Stephen Hesse - The Japan Times

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Stephen Hesse

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Stephen Hesse

Stephen Hesse is an educator and writer living in Tokyo. He graduated from Vermont Law School, where he received a JD and an LLM, and is now a professor in the Law Faculty of Chuo University, Tokyo, as well as Associate Director of the Chuo International Center.

For Stephen Hesse's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Nov 22, 2006

Status quo really is planet's dead end

If you've looked around at the state of our planet and been tempted to say, "God help us," you're not the only one.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Oct 25, 2006

Where's the will to break energy status quo?

Berating the Kyoto Protocol for failing to cut greenhouse-gas emissions is a bit like kicking the dog at a party when someone passes wind. Sure, it's nice to skirt the blame, but don't fault the Kyoto accord for society's flatulence.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Sep 27, 2006

Welcome to the new world of cities

Flying into Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, just after sunset last month, I could have sworn we'd overshot the airport and were heading for the distant, frigid waters of the South Atlantic.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Aug 23, 2006

Bottled water and problems that flow

Having just spent several weeks in the United States, I can report with confidence that, more than ever before, Americans have their hands full.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Jul 26, 2006

Will commons sense dawn again in time?

These days we can be forgiven for wondering if Homo sapiens have gone completely mad. From just a glance at the headlines, it is easy to conclude that humans are hellbent on destroying themselves and their environment, with little concern for which goes first.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Jun 28, 2006

Marine management is all at sea

Our oceans and seas are in deep trouble, and if the Japanese government is to be believed, part of the blame rests with the whales.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

May 24, 2006

A road to ancient history's ruin

Irish politician Dick Roche is in the business of government, and his two-decades-long career has touched on public administration, finance, transportation and economic planning and development.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Apr 26, 2006

A voice of reason countering Big Oil's clout

The United States government may be hemorrhaging money in Iraq, but the financial condition of America's oil companies and their top management couldn't be rosier.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Mar 22, 2006

Self-interest and those Greenland pigs

Why do some societies last for hundreds, even thousands, of years, while others soar, dazzle but then fizzle like short-lived summer fireworks?

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Feb 22, 2006

S. Korean wetland faces doom

For those readers long ago numbed to the fraud, waste and environmental abuse that accompanies public works projects in Japan, here's one that might jump-start your ire: A project by the South Korean government to landfill and develop 40,100 hectares (almost 100,000 acres) of coastal waters and wetlands in the Saemangeum Estuary.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Jan 25, 2006

Saving our environment one step at a time

Having ended 2005 with a rant (see below), let me begin 2006 on a more positive note by introducing some valuable environmental education resources.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Dec 28, 2005

Sleazy snappers turn eco-show sour

Originally this column was going to be about Eco-products 2005, a trade show held at Tokyo Big Sight earlier this month. But as you'll see, I got seriously sidetracked and my focus shifted more or less entirely.

Japan Times

Features

Nov 27, 2005

Too much of a good thing

Humans are wholly dependent on nature's cornucopia for food, clothing, shelter, many medicines, beer and wine -- to name just a few of life's essentials and pleasures.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Nov 23, 2005

Big Money warms to socially responsible investing

Environmentalists have been preaching for decades that true societal change will only happen when the really big-money players, such as multinational corporations and banks, begin to balance profit-making with social responsibility.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Oct 26, 2005

Amazon's best defense is its people

In 1989, two years after his first visit to the Amazon, singer/songwriter Sting co-authored a book called "Jungle Stories: The Fight for the Amazon" (Barrie & Jenkins). In the book he writes, "To visit the forest just once is to be haunted forever after by its mysterious beauty and to be made aware of just how important its preservation is to everyone on the planet."

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Sep 21, 2005

Putting people back into ecology

Peter Berg is singularly passionate about his vision for a better world. He is convinced that towns and cities can move beyond the limitations of environmentalism and create vibrant communities that are economically and ecologically sustainable, and he believes bioregions are the key.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Aug 25, 2005

Illuminating responses to 'Glimmers of hope . . . '

One of the most entertaining things about being a columnist is getting feedback from readers.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Jul 28, 2005

Moves afoot to counter U.S. Big Oil's clout

Reducing the greenhouse gases that derive from human activities and cause global warming is perhaps the most critical environmental challenge facing the world community.

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

Jun 23, 2005

China's growth sums just don't add up for the planet

China's 1.3 billion (and counting) citizens are poised to transform the global landscape dramatically, both economically and ecologically.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH

May 26, 2005

Mining the Earth's problems for drama

'It starts with the Earth. How can it not?"

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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