How to spark a 'renewables revolution'

Japan's plan to wean off nuclear power could help lead a global push toward cleaner, more efficient civilization, says U.S. energy guru Amory Lovins.

Good article in Mother Nature Network reporting on Japan's progress in moving rapidly off of nuclear power--precipitated, of course, by their nuclear disaster--and how that push could be the impetus for other developed nations to do the same, while shifting from fossil fuel sources as well.

As you might remember, we did a fantastic interview with a rep from RMI, which is the organization Lovins heads, and you can find it here:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/renewable-now/2012/09/12/reinventing-fire

We'll cover this over two days, but here's the link back to the story as well:  http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/how-to-spark-a-renewables-revolution

"Ditching fossil fuels makes economic sense despite what many U.S. politicians say, energy guru Amory Lovins told a group of business and government leaders in Atlanta last week. And while Lovins continues his 40-year push for efficient, renewable energy in America, he sees more momentum on the other side of the planet.

 

"There is a renewables revolution taking off in Japan," Lovins said Thursday at a roundtable talk hosted by the environmental nonprofit Southface. "Japan is poor in traditional fuels, but it's the richest in renewables potential of any industrial nation."

 

And while many industrial nations balk at abandoning the oil, coal and gas that made them rich, Lovins thinks that could soon change if Japan's newly announced energy makeover — which aims to phase out nuclear power by the 2030s, focusing more on renewables and efficiency — goes as planned. "If the nation with the sacred sun on its flag can do this," he said, "then it will lead the whole world."

 

Lovins spoke at the roundtable before giving another speech Thursday night at Southface's 14th annual "Visionary Dinner" (see video below). Similar to a popularTED talk he gave in May, both discussions echoed many of the arguments from his 2011 book, "Reinventing Fire," in which he outlines how the U.S. can end its dependence on fossil fuels by 2050. And while the book concentrates on America, Lovins said it "could also work for many other countries, including Japan."

 

The Atlanta appearances preface an upcoming tour of Asia for Lovins, in which he'll visit several countries to discuss ideas for improving energy production, transmission and consumption. But perhaps his most anticipated visit will be to Japan, where the aftermath of last year's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis has created a rare opening for renewables and efficiency. The country's interest in Lovins was already apparent in Atlanta, as a camera crew from Japanese broadcaster NHK shadowed him for a documentary, titled "Energy Shift," that's scheduled to air Nov. 2."