Cutting back on energy in Japan

For obvious reasons the Japanese didn't have as much access to power this summer as they usually do, so they did what they do best: work together to overcome difficulty. In February earthquake and tsunami survivors were orderly in the chaos, and now too the country banded together to turn off the AC's and even lights, working under unpleasant conditions. And let me add that summers can be pretty unpleasant: for most of Japan, June means the rainy season, and August is an inferno. I'll never forget the day I arrived in Japan for the first time: for some reason our jet stopped a short distance from the terminal and we walked down a stairway onto buses to get inside, and when the door to the aircraft opened up, a cloud of hot humidity swallowed me, leaving me feeling like I was swaddled in blankets. Bottom line: I tip my cap to the Japanese for making the tough choice to push through a sweltering summer with limited power.