It is a stark example as well of how public
debate on topics deemed delicate here can be easily muffled by a small minority, the most vocal of whom are the country's estimated 10,000 rightists who espouse hard - line stances in disputes against Tokyo's neighbors.
The author is concerned that unscientific attempts have been made — urged
on by sensationalized media reports — to
deem CO2 / Global Warming as a fait accompli, and to marginalize, if not completely stifle any scientific
debate on the
topic.