Tiempo Climate Newswatch

Japan has been hit by a record number of typhoons this season. The numbers making landfall on the Japanese archipelago are the highest since 1951 when statistics began to be collected. Higher water temperatures around the Philippines have meant more storms have formed and warmer water near Japan has maintained their energy. Typhoon Songda struck Japan earlier in the week ending September 12th.

China is still recovering from floods and landslides resulting from violent storms the same week. The death toll in the southwest stands at 164. "There are 2,327 people who have been injured or are sick," according to He Lingyun of the Chongqing disaster relief office. "The death toll may rise further." Meanwhile, Grenada, Jamaica and the Cayman isles are recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan, which continues to wreak havoc in the Caribbean.

More information

• Japan, Daily Yomiuri On-Line
• Japan, CNN
• China, Terra Daily

• Caribbean, BBC
• Caribbean, ABC

Australia and Japan are collaborating on a near zero-emission coal-fired plant for producing electricity. The approach is based on capturing and storing carbon dioxide after what is known as oxy-fuel combustion, replacing air with pure oxygen in the generating process. The technology could be fitted to existing power stations.

"Technologies like oxy-fuel combustion and carbon capture and geological storage will be crucial for reducing emissions in coming decades, along with increased use of renewables and improved energy efficiency," according to Mark O'Neill, executive director of the Australian Coal Association. The project is backed by the Queensland state government and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, with support from the Center for Coal Utilization in Japan and the University of Newcastle and other Australian partners.

More information

• Yahoo (AFP)

Energy demand could double or even triple by 2050, according to a report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The study, Facts and Trends to 2050: Energy and Climate Change, is based on the experiences of a cross-section of industry leaders. The aim of the report is to stimulate forward-thinking and action on the part of the business community.

The report advocates improved energy efficiency, diversity and technological development as means by which the developing countries can achieve the living standards of the industrialized world. In launching the report, Björn Stigson, WBCSD President, noted that "a reduction in growth is not an acceptable path to a lower carbon world. We need a decoupling of the current direct link between standards of living and energy consumption."

More information

• GreenBiz
• Download the WBCSD report