Recent Articles

August 26, 2008

Cool United Nations

Cool is becoming the new buzzword in global efforts to reduce our carbon footprints and tackle climate change.

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August 26, 2008

Yokohama, an environmentally friendly city

Cities around the world must take leadership in solving global environment problems. The reason is simple: cities cover just 2 per cent of the world’s surface, yet they consume 75 per cent of our global resources.

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July 22, 2008

Call for action on African food security

Food security is a critical issue for Africa today, as the continent struggles with declining agricultural stocks and high food prices. Add in the fact that human-induced climate change will further threaten already weakened productivity, and the situation is precarious.

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July 14, 2008

Special report: Outcome from the Toyako Summit

The G8 Summit is over. In his statement on 9 July 2008, the Chair of the Summit, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, highlighted the agreement between the world’s leaders on the “need to address… issues of elevated oil and food prices and global inflationary pressures…”
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July 8, 2008

Welcome to Our World 2.0

Our World 2.0 is a webzine and video brief series from the United Nations University. We focus on global affairs—beginning with climate, oil and food—at a time when we are witnessing a convergence of these issues. more…

July 8, 2008

Special report: Follow the leaders in Hokkaido, Japan

Leaders from G8 countries have gathered in Toyako, Hokkaido to discuss pressing global issues of rising food and fuel prices, climate change, the economy and African development. They will spend three days together, from 7-9 July 2008.

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July 7, 2008

Japan as a Low Carbon Society

Japan should be at the forefront of a “CO2 reduction revolution”, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said recently when announcing Japan’s plan to cut green house gas (GHG) emissions by 60-80% by 2050. more…

July 6, 2008

Peak Oil: What does it mean to you?

Does oil priced at over $140 per barrel signal the arrival of Peak Oil? The experts disagree on the cause of the price jump but agree on one message: The era of easy oil is over. more…

July 6, 2008

Africa and climate change

Africa has been dealing with the impacts of climate change since the 1970s. The most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) described the African continent as the one that will be most affected.

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July 5, 2008

Nagoya’s waste revolution

In 1997, Nagoya began to feel the pinch of a waste crisis. Landfill space in this city of two million was running out, and a plan to develop a new landfill in the Fujimae tidal flats was facing intense public opposition. more…