New Energy Policy of "Unremitting Examination and Revision", Says Noda Administration, Not "Zero Nuke" (Sorry, Angela)

So, the policy about zero nuclear plants operating in Japan by 2030 first became the policy about zero nuclear plants operating in Japan by some time in 2030s, and then the wording was completely dropped from the official cabinet decision document. Now, what is in the cabinet decision?

This is:

The Japanese government is committed to the "unremitting (ceaseless) examination and revision" of the new energy policy.

Reading the Jiji Tsushin article (9/19/2012; part), it almost reads as if this "unremitting examination and revision" is indeed the new energy policy itself:

原発ゼロ、明記せず＝新エネ戦略「不断の見直し」－閣議決定文

Zero nuke is not explicitly written in the cabinet decision document, the new energy strategy "unremitting revision"

　政府は１９日の閣議で、今後のエネルギー政策に関して「『革新的エネルギー・環境戦略』を踏まえ、不断の検証と見直しを行いながら遂行する」との方針を決定した。同戦略は２０３０年代の原発稼働ゼロを目指すとしているが、閣議決定の文言に「原発ゼロ」は盛り込まなかった。

The government [Noda administration] made the decision to "execute the future energy policy with unremitting examination and revision, based on the "revolutionary [innovative, if you so prefer] energy and environmental strategy"" during the cabinet meeting on September 19. The strategy is supposed to aim at zero nuclear power plant operating in 2030s, but "zero nuclear" was not mentioned in the official document of the cabinet decision.

　藤村修官房長官は同日午前の記者会見で「戦略を踏まえてエネルギー環境政策の具体化を図る」と述べた。枝野幸男経済産業相は閣議後会見で、「閣議決定の文書には入っていないが、（戦略は）閣議でオーソライズされた」と表明した。古川元久国家戦略担当相も「こういう閣議決定の形を取ったことの裏に意図はない」と述べた。

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said in the morning press conference, "We will plan for concrete actions for the energy and environmental policies based on the strategy." Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano said in the press conference after the cabinet meeting, "(The strategy) is not mentioned in the document for the cabinet decision, but was authorized in the cabinet meeting." Minister in charge of national strategy Motohisa Furukawa said, "There is no hidden agenda behind the way we made our decision."

　２００５年に策定された原子力政策大綱なども、本文自体は閣議決定の対象としていない。

The body text of the Nuclear Energy Policy Guideline compiled in 2005, for example, was not the subject of the cabinet decision either.

　政府の「エネルギー・環境会議」が１４日策定した戦略をめぐっては、経済界などが強く反発。１８日の国家戦略会議でも民間議員が反対意見を述べ、承認が見送られていた。

The business circle and others were strongly against the strategy that was agreed on by the "Energy and Environmental Conference" of the Cabinet Office on September 14. In the National Strategy Conference held on September 18, civilian members expressed opposition, and the approval of the strategy didn't happen.

There is no hidden agenda behind the way they decided. Now that's unintentionally funny.

Jiji Tsushin is kind enough to make excuse for the minister by citing the precedent, as if that would make it OK to omit the "zero nuke" reference from the formal cabinet decision, after the unprecedented 90,000 public comments on the nuclear energy policy flooded the office of Mr. Furukawa.

The omission is called "plausible deniability". Twenty years from now when all these politicians have long gone to the politicians' heaven or into the cushy retirement, no one will care to know how the decision was made, except by looking at what was written down on paper. Since no mention of "zero nuclear plants in 2030 or 2030s" is found in the document, there will be no reason for the administration at that time (if Japan lasts that long as a nation, given the Chinese threat of dumping Japanese bonds) to make that happen.

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