As summer heat looms, Japan urged to curb impact, emissions

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Temperatures are rising in Japan and summer is coming fast. As fossil fuel use that feeds climate change is creeping up around the world, Japan is set for another sweltering summer following last year’s dangerous heat waves and is at growing risk of flooding and landslides. It’s not clear how much more the country can take. Japan has made headway in curbing the amount of fossil fuels it spews, but it is still the world’s sixth-highest emitter. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster was a setback for the nation’s nuclear generation goals, and Japan has had to burn more coal and import oil and gas to keep the grid running.