Latest news with #NationalInstituteforEnvironmentalStudies
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Satellite for Analyzing Greenhouse Gases Expected to Contribute Greatly to Global Warming Countermeasures; Trump Stance Stifling Competition
A new Japanese satellite for measuring greenhouse gases, which was launched in June, is expected to contribute greatly to measures to ease global warming. The satellite, which was jointly developed by the Environment Ministry, the National Institute for Environmental Studies and other partners, is called the Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle (GOSAT-GW), otherwise known by its nickname Ibuki GW. It can collect significantly more information than similar Japanese satellites. Past satellites that had the same purpose could only make observations at points about 200 kilometers apart. They were therefore limited to analyzing data on a country-by-country basis. Ibuki GW, on the other hand, has sensors that can observe greenhouse gases in 900-kilometer-wide belt zones, making it possible to obtain greenhouse gas data from the entire surface of Earth within three days and to analyze it at a city-by-city level. The satellite can observe nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant gas, in the air and estimate emission volumes with high accuracy based on the form of smoke discharged from thermal power plants and other data. Ibuki GW was launched in the early hours of June 29 and began communicating from orbit at an altitude of about 670 kilometers. It is expected to start transmitting data to international organizations by the end of this year. 'We will provide estimate results and other data to Asian countries and private companies,' said an official of the Environment Ministry at an international academic conference of satellite observations held in Takamatsu in June. 'To contribute to creating transparency with the data, we will verify emission reports that countries submit to the United Nations.' Among the topics discussed by the attendees at the conference were the moves of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has a negative stance when it comes to measures for dealing with global warming. Although Japan and the United States had been improving their observation technologies in a spirit of competition in the field, many U.S. researchers were absent from the conference this time. A senior NASA official said that budget cuts had meant that its young researchers could not obtain permission to travel to Japan to attend the conference. According to the U.S. budget bill for the 2026 fiscal year, which NASA disclosed, the funding allocated to two U.S. satellites dedicated to observing greenhouse gases was 'zero.' 'There can be neither studies nor measures utilizing the data without competition and mutual assistance with the United States,' said Akihiko Kuze, a former official of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and former project manager for Ibuki GW's predecessor. With emission volumes of greenhouse gases on the rise, the United States and other countries have been struck one after another by disastrous wildfires and torrential rains this year. Understanding conditions in areas throughout the world, including polar regions and oceans, is essential for developing countermeasures.
United News of India
29-06-2025
- Science
- United News of India
Japan launches H2A rocket for final time, shifts to H3
Tokyo, June 29 (UNI) Japan's flagship H2A rocket was successfully launched for the 50th and final time early on Sunday, marking the end of over two decades of service. The launch took place from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at around 1:33 a.m. local time as scheduled. The final mission carried the "Ibuki-GW" satellite, developed by Japan's Ministry of the Environment, the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, to monitor greenhouse gases from space. Since its debut in 2001, the H2A has played a vital role in advancing Japan's scientific and space exploration efforts, deploying numerous satellites into orbit. Aside from one failure in 2003, all other launches succeeded. With the retirement of H2A, Japan will now fully transition to its next-generation H3 rocket, which aims to reduce costs and increase global competitiveness. UNI/XINHUA BM
Japan Today
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Japan Today
Global warming may stop summer school sports in Japan from 2060s
Outdoor school sporting activity may need to be avoided between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August by the 2060s. Without serious efforts to tackle global warming, students in the 2060s or later may no longer be able to engage in extracurricular outdoor sports in summer in most parts of Japan, according to predictions by a research team. In the most pessimistic global warming scenario, the team's heat stress projections showed all or intense outdoor sporting activity would need to be avoided for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August in areas apart from the northern main island of Hokkaido. In Japan, extracurricular activities normally take place in the late afternoon, though the situation may differ during the summer vacation period. The team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Waseda University in Tokyo created a projection model based on weather data including temperature and humidity as well as a measure of heat stress called the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account factors such as wind and solar radiation, in 842 cities in Japan over a 12-year period. It predicted hourly WBGT heat stress figures in 11 areas across the nation from the 2060s and 2080s, according to scenarios such as when greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut as well as when emissions are not reduced because of a high dependence on fossil fuels. In the most pessimistic of cases of global warming, the projected reading was 31 or more, meaning outside sporting activity should be avoided in principle under the country's guidelines, in four regions, covering Shikoku, northern and southern Kyushu, and Okinawa, for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August. A heat stress index at or above 31 roughly corresponds to 35 C or higher in air temperature. Six areas, from Tohoku to Chugoku, had readings between 28 and 31, meaning intense sporting activity should be avoided. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., none of the regions had figures of 31 or above, but the projections showed intense sports should be avoided in the same hours in August in all regions apart from Hokkaido. Takahiro Oyama, researcher at the institute's Center for Climate Change Adaptation, said the results were indicative of how people's daily lives will change as global warming progresses. "We need to start thinking about how future club activities should be." The annual Koshien national high school baseball tournament has already adopted a two-session system to reduce the negative impact of the summer heat, dividing some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games. If the warming of the planet continues, it could affect more than just school sports, leading to time and venue changes, experts said. © KYODO
Kyodo News
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Kyodo News
Global warming may stop summertime school sports in Japan from 2060s
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 11:06 | Japan, All Without serious efforts to tackle global warming, students in the 2060s or later may no longer be able to engage in extracurricular outdoor sports in summer in most parts of Japan, according to predictions by a research team. In the most pessimistic global warming scenario, the team's heat stress projections showed all or intense outdoor sporting activity would need to be avoided for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August in areas apart from the northern main island of Hokkaido. In Japan, extracurricular activities normally take place in the late afternoon, though the situation may differ during the summer vacation period. The team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Waseda University in Tokyo created a projection model based on weather data including temperature and humidity as well as a measure of heat stress called the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account factors such as wind and solar radiation, in 842 cities in Japan over a 12-year period. It predicted hourly WBGT heat stress figures in 11 areas across the nation from the 2060s and 2080s, according to scenarios such as when greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut as well as when emissions are not reduced because of a high dependence on fossil fuels. In the most pessimistic of cases of global warming, the projected reading was 31 or more, meaning outside sporting activity should be avoided in principle under the country's guidelines, in four regions, covering Shikoku, northern and southern Kyushu, and Okinawa, for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August. A heat stress index at or above 31 roughly corresponds to 35 C or higher in air temperature. Six areas, from Tohoku to Chugoku, had readings between 28 and 31, meaning intense sporting activity should be avoided. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., none of the regions had figures of 31 or above, but the projections showed intense sports should be avoided in the same hours in August in all regions apart from Hokkaido. Takahiro Oyama, researcher at the institute's Center for Climate Change Adaptation, said the results were indicative of how people's daily lives will change as global warming progresses. "We need to start thinking about how future club activities should be." The annual Koshien national high school baseball tournament has already adopted a two-session system to reduce the negative impact of the summer heat, dividing some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games. If the warming of the planet continues, it could affect more than just school sports, leading to time and venue changes, experts said. Related coverage: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year
Kyodo News
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Kyodo News
Global warming may stop summertime school sports in Japan from 2060s
KYODO NEWS - 23 minutes ago - 11:06 | Japan, All Without serious efforts to tackle global warming, students in the 2060s or later may no longer be able to engage in extracurricular outdoor sports in summer in most parts of Japan, according to predictions by a research team. In the most pessimistic global warming scenario, the team's heat stress projections showed all or intense outdoor sporting activity would need to be avoided for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August in areas apart from the northern main island of Hokkaido. In Japan, extracurricular activities normally take place in the late afternoon, though the situation may differ during the summer vacation period. The team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Waseda University in Tokyo created a projection model based on weather data including temperature and humidity as well as a measure of heat stress called the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account factors such as wind and solar radiation, in 842 cities in Japan over a 12-year period. It predicted hourly WBGT heat stress figures in 11 areas across the nation from the 2060s and 2080s, according to scenarios such as when greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut as well as when emissions are not reduced because of a high dependence on fossil fuels. In the most pessimistic of cases of global warming, the projected reading was 31 or more, meaning outside sporting activity should be avoided in principle under the country's guidelines, in four regions, covering Shikoku, northern and southern Kyushu, and Okinawa, for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August. A heat stress index at or above 31 roughly corresponds to 35 C or higher in air temperature. Six areas, from Tohoku to Chugoku, had readings between 28 and 31, meaning intense sporting activity should be avoided. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., none of the regions had figures of 31 or above, but the projections showed intense sports should be avoided in the same hours in August in all regions apart from Hokkaido. Takahiro Oyama, researcher at the institute's Center for Climate Change Adaptation, said the results were indicative of how people's daily lives will change as global warming progresses. "We need to start thinking about how future club activities should be." The annual Koshien national high school baseball tournament has already adopted a two-session system to reduce the negative impact of the summer heat, dividing some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games. If the warming of the planet continues, it could affect more than just school sports, leading to time and venue changes, experts said. Related coverage: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year
