http://my.nowpublic.com/world/future-now-green-automobiles-replace-polluting-cars

By, Uwe Paschen.

Replacing at least 90% of all conventional Gasoline powered automobiles in Japan with in the coming decade with environment friendly vehicles. This was the election promise last August made by our new Social Democratic Government.

It seems that they will keep this electoral promise and that most cars on the roads of Japan will in deed be powered by either electricity or Hydrogen before the end of 2020. This is done with a systematic approach that is cost effective and builds on existing infrastructures rather then having to make massive new investments.

The First step was the Hybrid; this is now followed by the electric car and will lead to the Hydrogen powered car by 2050.

The electric car is ready for the market now and went on sale last December with government incentives of up to 1.4 million Yen (wish equates to about $15,000.00).

Mitsubishi is selling since December 2009 its new “MIEV” here in Japan wish cost at the moment 4 million Yen (about $45,000.00), the governments incentive would bring the current price down to 2.6 million Yen (or $30,000.00).

Videos

Test Drive BMW Hydrogen Car

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sourced by Uwe Paschen

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Mitsubishi for its part plans to be able to lower the price down to 2 million Yen ($22,000.00) by 2012.

Similar models and price rages can be fund with all major carmakers, such as Daimler AG,Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Corp., Renault SA, Peugeot-Citroen, and VW AG. They all have and are still developing new-generation electric vehicles as well as Hydrogen powered automobiles.

Most of us do not realise that the Electric vehicles were among the earliest automobiles, starting in 1881, with the French inventor Gustave Trouvé who demonstrated a working three-wheeled automobile that was powered by electricity, and this was before the pre-eminence of light or powerful internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many vehicle land speed and distance records in the early 1900s. Those were produced byBaker Electric, Columbia Electric, Detroit Electric, and others and at one point in history they out-sold gasoline-powered vehicles.

Still, preceding those electric engines was the hydrogen internal combustion engine wish was invented in 1807 by François Isaac de Rivaz a Swiss engineer. Today Hydrogen engines are making a come back after two centuries of neglect and those new engines prove to be more efficient bulk for bulk then any Gasoline engines could ever be. Those Hydrogen powered engines are not lacking future potential in diverse applications either, even in the racing industry. Judging by the single seat BMW H2R wish has most recently set a land-speed record for H2 cars of 298 Km/H (185 mph) plus eight other speed records as well.

Wile electric motors do not have the torque of combustion engines and still have limited range due to the batteries charge, their weight and life span. They do seem to be the best solution for the time being for passenger cars short to medium and long-range travel.

In heavy transportation, agriculture and construction though, the best way to go seems to be the Bio-Diesel engine or the Hydrogen engine.

While some consumers are still reluctant to make the change in favour of the environment and find countless excuses not to go green, the facts show that none of those seem valid though.

For instance, some argue that the range of an electric car is to limited.

Most people drive less then 40 Km per day and most electric cars have a range exceeding 120 Km and need a maximum of 7 hours to fully charge when empty on a 100 Volt outlet and only 20 minutes at a charging station, wish uses 480 Volt outlets. Those electric cars can already be recharged almost anywhere today and new charging stations are being build with low investments. Usually the charging time is much less since at the end of the day the battery is not completely empty.

Further, electric cars are not only for short distance driving, for the past seven years that electric cars have been tested, those where regularly driven in excess of 160 Km.

The electricity used by electric car does cause no pollution if produced by renewable energies sources and even if the electricity is produced by coal power plants it still causes 0.2 Kg less CO2 pollution for every 3 Km driven then the average Gasoline powered car wish produces 1 Kg of CO2 for every 3 Km driven.

The power grid can handle the switch to electric cars as well as a 2007 study fund; wish was conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Batteries’ polluting the environment is of concern for many consumers. However, it is unfunded since all manufactures do offer extensive recycling programs and already today more then 95% of all batteries are being properly recycled in Japan and the EU.

Today those batteries are still expensive. This will rapidly change though, as Mitsubishi announced for there own batteries for example, the cost will be reduced by two third by 2012 once the production volume has amortise the initial investment cost.

The fear of explosion or fire off the batteries is unfunded as well since they are many kinds of lithium-ion batteries, those that have made the news are the lithium-cobalt batteries found in consumer electronics, they can pose a fire risk in certain circumstances. Most plug-in vehicle makers are working with other battery types (such as lithium-iron-phosphate and lithium-manganese) those have inherent safety advantages and they also have a longer life span then lithium-cobalt batteries do.

According to the journal, Science and others, by 2050 most of us will not drive nor see a conventional Gasoline powered car any longer.

Finally yet importantly is the up front investment cost wish is higher for electric or Hydrogen powered Automobiles then it is for conventional gasoline powered cars. The operation cost on the other hand is substantially lower with an electric or hydrogen-powered car though. Since it does cost on average 9 Yen (11cents) in Gasoline for every Km where as it cost only one Yen (1.3cents) for every Km with an electric car and 3 Yen (4.2cents) with a Hydrogen powered car.

The Green car is no longer a futuristic vision of some sort. The change is already under way here in Japan as well as in the EU and elsewhere. Better trade that polluting gasoline powered car for an Electric one wile you still can, because very soon no one will want to trade those polluters in any longer. The upcoming new laws will be harsh on those Gasoline engines making them very expensive to own and operate.

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/pressReleaseFiles/1255647197416/1255647197419/ngm_november2009_highlights.pdf

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/climate-change-it-real-or-are-we-being-mislead

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/japans-pm-yukio-hatoyama-keep-electoral-promises

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/japan-does-now-jail-polluters

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/japan-make-climate-change-priority-over-economy

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/toyotas-first-solar-powered-car

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/solar-power-restart-economy-and-create-jobs-world-wide

Ford Gets Smart: Electric Cars Will Talk To Meters, Charge At Cheapest Rates

Will Algae Fuel The Hydrogen Economy?

New Battery Technologies In A Spin

Brighter Future For Interoperable Smart Meters And Energy Efficient Appliances

UK Budget Brings Green Rewards To Renewables, Power Companies, Energy Efficiency And Cars

Read more: http://www.ev-life.com/

http://www.energy-savingnews.com/2009/09/hydrogen-future-needs-electric-cars/#ixzz0cfrByjrK

http://www.energy-savingnews.com/2009/09/hydrogen-future-needs-electric-cars/

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Travel/Alternative-fuel

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/reality-worse-then-prognosis-latest-ipcc-report

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/revenge-gaia-humanity-under-attack

Permanent residence may be granted the right to vote in Japan.

By, Uwe Paschen.

To give or not to give permanent residence the right to vote in Japan, this is the question many ask them self these days.

Japan may give permanent residence the right to vote at the local and maybe even at the national level as well. This idea is not new, the Democratic Party of Japan called for "early legislation" in respect of that goal as part of its basic policies adopted when the party was established in 1998. A bill was submitted to that end to the Diet in October of that same year, as the DPJ was an opposition party. The DPJ however did not include this proposal in its manifesto for the Aug. 30, 2009 House of Representatives election due to the cautious stance taken by some party members. Nevertheless, this bill is now resurfacing and may pass since the DPJ does hold the majority in the House of Representatives since August last, the bill does have a strong support with in the DPJ leadership, including Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa.

Ichiro Ozawa may even be its strongest advocate and he is seen as the backbone of the Japanese government.

The Japanese top court has already made a statement to that regard in 1995, saying that the Constitution does not prohibit permanent foreign residents from being given the right to vote in elections for municipal heads and assembly members, and that legislatures should decide whether to give them that right. The obiter dictum the Court gave is not legally binding for the government though.

Some argue that being a tax paying resident should allow one to retain some political an legislative rights such as the right to vote, this argument by it self is a dangerous one though, for it open the doors to a line of argument that people who do not pay taxes should not be permitted to vote. This in turn could undermine the democratic values and integrity of the country.

Still, as permanent resident one is a fully integrated part of the country and should be granted the right to vote and participate at least in local politics that directly affect once children schooling, once work and all other aspects of life, this is especially the view of the Korean Diaspora.

This debate is not unique to Japan either nor are the diverging opinion on it. In Germany and France for instance, it has been debated back and forth for over two decades now, resulting in some changes for the Turkish permanent residence in Germany and the Algerian Permanent Residence in France, those where granted some of these rights at the municipal level. In addition, New-Zealand has awarded its permanent residence the right to vote since 1975 and this not only at a local level but at a national level as well. This as long as they have resided continuously in New-Zealand at least for a period of one year and in the electoral district at least for a period of one month.

Why is it important? Japan like many other countries does not allow dual citizen ship, at least not as a norm, further, one is not granted Japanese citizenship by birth either, unless one parent is Japanese, same is the case in Germany for instance.

Since Japan does need to retain its permanent residence as well as introduce and facilitate more immigration due to its low birth rates and rapidly aging population. It has to make some legislative changes to address those problems, especially due to the pressure exercised by its large Korea Diaspora that in 1995 took the matter to the Japanese courts.

First and second Generation immigrants still have strong ties to their country of origine and are not willing to severe those readily, mainly for family reasons, such as having to return to their home land for a time to care for aging parents. Also allowing their children the freedom and giving them the opportunity to go back if they so show’s, May that be for their education or to reside in their parents country of origine.

For the Korean it is even more importand to retain their Korean Citizenship and this more for historical reasons then practical once. They where broth to Japan in the 1930s and 40s, some by force as Korea was part of the Japanese Empire.

This is in part why for many permanent residence it is a question of identity that is not much different then once religious or cultural affiliation would be.

With only 1,6% foreigners living in Japan today of wish less then 60% are permanent residence, their potential impact on the political arena would be minimal. Still the Nationalist movement radically opposes the idea and lobbies with fury against this bill to be passed, even though being a minority, the nationalist certainly make up for it in noise and propaganda and can not be ignored for it.

However, arguments of national security and potential terrorism do not stand up to logic, since the danger of such is far greater coming from with in the Japanese Nationals, as statistics show, then coming from the permanent residence in Japan, for those are usually the most law obeying subject in the country, let alone out of fear to lose their status.

There are also numerous prejudices that need to be overcome with facts, such as criminality rising in Japan, Often blamed on the rise in foreigner, wish is not true though since statically speaking, crimes committed by foreigners are infinitely few and not on the rise either.

Further, discrimination against immigrants especially at their work place does still exist.

Perhaps it is time that the Japanese government reconsider the voting rights of this growing segment of the population. It would certainly be seen as a progressive step and betterment of the status of permanent residence in Japan as well as a step toward further democratisation of society over all, wish by it self is most desirable for all residence regardless of their status.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEHmzgXmcqg&feature=player_embedded

http://www.japantoday.com/category/poll/view/should-permanent-foreign-residents-have-the-right-to-vote-in-elections-in-their-country-of-residence

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/11/19/2009111900613.html

http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110004382228/en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residency

Mandela's life achievement overshadowed.

By, Uwe Paschen.

This 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and the end of Apartheid that followed are overshadowed by South Africa’s ailments. This event of immense historical significance not only for South Africa but also for humanity over all is being celebrated almost unnoticed out side of Africa.

Nelson Mandela, who is today 91 years old, was freed in 1990 after spending 27 years in a South African prison and went on to lead South Africa through the final stretch of a peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.

The celebration to commemorate this event was held on Thursday of this week.

Mandela's persona, charisma and statesmanship are the reasons that things went so well in this transition from Apartheid to a free and democratic South Africa has it is today.

However, this anniversary is overshadowed by South Africa’s overwhelming problems such as its Aids/HIV crisis, since it is the country with the largest number of HIV infections in the world. The country’s Department of Health estimates that 18.3% of adults (15–49 years) were living with HIV in 2006. More than half (55%) of all South Africans infected with HIV reside in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces. HIV/AIDS has a tremendous impact on all sectors of the South Africa's economy; this includes microeconomic andmacroeconomic perspectives.

Even though South Africa is rich with mineral resources. Being the world's largest producer and exporter of gold and platinum and also exporting a significant amount of coal and other raw materials, making it one of the world wealthiest countries in Natural resources, it still has to deal with an overwhelming poverty. Official figures suggest around 25% of South Africans are unemployed. 50% of all households are being classified as poor, 27% as extremely poor and 21% living with less then one dollar per day. A study from the Centre for Social and Development Studies, at the University of Natal, shows that 45% of the population is rural, however, the rural areas contain 72% of the total population who are poor. The poverty rate for rural areas is 71%. This Poverty is not confined to any one race group, but is highest among blacks with 61% being Black Africans and 38% of mixed race are poor, compared with 5% of Indians and 1% of Whites. Three children in five live in poor households and many of those children are exposed to public and domestic violence, malnutrition, and inconsistent parenting and schooling. Woman headed households with Children are most vulnerable to poverty in South Africa making up 60% of all poverty.

South Africa also counts the highest degree of inequality in the World today. Examining the income shares of deciles of households brings this extreme of inequality to light. Using this approach, the poorest 40% of households account for only 11% of total income, while the richest 10% of households, equivalent to only 7% of the population, accrue over 40% of total income.

Poverty and Aids are not all that plagues South Africa today. Corruption is another malaise the country has to deal with.

This being reflected in the corruption trial of Jackie Selebi, the country’s former chief of police and one-time Interpol boss, wish is to resume next month, or the head of Armscor, the state defence-procurement company, who was recently sacked for dishonesty. Further, there is the managing director of the freight-rail division of Trans- net, the state transport company, who is fighting his suspension for an alleged serious breach of procurement regulations and the list goes on.

There are also such political troubles as the AbaThembu clan in the Eastern Cape province, of witch former President Nelson Mandela is a part of, this clan intends to recuse itself as part of South Africa and form its own independent state by next year.

Finally, South Africa is confronted with a massive exodus, counting over 800,000 qualified South African such as Doctors, Engineer, Accountants, Nurses, Teachers and other professions that have left the country since 1995, causing now an alarming shortage of skilled labour in the country, the primary cause for this exodus among all groups seems to be fear of crimes.

Wich leads us to yet another growing problem South Africa has to deal with, In 2006 alone, official figures show that there were some 18,500 murders, over 20,000 attempted murders, 55,000 reported rapes and 120,000 violent robberies.

South Africa does certainly have more then its fair chair of troubles to deal with. Never the less the country would probably be in far worth shape had it not been for Mandela’s leadership and influence that still today caries a lot of weight and this not only in South Africa but more so through out the African continent and even the World.

In the spirit of Nelson Mandela, “Let us commit ourselves to building a better future for all South Africans, black and white," said Zuma, South Africa’s current President, in a public speech given to the occasion of Mandela’s release from prison 20 years ago.

With out Mandela the nation-building and inter-racial reconciliation that South Africa underwent would not have been possible, nor would it have been as peaceful a transition as it ended up being. Sadly, today’s troubles do cast an unjust shadow over Mandela’s titanic achievements for all South African.

South Africa is just emerging from a recession and is still struggling with over 50 million unemployed and the scars Apartheid left behind have not yet healed either, at least not completely.

http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15464513

http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/Politics/1057/7dd9c815e43648b4b58290eccd2ac045/24-12-2009-09-03/Clan_wants_independent_state

http://southafrica-pig.blogspot.com/2009/02/flight-from-south-africa-middle-class.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5412892.stm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/11/nelson-mandela-anniversar_n_457963.html

The Curfew has been lifted, only a day after Niger's coup.

By, Uwe Paschen.

The coup is over, the curfew has been lifted, Niger has a new government, a military government that is. Its new President is Squadron chief Salou Djibo. This is not the first coup that Niger had to endure and maybe it wont be the last either.

However, unlike other coups, this one had minimal causalities, only 10 people are reported to have died so far. All but three Ministers have been released and went home.

It is said that the remaining prisoners would be freed in a couple of days. Col Goukoye Abdul Karimou, earlier told the press that President Mamadou Tandja was "safe and well".

His faith is uncertain though, the options are numerous, from exile, to a trial, no one can say at this point.

However, Niger is not in the habit of executing its Presidents as a rule, it is most likely that Tandja will either be send into exile or empoisoned has Hamani Diori was, whose administration was rife with corruption, and unable to implement the much-needed reforms to ease the widespread famine brought on by the Sahelian drought of the early 1970s.

On 15 April 1974, Lieutenant colonel Seyni Kountché led the military coup that ended Diori's rule and made Kountche President of Niger. Hamani Diori was imprisoned for six years. After his release in 1980, he remained under house arrest until 1987.

After his release from house arrest, he moved to Morocco, where he died on 23 April 1989 at the age of 72.

Tandja who has now been removed from power by force, ruled Niger has Diori did, suspending democratic rights and ruling by decree. He plunged Niger into famine are disarray; all the wile oppressing all those that opposed him.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the outgoing president of the regional bloc, saw Mr Tandja as a threat to West African democracy and submitted evidence against Niger that led the European Union to discontinue aid to Niamey.

Niger may very well see a rapid restoration of its democratic system, for one there seems to be no opposition to the coup with in the population at large. Further, all seems to be back to normal only a day after the coup wish suggest that no one seemed to be fearful nor in disaccord with the Military coup leaders.

On the other hand, many in Niger long for another Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountché who surprised many through out Africa and Europe for his dedication to the Country of Niger and its entire citizen. All though he was a Dictator, he was the one that in1984 established the commission that drafted a pre-constitutional document, termed a 'national charter'. This lead to the Constitution Wish Tandja suspended last summer and that in part gave cause for this latest coup that was executed yesterday.

Wile Niger is struggling to bring justice, equality and democracy to all Citizen, the stock market in New-York seems to worry solely about the Uranium mining operation, especially since Niger is today the World third largest producer and exporter of Uranium and by 2012 is projected to become the world largest Uranium producer.

There are those in Niger that wish there was no Uranium at all, especially the Tuareg seem to feel that way.

BBC News Video. : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8524610.stm

Read more about Niger.:

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/coup-niger-after-year-demonstrations-and-opposition

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/thousand-protesting-tandjas-hold-power-niger

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-crisis-escalating-after-eu-suspends-all-aid-country

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/civil-war-unfolding-niger-update-3

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/un-hostage-released-west-africa

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-government-may-be-involved-un-r-fowlers-disappearance

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-war-what-beneath-desert

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/10-poorest-countries-planet

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/india-signs-new-pact-niger-over-uranium-mining

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/democracy-under-fire-within-niger-demonstration

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/world-bank-praising-niger-government

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-state-revenue-26-and-poverty-32

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/elections-approaching-niger-press-being-jailed

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/chinas-cnpc-now-building-mega-refineries-niger-and-chad

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-freedom-press-only-illusion

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/desertification-part-ii-history-sahara-desert-attem

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/tuareg-hope-mali-despair-niger

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/uranium-next-energy-crisis-may-cripple-western-nations

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-army-admits-civilian-death-however-not-genocide-bbc-news

http://my.nowpublic.com/culture/new-book-publication-history-mixed-families-niger

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/end-tuaregs-niger-chad-mali-and-cameroon-algeria

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/discrimination-turning-genocide-niger

The cost of pollution, not only a matter of dollars. Lives too

By, Uwe Paschen.

A study conducted by the London-based consultancy Trucost, which is due to be published this summer, found that the combined damage of only the world's 3000 biggest companies was worth US $2.2 trillion in 2008 alone. This is a figure bigger than the national economies of all but seven countries in the world for that year.

Would those companies have to pay for the damage they cause, they would have to disburse the equivalent of one third of their profits to do so.

The report on the economics of climate change by Sir Nicholas Stern is trying to put an accurate price tag on the damage inflicted unto the environment and find suggestion to prevent it as well. Wile the report, led by economist Pavan Sukhdev, suggest the abolition of all subsidies to harmful industries like agriculture, energy and transport, all the wile asking for tougher laws and higher taxes on polluting industries to stop the trend and enforce the much needed changes.

This of course may have some serious consequences and will affect not only on the customers and the companies profits, more so it will affect labour laws and pension plans all the same, as the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment report does suggest.

Centuries of mismanagement and abuse seem to come back to hunt us now with a revenge and a very high price tag as well. Failing to act will not only increase the sub sequential price tag to fix it. But, any further delay would make the task exponentially harder to achieve, allowing to reverse or rather limit the damage and the disaster that will come along with it, whose price tag can not even be estimated for it is simply to high to fathom.

Sukhdev told the annual Earthwatch Oxford lecture last week.

"The world's extinction crisis continues in 2010, the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. As humans, we have the power to protect nature or destroy it. As this lecture will demonstrate, we must urgently explore all the ways in which we can preserve and protect life on earth. After all, biodiversity is crucial to providing us all with health, food, fuel, wealth and the vital services on which our lives depend."

Ceres, an investors and environmentalist lobby group with over 80 funds and assets exceeding eight trillion dollar US, Is estimating that those environmental changes that are desperately needed will cost North America alone over 20,000 jobs and over one billion dollar a year just to agricultural companies due to water shortages in California and other areas.

Our pollution is not only starting to cost us dearly, in addition, the price keeps increasing the longer we wait to act with some serious intentions and methods. Sadly, the price tag in human lives keeps on increasing as well with each day we waste. This not only in numbers of jobs being lost or in reduction in pension plans or health care programs, but in real lives that will be inevitably sacrifices and lost. The numbers will exceed the hundreds of millions worldwide and maybe even worth. Much could still be saved and avoided would we have changed by now, sadly we have not rely tried so far.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/newsroom/news_events/news-5-sukhdev.html

Coup in Niger after a year of demonstrations and opposition.

By, Uwe Paschen.

A Coup is underway in Niamey, Niger.

The streets of Niamey are empty, Shops in the city’s Wadata market have closed their doors, taxis are no longer operating or to be fund any where in the area and civilian have looked them self up into their residences hiding under their beds.

The inevitable that many feared and tried to avoid through peaceful demonstration has happened today.

The Army is divided in Niger, Soldiers fights one another; those supporting President Tandja who has been pressured to resign and to reinstate the democratic constitution are still backed by his allies in the West so it is said.

Mr. Tandja has been in power since 1999. However, protests started last year against him as he moved to extend his grip on power, has he invoking extraordinary powers to rule by decree after dissolving parliament and the constitutional court, which opposed his plan for a referendum removing term limits.

Niger is one of Africa’s richest countries in natural resources and yet its population is one of Africa’s poorest, leading the way of the 10 poorest countries in the world.

France's foreign ministry posted a note on its Web site recommending that French citizens living in Niger stay home. Further, all travellers are urged to avoid Niger and especially the Capital Niamey.

Mr. Kane, an old friend, told me on the Telephone that after some power failures and a news black out on Thursday, the Air Sahel is broadcasting again, with official military communiqués.

It seems that the section of the army leadding the coup has now taken control over the Capital City Niamey.

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/thousand-protesting-tandjas-hold-power-niger