Hatoyama is no radical outsider, but he has promised "revolutionary change" and is a strong advocate for the idea that Japan's best hope for the future can be found in building a bright green economy. He has promoted green technology and renewable energy (albeit with a regrettably heavy focus on nuclear power), talked about making Japan's cities more livable and, perhaps most importantly, has pledged real action on climate change: a 25 percent cut in Japan's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (below 1990 levels).
Though he has also pledged to cut the gas tax and highway tolls, that target puts Japan near the forefront of the climate debate. "I want Japan, as a leading technological power, to show more leadership," Hatoyama says.
As someone who once worked as an environmental journalist in Japan, I can say that Hatoyama's election is pretty thrilling. While there are huge structural and cultural barriers to progress on climate and other environmental issues, the Japanese also have enormous innovative capacities that the world needs brought to bear on sustainability challenges. A Japan committed to transforming itself into a bright green powerhouse is good news for us all.
Posted to WorldChanging by Alex Steffen
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