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People protest after Japan moved to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the sea, in Hong Kong on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 28, 2023

Japan urges China to rein in harassing calls over Fukushima water

The calls, which sometimes numbered in the hundreds for certain targets, were made to businesses, schools and government offices.
An aircraft drops flame retardant on burning vegetation in Sicily, Italy, on Sunday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 31, 2023

Climate change boosts risk of extreme wildfires 25%, study finds

In certain partly dry conditions, global warming pushed areas beyond key thresholds, making extreme fires much more likely
This undated handout photo provided by the Michigan Technological University shows a M93, "Old Gray Guy," the larger and lighter colored wolf in the front and center.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 1, 2023

How a lone 'immigrant' wolf revived a forest ecosystem

By the 1980s, the wolves were in trouble due to the arrival of canine parvovirus which drove their numbers down from a high of 50 to around 12.
Emperor penguin chicks perished at multiple breeding grounds in Antarctica last year, drowning or freezing to death when sea ice was eroded by global warming.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2023

Our addiction to fossil fuels is killing baby penguins

Global warming is decimating sea ice and, with it, baby penguins. But why should we care about this and other species dying off?
Nestled behind a seawall on the Pacific coast are the Minamisoma Mano-Migita-Ebi solar power plant and the Manyo no Sato wind farm. The 2011 tsunami struck this portion of the coast with a wave that is reported to have been around 18 meters high.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Sep 5, 2023

How a nuclear disaster turned Fukushima into a renewables leader

Following 3/11 — and the cratering of support for nuclear energy — Fukushima positioned itself at the forefront of Japan’s low-carbon transition.
A cane toad sits inside a plastic bag trap. A new study has found that invasive species are spreading ever faster across the globe, costing well over $400 billion a year in damages and lost income.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 5, 2023

World losing high-stakes fight against invasive species

Whether by accident or on purpose, when non-native species wind up on the other side of the world, humans are to blame.
Fishers harvest clams early in August in the lagoon of Scardovari, south of Venice, Italy, where the blue crab threatens local shellfish and fish.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 5, 2023

Italy's clam farmers fear blue crab 'invasion'

The crab, native to the North American Atlantic coast, has been present across the Mediterranean for years but has recently become a major problem.
A fisherman rows his boat ashore in Cochin, Kerala, India.
ENVIRONMENT / Oceans
Sep 6, 2023

India bets on seaweed's future as food industry appetite grows

Grains are the backbone of food security in India, but seaweed advocates trumpet its dietary benefits, diverse uses in processed foods and sustainability.
Kenya's President William Ruto addresses delegates at the close of the Africa Climate Summit 2023 in Nairobi on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 7, 2023

Climate summit touts Africa's role as clean energy 'superpower'

While leaders touted Africa's role as a clean energy "superpower," they identified one big snag: a lack of finance to turn that potential into reality.
Jesus Picasso, a builder originally from Mexico, takes a water break during hot weather in Manvel, Texas, on July 13.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 7, 2023

Climate change already adding to workplace costs and hazards

Workers are among the most exposed to serious health risks, while employers must grapple with impaired productivity
A joint study by consultant McKinsey and data firm NielsenIQ earlier this year found that 78% of U.S. consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 8, 2023

Shoppers say they want sustainable goods, but won't pay more

When push comes to shove, manufacturers sometimes find consumers aren't buying their sustainable products.
The threat of Mosquito-borne dengue fever is not restricted to South Asia as infection rates are rising globally with 4.2 million cases reported in 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 8, 2023

Mosquito-borne dengue grows deadlier in South Asia as planet warms

Disease experts say the worsening outbreaks of dengue are linked to the impacts of climate change.
A deadly parasite that’s ravaged bee populations globally has made deeper inroads into Australia.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 11, 2023

Bee-killing mite's rapid spread could cost Australia billions

A mite known for feeding on bees has spread further inland toward Victoria, the nation’s biggest producer of nuts and fruit.
A sign reading "Anti-inflation challenge, second price cut" is seen near shelves at a supermarket in Nice, France, in June.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 12, 2023

The inflation crisis is fraying Europe’s climate consensus

Polls show most European voters are reluctant to bear the cost of switching to less-polluting technology.
Campaign leader Hiske Arts speaks during a meeting of climate group Fossielvrij Nederland in Amsterdam in August.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

Airlines face a storm over climate claims

A growing number of lawsuits, consumer complaints and rulings from advertising regulators are seeing to restrict airlines' sustainability claims.
Olive producers check a tree surrounded by a living cover crop in an olive grove in Santiesteban del Puerto, near Jaen, Spain.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 15, 2023

In climate fight, Europe's farmers turn to tech and tradition

Spain and Italy are the world's top producers of olive oil, but the industry is under threat from desertification and drought.
Many scientists say more research into volcanoes is vital to gauge how far eruptions can briefly affect the long-term trend of global warming, which is primarily driven by burning fossil fuels.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / ANALYSIS
Sep 15, 2023

Why is 2023 so hot? A rare Pacific volcano is among the suspects

Greenhouse gas emissions are overwhelmingly to blame, scientists say, but water vapor from the Tonga eruption last year may have played a role too.
The aviation industry has promised to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but harsher weather conditions are already forcing a rethink of critical infrastructure in airports and airfields across the world.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 18, 2023

Extreme weather is forcing redesign of world’s busiest airports

From flooded substations and overheating electronic systems to cracking runways, most airports weren’t built to endure what climate change has in store.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 19, 2023

The Bank of Japan faces a monetary policy conundrum

The BOJ may need to interpret the 2% price stability target more flexibly.
A man in a business suit walks past activists during Climate Week in the Financial District of New York on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 20, 2023

In New York, investors fill gaps left by inaction on climate change

Wealthy nations have famously dragged their feet on meeting a pledge of contributing $100 billion per year to developing nations, now four years overdue.
Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 21, 2023

Poor nations have 'every right to be angry' on climate: Guterres

The U.N. chief said that poorer countries had done the least to cause global warming but were bearing the brunt of its impacts.
Former Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel (left) helps Lewis Hamilton prepare the Mercedes team's "bee hotel" at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 22, 2023

Sebastian Vettel creates a buzz in Japan amid biodiversity crisis

The retired former champion invited current F1 drivers to make a small contribution to nature by building "bee hotels" next to the Suzuka Circuit track.
The city of Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2023

'Insect tourism' launched in rural Fukushima city

Tamura, located in the center of the Abukuma plateau, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles.
An aerial view of part of the 95,000-hectare Rio Preto-Jacunda State Nature Reserve, in Rondonia State, Brazil, after it was burned down, on Sept. 6.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 25, 2023

Arson turns Amazon reforestation project to ashes

A project that replanted trees in an illegally deforested nature reserve in Brazil was allegedly torched by land-grabbers.
An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, in 2020.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 26, 2023

Antarctic winter sea ice at record low, sparking climate worries

Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals like penguins who breed and rear their young on the sea ice.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has overseen foreign policy successes during his two years in power, including on the nation's approach to development aid and climate change.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 28, 2023

Kishida's mixed bag of successes and shortcomings

Kishida has also been adept in terms of diplomacy in at least four areas: the war in Ukraine, the Taiwan issue, development aid and South Korea relations.
The Jumeirah Beach district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. San Francisco-based Vesta wants to dump ground-up olivine on beaches and into seawater in an attempt to speed up the ocean’s natural ability to remove carbon dioxide.
ENVIRONMENT / Oceans
Sep 29, 2023

How seeding the oceans with minerals could help slow climate change

Techniques to remove carbon from the atmosphere run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars per ton.
If you've ever dined on fresh fish, either within Japan or anywhere else in the world, there's a healthy chance it was processed via ikejime, a Japanese technique for preserving freshness in line-caught fish.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 30, 2023

How the world got hooked on ikejime-caught fish

Roughly rendered in English as “locking in life,” this technique delivers a quick death to ensure freshness.
American disability rights activist Helen Keller paid a visit to Japan 75 years ago this month.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Oct 2, 2023

Japan Times 1948: Helen Keller recounts impression of Japan tour

Kanto residents continued to come to terms with the violence following the previous month's earthquake, and Helen Keller pays a visit to Japan.
A TotalEnergies tanker truck with sustainable aviation fuel at the 54th International Paris Airshow near Paris on June 19
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 3, 2023

Too expensive, too scarce: Doubts grow over green aviation fuel

Generating the required quantities of alternative fuel would require huge areas of land and natural resources.

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A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami