclear reactors. Before last year's devastating tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, Japan had planned to meet its carbon emissions reduction targets on the assumption that it would rely on nuclear power, long considered a steady, low-emissions source of energy. But now it's unclear to what extent nuclear energy will even be part of the electricity mix. Japan will be free of atomic power for the first time since 1966 on Saturday, when the last of its 50 usable reactors is switched off for regular inspections. The central government would like to restart them at some point, but it is running into strong opposition from local citizens and governments.With the loss of nuclear energy, the Ministry of Environment projects that Japan will produce about 15 percent more greenhouse gas emissions this fiscal year than it did in 1990, the baseline year for measuring progress in reducing emissions. In fiscal 2010, Japan's actual emissions were close to 1990 levels. It also raises doubts about whether it will be able to meet a pledge made in Copenhagen in 2009 to slash emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. For years, nuclear power was a pillar in Japan's energy and climate policies. Until the Fukushima disaster last year, it accounted for about a third of Japan's power generation, and Tokyo had planned to expand that to half by 2030. Now Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has pledged to reduce reliance on nuclear power, although his government is eager to restart some reactors to meet a looming power crunch during the hot summer months. "The big open question is whether and when the nuclear plants will come back on line, and what that implies for Japan's long-term emissions trajectory," said Elliot Diringer, executive vice president at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, in Arlington, Virginia. "If nuclear will no longer be a part of the energy mix, Japan is going to have a much tougher time reducing emissions," he said. Japan is a world leader improving energy efficiency, one important method of reining in emissions. But it has done less to expand renewable energy than several other nations, including Germany, which is phasing out nuclear power. Renewable energy accounts for about 9 percent of Japan's power generation - similar to the U.S. Most of that energy is hydroelectric power from dams; and some experts say solar and wind power are too intermittent to be a reliable source of base-load energy. As an incentive, the government will require utilities to buy power from renewable energy producers for a fixed price called "feed-in tariffs" starting in July. But the higher cost to produce renewable energy will mean higher prices for consumers.The 28-nation International Energy Agency maintains that nuclear power remains an important tool to battle global warming. "If you want to have something at a reasonable cost in terms of low carbon-emissions, then nuclear has to play a role," said Ulrich Benterbusch, director of the Paris-based group's Directorate for Global Energy Dialogue. "If you have more renewables in the mix, it's going to be more expensive." The government plans to announce a new energy strategy this summer with targets for renewables, nuclear and conventional power generation. In the meantime, Japan is spending billions importing extra oil and gas to meet demand - which is spewing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.Without nuclear power, Japan is projected to produce an additional 180 million-210 million tons of emissions this fiscal year compared to the base year of 1990, when emissions totaled 1.261 billion tons. That wipes out a significant chunk of reductions Japan achieved during 2008-2010 through energy efficiency, credits for helping developing countries devise cleaner technologies and planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide. Officials believe Japan can still barely meet its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions during the five-year period through 2012 by an average of 6 percent from 1990 levels.
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9		-Japan is key to solve warming
10		-Oike 15 Atsuyuki Oike (director general for global issues at the Foreign Ministry of Japan), "Japan’s action plan to fight climate change," The Japan Times, 7/30/2015 AZ
11		-Japan has now laid out its own national target for greenhouse gas emission reductions post-2020. The target, known as “Intended nationally determined contribution” (INDC) was submitted on July 17 and formalized Japan’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent from the 2013 level (25.4 percent from the 2005 level) by 2030. Japan’s ambitious INDC signals its determination to lead the way for the reduction of emissions globally. Japan’s INDC was crafted by summing up specific measures and advanced technologies that can be utilized. This makes it more transparent and concrete. Japan’s energy consumption per unit of GDP is currently about 30 percent lower than the average of other G-7 nations, making it one of the top performers globally. We will aim for a further 35 percent improvement in energy efficiency by 2030, by which time greenhouse gas emissions per GDP are projected to improve by around 40 percent. Japan also intends to accelerate introduction of renewable energy, with a sevenfold increase in solar power and a fourfold increase in wind and geothermal. At the 2010 Cancun Climate Conference in Mexico it was agreed that, by 2020, developed countries would jointly mobilize $100 billion per year from public and private sources to assist developing countries in tackling climate change. Japan has been providing significant support in this regard, with approximately $20 billion worth of climate finance provided for developing countries in 2013-2014. Japan also confirmed its contribution of $1.5 billion to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in May, despite the severe fiscal constraints we face. This contribution has enabled the fund to start its preparations to support developing countries. It is essential to implement support through the GCF as soon as possible particularly to those countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as the least developed countries, small island developing states, and countries in Africa. Innovation plays a key role in tackling climate change, particularly in the development of low-carbon technology. Japan will host the 2nd Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) in October. ICEF was launched by Abe in 2014 to provide a global platform for promoting discussion and cooperation among world leaders, industry representatives, academia and policymakers. This multi-faceted approach is necessary to help understand how innovations in energy and environmental technologies can offer climate change solutions. Japan will further promote the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), which facilitates the use of advanced low-carbon technologies in developing countries. To date, 14 countries have participated in this mechanism and six projects have been registered as JCM projects in Indonesia, Palau and Mongolia (including five energy-saving projects and one renewable project). Japan will continue its contribution to the reduction of global emissions through the steady implementation of this mechanism. Japan has been able to contribute to global emission reductions in part through the diffusion of cutting-edge technology. For example, techniques that have been developed and applied in Japan’s iron and steel mills have contributed to a reduction of 50 million tons of carbon dioxide per year on a worldwide scale. It is essential to further promote such initiatives across the private sector, and to explore how official development assistance and public finances can bolster such initiatives. An international framework to be adopted at the Paris Climate Change Conference is crucial in tackling climate change effectively. Although we expect tough and difficult negotiations on the road to Paris, Japan will continue to cooperate with other countries in working toward this framework.

EntryDate

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1		-2016-09-17 14:33:54.0

Judge

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1		-John Sims

Opponent

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1		-Cedar Park MT

ParentRound

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1		-11

Round

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1		-1

Team

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1		-La Canada Zhao Neg

Title

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1		-SEPOCT - DA - Warming Japan Updates

Tournament

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1		-Greenhill