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Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
Apr 4, 2020

Bio Labo House: Miica Fran’s experimental zero-waste kitchen

Food creator Miica Fran is on a mission to save the planet through her “special healing power” of salvaging and savoring vegetables.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Feb 28, 2020

Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and New York at risk of rising seas, study says

China's Pearl River Delta, the country's manufacturing hub and home to tens of millions of people, is the world's most at-risk urban center from rising sea levels, according to a new study.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 20, 2020

Minister Shinjiro Koizumi says he regrets skipping COVID-19 meeting

Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Wednesday expressed regret for skipping a government meeting on the coronavirus outbreak in favor of a new year party held by a group of his supporters in his hometown.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2020

Japanese government OKs bill to tackle issue of unclear land ownership

The government is aiming to curb the growing trend of land plots with no identifiable owners by clarifying owners' responsibilities, with the Cabinet approving a bill to revise the Basic Act for Land at a meeting Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2020

A transformative deal for nature

Protecting biodiversity will require a whole-of-society effort and strong government commitments.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2020

Species' extinction could be a new beginning

Beijing is well-positioned to help other developing nations avoid the mistakes it's made in protecting biodiversity.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 13, 2020

Living in Japan during a time of climate crisis

Substantial action needs to take place in order to deal with the environmental problems on our planet. Still, don't discount the little things you can do just yet.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jan 2, 2020

Thailand bans single-use plastic bags at major stores

Thailand began the year with a ban on single-use plastic bags at major stores, continuing a campaign launched by the government and retailers toward a complete ban in 2021 to reduce waste and debris in the sea.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 14, 2019

Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon climbed more than 100% in November year-on-year: government agency

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon jumped to the highest level for the month of November since record-keeping began in 2015, according to preliminary government data published on Friday.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2019

'Coal Japan' threatens to displace 'Cool Japan' as U.N. climate conference set to kick off in Madrid

A key United Nations climate change conference is due to begin in Madrid but Japan finds itself facing global ire over its reliance on fossil fuels.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 12, 2019

Why the plastic crisis matters

Humankind must find ways to get by without laying waste to the planet.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 2, 2019

Spain to host COP25 climate talks in December after Chile cancels due to riots

Spain will host U.N. climate change talks in December after Chile withdrew, the United Nations said on Friday, a last-minute switch that raises big logistical challenges and has left activist Greta Thunberg stranded on the wrong side of the Atlantic.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 18, 2019

Bottled water sellers ponder aluminum cans over plastic

Global bottled water giants are ramping up trials of easily recyclable aluminum cans to replace plastic that pollutes the world's seas. Sound like a slam-dunk for the environment? Not entirely.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 20, 2019

Japanese activists join global climate strike ahead of U.N. summit on global warming

Young people in 117 countries on Friday called on policymakers to take overdue steps against climate change as part of a global strike just days ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit set to begin in New York on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 18, 2019

Isahaya Bay reclamation dispute continues

The government needs to maintain efforts to come to a settlement with the fishermen so that the bitter divisions in the regional community can heal.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 16, 2019

Scientists warn world must transform food production or face possible unrest

The world must diversify its food production and consumption, or face damaging supply disruptions that could lead to suffering and social unrest, scientists warned Monday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Sep 15, 2019

Schools closed for a week due to 'dangerous' air pollution in Indonesia's Borneo Island

Schools in two cities in the Indonesian part of Borneo Island will be closed for a week after smoke from forest fires caused air quality to hit "dangerous" levels, a local government official said Sunday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2019

California and four automakers defy Trump, agreeing to tighten emissions rules

Four major automakers said Thursday they had reached an agreement with California on fuel efficiency rules, bypassing a Trump administration effort to strip the state of the right to fight climate change by setting its own standards.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2019

Activists urge G20 leaders to make sure underrepresented voices aren't marginalized

Social activists and NGO representatives from Osaka and beyond called on Japan and Group of 20 leaders Wednesday to ensure input from the public is included in their deliberations.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 16, 2019

G20 energy ministers agree at meeting in Japan to outlines of framework to tackle marine plastic waste

Environment and energy ministers from the Group of 20 agreed to the outline of a new international framework in order to tackle the problem of marine plastic waste.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 1, 2019

U.S. biologists probe deaths of 70 emaciated gray whales

U.S. government biologists have launched a special investigation into the deaths of at least 70 gray whales washed ashore in recent months along the U.S. West Coast, from California to Alaska, many of them emaciated, officials said on Friday.
EDITORIALS
May 7, 2019

Averting the collapse of nature

A new scientific report should serve as a wake-up call for governments to uphold their commitments to sustainable development.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 2, 2019

After protests, U.K. Parliament becomes first legislature to declare 'climate change emergency'

The U.K. Parliament declared a symbolic climate change emergency on Wednesday, backing a call by opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for "rapid and dramatic action" to protect the environment for generations to come.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 22, 2019

It's time for a green EU deal

With the world facing increasingly serious environmental threats, European leaders should make a green Europe their number-one priority for the coming years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 21, 2019

The lesson from one student-led trash pick-up is that everyone needs to do their part

It's April on Shiraishi Island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The nights are still crisp, dipping to 4 degrees Celsius, but the sky is clear and the stars arc over the beach like thousands of glittery sequins on a pop idol's stage dress. The constellations are so prominent, even a young child can pick out...

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan