ifd66 comments

Good news they acknowledge the environmental impacts of beef.

Why aren't they also considering plant-based alternatives?

Ikea's plant-based 'chicken' and 'meat' menu items for example are really good.

Hearts, tails and blubber

The title left out one of the main ingredients; high levels of Mercury

Welcome to the 21st century Japan. Literally 20 years later than most other developed countries with long coast lines and now well developed offshore wind expertise, infrastructure, jobs, and clean energy.

I've never had a phone. Never needed one.

My MacBook allows me to do all I need to do to stay in touch etc.

My children will be around for another 70 years or so.

A very sobering thought with record temperatures upon record temperatures and no real progress on ending the death spiral of fossil fuel era.

A great book on this topic:

The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World

In Japan there is a "proper" way to crush cans and recycling facilities will complain if the cans are flattened incorrectly.

Surely, even in Japan this cannot be true.

When they are collected by regular dustbin lorries they are randomly crushed by the hydraulic crusher.

And to recycle cans they are shedded then melted down.

Declining population in a country with a very high population density is a great opportunity to improve quality of life - less congestion, greater food security... the list is endless.

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A national law for a minimum % of large roof areas to be green/living rooves.

Trees to be added to large car parks and open areas.

Re-wild urban river banks/flood lands.

It's just common sense.

How is this in any way news worthy?

Hundreds of millions of people around the world are going to lose their places to live,

And worse, much of the world's most fertile land and currently used for food production is around estuaries and deltas, which will all disappear.

It's a simple case of a lack of awareness.

All the farmers around us cut the grass constantly around their fields in June (firefly season in our area).

Fireflies need long grass to emerge. If only there were local campaigns to refrain from cutting grass or leaving certain area's of grass until after the fire fly season is over.

We now have them in our garden partly because I leave areas well alone until after the end of June.

Probably the most poignant line

While this summer is likely be one of the hottest on record, it is important to realize that it may also be one of the coldest summers of the future.

And a thought should be given to all those in India and other countries who are, more and more, having to experience temperatures over 50C.

40C recorded today in Shizuoka.

Complete waste of plastic, and taking advantage of young kids who don't know any better.

Such tipping points are scariest part of the climate crisis. And there are a lot of them which could be triggered at any time.

Melting ocean floor hydrates, melting of permafrost, article ice loss, rainforest die-back .....

We bought farmland for literally the cost of the conveyancing.

This story mostly relates to urban areas.

But to my mind, rural land is far more valuable.

Very good news.

 Japan has infinite tourism resources

This guy lacks a simple understanding of infinite.

The same thinking behind infinite growth of the economy on a finite planet.

With population shrinking, why would it be a surprise that the economy is shrinking?

Ignoring the eco of competing on the global league table of country's economic size, per capita measurements should be the most important measures.

In addition, the purely monetary value of 'development' should not be GDP, but instead measures that take into account quality of life issues - equality etc.

This should be headline news. The fact that it's not is part of the problem and why the climate crisis will continue to get much worse. .

Replace one monoculture with another? Do it right Japan, rewilding.

Exactly!

It would be nice to read that they are doing it at least in part to support biodiversity and help restore/expand the native forests and species of trees.

@James Rogers: Japanese people themselves are so quite and considerate in public in general, 

This is certainly not the case every Sunday on the shore of Lake Biwa where I live. Jet skiers who come here from the city have no regard for people living here and make as much noice as possible in the mistaken belief that they are being cool.

@smuf I think it's more sustainable not to change your car every few years than to follow trends. 

Very true. Our big old Hilus Surf that we run on WVO (waste vegetable oil) is over 30 years old and still going strong.

I assumed it was going to be on top of the Lawson building roof.

unscrupulous people will still insist there is nothing to worry about it

Or indeed, down thumb your very legitimate comment.

I would not consider an "in-return gift" as a "silver lining".

Save yourself the hassle of traveling with bulky suitcases, forward them to your next destination instead

No, just pack more sensibly, and use a rucksack. I just can't imagine how those wheels suitcases became so popular. Sheeple mentality I suppose.

"I'm worried that the cost of souvenirs will be higher" 

So don't buy any. Save money, and pointless wasteful packaging.