Japan Today

fallaffel comments

Posted in: Russia warns of severe environmental damage as oil from damaged tankers washes up on beaches See in context

Better ground all Russian ships for a while. It seems they're unsafe. :)

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Posted in: Xi says no one can stop China's 'reunification' with Taiwan See in context

Of course no one can stop it if Xi doesn't start it. He also knows this, which is why he didn't start it.

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Posted in: City at foot of Mount Fuji lost 1 month of winter in past decade due to global warming: report See in context

Yes, modeling is very complex. But this is a purely observational report... Look at a thermometer every day, see how it changes from year to year. Seems pretty simple.

It is essential that global warming: reports are supported on detailed proven scientific fact with clear proposals to provide policies that will give a route map to counter "climate change" extreme hazard.

Modelling data is a complex, arbitrary, sometime open to varied ambiguous interpretations.

Sometime laced with more than a hint of political motivation.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: Japan set to record-high average temperature in 2024, 2nd year in row See in context

Why are Arctic temperatures and sea temperatures increasing in the mid-ocean then? It must be Santa Claus and the Atlantans fault.

The first and main teason for warmer temperatures is heat island effect, which in Japan is terrible.

Just go and walk into a forest and you will see the difference.

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Posted in: Japan set to record-high average temperature in 2024, 2nd year in row See in context

Yes, you're right. But... the temperature variation is basically only in one direction over the last 100+ years. Up!

Variations in weather are a constant and ongoing thing.

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Posted in: Climate change making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers See in context

I have never heard this before. I wonder exactly how much the nutrient contents would decrease from faster plant growth. I guess it also means that the same vegetables are more nutritious if grown in colder places?

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Posted in: Flying this holiday season? Here’s why air travel makes us so cranky See in context

Put on some decent clothing? This sounds like Boomer advice.

As a former flight attendant for 3 different air carriers:

Just be a civilized human being. You will share your flight with everyone on board. Also, put on some decent clothing, clothes reflect who we are, how we view ourselves. Be nice.

Whether a long or short flight try to bring your best self on board and remember first and foremost cabin crew are on board for safety first, your drink or meal is secondary. Happy flying.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Posted in: Five years on from the pandemic, long COVID keeps lives on hold See in context

How do antivaccers not get that natural immunity requires getting the disease you're trying to be immune to (or at least less affected by)? An old or severely obese person has a decent chance of dying if they try the natural immunity route.

PLUS natural immunity has consistently shown to be more robust and enduring... but that doesn't sell booster shots, does it?

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Posted in: Why Americans in Japan must file U.S. taxes See in context

Actually it's not a bad thing if you have kids. Usually you qualify for a $1400(?) per child tax credit. Makes me want to do my taxes.

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Posted in: Celebrities can spark change when they speak up about their health See in context

It takes a lot of courage to go public with a major illness. I remember Tom Green and his testicular cancer. He made a good song out of the experience.

How antivaccers are making this into a "big pharma" story is amusing.

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Posted in: Japan says it regrets release of anti-whaling activist Watson See in context

Sadly, the Japanese government will probably respond by increasing whaling subsidies.

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Posted in: Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson released after 5 months in Greenland prison See in context

I doubt it. This is a Japanese website though, so you'd probably have to read it somewhere else.

Funny how activists never complain about Norway's Faroe Island whale killing "tradition". When non-western countries do it, then it's "inhumane".

2 ( +21 / -19 )

Posted in: New fences installed at Mount Fuji photo spot to curb jaywalking See in context

I can't believe this has been in the top national news so many times.

You'd think they could figure out how to solve such a minor problem.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Posted in: More beans and less red meat: Nutritionists weigh in on U.S. dietary guidelines See in context

If so, you should be able to find a good reference for this. Here's a large study of ~2 million people that shows evidence otherwise: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(24)00179-7/fulltext.

"The consumption of meat, particularly processed meat and unprocessed red meat, is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes across populations. These findings highlight the importance of reducing meat consumption for public health and should inform dietary guidelines."

when you search google scholar about red meat and health, studies (up to 130,000 people) are 5:1 that there is no evidence that moderate intake of unprocessed red meat has any negative effect on health.

in addition, cholesterol increases naturally with age and is not a threat. excess salt is the #1 contributing factor to cardiovascular problems.

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Posted in: Trump to discuss ending childhood vaccination programs with RFK Jr See in context

Even Trump is not dumb enough to listen to "Bobby" and his vaccine conspiracies. But he might make some threats to get something from the pharmaceutical industry.

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Posted in: Ecuadoran workers accuse 'monster' Japanese company of exploitation See in context

It wouldn't excuse this company's actions even if they were being singled out. But why do you think other companies aren't being pointed out for the same thing? It wouldn't be something reported in Japan.

I’m curious why the Ecuadorian court singled out the Japanese company. I suspect employers from other countries are treating their workers just as badly or even worse.

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Posted in: Elon Musk warns Republicans against standing in Trump's way — or his See in context

The bodyguard to the right of Elon and his kid in the 2nd photo looks like an elf. Elon ain't messing around.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Posted in: Vietnam pushes electric motorbikes as pollution becomes 'unbearable' See in context

Actually even charging them from fossil fuel electricity sources is still cleaner than using gas engines, because power plants are much more efficient than vehicle engines.

Electric scooters sound like a great idea. Most people could probably charge them up at home while they are not being used. As long as the source of electricity is not based on burning fossil fuels.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Vietnam pushes electric motorbikes as pollution becomes 'unbearable' See in context

Yes, I'm sure humans would be living the good life in an Ice Age or Greenhouse Age.

Global warming is not the real problem, the climate has always changed, long before humans and long after!

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Posted in: Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus See in context

Anyone who is counting on Russia for protection is probably in panic mode right now.

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Posted in: Tough times for Japanese pubs as izakaya bankruptcies come at highest rate in more than a decade See in context

Many (most?) are non-smoking for the last few years now.

The main complaint I have is that it's often only 1 or 2 beers on tap.

With the amount of tobacco smell inside these establishments, I'm not surprised fewer people want to venture inside. Personally, I'm also not keen on the type of food they serve.

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Posted in: Tough times for Japanese pubs as izakaya bankruptcies come at highest rate in more than a decade See in context

Izakaya food is risky? The only risk is you'll gain weight.

Health concerns, restaurant food is risky, especially izakawa types. Fewer and fewer people who are older and older on average = risk averse. Imagine most buy their cheap produce from Fukushima for example.

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Posted in: Google says AI weather model masters 15-day forecast See in context

There are already tens of thousands of models and studies that have used AI for weather prediction. Maybe Google could make a better one though because it has access to so much data and processing power though. So it's not really a leap forward for AI, it's more a step forward for crunching data, which is a lot more boring.

ECMWF chief Florence Rabier told AFP the project was a "first step" towards integrating AI in weather forecasting but that "it is indeed a leap forward."

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Syrian rebels advance close to Hama city, piling pressure on Assad and his allies See in context

What do you want us to see in these photos/videos? Are the rebels using US weapons? I don't get how you connect the rebels' actions to Biden. It's more likely the US is helping the Kurdish rebel group in Syria.

Many photos and videos of the "moderate rebels" prove your denial is false.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Posted in: Syrian rebels advance close to Hama city, piling pressure on Assad and his allies See in context

Well, it's also entirely possible to be anti-Assad (a brutal dictator) and anti-Islamic extremist. Nobody has much freedom in Syria... Do you support foreign meddling in the middle east?

The anti- Assad mob makes me wonder. Women and girls in Syria have wonderful freedoms that are going to disappear should the IS/Al Quaeda affiliates you are salivating over take power. And that is just one example.

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Posted in: Syrian rebels advance close to Hama city, piling pressure on Assad and his allies See in context

Good question!

A: They aren't.

Why is Biden admin supporting ISIS patches sporting jihadists...oops, moderate rebels?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Posted in: Japan experiences warmest autumn on record See in context

Just look at a trend of annual land and sea surface temperatures over the last 100 years... What do you see? Or don't look, and put your head back in the sand.

That’s interesting because Australia just experienced its warmest spring on record by the same margin. It doesn’t really mean anything considering accurate climate records have only been kept for a little over 100 years. Don’t start planning your move to Mars just yet.

Moderator: Thanks for your contribution. Your comment has been featured in the latest episode of the Japan This Week podcast. Visit the Japan Today top page to listen.

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Posted in: Japan eyes next-generation solar power equivalent to 20 nuclear reactors See in context

A clean energy boom has been ongoing for several years now. For example, it accounts for more electricity production than fossil fuels in the EU. It will be the same in most parts of the world in a few years.

Carbon capture tech is expensive and doesn't provide any product that can be sold (except carbon credits...). It's a band-aid, not a solution.

Everything's far off into the future re clean energy sources, including implementation of current technologies. Why arent carbon capture tech not being promoted/more utilized?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan eyes next-generation solar power equivalent to 20 nuclear reactors See in context

Forest growth can offset some CO2 emissions, so it's still feasible to reach net zero emissions. It's much better than importing fossil fuels from abroad and burning them, don't you think?

I don't understand your point about the babies thing.

Net-zero emissions? Alone the production, transport into every corner and the necessary replacements due still shorter lifespan creates an emission above zero, probably very much above zero when considering the huge scale of 20 nuclear reactors equivalent size. And of course the knockout question, can the panels bear babies so that someone remains left to use them?

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Posted in: As Arctic climate warms, even Santa runs short of snow See in context

A model should either be 100% accurate or it's useless? If you're confused about the basics of how all science advances, the problem might not be with the scientists.

Isn't it strange that scientists keep changing their climate models that work so well they are beyond reproach?

I'm confused because my favorite oracle keeps telling me that the "science is settled" and there exists something called "100% scientific consensus"

It turns out they know nothing.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

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