Tag - environment

 
 

ENVIRONMENT

Cho Seong-hoan tends to bees at a farm near the Demilitarized Zone, in Paju, South Korea, on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 25, 2024
The DMZ is an unhealed wound for South Korea. It’s also a source of great honey.
The area is home to a biodiverse landscape and is a place of deep meaning for nearby farmers whose bees can fly freely through it.
The Environment Ministry plans to offer ¥100 million to the U.N. Environment Program to be used for a study into synergistic model cases including reducing greenhouse gas while preserving the ecosystem.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 25, 2024
Japan to give ¥100 million to U.N. environment program
The funds are to be set aside under the Environment Ministry's fiscal 2025 budget request.
Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls' School in Kanoi village near Jaisalmer, India, earlier this month. In the sweltering heat of India's Thar desert, an architecturally striking school is an oasis of cool.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 24, 2024
Indian desert school's unique design offers respite from heat
Temperatures inside the school, designed by U.S. architect Diana Kellogg and built by local artisans, can be as much as 20% lower than those outside.
Transport ministry officials enter the Kobe plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries for an on-site inspection on Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024
Transport ministry raids Kawasaki Heavy over ship engine test tampering
The firm has admitted inappropriately tweaked testing equipment to keep emissions data within ranges of customer specifications and reduce the variance of data.
Wind turbines in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2024
Japan offers lifeline to ESG investing amid backlash overseas
In light of the anti-ESG sentiment in the U.S. and Europe, analysts said that Japan can play a key role in driving sustainable finance globally.
An infant orangutan with its mother in Sepilok, Malaysia, on Saturday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 19, 2024
Apes to stay at home as Malaysia tweaks 'orangutan diplomacy'
Countries that buy Malaysian palm oil can "sponsor" one or more orangutans, and the funds collected will be used to implement conservation programs, minister says.
The parliament building in Tokyo. With concerns about summer heat rising and many elections taking place in summertime, it may not be tenable to conduct campaigns as in the past given health risks to candidates, their staff and voters.
JAPAN / Politics / Boiling Point
Aug 17, 2024
Hotter summers pose a threat to Japan's tradition of stump speeches
Balancing health concerns with legal restrictions as well as candidates' desire to be as publicly visible as possible, even in super hot weather, might be tricky.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida poses for a group photo with other regional leaders prior to the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) leaders meeting in Tokyo in December.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 16, 2024
Japan's energy diplomacy reflects global divide over how to reach net zero
Japan’s focus should be on advancing truly innovative and effective renewable technologies, rather than prolonging fossil fuel use.
Tourists at a water fountain at the Acropolis archaeological site during extreme hot weather conditions in Athens in July 2023.
BUSINESS
Aug 16, 2024
Extreme weather drives travelers to cooler destinations this summer
Cruise operators, hotel companies and airlines are adding trips and accommodations to meet rising demand for temperate destinations.
Bales of hard-to-recycle plastic waste piled up at Renewlogy Technologies in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 17, 2021.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Aug 15, 2024
In shift, U.S. backs global target to reduce plastic production, source says
The change away from earlier calls to leave such decisions up to each country puts the U.S. in direct opposition to countries like Saudi Arabia and China.
Following the Paris Olympics, two swimming pools, the climbing wall and the skateboard parks are set to be dug out and moved — most of them to the poverty-stricken Seine-Saint-Denis suburb northeast of Paris.
OLYMPICS
Aug 14, 2024
Olympics infrastructure and equipment heads for 'second life' post-Games
Over decades, the world's biggest sporting event has forged a reputation for monumental waste, but Paris organizers are hoping to change that.
A ward for heatstroke patients at a hospital in Chennai, India, in May. The country experienced a severe heat wave over the spring and summer, raising concerns about the long-term impact of climate change-induced extreme heat on human health.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 14, 2024
Climate change: A health emergency in the making
Global warming's impact on health is an increasingly urgent issue — just look at excess deaths caused by extreme heat. But are health care systems well-equipped enough?
The destruction left behind by the Borel Fire near Lake Isabella, California, on July 29
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2024
Wildfires are getting weirder. Case in point: 'firenados.'
Sometimes fire thunderstorms even create their own lightning, which spawns new blazes miles away.
A new trend on social media advocates living a more frugal lifestyle that prioritizes quality over quantity.
WORLD / Society
Aug 12, 2024
Do I need it? 'Underconsumption core' trends on TikTok
Years of inflation have forced many to the conclusion they cannot keep up with the spending habits of those on their social media feeds.
Stuart McDonald, a fifth-generation farmer, searches for freshly planted seeds coated with Loam Bio’s fungal treatment, near Canowindra, Australia, on April 24.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 12, 2024
Australian farmers are betting on fungi to battle climate change
Fungi act as nature’s carbon traders, pulling it from the roots of plants and giving the plant nutrients in return.
There are now more than a dozen apps aimed at helping users keep tabs on their individual emissions.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 12, 2024
Steps, calories … CO2? Emissions-tracking apps are on the rise
Carbon-tracking services walk a fine line between highlighting purchase emissions and suggesting individuals alone can solve the problem of climate change.
The shadows of workers from EKI Energy Services at a ReGen Powertech wind farm in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, India, in 2022
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Aug 8, 2024
Climate crisis hinges on green power for those in need, study shows
Some of the poorest nations also have the world’s best solar energy potential, the report stated.
Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, speaks during an event at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, on Jan. 25.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2024
How Tim Walz pushed Minnesota toward aggressive climate policies
Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor tapped to become the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has accelerated his state’s embrace of clean energy and electric vehicles.
Kohei Saito, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Tokyo, in a "common forest" in Hachioji, Tokyo, in July
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2024
Slow down to save the planet, says Japanese philosopher Kohei Saito
Capitalism is the root cause of climate change, and we need to stop chasing growth, Saito argues.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio following their bilateral meeting at the Luxon's residence on June 19.
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2024
New Zealand scraps clean, green policies to boost economy
New Zealand's government is shifting its priorities toward increasing exports to support its flailing economy.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji