Information Analysis
Search Information Analysis
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999. Causality Among Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Today, the world faces three crises: climate change, biodiversity loss, and infectious disease outbreaks. The interplay between these three crises has cascading effects through feedback loops. Understanding the cause-and-effect relationships among them is critical to solving the challenges facing our planet.
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998. Climate Change and Chocolate
The price of cocoa, the raw material for chocolate, has risen sharply in recent months. According to commodity price statistics compiled by the World Bank, the price of cocoa, which was USD2.75 per kilo in March 2023, rose by 158% to USD7.09 in March 2024. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) points to the impact of climate change as the reason behind the recent surge in cocoa prices.
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997. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Policy in 2023
A paper published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment reported that despite global GHG emissions reaching an all-time high in 2023, it increased by only 0.1% from 2022 and that the upward trend in emissions may reach a plateau in the future. A separate article in the same journal summarized national and international climate policies in 2023 and stressed the importance of coherence in national and international climate change policies to accelerate global climate action.
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996. The Global Impact of Sea Ice Melting
Sea ice formation contributes to global ocean circulation and stabilizes the Earth's climate. Sea ice, with its bright surface, reflects sunlight and cools the Earth. However, once it melts, the dark surface of the water absorbs solar energy and warms the ocean and the atmosphere. Recent signs of melting sea ice in Antarctica raise concerns among scientists that it could accelerate global climate change.
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995. Is Global Warming Accelerating?
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's meteorological information agency, announced that global temperatures reached a record high in March 2024, marking the 10th consecutive month of record-high monthly temperatures.
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994. Atmospheric Concentrations of Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases Continued Steady Rise in 2023
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the atmospheric concentrations of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) continued its upward trend in 2023, albeit not as fast as the abnormal rates of increase observed in recent years.
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993: March 2024 World Food Price Index
On April 5, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released the World Food Price Index for March 2024. It averaged 118.3 points, up 1.3 points (1.1%) from the previous month, and reflected the rise in vegetable oil prices. Although the increase reversed a seven-month downtrend that had continued through the previous month, it remained 9.9 points (7.7%) lower than the previous year.
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992. The Impact of Climate Change on Wine Production
Climate change is affecting grape yields, grape composition, and wine quality. Here we summarize the review article by Professor Cornelis van Leeuwen (University of Bordeaux, France) and his colleagues, titled "Climate change impacts and adaptations of wine production".
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991. Writing a “Prescription” for Poverty in the Rice Terraces of Madagascar
The work of development economists is sometimes compared to that of a doctor. This is because it is like writing a "prescription" for poverty reduction. Indeed, the process of listening to farmers (i.e., interviewing), conducting surveys (i.e., medical examination), and suggesting ways to improve their lives (i.e., writing prescriptions) may be similar to the work of a doctor. However, farmers do not come to us for consultation (=see the doctor). I would like to talk about the deeper reason why we go all the way to the field to listen to the farmers.
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990. An Update to the Thai Local Vegetable Database
The Thai Local Vegetable Database, based on "JIRCAS International Agriculture Series No. 17: Thai Local Vegetables", was the result of a joint research by JIRCAS and initially published online in 2010. Here we present an updated version with enhanced functionality, more detailed information for local use, and improved search capability.
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989. The Severity of the Food Waste Problem
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, one third of the world's population faces problems accessing nutritious food, while one billion servings of food are wasted. In addition to economic losses, food waste exacerbates climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, and urgent actions are required to reduce it.
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988. Blooming and Phenology of Cherry Blossoms in Japan
Phenology examines how the cycles that plants and animals create to survive are affected by seasonal and interannual climate changes, and studies related to the blooming period of cherry trees in Japan are considered to be one of the most reliable sources of information on the effects of long-term climate change. On the other hand, the higher temperatures from November to January this season have significantly delayed the dormancy break, making it more difficult to predict the blooming of cherry trees. Research on how plants and animals adapt to a changing climate is likely to become more complex.
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987. Projected Increase in Extreme Events Due to Rising Temperatures
The year 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. PNAS presents interactive maps of global climate model results analyzed at the downscale level, showing how extreme events are projected to occur in relation to the degree of temperature increase. The PNAS report presents the results of global climate modeling at a downscaled interactive map, showing the challenges facing human health, agricultural production, and other areas based on projections of the frequency of extreme events in relation to the degree of temperature increase.
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986. The Need to Integrate Adaptation and Mitigation Measures in Response to Climate Change
The Nature Climate Change journal article introduced recently stressed the urgency of climate change adaptation measures, and today we present an article from the same journal that argues that climate change measures should integrate adaptation and mitigation measures.
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985. The Urgency of Adapting to Climate Change for Future Food Security
The frequency of extreme weather events is increasing under climate change, raising uncertainty about the environment surrounding stable food production. An editorial published in Nature Climate Change stated that the impact of climate change on food production affects us all and emphasized the importance of securing research and research funding to minimize negative impacts and protect the most vulnerable segments of society.
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984. Off the Charts Record of Climate Change in 2023
On March 19, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its 2023 Climate White Paper, which shows that indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, temperature, ocean heat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice extent loss, and glacier retreat are “off the charts”, noting the socio-economic impacts of extreme weather events and the severity of the food security crisis for vulnerable social groups.
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983. Unexpected Consequences of Land Use Change: From Grassland to Cropland
With animal-derived food production generally being noted for its significant environmental impact, questions arise about whether its transition truly leads to climate mitigation. Today, we will introduce a research paper that summarizes the general concepts of agricultural land use, the unexpected challenges that may arise from land use conversion, and the solutions, using the UK as a case study.
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982. Water for Peace
March 22 is World Water Day, an international observance proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The United Nations General Assembly designated the day in 1993. The theme for World Water Day 2024 is "Water for Peace".
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981. Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World
March 21 is International Forest Day, a day designated by the United Nations to commemorate and raise awareness of forests and trees worldwide. The theme for 2024 is "Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World”.
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980. Global Underweight and Obesity Trends
A study published in The Lancet analyzed trends in underweight and obesity among adults (20 years and older), school-aged children, and adolescents (5-19 years) in 200 countries and regions from 1990 to 2022. The study used body mass index (BMI) to classify underweight as a BMI below 18.5 kg/m² and overweight as a BMI above 30 kg/m² for adults. For school-aged children and adolescents, underweight was defined as a BMI less than twice the standard deviation and overweight as a BMI greater than 30 kg/m². Obesity was defined as a BMI greater than twice the standard deviation.