Japan, known for its aversion to using oil for power generation, has had little choice but to ramp up its usage of the dirtier burning hydrocarbon amid a deadly heatwave hitting the country. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) declared the heatwave in the country a natural disaster on Tuesday. The same day, the city of Kumagaya reported a temperature of 106F degrees (41.1C), the highest ever recorded in Japan. Temperatures also reached more than 104F for the first time in the Tokyo metropolitan region. The JMA has indicated that temperatures could remain into August, typically the hottest month of the year for the country. Western Japan has a 50 percent chance of experiencing above-average temperatures over the month, according to the JMA. Global head wave The same heatwave has been hitting most of the Northern Hemisphere , ranging from the Arctic Circle, to northern Europe, the state of California […]