Cattle Struggling to Survive in Fukushima as Radiation Taints Soil, Water

Cattle in Japan’s Fukushima prefecture are struggling to survive as radiation leaks from a crippled nuclear power plant contaminate soil and water and force farmers to evacuate the area.

“Farmers must make a very tough decision — running away from their farms to protect themselves or staying there to take care of their livestock,” Kenzo Sasaki, 70, who raises 25 cattle in Irisabara village in Fukushima, said in an interview. “Animals in the evacuation zone are probably dying without food and water as growers in the area have no option but to flee.”

via Bloomberg.

Amazing Eco-Design of Namba Park in Osaka

Namba Parks is an office and shopping complex located in the Namba district, Osaka, Japan. It consists of a high office building called Parks Tower and a 120-tenant shopping mall with rooftop garden

via Akademi Fantasia Travel

‘The Cove’ to screen in Japan despite protests

Initial screenings of the film at three other theaters were canceled after protests by nationalist groups. Those theaters still have no plans to show “The Cove,” which shows bloody scenes of a dolphin slaughter filmed by hidden cameras and portrays local fishermen as rough goons.

The cancellations prompted a group of Japanese journalists, academics and film directors to sign a letter urging the theaters not to back down, saying the issue “underlines the weakness of freedom of speech in Japan.”

Read more at The Associated Press

Recession lowers emissions

“The rise or fall in emissions naturally correlates to economic growth,” said Satoshi Hashimoto, a senior climate- change researcher at Mitsubishi Research Institute Inc. in Tokyo. “Whichever way the economy goes, there’s a tough road ahead for companies. When the economy is up, emissions rise. When it’s down, companies are short of money to invest in clean technologies.”

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