Former Japanese PM And Current Enviro Minister Speak Out Against Nuclear Power
Koizumi is a genro* ( saying he's a major political heavyweight might be a good way to characterize the significance of that.) His comments should be seen as a reflection of probable future policy.
Former Japanese PM And Current Environment Minister Speak Out Against Nuclear Power
BY ARI PHILLIPS ON OCTOBER 3, 2013 AT 10:32 AM
CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
This week both Japans environment minister, Nobuteru Ishihara, and former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a popular national figure, spoke out against nuclear power.
Ishihara said the countrys target to cut greenhouse gas emissions should be based on a scenario with no nuclear power generation.
Previously in January Ishihara had said that Japan will set a new emissions target, including how much nuclear power generation should account for, by November after reviewing the previous governments goal to reduce emissions by 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels.
Meanwhile, in a speech to a pro-nuclear audience of business executives, Koizuma went against the grain by saying that Japan should should rid itself of its atomic plants and switch to renewable energy sources like solar power.
Koizuma went on to say that there is nothing more costly than nuclear power. Japan should ...
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/10/03/2722531/japan-nuclear-power-leaks/
*Websters has only the traditional definition of genro. The modern usage is one which assigns the title to senior statesmen that have left office but who are still highly influential and "pulling the strings" of political events and policy formation.