japan

Recently clearcut section on the Tongass National Forest adjacent to older clearcuts in early seral stages in August 2010. Creative Commons photo by Alan Wu.

Articles, Biomass January 15, 2021

Are forests the new coal? Global alarm sounds as biomass burning surges

The forest biomass industry is sprawling and spreading globally — rapidly growing in size, scale, revenue, and political influence — even as forest ecologists and…

Tokyo harbour at night. Photo credit: mrhayata (flickr.com)

Articles, Coal, Policy & Strategy October 1, 2020

Big in Japan

Japan’s energy policy made headlines in July, when the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced plans to phase out older, inefficient coal plants, along…

Only Natural Energy magazine - nr 4/2020

Issues October 1, 2020

October-December 2020 (ONE)

News & Comments, Nuclear, Renewables May 29, 2020

Fukushima gets new life as a renewable powerhouse after the 2011 meltdown

Tsunami caused triple reactor meltdown in 2011 . Investors plan 11 solar and 10 wind farms on the abandoned site. Renewable energy hub to supply…

Articles, Climate Change July 5, 2019

How a Japanese system can help African cities adapt to climate change

Sub-Saharan Africa is already experiencing the realities of a changing climate – and the situation is only going to get worse. The reasons for this…

Nuclear February 19, 2019

Japan’s nuclear rethink could derail UK energy plans

The planned nuclear power plant in Wales is looking increasingly precarious Update: Reports in the Japanese press claim Hitachi is set to suspend all work on Wylfa,…

Articles Climate Change Policy & Strategy

Greta – A star in a galaxy of young climate activists

In 2019 the world was awed when Greta Thunberg emerged as a global activist against climate change. She was named “Time Person of the Year for 2019” and was the youngest to be honored in this way. Sweden honored their…

Articles Policy & Strategy

Lost in transition

Green new deal, just transition fund, circular economy, carbon free, biofuels, eco-friendly, fair trade, organic, recycling, renewable, resilience, sustainability, zero-whatever (from emission to waste). The lexicon of the environmental-consciousness keeps growing. And for a tangible reason. The commercial fate of…

Articles Policy & Strategy

A cold reminder

As February’s bout of extreme cold weather left millions of Texans without power for days, it seemed all the more jarring in a state famed for its abundance of energy resources. Once synonymous with oil, Texas now leads the country’s…

Articles Last Exit

Cagliari Port Silo

At the time of writing, the Cagliari silo is under demolition. Built-in 1973, the grain silo has been an iconic landmark of Sardinia’s primary town waterfront. It was originally made of a 54-mt tower and 21 storage cells, three for…

Articles Biofuels

Green ammonia, what else?

Everyone looks to green hydrogen as the new frontier of fuels. But its storage and long-distance transport are still open challenges. Ammonia is an emerging alternative as an indirect storage medium for hydrogen. So-called “green ammonia” provides a path to…

Articles Nuclear

South African Nuclear energy chief pleads for energy-mix

The power industry in South Africa is faced with huge challenges. Knox Msebenzi, Managing Director of the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA), discusses the impact of challenges on the country’s economy and a way out of the power generation…

Articles Policy & Strategy Sustainability

Obsession with GDP, disregard of nature leading towards ecosystem collapse: report

“Securing nature is investing in our self-preservation.” A new report out Tuesday from the U.K. government framing the natural environment as “our most precious asset” says the world’s destruction of biodiversity has put economies at risk and that a fundamental…

Articles Nature & Environment

The open burning of waste poses grave health risks to millions

We’re generating more waste than at any other time in history what with a greatly increased global population, rampant consumerism and the wanton use of single-use items like plastic bags and wrappings. Most of us rarely spare a thought to…

Articles Hydro Solar

Floating solar panels on 1% of reservoirs ‘could double’ Africa’s hydropower capacity

Solar panels floating on the lakes formed by Africa’s hydropower dams could be a major new source of power, according to a new study. If these panels covered just 1% of reservoirs, this alone could double African hydropower capacity and…

Articles Nature & Environment

Life-saving drinking water disinfectants have a “dark side”

Disinfecting drinking water against spathogen is necessary, but by-products from the process are a ubiquitous — and likely growing — problem across the U.S. Solutions exist, though. In late September 2020, officials in Wrangell, Alaska, warned residents who were elderly,…

The Lost Bayou: Grand Bayou

Grand Bayou, LA. At one time, it was a lively community of close-knit families, until they were forced to leave. ©2020. Garde Voir Ci magazine. Nicholls State University Department of Mass Communication.

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World Rainforest Day

Rainforests cover only 2 percent of the planet’s surface area but are responsible for more than 25% of all Western medicine and house more than 50% of the world’s plant and animal species.

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Plastic litters one of the world's remotest islands - Henderson Island

Plastic litters one of the world's remotest islands - Henderson Island

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