Environment

Env
Using adult diapers for fuel among ideas to reduce waste
With the population increasingly aging, the production of adult diapers has reached a record high, leading to an increase in waste. According to sources, the Environment Ministry plans to create guidelines to encourage municipalities to recycle used adult diapers from next fiscal year, hoping to reduce waste by making effective use of used diapers.
Ultrasound conducted on whale sharks in the wild
An international team including researchers from the Okinawa Prefecture-based Okinawa Churashima Foundation and Australia has for the first time successfully completed an ultrasound scan of a living whale shark’s ovary.
Japan, China discuss marine plastic
Participants in an environment forum meeting between Japan and China on Sunday discussed the issue of marine plastic pollution.The annual meeting, the 12th of its kind, brought together a total of 800 participants, mainly company and government representatives of the two countries.
Tuna, tradition and opportunities for sustainable tourism
Tourists have big shoes. Climate scientists and other experts suggest that the size of the footprint — carbon and otherwise — left by global travelers is about four times larger than previously thought. Sustainable tourism is a hot topic, and in light of Japan’s goals to grow the number of inbound tourists to 40 million by 2020 and all the way up to 60 million a decade later, it’s one that deserves attention. Fortunately, there are ways to ease the environmental impact of the tourism boom, and they’re not limited to planting trees to offset carbon emissions (though that’s a good place to start).