Asia

"Nuclear Rules in Japan Relied on Old Science"

"In the country that gave the world the word tsunami, the Japanese nuclear establishment largely disregarded the potentially destructive force of the walls of water. The word did not even appear in government guidelines until 2006, decades after plants — including the Fukushima Daiichi facility that firefighters are still struggling to get under control — began dotting the Japanese coastline."

Source: NY Times, 03/28/2011

"Japan and the U.S. Agree to Team Up on Seabed Mining"

"The United States has spent nearly a year pursuing deep sea mining without cooperation from the rest of the world. Now, Japan has said it will help out." "The arrangement could signal a fracture in the decades-long effort among nations to reach consensus on how to mine the ocean floor while protecting ecosystems."

Source: NYTimes, 03/30/2026

Is Our Inextricable Link to Water the Key to Human Survival?

The new book by renowned thinker and author Jeremy Rifkin, “Planet Aqua,” immerses the reader in a fascinating premise: that we live not on a land planet but within a great hydrosphere, and that water is no mere resource but a life-sustaining source. BookShelf editor Tom Henry explores how Rifkin’s wide-reaching narrative strives to upend conventional wisdom about our Earth.

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"Why China Is Building So Many Coal Plants Despite Its Solar And Wind Boom"

"Even as China’s expansion of solar and wind power raced ahead in 2025, the Asian giant opened many more coal power plants than it had in recent years — raising concern about whether the world’s largest emitter will reduce carbon emissions enough to limit climate change."

Source: AP, 02/05/2026

Geothermal a Valuable, But Overlooked Clean Energy Source?

More heat pumps than ever are going into homes and businesses in the United States these days. But they are just one small-scale use of geothermal energy, a promising utility-scale technology that is growing worldwide — and with a minimal carbon footprint to boot. But there are drawbacks as well. The new Issue Backgrounder explains how it all works.

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US Denies Okinawa Prefecture Base Access For ‘Forever Chemicals’ Tests

"U.S. Forces Japan has denied Okinawa prefecture’s requests to test for so-called “forever chemicals” at three U.S. military bases, citing insufficient evidence that the facilities are sources of contamination."

Source: Stars and Stripes, 12/23/2025

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